Contract Chats:
Using Your Professional Development Budget
Written by: Emily Koch - WCBA Senior Academic Adviser
According to the contract, the university provides funding towards professional development for APAS members. In order to qualify for the funding amount (not to exceed $1500 for the contract period), the request(s) must be submitted through an application (found here on our website), be signed off by the immediate supervisor, and finally, the university. Details on this policy can be found in our contract on page 10, section 6.3.
Outside our contract, departments and colleges may provide additional funding for staff to participate in these types of opportunities. We encourage you to explore exciting chances to further your development as a professional, and to take advantage of these avenues available to you as an APAS employee. Whether it is a conference, class (not offered at YSU), or other opportunity, we hope to see more members taking part.
Tips on Traveling for PD:
Concur: Using this platform can be difficult, but becomes more intuitive the more you use it. Consider asking for help before submitting expense reports, requests, etc. Fellow APAS members are happy to help!
Travel Card: If you plan on traveling for professional development, request a university travel card. This way you can more easily itemize and allocate your expenses in concur when you return. Make sure you DO NOT use this card for personal meals as these costs are reimbursed on a per diem basis. For per diem rates, please visit this website.
Network: Not sure where to start? If you are considering traveling for a professional development opportunity but are unsure about the process, reach out to a fellow APAS member for advice.
