Professional Development Overview
***Important changes were made to the CUPEU PD program effective June 1, 2009. Be sure to review these changes before submitting an application.
As part of our collective agreement, CUPEU has a Professional Development Fund (CPDF).
All Permanent employees in good standing are eligible to apply for funds. Only one (1) P.D. request per budget year can be awarded to any CUPEU member in good standing. The maximum amount of any request this year is .
Please read the instructions carefully. Applications which are not completed correctly will be automatically disqualified.
The next deadline for Professional Development applications will be . This will be the rounds for the fiscal year and is restricted to activities and purchases that will take place on or before .
Here is the report from the 2008-2009 Professional Development rounds.
Important Changes beginning in 2009-2010
Due to the PD program's increasing popularity, several important changes are taking place to the way that funds are allocated this year. Some of the most important of these are:
- A change from four to three funding rounds.
- An increase in the maximum award amount to $3800.
- Total funding for each round will be limited to one-third of the fund's value on June 1 of the current budget year.
- Applications for activities must be made in the round immediately preceding the activity. Exceptions are made for activities or purchases that occur soon after after an application deadline.
- The second P.D. round will occur in November for events which will take place in December, January, February and March. The third and final P.D. round for the 2010-2011 budget year will occur in March for events which take place in April, May, June and July.
- Incomplete applications will be automatically disqualified.
Background Information
The CUPEU Collective Agreement (Article 10.09) provides the basis for CUPEU's Professional Development program. It is a useful starting point for anyone interested in participating in the program.
The Guidelines for Allocating CUPEU Professional Development Funds are what the PD committee uses to reach its decisions. Due to the increased popularity of the PD program, these guidelines are under review and may be updated by the committee at any time.
How to Apply
To apply, you must submit six copies of a completed application package to the CUPEU office at MI-202 before the deadline. Each application will have different requirements, based on the type of activity or supplies requested. At minimum, all applications must include the following:
- Application Form
- Description of request
- Form(s) specific to the activity(ies)
- Total Budget form
Other material may be required, depending on the nature of the activity. Use the checklist on the Application Form (and your common sense) to ensure that your package includes everything the committee will need to make a decision. All forms are available on the Application Forms page.
If you have questions about what is required, refer to the Frequently Asked Questions relating to the PD program. If you still have questions after reviewing the FAQ, you can contact the CUPEU office for further details.
Applicants are typically contacted with the committee's decision within 10 days of the application deadline.
After Approval
Once your activity or purchase has been approved, you may start to spend the approved funds. Follow the Guidelines for the Recipient Following the Approval of PD Funds. Reimbursement requests may be submitted as soon as you start incurring costs.
You may also be required to submit a report to your supervisor, with a copy to the Chair of the PD committee (c/o CUPEU at MI-202) within 60 days of the completion of the activity. Details are outlined in Article 10.13c of the Collective Agreement. Failure to submit a report on time may jeopardize your right to receive PD funds in the future.
Reports from the Vice President
At each CUPEU General Assembly, the VP overseeing the CPDF submits a report. Click below to see copies of these reports (PDF file format).