Employee Training Policy

Adopted by the Board of Regents on June 14, 2002
Amended November 5, 2004

1. Purpose
2. Responsibility
3. Mandatory Training
4. Payment of Expenses
5. Guidelines for the Education Training Program
6. Compliance
7. State Reporting

1. Purpose

The Texas Southern University Employee Training Program is written in accordance with the Texas State Employees Training Act, Texas Government Code, Chapter 656, Subchapter C, which allows state agencies to spend public funds as appropriate to increase the competency of their employees through training and education. The Act specifically requires the training or education to be directly or indirectly related to the employee’s duties or prospective duties and in accordance with one or more of the following:

1. Preparing for technological and legal developments;
2. Increasing work capabilities;
3. Increasing the number of qualified employees in areas designated by institutions of higher education as having an acute faculty shortage;
4. Increasing the competency of state employees;
5. Encouraging and promoting access to appropriate training and development opportunities, which develop specific and transferable skills for current and future jobs, tasks and roles that staff may undertake within the University;
6. Providing and maintaining a work environment, which encourages and assists staff to identify their individual current and future career goals and contributes to their personal development;
7. Facilitating consultation, communication and cooperation between managers/supervisors and staff in identifying and addressing individual and group training and development needs; and
8. Providing and maintaining the skills and knowledge necessary for effective work performance in order to facilitate attainment of the University's goals.
9. Maintaining continuing professional education requirements (CPE) in order to obtain or maintain professional certifications.

The University is committed to the continuous training and development of administrators, faculty and staff. Through this commitment, the University will provide opportunities for all staff to develop skills in appropriate areas through the upgrading of qualifications or the acquisition of new or upgraded skills and competencies as appropriate. The employee training policy has been developed in support of this commitment.

2. Responsibility

Training and development of university employees can best be accomplished through the combined efforts of employees, supervisors, departmental management, the Office of Human Resources, the Office of General Counsel and the Office of Institutional Compliance. 

1. Employees at all levels are ultimately responsible for their own development and education and are expected to advance their careers through appropriate self-education and self-improvement. All employees are required to attend mandatory training that has been identified for their position.
2. Managers, supervisors, deans, directors, administrators and other supervisors have the initial responsibility for training and development of their employees. In fulfilling this responsibility, administrators and other supervisors should identify the individual training needs of their employees and work with employees to prepare and implement plans for their development. Such plans should make use of on-the-job training, including individual and group instruction by supervisors, formal training and educational activities, and rotational assignments to provide greater depth and a wider base of experience. It is also the responsibility of supervisors to provide initial training aimed at helping employees learn and succeed at their specific jobs.
3. Each department, institute and center is responsible for the training and development of employees. Each is responsible for assuring that training programs geared to their specific needs are planned, budgeted and established and that their employees participate in these programs. In addition, each department shall work closely with other departments and with Human Resources and the Compliance Office to promote the use of interdepartmental training programs and resources wherever possible, and to assure that scarce resources are shared for optimal campus benefit.
4. The Office of Human Resources, working in conjunction with the Office of Institutional Compliance, shall be responsible for planning and organizing the University's employee training and development programs, as well as manager and supervisor training and development. This includes campus-wide training, as well as appropriate department-specific and interdepartmental training. Some examples of campus-wide training include but are not limited to training on sexual harassment, the Americans with Disabilities Act and the Family Medical Leave Act.

3. Mandatory Training

Some training may be mandatory for particular positions or may require attendance and participation by all University employees. If training is mandatory, supervisors are responsible for ensuring that their employees attend and participate. An unexcused failure to attend mandatory training will result in discipline for the employee and/or supervisor. Any discipline administered to a faculty member under the provisions stated above should be consistent with the relevant passages of the Faculty Manual.

4. Payment of Expenses

The University may expend public funds to pay for training and education expenses for employees as appropriate. Expenses that may be paid by the University include an employee’s salary, tuition and other fees, travel and living expenses, training stipend, expense of training materials, and other necessary expenses of an instructor, student, or other participant in a training or education program.

5. Guidelines for the Education Training Program

1. All full-time employees are eligible to receive training and education for any of the above-mentioned purposes.
2. All education and training must be approved by management at least one level above employee and at a minimum the Director/Dean equivalent.
3. All training must be directly or indirectly related to the employee’s current duties or duties to be assumed within a six-month period.
4. Training on policies, regulations, rules and procedures related to discrimination and sexual harassment will be provided to each new employee within thirty (30) days of hire. Supplemental training on policies, regulations, rules and procedures related to discrimination and sexual harassment will be provided to each employee every two (2) years. All employees shall be required to attend this supplemental training at least once every two (2) years.
5. All new employees of the University will be provided a copy of the University’s Ethics Policy upon employment and will receive ethics training during New Hire Orientation. Copies of the Ethics Policy shall be distributed to employees annually and/or whenever the policy is amended.
6. Employees who receive training must reasonably apply skills, training and or education to enhance productivity.
7. Employees who receive training shall not abuse training and education program for personal gain.
8. Employees who receive training will conduct themselves as ethical employees of the State and University at all times during the training and education, as well as throughout the duration of their tenure as an employee of Texas Southern University.
9. Employees are expected to work for Texas Southern University following the training for at least one month for each month of the training period. If the employee is unable to do so, he or she shall reimburse the University for all the costs associated with the training that were paid during the training period, including any amounts of the employee's salary that were paid and that were not accounted for as paid vacation or compensatory leave. If the employee does not provide the services required in this subsection, provides those services for less than the required term, or fails to make payments required in accordance with this subsection, and the employee is not released from the obligation to provide the services or to make the payments under this subsection, the employee is liable to the state agency for any costs described by this subsection and for the agency's reasonable expenses incurred in obtaining payment, including reasonable attorney's fees.
10. Before an employee receives training that will be paid for by a state agency and during which the employee will not be performing the employee's regular duties for three (3) months or more, the employee must agree in writing, before the training begins, to comply with the requirements prescribed under Subsection I.
11. All training conducted under this policy shall be documented, and completion of a sign-in sheet and a certificate of participation for each training session attended shall verify employee attendance.
12. All training required by this policy shall be documented in the employee's permanent personnel file or stored electronically.

6. Compliance

All Texas Southern University employees must comply with the above requirements. Exceptions to the above Guidelines in Section 5 may be granted and or waived if it is in the best interest of the University or if it is warranted because of an extreme personal hardship suffered by an employee.

7. State Reporting

On an annual basis, Texas Southern University will prepare and submit an annual report to the Legislative Budget Board detailing the amount of money expended for training and education in the preceding fiscal year in accordance with state guidelines with the State Employees Training Act.