Continuing Education
Continuing education is essential to professional development and growth. All employees are expected  to learn new skills, stay current with changing technologies, and be aware of trends in education and libraries. To fulfill that expectation employees are encouraged to participate in appropriate training opportunities including those presented in-house, by the University Libraries, and by UGA Training & Development. With the exception of some programs at T&D, these programs are free and only require the supervisor’s approval.

All employees are eligible to attend workshops or classes related to the library profession and/or their specific job. Because of budget constraints the following policies are applicable:

•    Any Law School or University of Georgia policies regarding travel have precedence.
•    The Director of the Law Library has final approval of all financial expenditures.
•    Online programs are favored over live training requiring travel.
•    Supervisors will determine when an employee may attend classes and what classes are appropriate. The following factors will be considered:
    •    Applicability of program to the employee’s work related responsibilities
    •    The employee’s membership in and involvement with the sponsoring organization.
•    For programs involving travel, employees are encouraged to make their requests early in the fiscal year (July 1-June 30)
•    Priority is given to employees who have not previously attended an educational program and employees whose jobs are changing radically.
•    The Law Library will cover all related expenses if an employee is required to attend a specific development or educational program.

Cross-Training
Both the institution and the employee benefit from cross-training. All library departments are inter-dependent and must work together to fulfill the mission of the library. If each employee understands the role of other departments, that understanding contributes to the smooth operation of the library. Therefore:

•    Support staff are encouraged to acquire and develop new library skills which are outside of their regular job duties.
•    Staff members with specialized skills and interests may be asked to contribute in new ways, or to temporarily assume the duties of an absent employee.
•    Supervisors are encouraged to work together to provide cross-training opportunities in ways that maximize the value of such training to the Law Library.

Tuition Assistance Program (TAP)

TAP is a supplemental educational assistance program for University System of Georgia employees. The program provides free tuition and student fees for up to nine (9) credit hours per semester for USG employees who have been full-time, benefits eligible for at least six months prior to the TAP application deadline for the term for which they are applying.

More details are available from the Office of the Registrar.



Last revised:  May 2012