June 8, 2022 — For years, one of the main perks available to full-time University of Florida faculty and staff has been the Employee Education Program, or EEP, an opportunity to receive tuition assistance for up to six credit hours of instruction per semester. Under the program, employees receive a tuition waiver as they work toward completing a degree of their choice.

As part of the College of Medicine’s strategic plan, announced in December by Dean Colleen Koch, M.D., M.S., M.B.A., the program is now open to residents, fellows and adjunct clinical postdoctoral associates. For the first time this spring, six housestaff joined EEP.

“I’m a big supporter of lifelong learning, and this helps provide that and give a broad range of education to those who take advantage of it so our physicians can become more well-rounded as they move on to whatever path they wish to pursue next,” said Kevin Clarke, Ed.D., director of human resources for the College of Medicine. “It provides advantages for the students who get their degrees … It can broaden their horizons. I think it also helps the community because it provides an easy way to access education in many different facets to more individuals.”

For example, Clarke said, taking business classes could help prepare physicians for running a private practice. Continued education is especially important for employees looking to get into academic health care administration.

“When you look at individuals who obtain additional degrees with all of the letters behind their names, I think that shows how continued education with focuses on different areas can benefit someone if their desire is to go into the administration of medical schools or colleges and universities across the country,” Clarke said.

Clarke has worked with Jennifer Munroe, M.B.A., assistant to the director of human resources at the College of Medicine, and Verlissa Ford, education and awards coordinator with UF Human Resources, to bring the program to housestaff since the fall, delivering presentations to interested individuals on how to qualify for and use the tuition assistance. The trio plans to keep hosting the informative EEP meetings for housestaff ahead of program registration deadlines for future semesters.

The cutoff for EEP applications and director approval for summer B classes at UF is June 14 at 5 p.m. For more information, contact Ford at v.ford@ufl.edu, email eep@admin.ufl.edu or visit the EEP website.