(a) The City wishes to encourage employee development by sharing the cost of approved educational courses undertaken by employees. To this end, full-time and year-round part-time employees who have successfully completed their probationary period are eligible to receive 100% reimbursement of the tuition paid when they have taken a previously approved, university or college course as part of a previously approved university or college program that will provide future benefit to the City, provided that:
(1) The university or college program (at a school accredited by the North Central Association of Colleges) is approved in advance by the City's Human Resource Director. Employees should submit requests for program approval through their Department Directors (see sample request letter, attached to Ordinance No. 5963, passed January 2, 2007) to the Human Resources Director;
(2) Employees approved for participation in the City's tuition reimbursement program must submit an anticipated course schedule and costs for the upcoming school calendar year by August 1 of each year to the Human Resources Director through their Department Director. This submission does not constitute an approval of the course, only a projection of costs for budget purposes. Failure to comply with these procedural requirements may result in a denial of tuition reimbursement for that year;
(3) Upon program approval, the employee submits a completed Tuition Reimbursement Form to their Department Director (see sample, attached to Ordinance No. 5963, passed January 2, 2007);
(4) A transcript (or other official record) of the final course grade, showing a grade of “C” or better, is submitted as evidence of successful course completion;
(5) Receipts showing the amount of tuition paid by the employee is furnished; and
(6) No other source of tuition funding is available (i.e., scholarships, grants, City education incentive pay, etc.)
(b) Reimbursement of individual courses with a final grade of “C” or better will be made at seventy-five percent of the actual cost of the course. After completion of the entire approved program, employees finishing with a cumulative 3.0 grade point average or better will be eligible for reimbursement of the remaining twenty-five percent of costs incurred. It will be the responsibility of the employee to submit evidence of costs incurred, as well as grade point average, to receive the twenty-five percent final reimbursement.
(c) Employees receiving the full 100% reimbursement are expected to remain with the City for two years after payment of the full reimbursement amount. Employees electing to terminate City employment before the two-year period will be required to refund the twenty-five percent reimbursement. The reimbursement amount may be paid directly by the employee or through payroll deductions arranged by the employee.
(d) All course work in an approved program must be taken on the employee's own time, and not during scheduled work hours. The maximum amount an employee may be reimbursed in any calendar year is two thousand five hundred dollars ($2,500). Tuition is the only cost eligible for reimbursement. Books, fees, supplies and other education related expenses are not covered under this policy. All participation in this program is subject to funding availability, and may be denied at the City Manager's discretion.
(Ord. 1606. Passed 10-1-68; Ord. 5963. Passed 1-2-07.)