(a) Pursuant to the State Employees Training Act, Section
656 of the Texas Government Code, the board may provide training and
educational programs for its administrators and employees as a part
of staff development and continuing education. These programs shall
be offered in order for the staff to keep abreast of changes in technologies,
legal developments, human resource issues, and to further enhance
the employees' knowledge, skills, and abilities, and to provide continuing
professional competency education for the engineering staff members.
(b) Employees may be approved to attend workshops,
seminars, conferences, and other special programs or activities that
directly benefit the employee and the agency. The approval decision
shall be made in advance and shall be at the discretion of the executive
director. Any membership fees, dues, and travel associated with an
employee's attendance at these functions shall be paid for by the
board as long as there is a direct benefit to the board and the activity
is part of the agency's official business.
(c) Financial assistance may be awarded for some or
all of the following expenses:
(1) tuition, including correspondence courses that
fulfill degree, professional or General Equivalence Diploma (GED)
program plan requirements;
(2) degree plan pertinent College Level Equivalency
Program examinations if the employee receives college credit or waiver
of course requirements;
(3) degree plan pertinent Life Experience Assessments
if the employee receives college credit; and
(4) required fees, including lab fees, and books.
(d) Financial assistance granted under this program
shall not exceed $1500 per fiscal year per employee.
(e) To be eligible for consideration for training and
education assistance, an employee must:
(1) be in good standing with the board;
(2) meet and continue to meet all performance expectations;
(3) have at least 12 months of service with the board
or state; and
(4) seek enrollment and participation in a field of
study that relates to assigned or prospective job duties, a professional
development requirement, a GED program or a higher education degree
plan.
(f) To maintain eligibility in a degree program, an
employee must be enrolled in an institution of higher education in
a course of instruction leading toward a degree and maintain a passing
grade point average.
(g) To maintain eligibility in a GED program an employee
must be enrolled each semester in a GED program and maintain a passing
grade point average.
(h) The employee must attend and satisfactorily complete
the education and training, including passing tests or other types
of performance measures where required.
(i) Each semester an employee must provide grade reports
to verify that full credit was received for courses taken.
(j) An employee must provide fee receipts for courses
to be taken and must promptly report outside funds such as grants,
scholarships or other financial aid received. The executive director
may adjust the assistance provided to the employee at any time for
any reason.
(k) Any employee who has received assistance under
this program shall repay the entire amount of the assistance received
if the employee voluntarily leaves the board's employ within six months
of concluding an educational program for which assistance was granted.
(l) The executive director may require a written agreement
between the board and the employee describing the terms and conditions
of the education or training assistance to be provided by the board.
The board may impose such terms and conditions as may be reasonable
and appropriate, including but not limited to, specifying the circumstances
under which the assistance may be terminated and the employee may
be required to repay the amount of assistance.
(m) The executive director will reconsider each employee's
participation in the Education Assistance Program each semester.
(n) Assistance may be terminated and the employee may
be required to repay all funds received from the institution if the
employee:
(1) withdraws from the institution;
(2) is removed or prohibited from attending the institution;
(3) fails to comply with one or more terms of the assistance
agreement, including but not limited to, additional terms concerning
termination and repayment of assistance; or
(4) is terminated by the board during the duration
of the assistance agreement.
(o) The board may pay the license fees of employees
who are required to provide services as part of their duty assignments.
The board will not pay for driver's license fees or other license
fees where the license can be considered a basic personal resource.
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Source Note: The provisions of this §131.35 adopted to be effective May 20, 2004, 29 TexReg 4871; amended to be effective December 21, 2008, 33 TexReg 10162; amended to be effective September 29, 2013, 38 TexReg 6203 |