last updated: Thursday, September 23, 2004
There are many opportunities and is much support for professional development for SUNY employees. Many programs are offered by the State, by SUNY, by individual campuses or groups of campuses, and by labor management committees administering negotiated training funds. Additionally, campuses or campus departments may use their own budgets to pay for job-related specialized training for employees in their units where necessary. SUNY has also created its own mentoring program for its management staff who do not have as many professional development opportunities as employees who are represented for collective negotiations. More information about the mentoring program for management staff can be found by following the "mentoring program" link in the references at the end of this section. Also, in addition to the many opportunities outlined below, many SUNY campuses have a contract with SkillSoft Corporation, a provided of interactive, web-based training programs including technology and soft skills (management, supervision, etc.) curricula. Again, see SkillSoft in the references at the end fo this section for more information.
Within funding limitations, eligible employees may receive tuition support for taking regular college courses at their campus or other SUNY campuses. Depending on the category of employment and the bargaining unit in which their positions are assigned, employees may be eligible for tuition waivers, tuition assistant, or tuition reimbursement programs for courses taken at their campus or on other SUNY campuses.
Employees appointed to titles assigned to the SUNY professional services bargaining unit (currently represented by UUP) can take many courses free of charge (one course per enrollment period) on SUNY campuses, including their own, on a "space available" basis in accordance with their campus's procedures. Some restrictions apply to this negotiated "space available" program. The courses must be contact-hour courses that meet regularly (cannot be used for independent study, doctoral dissertations, etc.). Similarly, courses supported by income fund reimbursable funds or otherwise are funded by collected tuition or fees (e.g. Continuing Education courses) are excluded from this program. [See "Space Available - Article 46 (UUP) in the references at the end of this section.].
There are also campus grants
and professional development programs for UUP represented employees that are
provided through negotiations and administered by the State of New York/United
University Professions Joint Labor-Management Committees. As examples, such
programs as Individual Development Awards; the Dr. Nuala McGann Drescher,
Affirmative Action/Diversity Leave Program; the Campus Grants Program;
the Special Projects Fund; the Enrollment Enhancement Program;
the Dr. Herbert N. Wright Memorial Safety and Health Training Award Program;
the Grants for Employees With Disabilities Program; the Retraining
Fellowship Program; and the Employment Counseling and Placement Program
are provided. These programs are subject to change -- both the programs and
the funding are dependent upon collective negotiations and the decisions of
the joint labor-management committee. For more information follow the (UUP)
United University Professions/State of New York Joint Labor-Management Committee
link in the references at the end of this section.
As an example of the types of programs available on a statewide basis for classified service employees, the Clerical and Secretarial Employee Advancement Program (CSEAP) is dedicated to helping NYS clerical and secretarial employees reach their full potential. "Its efforts are targeted to the nearly 32,000 employees in the Administrative Service Unit (ASU) of CSEA. Eligible employees can use the general career mobility information and job-related training and development opportunities that CSEAP provides, to meet the challenges and demands of their current positions and future occupations." [See: "Department of Civil Service" under references at the end of this section.]
There are also many mandatory training programs required by various federal and state statutes for either all employees, or groups of employees based upon their assigned duties. As examples, the NYS Right-to-Know laws extend federal OSHA regulations by requiring Hazard Communications training to take place annually for all employees, while training relating to the Omnibus Transportation Act, and its drug and alcohol testing program, is mandated annually only for employees who are required to have commercial driver's licenses (CDLs) for their jobs.| Training Subject | Population | Schedule |
|
Blood
Borne Pathogens |
All employees with occupational exposure | When assigned and annually thereafter |
| Drug and Alcohol | All employees | New Employees and Periodically |
| HIPAA | Health Services Employees | New Supervisors and Periodically |
| Internal Control | Budgetary Unit Heads | New Unit Heads and Periodically |
| Omnibus Transportation Act | Employees required to have CDL | New Employees & Annually |
| "Right-to-Know" | All employees | Annually |
| Sexual Harassment | All employees | New Employees & Every 5 Years |
In addition to these mandatory training programs for all employees, University Hospitals have a unique set of additional manditory traing requirements related to health care. For more information about training support or mandatory training requirements available for your category of employment or campus of interest, contact the campus's Human Resources Office.
Reference(s):
Department
of Civil Service
http://www.cs.state.ny.us
Educational
Benefits for CSEA Members
http://www.mymemberbenefits.com/csea/education.html
Fees
for Employees Attending SUNY Non-Credit Programs (Section 123 SUNY Procedures
Manual)
http://www.suny.edu/FinanceandBusiness/FBAdmProc.cfm
Management/Confidential
Tuition Reimbursement Program Guidelines (NYS Governor's Office of Employee
Relations-GOER)
http://www.goer.state.ny.us/MC/mctuition.html
On-line
Self-Study Course from NYS Governor's Office of Employee Relations (GOER)
http://www.goer.state.ny.us/Train/onlinelearning/courselists.html (old)
http://www.goer.state.ny.us/train/onlinelearning/index.html (new)
SkillSoft (interactive,
on-line curricula)
http://www.skillsoft.com/catalog/default.asp
Space
Available (Article 46 (UUP))
http://www.goer.state.ny.us/CNA/1999to2003/uup/article_46.html (old)
http://www.goer.state.ny.us/cna/1999to2003/uuppsnu/08art46.html (new)
SUNY
Training Center
http://www.tc.suny.edu/
Training
Curricula, Programs and Services (NYS Governor's Office of Employee Relations-GOER)
http://www.goer.state.ny.us/Train/currprogsvc/index.html (old)
http://www.goer.state.ny.us/train/programs/index.html (new)
Training
and Organizational Development (NYS Governor's Office of Employee Relations-GOER)
http://www.goer.state.ny.us/Train/
Tuition
and Fee Assistance for Employees (Section 059, SUNY Procedures Manual)
http://www.suny.edu/FinanceandBusiness/FBAdmProc.cfm
(UUP)
United University Professions/State of New York Joint Labor-Management Committees
http://www.uup.lmc.state.ny.us/
Waiver
of Tuition for fellows, interns, graduate assistants, teaching assistants, research
assistants (Section 059.1, SUNY Procedures Manual)
http://www.suny.edu/FinanceandBusiness/FBAdmProc.cfm
Form(s):