Duke Expands Professional Development Program

While many other organizations are eliminating or reducing benefits during the recession, Duke is expanding one of its more popular programs to provide greater professional development opportunities for staff.

The Employee Tuition Assistance Program, which provides reimbursement of tuition for classes taken at Duke or other schools accredited by the Southern Association of Colleges, will be enhanced in January 2009 to include the following changes:

• The maximum benefit will be increased to $5,250 per calendar year.
• The number of courses will be increased to nine per calendar year with a maximum of three courses per semester.
• Participants can also request a waiver to take courses at accredited schools in other states if the courses are not offered in North Carolina or if the employee's primary work location is in another state.

Tuition assistance is available to full-time staff and faculty with at least two years of continuous service at Duke.

Lois Ann Green, director of Duke Benefits, said the program supports Duke's long-term staffing and professional development strategies by expanding the internal pool of talent to fill positions at Duke.

"It helps us to build a more skilled workforce and boosts retention because employees can grow and have the opportunity to advance within Duke as they expand their skills," she said.

To learn more about the Employee Tuition Assistance Program or for information about how to apply, visit http://hr.duke.edu/benefits/education/.