Staff professional development funding

UBC staff can access professional development funds to support career growth at the university.

Notice: New funding year begins April 1, 2023 

Posted April 3, 2023

As of April 1, 2023, PD Funds for staff  in the following employee groups became available for the new funding year (April 1, 2023 to March 31, 2024). There are no changes to the established individual funding maximums.

  • CUPE 116: $1,000
  • CUPE 2950: $1,400
  • Executive Administrative: $1,500
  • IUOE 115: $1,000
  • Management & Professional (AAPS): $750 
  • Non-Union Technicians & Research Assistants: $1,000
  • Service Unit Directors and Excluded M&P: $1,500
  • BCGEU Okanagan: $1500 Regular; $750 Auxiliary

The limits noted above are prorated in some cases. Staff can confirm personal eligibility and available funding amounts online through Workday under the Expenses App > View > Reimbursable Allowance Plan Activity. 

  • Workday Reminder: When completing your PD Fund expense report  in Workday, select your assigned PD Fund as the expense item and leave the current date as the expense date for each expense item line (expense date(s) must be April 1, 2023 or later), otherwise, you will not draw down on your PD Fund total eligible amount for the current year and you may encounter an error message when you try to submit your expense report. 

 


 

Eligible expenses

Funds can be used for a variety of professional development activities that will enhance your role-related knowledge, skills and performance as well as contribute to your career growth at the university.

  • Receipts must be submitted in Workday within 90 days of the original purchase date to qualify for reimbursement. 
  • Please note that you cannot split the cost of a PD related expense between two funding years. 

The funds aren't intended to cover job-required expenses such as job-required training, professional memberships or ongoing accreditation. These expenses should continue to be paid by your department. 

Examples of eligible expenses for staff 

  • resource books and professional journals
  • registration fees for courses, workshops, exams, webinars, and conferences
  • professional memberships and certifications that are not required for your job
  • one-on-one career coaching fees, when provided by an ICF – credentialed coach
  • travel and accommodation for out-of-town conferences, as per Policy FM8 – Business Expenses  and related documents

Examples of ineligible expenses for staff 

  • activities or travel to fulfill required work-related responsibilities
  • activities taken for health and wellness, general interest, or recreational purposes (including related equipment).
  • local travel expenses ( parking, gas, meals, transit)
  • academic student fees
  • application software or licensing (examples such as adobe creative cloud, lucidchart, trello) 
  • home phone, data or internet plans
  • electronics such as  laptops, ipads, mobile phones, e-readers,
  • office equipment or supplies

Funding details by employee group

The funds are negotiated as part of the collective agreement bargaining process for most employee groups.

Before submitting a claim, review the details below for your employee group to:

  1. review the PD Fund guidelines for your employee group.
  2. find your individual claim limit each year.

How to submit your claim

Submit your PD fund claims directly through Workday. For step by step instructions, as well as general resources and help with Workday, visit the Integrated Service Centre. After logging in with your CWL, you can search the knowledge base for instructions on how to submit a claim. Please search for the following knowledge base articles:

Please confirm that your PD Fund Reimbursable Allowance Plan is assigned in Workday (see View My Professional Development Funds knowledge base for instructions.) 

If you plan to make a claim and your PD Fund plan is not currently assigned, submit a Workday support request as soon as possible to have this issue resolved. Select HCM/HR as the ticket category. Select Professional Development Fund as the subcategory.

Note: When completing a PD Fund related expense report in Workday, select your PD Fund name as the expense item and leave the current date as the expense date for each expense item line (i.e. expense date selected must be April 1, 2023 or later), otherwise, you will not draw down on your PD Fund total eligible amount for the current year and you will encounter an error message when you try to submit your expense report. 

Reimbursement Process:

Your claim will be reviewed by a PD Fund Expense Partner within 15 business days, however the processing time may take longer if you submit an incomplete claim or if information is missing. You will receive the claim back if the PD Fund Expense Partner requires additional information or if your claim is ineligible for reimbursement. 

Your manager or supervisor will check your claim as it related to your current role and career growth, and approve directly in Workday.

About your reimbursement

Funding is available on a first-come, first-serve basis. Once your claim is processed you’ll receive confirmation in Workday. 

  • If you paid out of pocket, you'll be reimbursed by direct bank deposit.
  • If you paid with a UBC credit card (card in your name), your expense will be reconciled directly from your PD Funds. 
  • If your department paid on your behalf, your department will be reimbursed directly by general ledger credit. 

PD funds and taxation

The funding provided is not included as taxable income on your T4 slip. This means that  you cannot claim the value of any funds received through this program as part of a tuition tax credit or for any other credit on  your annual tax return. Please refer to Canada Revenue Agency – Eligible Tuition Fees for more information.

What managers need to know

As a manager or supervisor, you are accountable for reviewing the relevance of your faculty or staff's PD Fund claim as it relates to their current role and career growth. 

View more information on the page for managers and administrators

Questions?

If you have questions about these funds or how to submit claims, please contact Integrated Service Centre.

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