SUOAF/AFSCME

SUOAF-AFSCM Local 2836 Professional Development Guidelines

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Purpose and Guiding Principles

Professional Development (PD) funding supports the continuing growth and effectiveness of SUOAF members throughout the Connecticut State Colleges & Universities (CSCU) system. PD funding is grounded in Article 22.6 and exists to:

  • Maintain high standards of administrative and educational service.
  • Encourage participation in educational or professional programs that enhance career readiness.
  • Support activities that benefit both the member and the institution.

Overarching Guiding Standard: “CSCU Career Appropriate”

Professional development funding is appropriate when the activity is CSCU career appropriate, meaning it supports:

  • Effectiveness in a member’s current role and/or,
  • Development of skills or competencies relevant to other CSCU administrative roles, and/or
  • Preparation for advancement anywhere within the CSCU system.

This broad standard ensures that PD funding promotes both immediate job effectiveness and long-term career mobility within CSCU.

Professional Development Funding       

Contractual Professional Development Pool

Pursuant to Article 22.6, the PD funding available annually “shall be 0.27 percent (0.27%) of the aggregate, biweekly base salary of the bargaining unit as of the last Thursday of the pay period which precedes that in which July 1 falls, shall be set aside for professional development. These funds will expire at the end of each fiscal year.

Cross-Campus Access to Funds

Also pursuant to Article 22.6, if a university or the System Office has depleted its PD pool to $0, members at that location:

  • May apply to a SUOAF PD committee at another university or the System Office (coordinated through respective Chapter Presidents)
  • Only if that other location still has available PD funds
  • All requests remain subject to the per-member annual maximum
  • Decisions are not grievable

Categories of Professional Development

Campus- or Department-Wide Professional Development

Campus- or department-sponsored activities offered to broad groups, such as:

  • Workshops
  • Half-day or full-day training sessions
  • Development series delivered at multiple times for wide access

These may be initiated by chapter SUOAF PD Committees or by members/departments and are implemented through the Chapter President once approved by the PD Committee.

Individual Professional Development

Activities tailored to one member’s professional growth, such as:

  • State, regional, or national conferences
  • Webinars, courses, workshops
  • Computer-based training or subscriptions to relevant publications
  • Other learning experiences

Individual PD must enhance the member’s current position or prepare the member for CSCU-appropriate future roles.

Eligibility Requirements

To receive PD funding, the activity must:

  1. Be professionally relevant to the member’s current role or CSCU career pathways.
  2. Represent professional development, not mandatory job training.
    • Training required by the University should be funded by the institution.
  3. Not be travel required for university business.
    • Such travel cannot be charged to PD funds.

Funding Limits and Availability

Individual Award Limit

  • No individual may receive more than the per capita maximum stated in Article 22.6.
  • Multiple requests are permitted up to the annual maximum.

Fund Depletion and Availability

  • Funds are awarded first-come, first-served while available.
  • Unspent annually allocated funds do not carry over to the following fiscal year.
  • When funds at a campus reach $0, members may apply to committees at other campuses with remaining balances (to be coordinated through the chapter presidents).

Application and Approval Process

Each campus maintains its own administrative workflow, however the application process should include appropriate elements of the following core steps:

Step 1: Submit Application

Applications must include:

  • Amount requested and budget breakdown
  • Written justification tied to CSCU career appropriateness
  • Conference/training materials (agenda, link, brochure, etc.)

Step 2: Committee Review

Committees evaluate:

  • Relevance to current role or CSCU career pathway
  • Merit of the activity
  • Availability of funds

Step 3: Post-Approval Requirements

  • Complete travel authorization (if required).
  • Ensure compliance with university travel procedures.
  • Submit receipts or documentation as required by campus policies.

Step 4: Final Authority

  • The Chief HR Officer at each university and the Chancellor/designee at the System Office have full and final authority over PD fund expenditures. (Per Article 22.6)
  • Allocation decisions are not grievable.

Defining “CSCU Career Appropriate” (Implementation Guidance)

A PD activity is CSCU career appropriate when it meaningfully strengthens a member’s:

  • Knowledge, skills, or abilities helpful to the member’s current position;
  • Readiness for promotions or lateral moves within CSCU;
  • Competency in systemwide administrative areas such as (but not limited to):
    • Leadership & supervision
    • Higher education administration
    • Finance, budgeting, HR, or compliance
    • Student services or academic support
    • Regulatory compliance
    • Technology, analytics, or data systems
    • Project or organizational management

Activities do not need to relate solely to the member’s current duties; they may support career progression across CSCU as long as the value is clear and justifiable.

General Member Responsibilities

  • Submit applications four to six weeks before the event whenever possible (but requests are not necessarily rejected based solely on timeliness).
  • Ensure application completeness and accuracy.
  • Notify the PD Committee if withdrawing from an approved event.
  • Use funds responsibly and in compliance with university procedures.

Adopted by the SUOAF Executive Board
January 28, 2026