26.1 General

(Amended 4/14; 10/15; 7/17; 8/7/24)

It is a policy of the University to encourage and assist staff members in developing skills for work and achieving their career aspirations. To that end, staff members are encouraged to participate in educational and developmental programs, conferences, and workshops held on or off campus, or online, that relate to the work they perform. University staff are also encouraged to register for academic courses, with or without credit, that are work-related and advance the organizational efforts of their department or the university. Supervisors are encouraged to broadly define "work-related" course work to include the attainment of undergraduate degrees through the Tuition Assistance Program and the UI Health Care Tuition Reimbursement Program. Staff members may also participate in conferences,  workshops, and courses, including online learning, that do not relate specifically to their work assignments but which will contribute to their overall educational and professional development and well-being.

In all cases, a prime requirement for participation in University-sanctioned educational and developmental offerings is that the participation will not interfere with the staff member's ability to carry out regular duties. Individual units, at their discretion, may require an individual to obtain departmental approval prior to attending educational offerings.

Orientation (welcome and employee benefits) sessions are offered to new hires at the University of Iowa. Invitations to Iowa Welcome (in LinkedIn Learning) and/or UI Health Care Orientation are sent to employees who:

  1. Have regular status appointment; and.
  2. Work at least 50 percent time.

For more information, visit Iowa Welcome and UI Health Care Orientation.