Who can participate in STAR?

State-funded full- and part-time employees, both exempt (salaried) and non-exempt (paid hourly), of the College of Arts and Sciences may participate in STAR.

Employees whose positions are grant-funded are non-state-funded employees and should consult their department chairs or directors to find out if they are STAR-eligible.

What counts for STAR credit?

A wide range of activities and events are eligible for STAR credit — the key to eligibility is that the activity or event must be designed to enhance work-related skills or knowledge relevant to your job in the College of Arts and Sciences. Following are examples of ways you can earn STAR hours:

• Attending conferences
• Attending meetings of the College of Arts and Sciences Staff Association (CASSA); Office, Clerical & Technical Staff Assembly (OCTSA); or Professional Staff Assembly (PSA) (NOTE: These meetings count for 30 minutes of STAR credit each.)
• Attending meetings of the Campus Communicators Network
• Completing HR-sponsored work-related sessions
• Taking eTech workshops
• Completing courses in the UA LMS
• Academic courses taken for credit (limited to academic credit hours awarded, not time spent in class or on coursework; e.g., a 3-credit-hour course counts as 3 STAR hours)
• Attending webinars and other online training sessions
• Taking re-certification hours
• Attending special, one-time events recommended by the Dean’s Office (typically via email)
• Attending training sessions offered by Purchasing, Facilities, the Registrar’s Office, Sponsored Programs, Strategic Communications, vendors, etc.
• Attending meetings of regulatory agencies (e.g., IACUC, CAP, CLIA, IACUC, HIPAA, etc.)
• Attending Safe Zone Ally Training (initial training session only)
• Attending UA Staff Career Resource Fair (30 minutes of STAR credit)
• Alabama Scholarship Awarding System training
• Annual compliance training required by UA (e.g., harassment, Title IX; 1.5 STAR hours)
• Completing the A&S Web Accessibility Course (3 hours’ STAR credit)
• Completing the Ethics in Eight series (1 hour of STAR credit after all nine sessions are completed)

What doesn’t count for STAR credit?

• Routine meetings such as staff meetings
• Department retreats
• New staff orientation
• Job fairs, health fairs, and the like (except those specifically recommended via email by the Dean’s Office)
• HR-sponsored sessions on retirement planning (e.g., TIAA-CREF), benefits, and other non-work-related topics
• WellBama and similar programs
• Employee Assistance Program (EAP)