Career Incentive
WHAT IS THE CAREER INCENTIVE PROGRAM?
The Career Incentive program is an award program through which Classified employees can be compensated for voluntarily enhancing their value to the District.
Under the Career Incentive program, effective July 1, 1987, full-time permanent classified employees
are granted a monthly salary increase of $100 upon verification of satisfactory
completion of nine (9) units of approved course work/activities within each
five-year period. Employees who work less than full-time receive a proportional
increase based on the ratio of their employment to 40 hours. (For example:
If an employee works 20 hours per week, they receive an increase of $50 per
month (50 percent of $100.)
Each employee
is limited to three (3) career incentive award increases, regardless of when
he/she began participation in the program. (See “What If I Change Jobs?”) Only one program may be completed within
each five-year period.
WHAT
DOES THE CAREER INCENTIVE COMMITTEE DO?
The Career Incentive committee is charged with implementing these
guidelines. The committee shall be comprised of five members including the
Director, Human Resources, four full-time, permanent members of the Classified
staff (appointed by the Classified Senate). The Classified Senate President
shall serve as a non-voting member.
WHO CAN PARTICIPATE WITHIN
PROGRAM?
All permanent classified employees (not including hourly/temporary)
shall be eligible to participate in the program. Permanency must be attained
before the first day of semester/term of the beginning of the Career Incentive
program. Classified managers are not eligible for participation in the Career
Incentive program.
HOW
DO I APPLY?
Employees who wish to participate in the Career Incentive program must
complete and submit an application form, with their supervisor’s signature,
to Human Resources by the appropriate deadline:
- July 1 for fall semester course work/activities occurring August 1 – December 31
- December 1 for spring semester course work/activities occurring January 1 – May 31
- May 1 for summer semester course work/activities occurring June 1 – July 31
In addition to the Career Incentive application, first-time participants must submit
official transcripts of all course work taken previously to avoid any duplication
and if applicable, and an Educational Plan developed by a college counselor.
All applications
shall include the school(s), course numbers, titles, course
description from college's catalog (if the course taken is at an institution
other than MiraCosta College), number of units of the courses to be
taken, as well as a brief written justification of why each course is job-related
or career development*, and how the completed course work
will benefit the District. [*If the course(s) is/are career
development, a Educational Plan developed by the Counseling department must
be submitted with the application; see What Course Work
is Eligible? below.]
The employee
may be required by the committee to submit further verification of the appropriateness
of planned course work.
To apply for
workshop/seminar credit, the completed application must be submitted to the
committee with a brochure or flyer from the workshop/seminar. After the workshop/seminar
is completed, a written report must be submitted to the Committee within
sixty (60) days, which summarizes the material covered at the workshop/seminar
along with evidence of attendance (i.e., receipt for registration, etc.)
WHAT
COURSEWORK IS ELIGIBLE?
Courses suitable for the Career Incentive program must be related
to the employee’s current position or appropriate for the employee’s
declared career goal as defined below. A Career Incentive program may include
both types of courses:
Job-related courses
are those undertaken to acquire new or more advanced skills or knowledge
beyond the skills or knowledge reasonably expected for entrance into the
employee’s current position and which shall be clearly useful in
the current position.
Career
development courses are those courses undertaken to meet education
requirements for another position existing or planned within the District
and which the employee can realistically expect to achieve.
Applicants
for career development course work shall complete necessary assessment (an
Educational Plan developed in consultation with a college counselor) of required
course work explaining how the employee intends to achieve the stated career
goal/position’s objective. Course work required for, or needed as preparation
for, the specific major and/or general education is to be completed prior
to Career Incentive credit being granted for electives. Examples of eligible
courses include, but are not limited to: Community Services classes, credit/noncredit
college courses, late-start classes, online classes, and open-entry/open-exit
courses.
In recognition
of the District’s commitment to wellness, physical activity classes
will be allowed at the rate of one physical activity course per Career Incentive
program (i.e., Dance, Physical Education.)
Conferences,
workshops, seminars, and other types of in-service training for which the
employee is paid or which is provided for by the District on- or off-campus
and work experience education are not eligible for Career Incentive program.
Workshops/seminars
taken on the employee’s work time and at his/her expense (see Administrative
Procedure IV.C-04.g) and which meet the above criteria, may be considered
for Career Incentive program. Career Incentive credit will be granted for
workshops and seminars at a rate of 1/4-unit per four (4) hours, 1/3-unit
per six (6) hours, and 1/2-unit per full eight (8) hours of workshop attendance,
with a maximum of four (4) units for each Career Incentive program. Satisfactory
completion shall mean completion of courses with a grade of C, CR or better.
Intended
course work must be approved as meeting one of the above categories at the
time of application, and satisfactory completion of course work must be verified
by an official transcript submitted to Human Resources. Only participants
can request copies of transcripts.
HOW
DO I COMPLETE A CAREER INCENTIVE PROGRAM?
Nine (9) semester units or 14 quarter units of college course work
or 30 units of high school coursework must be completed within a five-year
period. Once a five-year program has begun, the program’s five-year timeframe
continues whether or not the approved course(s) taken are completed or dropped
by the participant. Any changes to an existing approved program (e.g., adding
or dropping courses, changing goals) must be resubmitted to the Career Incentive
committee for approval. If the program is completed early within the five-year
period, the participant must notify Director, Human Resources so that the Career
Incentive compensation can commence.
Upon completion
of the program, the employee should immediately give written notification
to the Director, Human Resources and submit an official transcript verifying
satisfactory completion of each course taken as part of the Career Incentive
program as soon as it is available.
The five-year
period shall begin on the date specified by the employee in the application.
No courses will be approved retroactively except for workshops/seminars announced
by the seminar’s institution/company after the application deadline.
HOW
DO I SCHEDULE MY TIME FOR CAREER INCENTIVE COURSES?
Participation in the Career Incentive program must be on the employee’s
own time. No salary credit will be given for course work taken on District
paid time or at the direction of the District.
The employee’s
immediate supervisor shall approve enrollment in courses to be used for Career
Incentive. An employee desiring to enroll in classes during working hours
should follow these procedures:
- Discuss
with supervisor the course(s) desired and arrange for absence from duty
for the time required to attended class(es);
- Make arrangements
to have the duty station covered during the period of absence if necessary,
and have arrangements approved by the supervisor;
- Arrange
to make up time lost within the same work week;
- Direct
a memorandum to Human Resources setting forth the approved changes in the
work schedule and the beginning and ending dates thereof. The supervisor’s
approval shall accompany the employee’s memorandum; both shall be
placed in the employee’s personnel file.
WHEN
AM I AWARDED THE INCREASE?
The increase shall become effective the first pay period following
the end of the five-year period or, if the employee completes the program in
less than five years the increase will become effective on January 1, June
1, or August 1, following completion. The participating employee shall receive
an increase of $100 per month . Employees who work less than full-time will
receive a proportional increase based on the ratio of their employment to 40
hours (see "What Is the Career Incentive Program?").
Employees
who began an approved nine-unit Career Incentive program prior to July 1,
1987, received a salary increase equal to five (5) percent of their monthly
salary at the time they completed the nine-units of approved coursework.
Future compensation associated with this Career Incentive program will remain
at the initial dollar amount unless the employee’s working hours change.
In this event, the dollar amount will be proportionately decreased or increased.
(See example in the above paragraph.)
Employees
who have completed approved nine-unit Career Incentive programs prior to
June 30, 1987 will continue to be paid the dollar amount of the career incentive
salary increase(s) applicable to their FY88 salary.
WHAT
IF I CHANGE JOBS AT MIRACOSTA?
If an employee changes positions at MiraCosta, the employee will
not need to wait for completion of the new position’s one-year probation
in order to participate within the Career Incentive program. Career Incentive
compensation shall remain a permanent part of any non-management employee’s
salary regardless of a change in classification resulting from change in position,
Y-rating, voluntary demotion, transfer, or classification review.
Career Incentive
compensation will discontinue for employees promoted to management positions,
as well as their eligibility for participation within new Career Incentive
programs.
Reference: MiraCosta College
Board of Trustees Policy, section VI.F and Manual of Administrative Procedures,
section VI.F-02.
Revised 4/79, 8/80, 9/81, 2/82, 4/83, 8/83, 7/86, 4/87, 7/21/87, 9/25/87, 6/16/88,
11/06/89, 1/12/94, 08/XX/01, 08/09/02, 07/17/03, 08/05/04
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