In 2018, as part of the bargaining agreement between Boston University Trustees and the Service Employees International Union (SEIU, Local 509), a professional development fund was created for salaried lecturers and instructors. The fund provides opportunities for salaried lecturers and instructors to extend their professional development through attending conferences, training programs, and other opportunities or resources related to their teaching at Boston University.
Initially, the annual amount available for the fund was set at $50,000; with the new bargaining agreement for 2021-2025, the professional development fund makes $75,000 available for applications for professional development each year.
If the full $75,000 is not disbursed each fiscal year (July-June), rollover of funds may occur (the fund will not exceed $100,000). If you would like to know more about the details of this agreement, please refer to the 2021-2025 contract.
Who can apply?
Applications are welcome from those covered by the agreement: all non-tenured or non-tenure-track lecturers, senior lecturers, master lecturers, and instructors who are salaried (whether full-time, part-time, or half-time), and who teach at least one credit-bearing course on the Charles River Campus of Boston University, including the Metropolitan College Prison Program.
See the Human Resources website for a list of folks who are not part of this bargaining unit and are therefore not covered by the agreement.
How much can I apply for?
You may apply for up to $1,200 each fiscal year (July-June) in the general fund.
May I apply more than once?
Typically, you may only apply once to the general professional development fund each fiscal year. However, if there are additional funds available by May of each fiscal year, you may apply for a supplementary amount.
When do applications close each fiscal year?
Applications typically close in mid-June for end-of-fiscal year processing and will re-open in mid-July. However, if the total fund has been committed prior to mid-June, we may need to close the fund to applications earlier.
What’s the process?
Please complete this online form at least one month before the proposed professional development activity. You will need to provide details of the proposed professional development activity or resource, including how it will benefit your teaching, and all expected costs. You also need to provide a letter of support from the Chair or Director of your department or unit and a recent CV. Please note that you will be reimbursed after costs have been incurred, when you submit your receipts to your unit or department business office.
How long does the approval process take?
You should expect to hear from the Institute for Excellence in Teaching and Learning within two weeks of submitting your application. If you do not hear back within this time period, please email excellence@bu.edu to ask about the status of your application.
Are there other funds covered by the agreement that I may apply for?
Salaried lecturers and instructors may also apply to the Supplementary Technology fund once every three years.
What else do I need to know about using these funds?
- You should be familiar with the university reimbursement policies as you may only request reimbursements that meet these guidelines.
- You should keep all receipts related to your professional development activity.
- You need to submit your receipts to the Concur platform within 30 days of completing your professional development activity. Staff in your business office will guide you through this process.
