Graduate Study for Personnel

The College of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences encourages, promotes and supports professional growth and development of its faculty and staff through graduate study. The following procedures have been adopted as a framework for graduate study for faculty and staff who request official time for study.

Board of Regents Policy Regarding Graduate Study

College of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences employees may request permission to engage in graduate degree-oriented study at a rate equivalent to six hours per semester(as per Board of Regents Policy) with no job time loss until the requirements for the masters, specialist or doctoral degree have been met. Classified and other non-faculty personnel shall be permitted to take undergraduate courses at the University of Georgia or other institutions according to official University of Georgia guidelines concerning undergraduate instruction.

The request for permission to engage in graduate study must be submitted in writing as outlined.

Approval Process

After approval by the appropriate supervisor(s) and the appropriate department head, district head or unit coordinator, it will be forwarded to the appropriate associate dean for action. Factors that will be considered in approving or denying the request include the relevance of the course of study to the individual’s job assignment, and whether the institution and the graduate degree program are accredited by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools or a similar regional accreditation group.

Accountability

Prior to each August, the individual participating in graduate study must submit to the appropriate department head, district head, or unit coordinator an update of his/her Graduate Study Course Completion Record, with a copy of this record being forwarded to the Staff Development Specialist, Department of Agricultural Leadership. This record will list all courses completed, the date of completion, and the course grade.