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ORANGE COUNTY <br />BOARD OF COMMISSIONERS <br />ACTION AGENDA ITEM ABSTRACT <br />Meeting Date: September 5, 2013 <br />Action Agenda <br />Item No. 5 -f <br />1 <br />SUBJECT: Amendment to the Orange County Code of Ordinances, Chapter 28 Personnel, <br />Article IV, § 28 -45 Tuition Refund Program and Educational Leave <br />DEPARTMENT: Human Resources PUBLIC HEARING: (Y /N) No <br />ATTACHMENT(S): <br />1. Proposed Revision to Article IV, § 28- <br />45 <br />2. Proposed Administrative Rules and <br />Regulations <br />3. Semester Tuition Costs at Local <br />Colleges and Universities <br />4. Tuition Rates for the NC University <br />System <br />5. Tuition Refund Program Survey <br />6. Tuition Refund Program History <br />INFORMATION CONTACT: <br />Nicole Clark, Human Resources <br />Director, (919) 245 -2552 <br />Annette Moore, Staff Attorney (919) 245- <br />2317 <br />PURPOSE: To consider an amendment to the Orange County Code of Ordinances Chapter <br />28 Personnel, Article VII, § 28 -45 as provided in Attachment 1, which would remove the <br />operational aspects of the Tuition Refund Process from the County Ordinance to the <br />Administrative Rules and Regulations promulgated by the County Manager and to increase <br />the maximum refund amount for eligible employees from $600 to the average in state <br />semester tuition cost per fiscal year. <br />BACKGROUND: In January 2008, the Board of County Commissioners adopted an <br />Ordinance authorizing the County Manager to adopt Administrative Rules and Regulations to <br />carry out the operational aspects of Chapter 28 in the Ordinance. This authority was granted <br />to ensure that operational aspects of the Ordinance were maintained consistent with best <br />practices and changes to the law. Although the Board has made some changes to Chapter 28 <br />of the Ordinance to move operational issues out of the Ordinance, some operational items still <br />remain within the Ordinance. <br />The substantive portion of Chapter 28, Article IV, § 28 -45 of the Orange Code of Ordinances <br />contains the Tuition Refund and Educational Leave and was last amended in 2000 when the <br />maximum refund amount was increased from $300 to $600. Since 2000, the costs per credit <br />hour have increased, the availability of online courses has increased, and Durham Technical <br />Community College has opened a campus in Hillsborough. Attachment 3 provides a summary <br />of tuition costs at local colleges and universities. The average cost for a 3 -hour credit course <br />is $212 for a community college, $733 for an undergraduate course, and $1,866 for a graduate <br />course. Attachment 4 summaries the approved Tuition and Fees for the University of North <br />Carolina education system for 2013 -2014. The average tuition is $1,984. Attachment 5 <br />