Professional Development Frequently Asked Questions

Free parking is available at the very top of Garage B (1511 San Jacinto). You will receive an email prior to the course with a parking permit. The parking permit should be placed on the dashboard where it can be clearly seen from the front of the vehicle.

Warning: Parking citations will be issued if...

You are not on the very top of the parking garage (uncovered space - not on incline ramp);
You do not clearly display parking permit on front dashboard;
You are not parked within a lined parking space, including if any part of the vehicle is over the line;
You are parked with the rear of the vehicle facing the curb or parking stop; or
You are double parked.

Vehicles with a valid handicapped parking permit can park free at the meters around the downtown area. There are several meters on 16th street.

The SAO is not able to dismiss parking tickets.

We are not set up to process credit cards at this time. We accept checks and RTI payments (inter-state-agency payments.)

The SAO does not provide lunch. There are several restaurants within walking distance from the SAO. We have a list of nearby restaurants in each training room. We also have a refrigerator and microwave in our coffee bar area. Please feel free to bring in your own drinks and food if you prefer.

Your registration fee does not include food or snacks because the attorney general has said that the Texas constitution prohibits a state agency from purchasing food, coffee, cream, sugar, and similar items that employees of or visitors to the agency would consume.

The attorney general also has said, however, that a state agency may purchase equipment and supplies related to the preparation or storage of food, coffee, cream, sugar, and similar items. Examples include refrigerators, ranges, sinks, coffee makers, cups, soap, and dish towels.

Sources: TEX. C0NST. art. III, § 51; art. VIII, § 3; art. XVI, § 6(a); Op. Tex. Att’y Gen. No, C-557 (1965).

You will receive an email the day after the class with a link to our evaluation system. Complete your evaluation and click, “submit.” Once you have submitted your evaluation, you will see a button to print your certificate.

If you have already completed your evaluation, you should be able to go back into the system at https://www.sao.texas.gov/apps/professionaldevelopment/evaluation/ to print your certificate. It will ask you to enter your unique ID (see Where do I get a Unique ID) and your email address.

Contact Professional Development to verify your Unique ID. Often if someone else registers you for the course, they put four digits that are not your SSN.

Business casual is fine. You might want to bring a light sweater or jacket as room temperatures vary.

Yes. There are also vending machines with Coca Cola products ($1.40) and various snack items. Coffee is available at $.25 a cup. We also have a refrigerator and microwave in our coffee bar area. Please feel free to bring in your own drinks and food if you prefer.

Probably not. Contact the Professional Development Coordinator (listed on the web site) to verify you are registered.

Yes. Courses are occasionally canceled or rescheduled due to low enrollment. We determine whether a course has enough participants 16 days prior to the course date. If we cancel or reschedule, we will email the participant and their billing contact no later than 14 days before the original class date.

Some participants prefer to wait closer to the course date to register. However, we encourage participants to register early so we know if we have enough participants or whether we need to do additional marketing to try and fill the course.

If you are making travel plans to come to Austin, we recommend making "refundable" air and hotel reservations or wait until 14 days before the class to actually book your reservations. Feel free to contact the course coordinator if you need more information on the status of the class earlier.

No. You can find find contact information for nearby hotels by viewing our Travel Locations document. Many of the downtown hotels will honor the "state rate," but SAO cannot help you secure rooms at the "state rate."

Yes. If there is time, please call the Course Coordinator to apprise them of the change. If you received any special pre-class instructions, please see that it is passed on to the substitute. There is no charge for substituting participants.

Due to the pandemic, all Fiscal Year 2021 courses are scheduled to be held virtually via an online platform. Platforms might include Zoom, GoToTraining, GoToMeeting, etc. A few days before the course starts, a Course Coordinator will email you log-in details. If you don’t receive log-in details, email the Course Coordinator. To participate in an online course, participants will need an internet connection and a computer/tablet with a keyboard and a microphone.