The following words and terms in this chapter have the following meanings unless the context clearly indicates otherwise:

(1) Assistance--Financial aid provided by the Texas Department of Human Services (DHS) to its employees for education expenses.

(2) Commissioner--The commissioner of DHS.

(3) Corrective action--DHS's process to correct employee performance and work rule problems.

(4) DHS--The Texas Department of Human Services.

(5) Employee--An individual employed with DHS in either a full-time or part-time position.

(6) Full-time employee--An individual employed with DHS and working 40 or more hours per week.

(7) Hardship--A serious or catastrophic illness, family emergency, or extenuating circumstance beyond the employee's control that prevents the employee from complying with the terms of an education assistance agreement.

(8) Institution--An institution of higher education.

(9) Institution of higher education--A public or private technical institute, junior college, senior college, university, medical or dental unit, or other institution offering an associate's, baccalaureate, master's, or doctoral degree program.

(10) Part-time employee--An individual employed with DHS and working between 20 and 39 hours per week.

(11) Professional development requirement--Educational or technical training required for an employee to maintain current skills, professional standards, or license requirements.

(12) Training--Planned, structured activities designed to improve employee job performance and job-related skills by achieving specific, measurable, and predetermined learning objectives.

(13) We, us, and our--The Texas Department of Human Services.

(14) You, your, I, and my--An individual employed with DHS in either a full-time or part-time position.

Source Note: The provisions of this §77.2 adopted to be effective April 14, 2003, 28 TexReg 3067