Supporting Staff Association
Short-Term Courses Open to Employees Covered Under the Collective Bargaining
Agreement Between the University and the Supporting Staff Association
Contract Year: October 1, 2000–September 30, 2001
Introduction
As part of the Collective Bargaining Agreement between Columbia University
and the Supporting Staff Association, short-term computer courses are available
to SSA members through the Continuing Education and Special Programs (CE/SP).
Employees are entitled to enroll in one course per contract year. Employees
are eligible for any course listed in this pamphlet.
Employees must obtain approval from their supervisors when requesting time
off in order to take a class. Once an employee has enrolled in a course and
has received a confirmation letter, she/he is obligated to take the class on
the confirmed date and time, or otherwise forfeit the benefit until the succeeding
contract year. The only exception is if the employee notifies the Student Services
Center of Continuing Education and Special Programs and submits the required
paperwork a minimum of one week (7 days) before the scheduled class.
Course Selection
Applicants should read and consider each course description carefully. ALL
courses, except CUI3131 Hands-on Introduction to Microsoft Windows
assume some basic familiarity with microcomputers. Since access to the various
computer facilities around the campus is limited, you should consider the equipment
and software available to you when selecting your course.
If, after reading the course descriptions, an employee is unable to determine
the specific course appropriate for her/his needs, she/he should first discuss
the matter with the supervisor. If the supervisor is unfamiliar with the subject,
and there is no other staff member in the department with expertise in the field,
applicants can call the Human Resources Office at extension 73819 for counseling.
Questions should not be addressed to Continuing Education and Special Programs
until after the supervisor and a member of the Human Resources Office have been
consulted.
To Enroll
Complete both the Employee Application and the Computing at Columbia
Enrollment Form. These forms must be signed by the employee's Supervisor
and Departmental Administrator, or their designees. Once the appropriate signatures
have been obtained, the forms should be submitted to the:
Office of Human Resources
Black Building
1st Floor , Room 112
Applicants will be enrolled on a first-come, first-serve basis. Applicants
are encouraged to select more than one date for their course of choice. This
way, if the preferred section has been filled, applicants will be placed in
alternative sections in the order of preference listed on the Employee Application.
If an individual cannot be enrolled in any of the alternative sections, they
will be notified by the Admissions and Student Affairs Office of Continuing Education and
Special Programs.
When applicants have been placed into a section, they will receive letters
of confirmation. Participants should immediately inform their supervisors of
the date and section into which they have been enrolled. If applicants do
not receive a letter of confirmation from the Admissions and Student Affairs Office of Continuing
Education and Special Programs within one week prior to the start of their course,
they should contact the Center to confirm their enrollment.
Cancellation Policies
No cancellations will be accepted under any circumstances less than seven
days before a course begins. If notice cannot be given, for any reason,
the applicant will forfeit her/his benefit for the contract year. If, on the
other hand, Continuing Education cancels or reschedules a course, an applicant
may select another course if unable to attend the course as rescheduled.
Changes in Course Availability
The list of courses offered by Continuing Education and Special Programs is
subject to change. CE/SP is under no obligation to continue to offer a course
for which there is not a substantial external constituency or which becomes
obsolete. Some courses may be phased out and others may be added.
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