Continuous Learning

Purpose:

To describe the college’s program of continuous learning and to provide specific guidelines for fulltime and part-time J. Sargeant Reynolds Community College (Reynolds) employees to enroll and participate in for credit community college classes at Reynolds at no cost. This policy does not apply to non-credit classes or classes taken at other educational institutions, including other community colleges in the Virginia Community College System (VCCS).

Definitions:

Continuous learning courses: credit courses offered at Reynolds to full-time and part-time college employees at no cost, which may be job related or non-job related, and which must be taken outside the employee’s established work schedule. .

Policy:

1. Learning is the essence of Reynolds’ purpose and must be a continuous lifelong commitment of both individual employees and the organization. In support of this vision, the college’s continuous learning program shall support employees in developing and maintaining skills and knowledge to enrich personal and professional goals. Employees may participate in up to six (6) credit hours of continuous learning courses in one semester. (Refer to Reynolds Policy  3-18, Professional Development and Renewal,  for the procedures to take a course at another educational institution, including other community colleges within the VCCS.)

2. Eligibility: Current full-time administrative, professional, and teaching faculty; full-time and part-time classified employees; wage/hourly employees with certain exceptions; and adjunct faculty with certain exceptions, may participate in continuous learning courses at Reynolds at no cost. Wage employees scheduled for an average of twenty (20) or more work hours per week are eligible for this program/activity. Wage employees must be employed during the semester for which they are requesting a course. Adjunct faculty must be employed during the current (fall, spring, and summer) semester for which they are requesting the course. Students employed via the college work-study program are not eligible for this benefit.

3. College employees enrolling in courses covered under this policy shall be

   1. required to take classes for credit;

   2. required to adhere to college admission procedures, student course registration timelines and procedures, and all other student and academic policies as provided in college policies;

   3. required to successfully complete all course prerequisites or corequisites, as applicable;

   4. expected to complete class assignments and assessment activities in order to receive the maximum instructional benefit and to enable instructors to perform appropriate class management directives as required; and

   5. expected to successfully complete the course earning a grade of “C” or better or other such grade indicating satisfactory completion of the course.

4. College employees who do not successfully complete courses covered by this benefit with a grade of “C” or better shall become ineligible to participate in the continuous learning program for one semester. The ineligible semester is identified as the semester immediately following the unsuccessful course completion.

5. College employees who withdraw from a class after the designated drop date or who receive an incomplete (I) grade or a grade of “D” or “F” or other such grade indicating unsatisfactory completion of the course shall not be able to retake the same class using the continuous learning benefit. College employees are encouraged to increase their familiarity of student policies located on InsideReynolds: www.reynolds.edu/policy/student.aspx.

6. Obligation: Employees must remain in employment with the college for the duration of the course for which they receive the continuous learning benefit. If this obligation is not met and the employee separates from the college before the end of the course and remains enrolled in the approved course(s), the employee shall be billed the full or pro-rata portion of the tuition waived by the benefit based upon the remaining months of non-employment in the semester.

7. To be eligible to register for Reynolds credit courses, college employees must be admitted to the college as a student by completing the Application for Curricular and Non-curricular Admission. The application can be completed online using the following link: https://apply.vccs.edu/oa/launch.action, or a paper application can be completed and submitted to the Office of Admissions and Records using JSRCC Form 11-0000, Application for Admission.

8. Employees, who meet the admission requirements of the institution as well as any course prerequisites, may be permitted to enroll in courses and pay no tuition or mandatory fees. The college shall bear the cost of tuition and required fees. The college shall not be responsible for payment or reimbursement of books, travel, or other study-related expenses.

9. The costs of books and other study materials shall be the sole responsibility of the employee.

10. Continuous learning courses are not required to be job-related but are intended specifically for personal and professional growth.

11. Employees can take continuous learning courses only at the community college where they are employed. No more than six (6) credit hours may be taken in a semester.

12. Employees are required to secure dean/supervisor/manager approval using the designated college form before the course(s) begins.

13. Continuous learning courses cannot be taken during an employee’s established scheduled work hours.

Procedures:

1. Employee four (4) step process

   1. Employees are required to complete the Application for Curricular and Noncurricular Admission to Reynolds using the online form located on the college’s Internet site: https://apply.vccs.edu/app/app.htm. This application step must be completed at least forty-eight (48) hours prior to registering for the continuous learning course. Employees successfully admitted to the college will be notified directly by the Office of Admissions and Records and will be provided with the appropriate student identification and enrollment information on the application confirmation page and/or admissions letter.

   2. To request participation in a continuous learning course, the employee must complete JSRCC Form  59-0005, Employee Continuous Learning Form, obtain supervisor’s approval, and submit the form to the manager of training and development for approval. This form must be received before the course begins.

   3. Once the continuous learning registration form is approved, the employee will receive an email advising them to register.

   4. Employees must participate in the continuous learning course or courses as required and adhere to course guidelines as well as all other student and academic policies.

2. Office of Human Resources/manager of training and development

   1. The manager of training and development will review the employee’s request to participate in continuous learning courses via the completed JSRCC Form 59-0005, Employee Continuous Learning Form. The manager of training and development will ensure that the request complies with VCCS and college policy.

   2. Employees and their respective supervisor will be notified by Human Resources, via email, that their continuous learning registration form has been approved. If the request is denied for any reason, the manager of training and development will be responsible for emailing this information to the employee directly, with a copy to the supervisor.

   3. The manager of training and development will notify the college’s Business Office to waive the tuition and mandatory fees for the approved continuous learning course(s) by the scheduled payment deadline.

   4. At the end of each semester, the manager of training and development will provide a summary report of activity of the continuous learning program to the college’s associate vice president of human resources.

3. Business Office procedures

   The college’s Business Office will develop internal practices and procedures to ensure that tuition and required fees are waived in a timely manner to avoid enrollment cancellation for continuous learning student/employees.

Other Information:

The college’s Office of Human Resources is responsible for the official interpretation of this policy. Questions regarding the application of this policy should be directed to the associate vice president of human resources.

Application for Curricular and Non-curricular Admission

Reynolds Policy 3-18, Professional Development and Renewal

JSRCC Form 59-0005, Employee Continuous Learning Registration