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The University of British Columbia
- a place of mind
- The University of British Columbia
- UBC Human Resources
Funding is available to support professional development for Management and Professional staff at UBC.
For the purposes of the M&P Professional Development Fund, “Professional Development” is defined as those activities which enhance the knowledge, performance, or career progression of an individual’s work at the University.
Posted April 4, 2012
April 1, 2012 marks the start of the new 2012 -2013 funding year. Eligible staff can apply for up to $750 in funding towards professional development activities that occur during the current fiscal year (April 1, 2012 – March 31, 2013).
For the 2012-2013 funding year we are implementing the following changes to the M&P PD Fund:
Please scroll down to see details on these changes.
NEW: To be eligible for application submission, your PD activity must start between April 1 – June 30th, 2012, the first quarter period of the funding year.
If you are claiming for an expense that does not have a start date (such as a book) then the purchase date must fall within the above mentioned timeframe.
Application deadline is June 30th, 2012 for this 1st funding period.
Please see the “When to Apply? ” chart below for new quarter period submission details.
Send the application form and original receipts to:
M&P Professional Development Fund
UBC Human Resources
350 – 2075 Wesbrook Mall, GSAB
Vancouver Campus, Zone 1
UBC Human Resources will review your application to ensure it is consistent with the purpose and principles of the program and within available funding. We will then contact you by email, advising you of your funding application status. Once approved, we will reimburse you by direct deposit or alternatively, reimburse your department by Journal Voucher transfer (if upfront costs were paid by your department).
Our current turnaround time for sending out approval emails and processing reimbursements is approximately 2-3 weeks.
Please note: If you are applying for funding for a MOST workshop offered by UBC Human Resources, you do not have to pay upfront . Instead, once you send us your customized application form (provided by email at time of MOST course registration) the PD Fund Administrator will arrange payment of your MOST workshop on your behalf. You should send in this form prior to the start date of the MOST course.
posted April 4, 2012 (Please note as of April 17 , 2012 – quarterly submission start date adjusted - see chart below for correct date )
Update: Online Automation of Professional Development Funding Programs
As some of you may be aware through previous communications, over the past year we have been working on a project to automate the centrally administered PD Funds application and reimbursement process. This is part of the University’s Purchase and Payment Simplification Program, a strategic initiative to reduce bureaucracy at UBC. As we develop and pilot the new system over the coming months there will be some changes made to the way staff access PD Funds. We will keep you informed as these changes are implemented. That said, some changes will come into effect April 1, the start of the new fiscal year. Details of these changes are outlined below.
NEW: Quarterly Distribution of PD Funds
When to Apply for Funding?
|
Quarterly Allocation |
For courses / conferences / workshops / membership renewals / subscriptions with a START DATE* of: |
Application Forms will be accepted as of: |
Application Form Submission Deadline Date: |
| Period 1 | April 1 – June 30 | April 1 | June 30 |
| Period 2 | July 1 – September 30 | July 1 | September 30 |
| Period 3 | October 1 – December 31 | October 1 | December 31 |
| Period 4 | January 1 – March 31 | January 1 | March 31 |
*in the event that a PD activity does not have a start date (ie book purchase or self paced course with flexible start date ) then purchase date will determine the applicable submission quarter.
UBC staff are committed to expanding their professional development, which is reflected in heavy use of Staff PD Funds. In the case of our M&P employees, this high participation rate has resulted in the overall funding pool running out of money before the end of the fiscal year. In practice, this has meant that many M&P staff members have not been able to access funding support through the M&P PD Fund for those PD activities that fall in the latter half of the fiscal year.
To address this shortfall in the current fund distribution system, Human Resources is piloting a new quarterly distribution system for the 2012/2013 Funding Year. We will divide the overall funding pool into four equal installments, to be accessed on a quarterly basis throughout the fiscal year.
The most significant change that staff should note is that now to submit a reimbursement claim in a given quarter period, the PD activity start date must fall within that same quarter period timeframe.
To illustrate, for Period 1, April –June, staff can submit a claim for PD activities that start anytime within the April -June timeframe. All claims for Period 1 must be submitted to Human Resources by June 30. Claims for PD activities that start in Period 2, July-September, can be submitted as of July 1 and will be accepted up until September 30th, the end of Period 2 .
The chart above summarizes the new quarter period timeframe and quarterly deadline dates for the entire fiscal year.
If a quarterly funding portion is fully used up, the submission period will close, and, we will only accept applications for PD activities that start in the next corresponding quarter. Employees will not be able to re-submit a claim applicable to the previous quarter time-frame. Conversely, if the quarterly installment of funding is not fully used, the remainder of the money will roll over into the next quarter.
This change will ensure a more equitable distribution of funds to staff on a first-come first-served basis within each quarter, and staff who are undertaking professional development activities throughout the year will have a better opportunity to request funding. This change in fund distribution has been put in place based on feedback from M&P Staff and in conversation with the AAPS Executive that a more equitable system is desired.
NEW: UBC Course/Tuition Fees Now Eligible For Funding
New in 2012-13, M&P staff can apply their PD Funds towards tuition fees for UBC undergraduate or graduate degree programs and UBC Continuing Studies courses /certificate programs taken at UBC specifically for professional development purposes.
Note: academic student & society fees are excluded from reimbursement.
Whenever feasible, we ask that staff members use their Tuition Fee Waiver for UBC courses prior to seeking top- up reimbursement from the staff PD Funds.
Unlike the UBC Tuition Fee Waiver payment process, the M&P PD Funding program does not arrange internal payment transfers for UBC courses on a staff member’s behalf. Course payment must be made out-of-pocket, and then a request for reimbursement can be made through the applicable PD Funding program. You must submit your original receipts.
This enhancement to the M&P PD Funds has been put in place to increase consistency across the various Staff PD Funds, and to support staff in accessing greater professional development opportunities offered by the University.
Contact Susanna Mulligan at susanna.mulligan@ubc.ca 604.822.9273
or Peter Godman at peterg@hr.ubc.ca 604.822.8115
Here are just some examples of work-related courses taken by Management & Professional staff using PD funding:
