Staff professional development funds

Every year, the College provides funds for staff professional development. In the past, these funds have been used to support a variety of opportunities, including conference registration fees and eligible travel expenses for professional conferences. Funds have also supported professional development programs, such as Professional Administrative Day hosted by the Georgia Center, as well as non-certification workshops, trainings, and courses that align with an employee’s current position and job responsibilities.

Professional development funds have also been used for professional memberships that support an employee’s current role and professional development, provided the membership purchase complies with UGA’s membership purchasing guidelines. Memberships may be considered when they are financially beneficial (such as when the cost of the membership plus conference registration is less than the non-member registration cost), when the membership is necessary to perform the employee’s job duties and is identified as a requirement within the employee’s job description, or when the membership provides access to professional information, resources, or other benefits that can be directly used in the employee’s current position. Other professional development opportunities that enhance an employee’s skills or knowledge and have a clear connection to their work in the College of Education may also be considered.

Unallowable uses include:

1. Certification or endorsement programs or courses
2. Courses, trainings, conferences, or memberships that are unrelated to the employee’s current job duties
3. General office supplies, equipment, or other departmental operating expenses
4. Memberships that do not meet UGA’s membership purchasing requirements or provide a clear professional benefit to the employee’s current position

We will have a limited amount of funding, so the awards will be handled on a first-come basis. The maximum funding request awarded will be $500. When funding requests for staff development exceed $500, we encourage staff to seek matching support from their department/unit when they apply. This amount should be listed on the request by their supervisor. Funding caps and additional restrictions may be added as we see the number of requests received. The goal of this process is to provide support to as many College staff as possible. Please visit our Professional Development and Training webpage for more details.

To apply, complete the Staff Professional Development Funds request form.