Employee FAQs
Who can participate in Discover Your University?
All University of Iowa faculty and staff are eligible to participate. Sign up for a Discover Your University experience individually or with colleagues.
Where can I find a list of available experiences?
See a list of upcoming discover days.
I work remotely—will there be online opportunities?
Most events are in-person, but some visits may include online sessions. See pages for upcoming visit days to find online opportunities.
Do I need permission from my supervisor to participate?
When it comes to supervisor permission, we suggest following your unit's usual practice for professional development opportunities scheduled during the workday. If you're not sure about local practices or policies, talk to your supervisor or human resources professional.
Iowa's Educational Opportunities policy encourages involvement in programs like Discover Your University. Units may require approval for professional development activities.
Whether or not you need formal permission to participate, make sure you've arranged appropriate coverage for normal work responsibilities before signing up for Discover Your University.
How often can I take part?
You can participate in up to two Discover Your University visit activities each academic year. Activities generally last 1-2 hours.
How do I register for an experience?
You'll sign up via My Training in Employee Self Service. Find registration links on pages for specific opportunities.
Should I use vacation or other leave to participate?
No. Like other professional development activities scheduled during the workday, Discover Your University doesn't require you to use vacation or leave. If you have questions about your unit's professional development practices, ask your supervisor or local human resources professional.
How do I sign up with my team?
Sign up through My Training in Employee Self-Service. If you're joining an experience with colleagues, you'll each need to sign up.
Whether joining individually or as a team, make sure you've arranged appropriate coverage of normal work responsibilities.
Supervisor FAQs
How do I encourage my team to participate?
Talk to your team about the program and encourage it as a professional development and team-building option. Note that employees aren't expected to use vacation or leave time to take part.
What university policies support this program?
The Educational Opportunities policy encourages participation in educational and developmental activities, broadly defined. In addition, the Volunteer Time Release policy supports flexible practices that let university employees pursue community engagement activities.
We suggest treating Discover Your University the way you treat other professional development activities:
- Participation should not interfere with normal work responsibilities.
- Faculty and staff remain in work status while participating—they do not need to use vacation or other paid leave.
- Units may require supervisor permission to take part.
We hold a departmental retreat each year. Does this count as a Discover Your University activity?
Discover Your University isn't meant to take the place of regular events like retreats, holiday parties, off-site meetings, etc.
My department has something cool to offer. How do we propose a future activity, tour, or other experience?
Email Justin Fraase in University Human Resources to express interest. Provide a brief description of the experience you have in mind.