Wondering what to do with those Tuition Support dollars? Why not take a Continuing Education course

If you could take courses in anything you want and have the course fees covered by your employer, what would you take? Would you take something for personal interest or something to boost your career? If you’re like the 2200-plus University of Calgary faculty and staff in 2018, you would take Continuing Education courses and use your tuition support benefits.   

Continuing Education Director Dr. Sheila LeBlanc, DBA, says, “It’s a good time of year to remind faculty and staff that the tuition support program covers the course fees for most of Continuing Education courses and we have so much to offer — to boost your career, to maintain your credentials, or to fulfil a personal interest. I hope faculty and staff take advantage of this incredible opportunity in 2019.”

The most popular Continuing Education courses faculty and staff take are in the areas of business, management and leadership, followed by computer and business technology. And there are many reasons faculty and staff use their tuition support benefits to take Continuing Education courses.

• Photo above: Dorrie Wiwcharuk has completed three certificate programs through Continuing Education in her 17 years at the university. Photos by Marnie Burkhart, for the University of Calgary

Dorrie Wiwcharuk, an occupational health and safety partner in the university’s Environmental Health and Safety team, is a great example. Over the 17-plus years Wiwcharuk has been with the university, she's looked to Continuing Education as one way to maintain her skills and knowledge in occupational health and safety. Having completed three certificate programs, Wiwcharuk “feels blessed to take advantage of the excellent instruction offered here and the certificates have absolutely helped. I would say it’s a differentiator for people moving into a new department or a new role.”

Other UCalgary faculty and staff complete certificates in areas unrelated to the work they do, like Richard Galambos, an electronic technologist in Schulich's Electrical and Computer Engineering Department. Galambos has completed three certificates to date, one related to graphic design and two related to technical writing. He is currently on track to earn a fourth certificate in Adult Learning.

As a result of his new learning, he has a part-time side hustle as a technical writer and editor for electrical engineering grad students, and for media companies in the U.K. and the Netherlands. All of his course fees were covered by Tuition Support.

So what are you waiting for? Check out Continuing Education for your next course and see how the Tuition Support program can help you achieve your 2019 goals.