Procedure Number: 112 | Effective Date: 06/28/96 |
Title: Educational Release Time | Revised: 07/01/97; 03/1/05 |
Approval Date: 04/19/06 | President’s Signature: on file |
STATEMENT:
West Liberty University permits time-away-from-work for the purpose of encouraging an employee’s educational and career development. The following governs the University’s Procedure on educational release time:
PROVISIONS:
Only a full-time regular employee, not one in a probationary or adjustment period, is eligible for time-off to attend class(es). Only University level or instructed courses are covered. Self development seminars or voluntary seminar attendance is not. The benefit of this Procedure is being able to attend approved classes during what would otherwise be time not available to the employee because of the work schedule.
A. Upon proper application (on a form provided by the University) and supervisory approval, an eligible employee may apply for release time for up to 6 credit hours per semester. Three (3) credit hours will be considered a “regular request”. Exceptional requests must be accompanied by a statement from the employee on the request form, explaining the need for requesting the extra course hours. An approval form must be completed and submitted with all required signatures to the Human Resources Department no later than the expiration of the stated “drop/add” period of the term in which class(es) are taken.
B. B. All release time granted will be required to be made-up by the employee or otherwise accounted for by the employee through prior agreement with the employee’s supervisor. An hour-for-hour make-up of time is required. Methods employed to make-up time may be to forgo break and/or lunch times, use of annual leave, arrival early or staying late, etc. IN NO CASE WILL RELEASE TIME FROM WORK BE GRANTED FOR REQUESTS IN EXCESS OF 6 CREDIT HOURS PER SEMESTER.
C. A reasonable period of time will be allowed to an employee for the purpose of travel to and from the work area to class(es). For classes on this campus, 10 minutes per 3 hour class is considered reasonable. For classes off-campus, vacation time or accrued compensatory time-off is to be charged for commuting time.
Release time is to be regulated and monitored by the employee’s direct supervisor. Such time is to be included in the total time allotment and recorded on the employee’s attendance/time record.
D. Any class hours which are not scheduled during the employee’s regular working hours are not affected by this Procedure or its provisions. Only class hours taken during the employees regular working hours are regulated by this Procedure statement.
E. Any employee who has received release time, must upon completion of class(es), submit proof of course completion to the Human Resources Department within twenty (20) working days of the issuance of the grades for the course(es). This is for audit and record-keeping purposes of the University.
F. The use of educational release time during working hours is to be monitored by the employee’s supervisor for the purpose of ensuring time taken is fully “made-up” and that standards related to the use of this Procedure are applied on an equal basis to all employees in their unit who request educational release time.
G. The operating unit supervisor reserves the right to set departmental “quotas” regarding the total number of employees approved for release time under this Procedure. Where conflicts exist, the concept of first requested, first approved shall apply or some other method as agreed to by the unit/department employees.
To access a PDF of the REQUEST FOR EDUCATIONAL RELEASE TIME form, click here.