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Professional Development - Unclassified Staff

Professional Development Guide for Unclassified Staff

How Can You Use Your Professional Development Funds

Professional Development Fund Usage

In all cases, professional development (PD) funds are expensed to the fiscal year (FY) the opportunity is being held. For example, if you register for something in April 2025 that takes place in August of 2025, the expense will be applied to your FY26 professional development funds, not your FY25 funds. This ensures you do not miss an early registration special by waiting for your FY25 funds to become available. 

Once your PD opportunity is approved by your supervisor, it is your responsibility to work with Lissa Martin or Donna Richardson to make the purchases with the PCard.

A presentation is not required to attend a conference.

Eligible Uses for Professional Development Funds

  • Registration
  • Travel costs like airfare, car rental, train tickets, cab/Uber fares, parking fees, mileage
    • There are some tricky parts in booking airfare. NOTE that if you are booking using multiple airlines, you may need to do them in separate transactions.
  • Meals not provided through the event or hotel (The university offers a per diem for overnight trips where meals are not provided. Information can be found below at Per Diem Rates and Policy.)
  • Lodging (In compliance with the University Travel Policy linked below)

Ineligible Uses for Professional Development Funds

  • Meals on same day trips
  • Offset of carbon footprint
  • Travel Insurance
  • Books (see Book Purchase Requests link below)
  • Personal subscriptions to professional publications
  • Professional Organization membership dues

* Items not included on this list are at the discretion of Senior Leadership

What is paid up front

  • Registration

What is reimbursed/reimbursable

Reimbursement requests over 60 days old will be considered taxable income per University policy

  • Transportation Expenses (In compliance with the University Travel Policy)
    • Please be sure to review policy 6.00
  • Lodging Expenses (In compliance with the University Travel Policy)
    • Please be sure to review policies 7.01, 7.02, 7.03
  • Airbnb is covered in non-traditional lodging and requires additional steps for permission
  • Meals (In compliance with the University Travel Policy)
    • Please be sure to review policies 7.04, 7.05, 7.06
  • Airfare which can be booked through the Miami University Travel Portal.
    • Booking air travel through different airlines may need to be booked in multiple transactions.
  • Baggage fees

* Items not included on this list are at the discretion of Senior Leadership or may be outlined in the University Travel Policy.

How to Get Opportunities Approved

Professional development funds are awarded annually at the discretion of the Dean and can vary from year to year. The amount awarded should be communicated to you by your supervisor or department head at the beginning of the fiscal year beginning July 1st.

Amount available is visible on the Professional Development Workbooks.

  • When you choose which opportunities you would like to pursue, contact your supervisor or department head for approval.

  • Please use a copy of the Professional Development Approval Form to send to your supervisor. It lists all the usual questions that need to be answered. By creating a copy and sharing it with your supervisor they will have all the relevant information.

Your supervisor will put the opportunity on the Professional Development Workbooks on approval so that the Dean’s Suite (Lissa or Donna) knows it is approved when you request the PCard to pay for the registration.

Please refer to How Can You Use Your Professional Development Funds on what is eligible for professional development funds and what is paid up front versus what is reimbursed.

Reflections

Use the link below to reach a survey to capture your Professional Development Reflections. By reflecting back on your experiences you can help capture what was important and how it can not only benefit yourself but how you can use the gained knowledge to help your colleagues.