Your Individual Professional Development Plan (IPDP) must be on file. All courses must be tied to members' Individual Professional Development Plans (IPDPs) or Class Change forms.
Only 3 hours credit per person is allowed for Autumn, Winter, and Spring Quarters. Up to 6 hours credit is granted for Summer Quarter, depending on availability. Applications will not be processed after deadlines for each quarter. For additional information, see Article 16.2 of the Master Agreement. Note: Personnel requesting fee authorization and who are in their first year of employment with the district need the written approval of their immediate supervisor to have the application considered.
The purpose of fee authorization is to encourage the professional growth of personnel (members and administrators) and to improve the district's instructional capabilities by providing assistance in the form of a waiver of fees. Fee authorization, based on the number of students participating in field experiences, is provided to the district through agreements with The Ohio State University (OSU), Capital University, Ohio Dominican College, Ashland University, and Otterbein College. Agreements with other colleges and universities may be approved as appropriate.
For OSU, no more than three hours will be approved during autumn, winter, and spring terms for any personnel. No more than six hours will be approved for summer term for any personnel. After all timely requests have been satisfied, the Association President and Superintendent/designee, upon mutual agreement, may waive these limits when a surplus of fee waivers exists. Personnel on sabbatical leave will be eligible for six hours of fee authorization during each term they are on such leave. Personnel on RIF status will be eligible for six hours of fee authorization during each term they are on RIF status.
For Capital, Ohio Dominican, Ashland, and Otterbein no more than one fee authorization certificate will be approved during autumn, winter, and spring terms for any personnel. No more than two certificates will be approved for summer term for any personnel.
Personnel eligible for participation in the OSU "Employee/Dependent Fee Authorization Program" are responsible for informing the Personnel Office of eligibility. Such personnel will still be eligible for the same amount of OSU fee authorizations as enumerated above.
The fee authorization hours available from OSU will be divided such that one third of the available hours will be set aside for summer term use with the remaining available hours being divided equally among the three remaining terms. Hours not used will be carried over to the next term. No more than the allocated number of hours will be issued during any one school year.
Fee authorization hours available from Capital, Ohio Dominican, Ashland, and Otterbein will be issued if they are available using the priorities listed below.
Before any fee authorization application is considered, it will be determined that the requesting individual has indicated a willingness to supervise a student teacher/intern or other field experience student (includes participation in an approved research project) by completing the appropriate form for the current school year. Failure to have completed the form will result in the application not being considered. An individual who refuses a request to serve as a supervisor without just cause (just cause to be determined by the Association President and the Superintendent/designee) will not be eligible to receive fee authorization for one term following the term during which the refusal occurred.
If the requests for fee authorization are greater than the amount allocated for a particular term, then requests will be considered utilizing the priorities listed below. Within any priority, years of service within the district will be used to determine eligibility. In the event that years of service create a tie, hire date will be used to break the tie. If a tie cannot be broken, a lottery will be utilized, which will be supervised by the Association President and the Superintendent/designee.
Members who are required to complete coursework to fulfill the requirements of section 14.1(b)(4)(RIF) of the Agreement.
All other full time personnel who have a need to renew a certificate/license to maintain their employment with the district.
Personnel qualifying in this priority are those who are completing recertification/licensure requirements during the four terms preceding the July 1 date that their certificate/license will be renewed.
Personnel who are officially enrolled in an approved master's or doctoral program and who have earned academic credit within the last 12 months.
Personnel who wish to use fee authorization to take courses associated with their unit or with district goals. Such individuals will conduct development programs in their unit or in the district. This priority must be approved by the Chair(s) of the Professional Development Advisory Council.
Members who are completing requirements for change in classification during the four terms proceeding the September of the year the change will be granted.
All other personnel who have not qualified under one of the above priorities and if the contractual agreement with the participating university/college so provides.
Other employees who have not qualified under one of the above priorities and who are not members of the bargaining unit (all other employees of the Board) if the contractual agreement with the participating university/college so provides.