Faculty and Contract Staff Handbook
(8) Employment Policies and Benefits
(8A) EMPLOYMENT OF FACULTY, CONTRACT STAFF, AND CLASSIFIED STAFF
(8B) NON-DISCRIMINATION AND DIVERSITY POLICY
(8C) POLICY STATEMENT ON HARASSMENT
(8D) EDUCATIONAL BENEFITS
(8A) EMPLOYMENT OF FACULTY, CONTRACT STAFF, AND CLASSIFIED STAFF
For a summary of recent changes to this chapter, see Chapter 9A: Summary of Recent Revisions to This Handbook.
Contents of this page:
I. FACULTY EMPLOYMENT
Policy statements relating to faculty, faculty appointments, and academic governance are contained in Chapters 3A-F. Specific information on such employment policies as establishing and filling vacant positions, faculty records, adjunct faculty, and retirement are discussed in Chapter 3A: Academic Freedom, Responsibility, and Employment of Faculty (Policy Statement), Chapter 3E: Faculty Appointments and Evaluation (Other Policies), and Chapter 3F: Faculty Records.
II. CONTRACT STAFF EMPLOYMENT
A. Filling a Vacant or New Position
1. Approval to Fill the Position
To create a new contract staff position, the director of the unit or the departmental Chair must submit a request to create the position to the appropriate vice president, who will submit a recommendation to the President. Following approval by the President, the director of the unit or the departmental Chair must submit to the appropriate vice president a request to search that includes a job description and a search plan. The vice president will obtain permission from the President to conduct the search, and the President will authorize the salary.
Upon the vacancy of a contract staff position, the director of the unit or the departmental Chair must submit to the appropriate vice president a request to search that includes a job description and a search plan. The vice president will obtain permission from the President to conduct the search, and the President will authorize the salary.
When an existing position is to be redefined, a written justification must accompany the request to search. If the vice president concurs with the request, he/she will obtain written approval from the President for the redefinition, and the President will authorize the salary.
2. Search Plan
After obtaining presidential and vice presidential approvals to fill the contract staff position, the director or departmental Chair must forward to the appropriate vice president a complete search plan that includes information on position availability, deadline for applications, application data, and other required elements. A copy of the notice of the position and any advertising copy must be included. Upon approval of the appropriate vice president, this will be forwarded to the Office of Human Resources for affirmative action compliance review. The Office of Human Resources will return the approved search materials to the appropriate vice president’s office, who will forward them to the director or Chair. All searches will comply with federal and state mandates.
Please note that the hiring department must acknowledge in writing receipt of each application for a contract staff position and must send to each applicant a minority self-identification card. In order to be considered, all applications must contain current résumés, authorized transcript of university degree(s), and letters of reference.
The appropriate vice president will approve the personal interview of each candidate.
3. Conclusion of the Search
The President, upon recommendation by the vice president, will approve issuing a formal offer. Upon verbal acceptance of the offer, the Office of Academic Affairs will prepare a letter of appointment to be signed by the appropriate vice president or the President and sent to the candidate for his or her signature. By signing the letter, the employee is subject to all terms and conditions set forth in but not limited to the Faculty and Contract Staff Handbook. The orientation of new contract staff is the responsibility of the individual department or unit.
The department or unit will notify in writing all candidates not selected at the conclusion of the search process. All applicant files must be forwarded to the Office of Human Resources through the appropriate vice president’s office at the conclusion of the search process.
B. Evaluation of Contract Staff
Contract staff, including administrative and library contract staff members, will be evaluated annually. Contract staff members will submit a summary of professional activities to their immediate supervisor at the end of each calendar year. This summary of professional activities will contain relevant information pertaining to the performance of their assigned responsibilities and services.
The supervisor will evaluate the contract employee in writing. The evaluation must be shared with and signed by the employee. If the staff member does not concur with the evaluation, she/he may append a response. The supervisor, director, and/or Chair will use the merit evaluation of the contract employee in recommending an annual salary.
The evaluation and any response from the contract staff member must be submitted with the annual merit salary recommendation from the director and/or Chair to the appropriate vice president. The evaluation will be maintained in the employee’s permanent personnel file. The vice president will consider the evaluation by the director and/or Chair in recommending a salary to the President each academic year.
C. Resignation/Termination of Contract Staff
1. Resignation
As stated in the Vacation Leave Policy, twelve-month contract employees must submit a 30-day written notice of intent to resign in order to be eligible to be paid for all vacation leave balances.
(For further information, please see Sick Leave and Vacation Leave in the handbook Fiscal Affairs Policies and Procedures.)
2. Termination
Employment of contract staff may be terminated “for cause” (including but not limited to non-compliance with any of the policies set forth in the Faculty and Contract Staff Handbook) as that term is defined by Trinity University.
D. Due Process
Contract employees have the right to file what they feel to be legitimate grievances. In the event that an employee lodges a complaint, procedures of due process will be followed through an appeal process if necessary. Ordinarily, employees should bring grievances to the attention of the immediate supervisor, the Chair, or the director; if this appears inappropriate, they may appeal to the appropriate vice president. Subsequent to receipt of the Vice President's decision, should the grievance still remain unresolved to the employee's satisfaction, the employee may appeal that decision within five (5) working days of the date of the decision to the Director of Human Resources. If the appeal is not timely taken, the matter will not be considered further. The Director of Human Resources will have the grievance studied by a committee composed of three (3) full-time University employees: one selected by the Vice President, one selected by the grievant, and the third selected by the other two (2) committee members. The committee will review the matter and render a decision within thirty (30) working days. The decision of the committee will be final. (Please note Chapter 8B: Non-Discrimination and Diversity Policy and Chapter 8C: Policy Statement on Harassment.)
NOTE: Please refer to Chapter 8D: Educational Benefits, Chapter 8E: Insurance and Other Benefits, and Chapter 8F: Leaves and Scheduled Absences for further information on benefits, insurance, and leaves and scheduled absences for contract staff.
III. POSTDOCTORAL STAFF EMPLOYMENT
Persons appointed to postdoctoral positions at Trinity University are classified as contract employees and are subject to all the policies of the University regarding the employment of persons in the contract category. (See Section II: Contract Staff Employment above as well as Chapter 8D: Educational Benefits, Chapter 8E: Insurance and Other Benefits, and Chapter 8F: Leaves and Scheduled Absences.)
Appropriate search procedures must be followed as described above for contract staff.
Recommendations to hire must be sent to the Office of Academic Affairs for approval. The Office of Academic Affairs will prepare a letter of appointment for the individual after approval of the recommendation by the grants accountant, the associate vice president for Academic Affairs: Budget and Research (the institutional grants officer), the Vice President for Academic Affairs, and the President of the University.
The postdoctoral employee is eligible for some or all fringe benefits providing he/she works more than one-half time over the course of a year. After two years of continuous employment the individual will be eligible for retirement benefits. The individual will accrue sick leave and vacation leave in the same manner as other contract employees. However, unused vacation time will not be reimbursed at the time of termination of employment or at any other time.
All costs for fringe benefits, including retirement and social security, and related University costs are to be charged to the funding source unless specific arrangements are approved.
Visa status determines the individual’s liability for social security tax. This must be determined on a case-by-case basis by the institution’s Office of Human Resources.
The employee is subject to annual evaluations, as are all employees of the University.
IV. CLASSIFIED STAFF EMPLOYMENT
Refer to “Employment Procedures for Classified Personnel” in the handbook Fiscal Affairs Policies and Procedures.
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