The application process for the IDAs (Individual Development Awards)–a benefit for UUP members negotiated in our statewide Collective Bargaining Agreement– for 2023-24 closed on March 1. (We are unfortunately unable to accept any late applications.)

In this current round, 96 applications were received and New Paltz will have a pool of close to $50k to distribute among those applicants. As this is a Joint Labor-Management program, the local committee reviewing the applications is composed of three members named by UUP: Maryalice Citera (Psychology, chair), Rachel Rigolino (English) & Helen Brocker (Advising); and three named by the Administration: Anneliese Kniffen-Savchak (HRDI), Devon Duhaney (Latin American and Caribbean Studies) & James Burns (Student Accounts). 

The local committee is currently reviewing the applications; it is charged with distributing the first 15% of available funds to part-time employees, and the remainder are then allocated according to criteria set by the committee. Historically, this has shifted higher awards to pre-tenure/permanent appointment members, although the overall amounts vary depending on whether there is other institutional support for the project, total amount of the request, etc.

The committee plans to make its decisions soon; however, once that takes place we must forward the entire list (and access to all of the application materials) to the Office of Employee Relations in Albany, which conducts an audit of each and every award to ensure that the projects fall within the program guidelines. This review can unfortunately take some time, but we are unable to notify IDA applicants of their award amounts until they have been finalized by the State.

As this is a reimbursement-based award, applicants will need to complete all the paperwork that would be required for institutional repayment—Travel Expense Report, providing receipts and boarding passes, etc. for the expenses incurred on the project proposed, in order to receive payment of the award. (Due to the involved audit process described above, it is not possible to transfer an IDA award to a project other than the one initially proposed in the application.)

Despite the formidable bureacratic hurdles involved, we are proud to be able to have this valuable program to provide resources to our members for their ongoing professional development—resources that have become scarcer in recent years through other institutional channels. Good luck to all of our applicants in this round, and a big round of applause to the volunteer members of our local committee, who do terrific service in making the difficult decisions to distribute the funds available!