Professional Development Funds

Jan. 4, 2023

Dear Decanal colleagues, Associate Deans, AAU Heads, faculty members, Librarians, AAS members, and Sessional Lecturers,

At a recent Joint Consultative Committee meeting between the Provost’s Office and WUFA leadership, we discussed the use of professional development funds under Article I. Article I.1 stipulates that Professional Development and Membership Fund provides for payment of the costs for professional development and implies the process is initiated by a faculty member.

Article I.1

On July 1 of each year of this agreement, a Professional Development and Membership Fund shall be made available to each AAU for the use by full-time members, including sessional lecturers/sessional lecturers in Visual Arts/sessional lecturers in Nursing, and ancillary academic staff in each Faculty and Library for payment of the costs of travel, accommodation and other related expenses incurred for attendance at learned or professional conferences, symposiums or for other authorized University travel and for payment of the membership dues of professional or learned societies, for academic journals and books, and for professional development.

For the purpose of Professional Development of members, technology driven solutions, including but not limited to tablets, computers, e-readers, etc. are eligible expenses for the professional development of a member’s career. Technology driven solutions required for the purpose of carrying out a member’s day-to-day duties and responsibilities do not qualify under Article I but are, however included in Article 8.  Further, in keeping with EDID principles espoused in the Collective Agreement, faculty colleagues’ travel and/or communication with their communities for the purposes of their professional development may be included.

We are in agreement that under Article 1.9, these expenses may be covered under Article I. We ask that the practice of using Article I funds be applied consistently for all members, noting especially that requests for technology driven solutions are member driven and that the requests cannot be imposed on the members by Deans or Department Heads. Please note any equipment purchased with these funds, will remain the property of the University of Windsor.

Sincerely,

Provost Office and WUFA