Professional Development Budget Announced - Increased Popularity Spurs Changes
June 08, 2009 by Rob Carver
The budget for the 2009-2010 CUPEU Professional Development Fund, announced this week, is $100,500. The figure is the sum of the amount carried over from the previous year (less than $500), plus 0.5% of the CUPEU Mass Salariale. For the first time ever, the fund was fully subscribed in 2007-2008, resulting in a number of applications being refused. This prompted a series of changes intended to ensure that funds are distributed more fairly among qualified members.
Among the changes is a fundamental shift in the way that money is distributed throughout the year. There are now three pre-defined disbursement rounds (in June, November and March), with one-third of the total annual budget available during each round. In previous years there were no limits on the total funding provided during each round. This provided an advantage to those whose events occurred earlier in the fiscal year (June 1 - May 31), and left little money available for events taking place in April or May.
To make this change effective, there are also limits on when people may apply. Applications will only be accepted for events or purchases that correspond with the the next funding period. For example, an application to attend a conference in October may be submitted immediately, but an application to fund an event in January will only be accepted during the November disbursement round, which will cover activities from December 1, 2009 to March 31, 2010. Applications for activities occurring in April, May or June 2010 will only be considered at the March 2010 meeting. It is hoped that providing a clear, pre-defined meeting schedule and limiting disbursements to one third the total budget at a time will provide CUPEU members with a PD program that is fairer and more responsive to both short- and long-term planning needs.