Professional Learning Activities Fund

The Professional Learning Activities Fund (PLAF) is available to reimburse full-time EFSC faculty for non-tuition professional learning activities as approved through the PLAF funding process.

General PLAF Information

• Applications may be submitted from July 1 through April 16. The Professional Development Council (PDC) will review applications during its monthly meetings.
• The application is located in the Employee Applications section of the myEFSC Portal.
• If approved, it is the requestor's responsibility to submit all required College documentation by published due dates.
• Approval by the PDC does not guarantee funding of this activity.
• As of 2023, the maximum PLAF award is $2,000 per faculty member per year.
  • If the cost of the event is in excess of this limit, the faculty member is responsible for the remaining balance.
  • Funding is generally awarded on a first-come first-served basis.
• Faculty must complete the reimbursement process within the same fiscal year as the funded event.
• Faculty applying for PLAF must have approval to travel from their supervisor. Written confirmation from the supervisor, such as an email, must be attached to the PLAF application.
• Pursuant to s.112.061, Florida Statute, regarding State employee travel, the 2022-2023 Florida Law 2022-157 section 89 states: "Costs for lodging associated with a meeting, conference or convention organized or sponsored in whole or part by a state agency or judicial branch may not exceed $175 per day. An employee may expand his or her own funds for any lodging expenses in excess of the $175 per day."
  • This means that any State agency sponsored meeting/conference/convention hotel costs cannot exceed $175 per night. Any amount over that will be your responsibility. Please be mindful of this rule when making reservations.

Required Application Information/Material

When completing the application, you will be required to provide the following:

• Date of the activity
• Type of activity
• Description of the activity
  • If the activity is conference attendance, you will be required to attach:
    • Conference presentation abstract or description of conference responsibility
    • Acceptance letter if available
    • Conference/Activity information page including location and dates
    • Other supporting documents
• Event web address
• Explanation of how this event will enhance teaching; increase student learning, retention, completion, and/or placement; support the College's mission statement, etc.
• For events that require travel: Written confirmation from the supervisor, such as an email, with the proposed budget for the event.
• For events that do not require travel: A proposed budget that includes a breakdown of any fees associated with the event and the total amount requested.
• How you plan to communicate the knowledge or skills gained from this experience with your colleagues and the Center for Excellence in Teaching and Learning:
  • Submit an article to EFSC's Science2Practice Journal
  • Facilitate a session during EFSC's annual NERDS event
  • Facilitate a faculty workshop
  • Facilitate a student workshop
  • Facilitate a brown-bag roundtable discussion
  • Present your work to faculty as a poster session
  • Other (explanation will be required)

Before You Apply

If your PLAF request requires travel, you must receive supervisory approval at least three weeks prior to submitting a PLAF application. The Travel and Reimbursement Form is located in the myEFSC Portal under Employee Applications.

Frequently Asked Questions