Staff
Employment UPPS
No. 04.04.03
Issue
No. 9
Effective
Date: 03/30/2007
Review:
January 1 E2Y
01. POLICY STATEMENTS
01.01 This UPPS
establishes the University's employment policies and procedures for regular,
project and non-student and non-regular staff positions including those on
grant and contract funds. This UPPS also describes recruitment, hiring,
promotion, and transfer procedures. These policies and procedures ensure that
each employment action conforms to the University's human resources policies,
fund availability, and the University mission.
01.02 Texas State University-San Marcos is committed
to providing greater opportunities for promotion from within and to improving
the upward mobility potential for
01.03 Texas State University-San Marcos is an equal
opportunity educational institution. Discrimination during the recruitment and
employment process of faculty and staff and during the operation of any of its
programs and activities on the basis of ethnicity, color, race, religion, age,
gender, national origin, disability, sexual orientation, or status as a
disabled or Vietnam era veteran is strictly prohibited by the University’s
policy. This policy applies to all applicants and employees, regardless of
position. The University will solely base its employment decisions on the
applicant's qualifications for the position and the requirements of University
policy.
02. DEFINITIONS
02.01 Full-time
staff employees are those individuals hired for a normal workload of 40 hours
per week or 100% time. Part-time staff employees are those hired to work less
than 40 hours per week.
02.02Regular staff employees are those employed for at
least 20 hours per week for a period of at least 4½ months, excluding students
employed in a position that requires student status as a condition of
employment. Regular staff employees are appointed by use of a Position Change
Request (PCR).
02.03 Non-student and non-regular staff employees are those
employees who do not meet the definition of a regular staff employee and who
are not required to be a student as a condition of employment. Non-student non-regular
staff employees are appointed by use of a PCR as a quick hire.
NOTE:
Quick hire – An SAP reference term for a non-student non-regular temporary
hourly employee. For the purposes of this policy, the term refers to staff
employees.
02.04 Project staff
positions are classified according to the duties performed and are assigned a
title from the University Pay
Plan. Employees who hold project staff positions serve a fixed-term
appointment of at least 4 ½ months, but no more than 36 months.
02.05 Trainees
are those employees who, through lack of specific skills or experience, are
employed at a pay rate below the normal rate for a specific position and
training period.
NOTE:
Trainee status for positions in a series, such as Accounting Clerk I and II or
Construction Inspector and Senior Construction Inspector, may be assigned to
the lowest level of the series only.
02.06
“Split
Appointees" are those exempt employees who are appointed to both faculty
and staff titles.
03. PROCEDURES FOR CHILD LABOR
03.01 Departments
with part-time and temporary (including summer) work appropriate for student
workers should use University student employees whenever possible. However, in the event that University
students are not available or eligible, departments may hire non-student
employees within the following age restrictions:
a. The minimum
age to be employed at the University is 16, with the exception of students
employed in special programs such as university-sponsored programs targeting
pre-college students.
b. An employee
under age 18 may not be employed in any position evaluated as "hazardous"
by the U. S. Department of Labor and the Texas Workforce Commission. Questions
concerning potentially "hazardous" occupations should be addressed in
advance to Human Resources.
c. An employee
under age 19 who:
1) is actively
enrolled in high school and pursuing a diploma will be paid at a rate equal to
the federal minimum wage, except where exceptions are allowed by FLSA. The employing department should contact Human
Resources to obtain an appropriate title and identify the employee as a
high school student;
2) has
graduated from high school or who certifies that he or she has officially
dropped out of school may be employed in accordance with University policies
and procedures in any position for which he or she is qualified.
d. Exceptions to items "a.," "b.,"
and "c." of this section must be approved by the divisional vice
president and the Vice President for Finance and Support Services (VPFSS).
03.02 No individual may be employed in a department,
office or organizational unit if that individual is related within the second
degree of affinity or the third degree of consanguinity to any employee in that
department, under the age of 19, and actively enrolled in high school pursuing
a diploma.
04. RECRUITING OPTIONS FOR FILLING STAFF POSITIONS
The
following options for filling regular staff positions are provided to support
career advancement of university employees and comply with University policy.
The hiring manager must indicate his or her option on the position requisition
submitted through administrative channels via the PeopleAdmin (EASY) system. The
Director of Equity and Access must approve exceptions to the provisions of this
section.
04.01 Internal
Selection
a. The hiring manager shall inform all current regular
staff employees, regardless of their length of service, of the employment
opportunity within the department via internal posting. Posting of the position through Human
Resources is not required. The best qualified shall be selected. As part of
determining the best qualified, the hiring manager must consider the most
recent performance appraisal for the person under consideration. The
performance appraisal must be demonstrated as a factor in determining the final
selection for the position.
NOTE:
As an alternative to reviewing all current staff, the account manager may do an
internal department posting and review only those employees who apply for the
position. If the position is to be filled only by an employee in the department
with the vacancy, each employee in the department must be notified in writing
of the posting with instructions on how to apply for the position. If the
position could possibly be filled by an employee from other departments for
which the hiring manager is also the account manager, each employee in the
other departments must be notified in writing of the posting with instructions
on how to apply for the position. All internal department postings must be open
for at least five workdays from the date of notification to all employees
eligible to apply for the vacancy. All interested employees should be assessed
against the minimum requirements listed in the posting.
b. These
procedures are only permissible when the vacancy and employee to be promoted or
transferred are paid from the same account, or paid from different accounts
under the same account manager. Exceptions to this require approval by the
Director of Equity and Access. All regular employees of the department,
including those with less than six continuous months of employment, may
be considered.
NOTE:
Student and non-regular employees are not eligible for appointment under this
option. They may compete, however, for positions under the Open Recruiting or University-wide
Recruiting option.
04.02 University-wide
Recruiting
a. University-wide
Recruiting may be used to consider current eligible regular
b.
NOTE:
Regular employees of the department where the vacancy exists do not have to
meet the six continuous months employment requirement, but they must apply for
the position in accordance with normal application procedures.
04.03 Open
Recruiting
a. Open
Recruiting provides for public posting of positions. Both regular staff
employees who have been employed in their current position for the last six continuous
months and qualified outside applicants are considered.
NOTE:
Regular employees of the department where the vacancy exists do not have to
meet the six continuous months of employment requirement, but they must apply
for the position in accordance with normal application procedures. Student and
non-regular employees may be considered under this option.
b. A recruiting period of ten workdays is required
unless the position has been approved for a five day posting (see Section 14.02
for list). Any exceptions approved by the Director of Equity and Access must be
based on an overwhelming, critical business need.
NOTE:
The University from time to time will contract with recruiting vendors to place
job vacancies posted under the Open Recruiting option. Vacancies placed with
these vendors will be accomplished by Human Resources with no cost to the
department with the vacancy. Applications generated by these vendor postings
will be processed through normal EASY procedures.
04.04
For
posting purposes, workdays do not include official University holidays or any
days the University has been declared as officially closed. Energy conservation
days are generally not included as workdays, however, they will be included as
workdays if the hiring manager notifies Human Resources prior to the posting
that he or she wishes them to be counted as workdays.
05.
PROJECT
STAFF POSITIONS
05.01 Upon
identification of a legitimate administrative business need and with the
approval of the appropriate vice president, department heads may hire non-permanent,
fixed-term, benefits-eligible staff on a project basis. The University may
employ these non-permanent, fixed-term staff on an as-needed basis to provide
full-time support for targeted activities over a predetermined, limited time period.
These positions will be classified using titles in the University Pay
Plan, but may be designated as “Project Staff” in the job posting.
05.02 The following apply to Project Staff positions:
a. These positions are subject to the regular new
position audit procedures found in UPPS No. 04.04.11,
“University Classification and Compensation Policy.”
b. These positions are subject to the performance
appraisal process found in UPPS No. 04.04.20,
“Staff Performance Appraisal Policy” as well as all other university policies
and procedures.
c. These positions can be posted with a shortened
five-day timeframe. A normal selection
and hiring process must be followed with approval of the Office of Equity and
Access.
d. The positions will serve fixed-term, non-permanent,
12-month renewable appointments renewable in 12-month increments with a maximum
of 36 months total.
e. The positions may be benefits-eligible consistent
with State of
f.
Employees must
attend New Employee Orientation in accordance with the provisions of UPPS No.
04.04.15.
g. If the Project Staff position becomes permanent, the
incumbent will have the option to apply for the permanent position.
h. At the end of the project or the end of the 36-month
period, whichever occurs first, the position must be re-audited and reposted if
it is to continue.
06.
PROCEDURES FOR VALIDATION
OF DEGREE REQUIREMENTS AND EMPLOYMENT TESTS
In
support of its diversity goals and in compliance with governmental regulations,
the University may use college degrees and employment tests as selection
criteria only if they have been validated.
Validation (1) establishes that possession of a degree or attainment of
a certain performance level on an employment test serve as evidence that an
individual has the necessary competency level in the knowledge, skills, or
abilities (KSAs) required to perform important functions of the job on the
first day of employment and (2) helps to ensure that the University does not
establish degree requirements and test performance levels that act as
artificial employment barriers to qualified job applicants.
There
are many ways, other than obtaining a college degree, in which an individual
may acquire competency in the required KSAs for a position. Some other ways
include past job experience, military training, rehabilitation programs,
apprenticeship programs, volunteer activities, or self-employment. The University wants to ensure that such
sources of KSA competencies are not overlooked in the applicant selection
process.
Thus,
if an account manager wishes to require or prefer a college degree in a posting
or use a pre-employment test result as selection criteria, the account manager
must validate these requirements by using one of the following validation
processes as appropriate prior to posting or use of a pre-employment test.
06.01 Degree
a. Degree
Validation Process – The process to be used to validate a degree requirement is
contained in the Degree Validation Process (Attachments
I and II).
Human Resources will determine the need for a degree validation study and
administer the Degree Validation Process with the assistance of the hiring
department.
b. Alternative
Degree Validation Process – There are some jobs that by their very nature, or
because of governmental regulations, require substantial educational
preparation and advanced credentials where the possession of a college degree
can be specified and accepted as a valid job qualification. Examples include
attorneys, engineers, physicians, psychologists, counselors, pharmacists, and
librarians. The University has some jobs in these occupational fields, and a
specified degree requirement for these jobs is acceptable without having to
complete the Degree Validation Process as provided in a. above.
06.02 Test
a. Test
Validation Process – The process to be used to validate a pre-employment test
is contained in the Test Validation Process (Attachment
III). Human Resources will determine the need for a test validation study
and administer the Test Validation Process with assistance from the hiring
department.
b. Alternative
Test Validation Process – Some tests available in the market, like the OPAC
office tests administered by Human Resources, have already previously been
shown to be valid instruments and typically do not require a separate validation
study as provided in a. above.
06.03
Other Considerations
a. Disabilities
– Assessing candidates with disabilities may require special accommodations
that deviate from established procedures. Accommodations are made to minimize
the impact of a known disability that is not relevant to what is being
assessed. Combinations of accommodations may be required to make valid
inferences regarding the candidate’s ability.
b. Adverse
Impact – Refers to an employment practice, procedure or step which results in a
significantly higher percentage of a protected group in the candidate
population being rejected for employment, placement, or promotion. Often such a
situation is the result of poorly established qualification requirements.
However, these types of selection devices can be used when they are shown to be
measuring KSAs that are required for successful performance of a job. Thus it
is important that the tests being used are tied to performance on the job and
that decisions about minimum or preferred job requirements are not made
arbitrarily.
The steps
in validation processes noted above help us to avoid adverse impact and
minimize liability for the institution. They also help us to more successfully
address the University’s strategic diversity goals.
07. RECRUITING PROCEDURES FOR FILLING STAFF POSITIONS
To
initiate the hiring process, the hiring manager must select an option from
Section 04 and follow the procedures in Section 07.01 below. If a vice
president or his or her designee decides to use a formal search committee, the
specific procedures presented in Section 07.02 below must be followed.
Any
request for exceptions to the policy and procedures in this section must be
approved by the Director of Equity and Access. The request must detail exactly
how the exception will deviate from normal policy and procedures regarding
method of selection or recruitment, advertising and posting procedures,
recruiting/employment forms and data collection, and applicant log generation.
Exception requests will be routed to Human Resources via the Director of Equity
and Access.
07.01 General
Procedures
Hiring
managers shall ensure that the following procedures are followed. At the hiring
supervisor’s discretion, a departmental selection committee may be used at any
stage of the process to assist him or her in making the selection.
a. Position
Requisition – To initiate the hiring process, the hiring manager must submit a
position requisition through administrative channels via the PeopleAdmin (EASY)
system. If the request is to replace a
terminating
Posted
salary – Each posting must include a salary statement. Indicate the desired
salary posting on the position requisition. Salaries
posted must reflect monthly rates.
1) For
classified positions, post hiring rate or hiring range.
2) For
unclassified and administrative positions, post hiring rate, hiring range, or a
statement indicating that salary will be commensurate with qualifications.
b. Identification
of Hiring Department – The hiring department will be identified on all
University-wide or Open Recruiting announcements.
c. Supervisory
Approval Not Required – Eligible staff employees may apply for other positions
without notification to or approval from their supervisors.
d. Employment Applications – All applicants, including
eligible staff employees, are required to complete and submit separate
employment applications via the PeopleAdmin (EASY) electronic application
system for each position desired. Potential applicants who contact a hiring
department about a position vacancy must be referred to Human Resources.
e. Selection Matrix – The Texas Workforce Commission-Human
Rights Division (TWC) approved selection matrix should be used to support the
selection of the successful applicant for the position (available on the Human Resources website). An alternative matrix format can be used upon
approval by the Office of Equity and Access.
The
hiring manager will complete a selection matrix indicating which knowledge,
skills and abilities (KSAs) each applicant will need in order to be considered
for the job. This selection matrix may only contain the required and preferred
qualification statements taken from the approved GOJA for the position and
listed in the job posting. The selection matrix is designed to provide a basis
for equal analysis and treatment of each applicant during the initial screening
phase of the review process. It is to be
used to objectively compare an applicant’s credentials to the required and
preferred qualifications in the job advertisement. All selection criteria must be job related,
and all applicants and applications must be compared to these criteria.
The
hiring manager will forward the selection matrix to the Director of Equity and
Access for approval by either attaching the matrix to the electronic log or
sending by separate e-mail at time of log submission. If not approved, the
Director of Equity and Access will contact the hiring manager. All of the posted required qualifications must
appear as initial screening criteria on the matrix.
NOTE:
Any screening mechanism to be used in addition to the selection matrix must
also be approved by the Director of Equity and Access prior to posting the
position.
f.
Prior to the
position being posted, Human Resources will compare the knowledge, skills and
abilities (KSAs) listed in the GOJA for the position with the required and
preferred qualifications listed in the posting to ensure that the minimum job
requirements in the job posting are consistent with the KSAs listed in the GOJA.
Human Resources may modify the job posting to be consistent with the KSAs in
the GOJA. Alternatively, the hiring department may revise the GOJA to be
consistent with the job posting only if the account manager acknowledges a
change to the GOJA. Human Resources will contact the hiring department with any
changes made to the posting. If the job posting is not consistent with the GOJA
for the position there may be a delay in posting the position until the GOJA
and the job posting are made consistent. Failure on the part of the department
to update the GOJA if required will result in a delay in the job posting.
g. Review of
Applications and Interviewing Prior to Closing Date – Hiring managers may
review applications and interview applicants at any time during the posting
period (see section below).
h. Applicant
Evaluation – The hiring manager has primary responsibility for evaluating each
applicant. This evaluation is the primary basis for promotion, transfer, or
hiring decisions.
NOTE:
Human Resources offers an office-skills testing program for certain job
classes. (Examples include keyboarding, filing, language arts, and
spreadsheets.)
i. Interviews
– The hiring manager arranges for interviews with candidates. In certain
instances, interviewees may be paid for their travel expenses (see "Texas
State Travel Regulations"). It is not acceptable to make a selection for
hire after interviewing only one candidate. Normally, three to five applicants
must be interviewed for each position. If fewer than three, the manager must
have approval from the Director of Equity and Access.
j. Job
Interview Questions –Interview questions must be designed to cover only the
job-related criteria (knowledge, skills, abilities and experience) to perform
the job as listed in the posting and any other approved screening mechanisms.
Questions not related to ascertaining the applicant’s knowledge, skills,
abilities and experience as listed in the job posting must not be used in the
interview process. Guidance on developing interview questions can be found on
the Human Resources web site.
k. Selection – Final selection is made by the hiring
manager, subject to administrative concurrence, fund availability, university
human resources policies, and Equity and Access requirements. No promotion,
transfer, or hiring decision may be made until the qualifications of all
applicants have been thoroughly reviewed and compared to the job advertisement.
Furthermore, no employment offers can be made until (1) the requirements of
Section 10.01 d. have been met and (2) the Director of Equity and Access has
approved the selected applicant and (3) the hiring manager has received
approval from Human Resources to fill the position with the approved applicant.
l. Trainees
1) If no fully
qualified applicants are available to fill a position at the specified pay
rate, the hiring manager may, under certain circumstances, request to hire a
trainee.
2) Trainees
must be hired at a reduced salary which is not less than four percent or more
than 12 percent below base. A specific training program must be approved by the
Director of Human Resources and must include periodic evaluations to determine
if adequate progress is being made.
3) The hiring manager will submit with the PCR a list of
projected dates for trainee increases and a target date for completion of the
training period. Incremental pay increases of four percent at least every six
months will normally be used to reflect adequate progress toward full
qualification. If the trainee fails to achieve adequate progress, he or she
will be terminated. Subsequent pay increases will require submittal of
additional PCRs per increase.
07.02 Search
Committee
a. Search
committees are normally used only for administrative officer and director
positions.
1) If an
applicant for a position outside the division of Academic Affairs is to be
considered for a concurrent faculty appointment, the appropriate vice president
should consult with the appropriate dean or chair to determine what steps are
to be followed in addition to those in this UPPS. If an applicant for a
position within the division of Academic Affairs is to be considered for a
concurrent faculty appointment, the Provost may, where appropriate, authorize
the use of alternate procedures outlined in AA/PPS 7.01, Hiring of Deans and
Chairs; or AA/PPS 7.02, Faculty Hiring, in lieu of procedures outlined in this
UPPS.
2) Each vice
president has the responsibility for determining when a search committee will
be used for vacancies within his or her division. The president or designee, will determine
when a search committee will be used for vacancies within his or her
division. The membership of search
committees will include minorities, women, and other often under-represented
groups as appropriate.
3) In most instances, current
b. The
appropriate vice president, president, or his or her designee, will notify the
Director, Equity and Access in writing of the plan to use a search committee.
c. The
appropriate vice president, or his or her designee, and the Committee will
prepare the following:
1) A position requisition
– The requisition must include instructions
telling Human Resources in which newspapers and
publications the announcements are to be placed.
2) A job vacancy
announcement to be included in the job posting section of the position
requisition for advertising. The job vacancy announcement should contain, at a
minimum:
a) a
description of the position, including required knowledge, skills, and
abilities,
b) statement of salary
·
for classified,
post hiring rate or hiring range
·
for unclassified
and administrative, post hiring rate, hiring range, or statement indicating
that salary will be commensurate with qualifications,
c) the
proposed starting date, and
d) deadline
for accepting applications or date application review will begin.
3) (Optional)
The job vacancy announcement may be sent to various recruiting sources and must
state that applications must be completed via the regular employment
application process.
4) A plan citing specific efforts to be made to obtain a
diverse applicant pool.
d. The
Director of Equity and Access will:
1) work with
individual department heads or hiring managers to ensure that appropriate
recruitment activities are carried out;
2) review the
composition of search committees to ensure diversity and review the recruitment
efforts that were carried out by the respective departments. Specifically, the
following will be reviewed:
a) Dissemination
and posting of job announcements.
b) Advertising.
c) Follow-up
letters of recommendation.
d) Additional
efforts the University can reasonably make to secure applicants.
3) serve as
advisor to the search committee; and
4) visit with
the search committee chairs and provide necessary information and training on
recruitment techniques before the search begins.
e. Applicant
Screening
1) Initial
screening of applicants will be accomplished by the Committee. In the case of a
search committee, the initial screening group or individual will forward a
prioritized list of the top candidates (normally no more than ten) via the
Director of Equity and Access to the
appropriate vice president. The applicant’s files will need to be forwarded to
Equity and Access if they are not accessible via the EASY system.
2) Final screening will be performed by the appropriate
vice president or his or her designee. This screening will normally reduce
those to be interviewed to no more than five.
f. Interview
Schedule
1) The chair
of the Committee will develop an interview schedule, coordinating it with the
vice president's or his or her designee's schedule.
2) The chair
of the Committee will inform interviewees of the schedule. In certain cases
candidates for major administrative positions may be paid travel expenses (see
"Texas State Travel Regulations"). The hiring manager responsible for the vacant position is
responsible for completing required travel forms while the candidate is on
campus.
g. Selection –
The appropriate vice president or his or her designee will make the final
selection, after consulting with the President, if appropriate, and will extend
a job offer after all appropriate paperwork has been submitted and approved
(see Section 07.02 h.1) and 07.02 h.2)). Upon acceptance, the appointee will be
sent a letter of appointment (in duplicate) by the vice president or his or her
designee. The appointee should sign and return one copy.
h. Appointment
Forms
1) The chair
of the search committee will complete the employment history verification tab
via the EASY system on the selected applicant, and obtain from the applicant
copies of transcripts, certifications, and affiliations.
2) As soon as
the selection process is complete, the appropriate vice president or his or her
designee will ensure that the completed and approved selection matrices, the
electronic applicant log and the employment history tab are completed, as well
as any other approved screening mechanisms are sent via the EASY system to the
Office of Equity and Access for review and approval. Approval of the selected
applicant by the Director of Equity and Access is required before an offer of
employment can be extended and the appointing PCR can be processed by Human
Resources.
3) The
administrative head to whom the "new hire" reports will submit a Personnel
Change Request (PCR) putting the individual on the payroll. The PCR should be
submitted as soon as possible after the hiring process is complete and must be
approved through proper administrative channels before the "new hire"
reports to work. The hiring manager will also notify Human Resources-Benefits Section
of the date for New Employee Orientation (NEO) attendance.
i.
New employee
processing – the hiring supervisor must send the
selected applicant to new employee orientation in accordance with the
provisions of UPPS
No. 04.04.15.
08.
PROCEDURES
FOR EMPLOYEE REFERENCE CHECKS
08.01 All requests for reference checks for current
or former
a. Human Resources will only verify dates of
employment, official university job classification and salary information.
b. Human Resources will not provide information
concerning the former employee’s official work history unless requested via
waiver signed by the former employee. Human Resources will not provide
information concerning the former employee’s eligibility for re-employment by
the University.
NOTE: Account managers who give out information on former university
employees run the risk of personal liability for an unfavorable hiring decision
by the former employee.
09. PROCEDURES FOR REQUIRED LICENSES AND
CREDENTIALS
The
University may deny employment to any applicant and continued employment to any
employee who does not possess any job-required state or federal license,
certification, or other credential (LCC).
09.01 Hiring managers must notify Human Resources of
any positions that require a state or federal LCC as a condition of employment.
Hiring managers must also notify Human Resources of any changes to such
requirements. Hiring managers should ensure that such requirements are
documented in the applicable GOJA books.
09.02 Job
postings for such positions must include a description of the required LCC.
09.03 Hiring
manager responsibilities regarding copies.
a. Job
applicants – Hiring managers must obtain from the selected applicant a copy of
any required LCC.
b. Employees
1) Hiring
managers must track the need for and obtain copies of licenses, certifications,
credentials, and renewals of each. Within 30 calendar days of the effective
date of a renewal, the hiring manager must forward a copy of the renewal to the
Compensation Section of Human Resources.
2) Within 30
calendar days after expiration, hiring managers must notify the Director of
Human Resources of any employee's failure to maintain the required LCC.
09.04 Employee responsibility – It is the
responsibility of each employee filling an LCC-required position to maintain
the required LCC and provide his or her account manager with a copy of the LCC
and any renewals. Copies of renewals must be provided within 14 calendar days
of the effective date of the renewal.
09.05 Any employee who does not possess and maintain the
required state or federal LCC or who does not provide his or her hiring manager
with a copy of such is subject to termination.
10. PROCEDURES FOR HIRING OR APPOINTING EMPLOYEES
10.01 Forms
a. Hiring
manager – Prior to extending an offer of employment:
1) The hiring
manager must ensure that a completed, signed
2)