WESTERN EMPLOYEES

EDUCATIONAL ASSISTANCE POLICIES

Eligible employees at Western are provided with an educational assistance plan to pursue professional development as per their employee agreement. Many Continuing Studies courses qualify for advanced or reimbursed funding through Western’s Educational Assistance Plan administered by Western Human Resources.

Through a partnership with Human Resources (HR), Western Continuing Studies offers advanced funding to eligible Western employees for enrollment in courses pertinent to professional development.

To ensure your ongoing eligibility for advanced funding, please take time to review Western Continuing Studies policies on:

Meet the requirements and know your limit

If you do not meet the completion/grade or attendance requirements, exceed your educational assistance limit in courses at WCS or are no longer eligible for educational assistance, you are required to reimburse Western Continuing Studies for the full cost of the course within 30 days:

You will be contacted by email to provide credit card information to collect the fees;
An immediate hold will be placed on your account in our registration system;
Western Continuing Studies will contact Human Resources about your outstanding fees to prevent further claims under the educational assistance program; and
A Fail/F will be placed on your student record.

Frequently Asked Questions

1. Who is eligible to receive Educational Assistance funding?
Those who are eligible to receive Educational Assistance funding include:

Regular full-time staff
Other employees covered by collective agreements, as specified
Other employment contracts, as specified
Staff who are actively employed at the beginning and end of the course, are on an approved leave, or a regular reoccurring absence (e.g. Sessional)

If you are unsure if you are eligible to receive Educational Assistance funding, please contact the Human Resources Communication Centre at ext. 82194.

2. What types of courses are covered under the Educational Assistance plan?

Through a partnership with Human Resources, Western Continuing Studies offers advanced funding (ADV) to eligible Western employees for enrollment in courses pertinent to professional development.

Eligible Courses and Programs

Advanced Leadership

Agile Project Management

Business Analyst

Business Communications

Clinical Trials Management

Communications & Public Relations

Conflict Management

Creative Writing

Digital Communications

Innovative Thinking

Leadership

Leading Through Conflict

Learning and Development

Management

Marketing

Not-For-Profit Management

Project Management

Western CIM

3. Do I have to pay for my course with my own money?

Western values your employment and pays for your course fee as part of your competitive benefits package. You do not have to pay the course fee upfront. If you do not meet the completion/grade or attendance requirements, you are required to reimburse Western Continuing Studies for the full cost of the course within 30 days.

4. Does my supervisor have to approve courses in order for me to receive Educational Assistance?

No. If you are eligible to receive Educational Assistance funding according to your employee agreement, you do not need approval from your supervisor to take a course. If, however, your course takes place during work hours, you must seek approval from your supervisor to see if time away from work is possible. To ensure that operational needs are met, you and your supervisor may establish alternate work arrangements. For Librarian and Archivists, the University Librarian is required to approve the application for educational assistance, in accordance with the Collective Agreement.

5. What happens if I don’t successfully complete a course or if I no longer work at Western?

If you registered for an advance-funded (ADV) course at Western Continuing Studies and you do not successfully complete it, or you leave Western before the course ends, you are required to reimburse Western Continuing Studies the full cost of the course. If you did not receive advance payment, you will not be eligible to receive reimbursement for the course from the University.

6. When will my educational assistance be used to pay for course fees, when I register or at start of the course?

Neither. It is the course end date that determines what year your Educational Assistance will be allocated from. Educational Assistance runs June 1 to May 31 for all employee groups and May 1 to April 30 for Librarian/Archivists.

For example, If register for a course in June 2018, and the course starts in April 2019 and ends after May 31, 2019, the courses fees will be deducted from your 2019/2020 Educational Assistance Limit.