26.1 General

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

It is a policy of the University to encourage and assist staff members in developing their work skills and to assist them in the achievement of 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 that relate to the service rendered to the University by the participant. University staff are also encouraged to register for academic courses, with or without credit, that are work-related and advance the organizational efforts of the University. To this end, supervisors are asked 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 programs such as conferences or workshops that do not relate specifically to their work assignments but which will contribute to their overall educational and professional development.

In all cases, a prime requirement for participation in University-sanctioned educational and developmental programs 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 Learning and Development offerings.

Orientation (University welcome and employee benefits) sessions are offered to new hires at The University of Iowa. Invitations to New Faculty and Staff Orientation and UI Health Care Orientation are sent to employees who:

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

For more information on New Faculty and Staff Orientation and UI Health Care Orientation, see https://hr.uiowa.edu/learn/orientation.