Library Technical Services

Scope: LTS strongly supports employee efforts to take advantage of the many opportunities on campus for professional and personal growth. Unit heads and supervisors are asked to recognize these efforts and attempt to facilitate them while keeping in mind the needs of the unit and fairness to other employees. Any absence from work (paid or unpaid) must be pre-approved by the appropriate supervisor or unit head.

LTS policy is based on, and complies with, the university's guidelines for encouraging staff development, while more specifically defining local leave polices for non-work-related programs.

Contact: Jim Leblanc

Unit: Senior Management Team

Date last updated: 09/20/07

Date of next review: September 2008

A.  Programs Related to Improving or Learning Skills Directly Related to the Job.
Attendance time is leave with pay. Staff do not need to make up time, and the cost of the program is paid by the library. It is up to the supervisor (and unit head, if relevant) to determine whether the program is sufficiently related to the employee's current job and department needs to grant leave with pay and cover costs. In some cases, it might be appropriate for the library and the employee to share leave and program costs.

B.  Courses and Programs Devoted to Career Development (Employee Degree Program, extramural courses, etc.).

1.  Staff should submit requests to supervisors to take courses or participate in programs not directly related to the job at least three weeks prior to registration deadlines. Staff may use up to three hours of work time to attend one course or program devoted to career development per semester.

2.  Supervisors will forward requests to the LTS Senior Management Team (SMT) for decisions regarding release time beyond the three hours allowed by B.1. SMT will approve release time, when appropriate, on a case-by-case basis following the policies outlined in HR Policy 6.10.2, "Workshops and Seminars and Career Development," HR Policy 6.10.3, "Staff Taking Cornell Courses (Extramural)," and HR Policy 6.10.4, "Employee Degree Program."

3.  Any additional programs must be paid for by the employee and the time made up or taken as vacation, personal leave, or leave without pay.

4.  SMT will provide a written summary of its decision to both the employee and the employee's supervisor.

5.  All costs must be paid by the employee, unless HR Policy 6.10.5, "Tuition Aid Program," applies.

C.  Programs Devoted to Family and Life Skills and Faculty and Staff Health (other than the Cornell Wellness Program).

 1.  Staff may use up to three hours of work time to attend one program devoted to family and life skills or health, per semester.

 2.  All costs must be paid by the employee.

 3.  Any additional programs must be paid for by the employee and the time made up or taken as vacation, personal leave, or leave without pay.

D.  Cornell Wellness Program.

Participants formally enrolled in the Cornell Wellness Program may use a 50/50 combination of leave with pay and make-up hours to pursue these activities up to a maximum of one and a half hour's leave with pay per week.

Other requests for attendance at Cornell-sponsored programs will be considered on an individual basis by the unit head or supervisor in consultation with SMT.

Attendance at all employee growth and development programs during scheduled work time is contingent on the permission of the supervisor, based on the needs of the department.