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HomeMy Public PortalAboutResolution No. 491-17 12-11-2017RESOLUTION 491-17 A RESOLUTION OF THE RICHLAND HILLS CITY COUNCIL FOR THE ESTABLISHMENT OF AN EMPLOYEE TUITION REIMBURSEMENT PROGRAM WHEREAS, the City of Richland Hills has a goal of attracting and retaining employees with higher levels of training and education; and WHEREAS, the City finds that it is beneficial and appropriate and in the best interests of the residents and citizens of the City of Richland Hills to establish a tuition reimbursement program for eligible employees as determined by the City Manager; and WHEREAS, the City Council finds that establishing a tuition reimbursement program enhances the value of the City's work force by encouraging employees to invest in themselves and the City by furthering their education and job skills; and WHEREAS, the City Council wishes to reward employees that have invested in themselves by furthering their education and job skill abilities and to encourage other employees to do so; NOW, THEREFORE, THE CITY COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF RICHLAND HILLS, TEXAS DOES HEREBY RESOLVE AS FOLLOWS: TUITION REIMBURSEMENT 1. General The City of Richland Hills encourages City employees in the development of excellence in their job performance. The City will share the cost of university and college education programs subject to the availability of funds. 2. Conditions and Restrictions a. All regular full-time employees who have been employed by the City of Richland Hills for at least six months are eligible. b. The employee must be enrolled in a course(s), directly related to his or her current position or a related higher position, and be part of a degree plan which has been approved by the department director and the City Manager. c. Learning institutions must be accredited through one of the regional Accreditation Agencies to include: The Middle States Association of Colleges and Schools, the New England Association of Schools and Colleges, the North Central Association of Colleges and Schools, the Northwest Association of Schools and Colleges, the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools, or the Western Association of Schools and Colleges. d. Unless otherwise specifically approved by the City Manager's Office, courses must be taken on the employee's own time. e. No blanket approval of programs will be granted; only specific courses for a particular fiscal year will be approved. f. There will be no reimbursement for any cost covered by another governmental agency, grants program or scholarship. g. Employees will be reimbursed based upon the actual tuition and fee schedule of the school they attend, unless the tuition and fee schedule exceeds that of the University of North Texas (UNT), or the University of Texas at Arlington (UTA), in which case the reimbursement will be calculated at the equivalent rate of UNT or UTA (whichever is greater). h. Employees will only be reimbursed for fees assessed by the university. No fee or expense assessed by the instructor will be reimbursed to the employee. i. The maximum annual tuition reimbursement per employee shall be $5,250 per calendar year. j. When an employee resigns or is terminated prior to completing an approved course, the City will not be obligated to reimburse the employee for any part of the expense. k. This policy is intended to reimburse employees for accredited instructional courses. Employees will not be reimbursed for the following types of courses: portfolio, challenging/testing out, life experience, experiential learning, student orientation, adult learning, or life learning. The Human Resources Director is responsible for determining which courses are eligible for reimbursement. I. The City Manager or designee has the sole discretion to determine which degree plans and courses will be eligible for reimbursement. 3. Course Approval All courses must be approved by the department director and the City Manager. The employee must have a degree plan on file with the college/university. A Course Approval/Reimbursement Request form shall be submitted to the department director and show the following: a. College or university to be attended. b. Semester in which course is to be taken. c. Title of the course and catalog number. d. Copy of the current degree plan (one time only, or until changed). e. Estimated cost of tuition, fees associated with classroom instruction and books. 4. Reimbursement Requests The City will only reimburse for those courses listed on the degree plan that have been approved by the department director and the City Manager. The following requirements must be met before reimbursements will be considered: a. For reimbursement, the employee must submit a Course Approval/Reimbursement Request form, a copy of their course registration, original grade report, and original receipts to the department director at the end of the semester. b. Employees will be entitled to a 100% refund for a grade of "A" or "B" in graduate and undergraduate courses or a 50% refund for a grade of "C" in undergraduate courses. No reimbursement will be given for a grade of "C" in graduate level courses. c. Employees must fulfill atwelve-month service requirement with the City, which begins from the date of each reimbursement. This includes an agreement to repay the last twelve months of tuition reimbursement, as well as other costs paid by the City under this policy, received if the twelve-month service requirement is not fulfilled. Upon termination, any reimbursements owed to the City must be repaid either by personal check, or will be withheld from the employee's final paycheck. 5. Budget Considerations Estimates of employees' educational expenses, which are submitted to supervisors, will be sent to the department director prior to formulation of the annual budget. The department director should forward information estimates on approved courses to the City Manager's Office for review and inclusion in the annual budget process. All educational expenses expected to be reimbursed in the fiscal year should be submitted as part of that year's annual budget process, if possible. Tuition requests submitted and approved in the budget process will be given funding priority. The City's tuition reimbursement program is subject to the availability of funds and must be approved by the City Council as part of the budget each fiscal year. Courses taken by an employee during fiscal years where funds were not approved as part of the budget process will not be reimbursed to the employees by the City. 6. Course Literature At the end of the semester, employees will be reimbursed the difference between the cost of the textbook and the resale amount. If the employee is unable to resale his/her textbook at the end of the semester, the employee will not be reimbursed for the cost of the textbook. Employees must show proof of purchase and reimbursement. IT IS SO RESOLVED BY THE CITY COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF RICHLAND HILLS, TEXAS ON THE 11`h DAY OF DECEMBER, 2017. ATTEST: City Secret y, Cathy Bo r __. ~} ,- Mayor, Bill Agan ~~~~~~~nu~nro~ ~ ~,, ~ _ -,. ~ '~• ~'' ~~ i ~~ ~' c.}' t i , !~ ~~ ~'~~/://il:il~i11H~~~~i~~~~~~ TUITION REIMBURSEMENT 1. General The City of Richland Hills encourages City employees in the development of excellence in their job performance. The City will share the cost of university and college education programs subject to the availability of funds. 2. Conditions and Restrictions a. All regular full-time employees who have been employed by the City of Richland Hills for at least six months are eligible. b. The employee must be enrolled in a course(s), directly related to his or her current position or a related higher position, and be part of a degree plan which has been approved by the department director and the City Manager. c. Learning institutions must be accredited through one of the regional Accreditation Agencies to include: The Middle States Association of Colleges and Schools, the New England Association of Schools and Colleges, the North Central Association of Colleges and Schools, the Northwest Association of Schools and Colleges, the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools, or the Western Association of Schools and Colleges. d. Unless otherwise specifically approved by the City Manager's Office, courses must be taken on the employee's own time. e. No blanket approval of programs will be granted; only specific courses for a particular fiscal year will be approved. f. There will be no reimbursement for any cost covered by another governmental agency, grants program or scholarship. g. Employees will be reimbursed based upon the actual tuition and fee schedule of the school they attend, unless the tuition and fee schedule exceeds that of the University of North Texas (UNT), or the University of Texas at Arlington (UTA), in which case the reimbursement will be calculated at the equivalent rate of UNT or UTA (whichever is greater). h. Employees will only be reimbursed for fees assessed by the university. No fee or expense assessed by the instructor will be reimbursed to the employee. i. The maximum annual tuition reimbursement per employee shall be $5,250 per calendar year. j. When an employee resigns or is terminated prior to completing an approved course, the City will not be obligated to reimburse the employee for any part of the expense. k. This policy is intended to reimburse employees for accredited instructional courses. Employees will not be reimbursed for the following types of courses: portfolio, challenging/testing out, life experience, experiential learning, student orientation, adult learning, or life learning. The Human Resources Director is responsible for determining which courses are eligible for reimbursement. I. The City Manager or designee has the sole discretion to determine which degree plans and courses will be eligible for reimbursement. 3. Course Approval All courses must be approved by the department director and the City Manager. The employee must have a degree plan on file with the college/university. A Course Approval/Reimbursement Request form shall be submitted to the department director and show the following: a. College or university to be attended. b. Semester in which course is to be taken. c. Title of the course and catalog number. d. Copy of the current degree plan (one time only, or until changed). e. Estimated cost of tuition, fees associated with classroom instruction and books. 4. Reimbursement Requests The City will only reimburse for those courses listed on the degree plan that have been approved by the department director and the City Manager. The following requirements must be met before reimbursements will be considered: a. For reimbursement, the employee must submit a Course Approval/Reimbursement Request form, a copy of their course registration, original grade report, and original receipts to the department director at the end of the semester. b. Employees will be entitled to a 100% refund for a grade of "A" or "B" in graduate and undergraduate courses or a 50% refund for a grade of "C" in undergraduate courses. No reimbursement will be given for a grade of "C" in graduate level courses. c. Employees must fulfill atwelve-month service requirement with the City, which begins from the date of each reimbursement. This includes an agreement to repay the last twelve months of tuition reimbursement, as well as other costs paid by the City under this policy, received if the twelve-month service requirement is not fulfilled. Upon termination, any reimbursements owed to the City must be repaid either by personal check, or will be withheld from the employee's final paycheck. 5. Budget Considerations Estimates of employees' educational expenses, which are submitted to supervisors, will be sent to the department director prior to formulation of the annual budget. The department director should forward information estimates on approved courses to the City Manager's Office for review and inclusion in the annual budget process. All educational expenses expected to be reimbursed in the fiscal year should be submitted as part of that year's annual budget process, if possible. Tuition requests submitted and approved in the budget process will be given funding priority. The City's tuition reimbursement program is subject to the availability of funds and must be approved by the City Council as part of the budget each fiscal year. Courses taken by an employee during fiscal years where funds were not approved as part of the budget process will not be reimbursed to the employees by the City. 6. Course Literature At the end of the semester, employees will be reimbursed the difference between the cost of the textbook and the resale amount. If the employee is unable to resale his/her textbook at the end of the semester, the employee will not be reimbursed for the cost of the textbook. Employees must show proof of purchase and reimbursement.