(3)
Policy
definitions
(a)
Administrative staff advisory team members
The administrative staff (AS) advisory
team consists of sixteen administrative staff members selected by the
administrative staff council (ASC) executive committee. Team members serve
three-year terms (September"
1
one August
31
thirty -frist and with five or six new members joining the
team each year. Team members must be inactive for one year after completion of
their three-year term before they can be considered for re-appointment. If a
committee member cannot complete his/her term. ASC's executive committee will
appoint a member from the same functional area to complete the term. Membership
to this committee should include representatives from all functional
areas.
The team's primary responsibility is to
collaborate with human resources in the re-evaluation of job analysis
questionnaires (JAO). Human resources and past members of the administrative
staff advisory team train team members to analyze, evaluate, and recommend a
grade level (numeric ranking) for currently occupied administrative staff
positions.
Each time an administrative staff
position is re-evaluated, human resources selects four members from the team to
participate in the process, attempting to rotate participation equally among
members. One team member must be from the same vice-presidential area as the
position being re-evaluated. The other three team members should be from
different vice-presidential areas. If one member of the four-person team feels
it is necessary to recuse him/herself the process can continue with a
three-member team. If more than one team member wishes to be recused, a new
team may be assigned. The chief human resources officer appoints two members of
the human resource staff to serve as committee members.
Administrative staff team members also
participate in the conciliation/appeals process, but individual team members
may not participate in both the re-evaluation and the appeals process for the
same position.
Administrative staff advisory team
member rotation: The administrative staff advisory team consists of sixteen
administrative staff members selected by the ASC executive committee for
staggered three-year terms.
(i)
Members will begin service on September
1
one and serve for three
years, ending on August 31 thirty
-frist.
(ii)
Each year, five or six new members will be appointed to
replace the five or six who are completing their service.
(iii)
Membership to
this committee should represent all of the functional areas. If the university
structure changes, the next members appointed should address any committee
inequities resulting from the new structure.
(iv)
If a committee
member cannot complete his/her term. ASC'S executive committee will appoint a
member from the same functional area to complete the term.
(v)
No members shall
serve consecutive three-year terms.
(b)
Grade level
The grade level is the numeric ranking
of administrative staff positions from
5
five to
23
twenty-three
(c)
Human resources/administrative staff advisory team
(HR/AS advisory team)
Two members of the human resources
staff and the four members selected from the administrative staff advisory team
comprise the HR/AS advisory team. This combined team is responsible for
analyzing, evaluating, and recommending a grade level whenever an occupied
administrative staff position is re-evaluated.
(d)
Job analysis
questionnaire (JAO)
The job analysis questionnaire is the
instrument used to describe the position responsibilities. This questionnaire
is used by the HR/AS advisory team and/or human resources to determine the
grade level of an administrative staff position based upon the level of
knowledge and work experience, problem solving, impact on operations (the
consequence of action and autonomy), communications (the degree of interaction
and nature of contact), supervision and level of authority. The job analysis
questionnaire must be completed in order for any administrative staff position
to be created and/or changed.
(e)
Pay range
The pay range is the compensation for a
particular grade level. Each pay range has a designated minimum, midpoint, and
maximum.
(f)
President's compensation working group
The president's compensation working
group is comprised of administrators appointed by the president. This group
routinely reviews issues regarding the plan and decides the outcome of the
appeals process.
(4)
Policy
(a)
New
administrative staff hire
New administrative staff generally is
hired between the minimum and midpoint of a grade level. A salary assigned
above the midpoint requires prior approval by the vice - president, after
consultation with the offices of human resources and equity and
diversity.
(b)
Upgrade
Definition: A position is re-evaluated
and assigned to a higher-grade level as a result of significant expansion in
the position's existing duties and responsibilities. The incumbent is
guaranteed at least a five per cent increase in salary or the minimum salary
for the new level, whichever is greater.
(c)
Promotion
Definition: An incumbent moves from a
position requiring a certain level of skill, effort, and responsibility to a
position requiring a significantly greater degree of skill, effort, and
responsibility. When an employee is promoted, she/he is guaranteed at least a
five per cent increase in salary or the minimum salary for the new level,
whichever is greater.
(d)
Interim/acting
positions
Definition: A staff member is assigned
to a position on an interim/ temporary/ acting basis. If the assignment is
longer than thirty calendar days and is in a higher grade level, the staff
member receives a premium for the time served equal to at least a five per cent
increase in salary or the minimum for the interim grade level, whichever is
greater.
(e)
Demotion
Definition: An incumbent staff member
moves from a position requiring a certain level of skill, effort, and
responsibility to another position in a lower grade level requiring a lesser
degree of skill, effort, and responsibility. When a demotion occurs, the
incumbent's salary is reduced to a level in the lower pay range equivalent to
his/her level in the original pay range. (Approved by board of trustees,
September 13, 1996) The president, in consultation with the vice-president and
human resources, must approve any exceptions to this policy.
(f)
Downgrade
Definition: A position is reassigned to
a lower grade level as a result of significant reduction in the position's
existing duties and responsibilities. When a position downgrade occurs, the
incumbent's salary is reduced to the level in the lower pay range equivalent to
his/her level in the original pay range. The president, in consultation with
the vice-president and human resources, must approve any exceptions to this
policy.
(g)
Transfer
Definition: An incumbent staff member
moves from a position requiring a certain level of skill, effort and
responsibility to another position requiring the same degree of skill, effort,
and responsibility that is assigned to the same grade level. When a transfer
occurs, normally the incumbent's salary will not be adjusted. The president, in
consultation with the vice-president and human resources, must approve any
exceptions to this policy.
(h)
Market
exceptions
Definition: A market exception is a
special salary premium established for particular positions when unusual market
conditions exist, causing excessive turnover, salary midpoints well below
market average, and/or failure of current salary to attract qualified
candidates. A special market salary premium may be paid for these
positions.
(i)
Pay above maximum
Administrative staff salaries are
capped at the maximum or above the maximum of a pay range. However, staff
members whose salaries are currently at or above the maximum are exempt for a
period of three years. Effective July 2000, the salaries of any staff still
above maximum MAY be frozen until such time as those salaries are within
his/her range. If, at any time during the three years, a staff member's salary
should fall within range, the exemption ceases to apply to that staff member
and the capped maximum will be enforced.
Staff at the maximum will be considered
for a merit increase not to exceed the per centage adjustment of the pay
range.
Staff above the maximum is eligible
each year for a one-time, merit-based bonus not to exceed the per centage of
the salary pool designated for merit each year. This will occur only when the
board of trustees authorizes bonuses and will not be added to base
salaries.
(j)
Progression through the pay range
Definition: Progression through a pay
range is the method by which an incumbent moves through his/her assigned pay
range. Staff progress through pay ranges based on meritorious
performance.
(k)
Title revision
Title changes may be requested to more
accurately reflect position responsibilities. A job analysis questionnaire is
completed and forwarded to human resources in accordance with established
procedures. If the proposed title accurately reflects the responsibilities, the
HR/AS advisory team may recommend that the title be changed regardless of any
change in the grade level. No title change occurs without approval from the
supervisor, vice-president, and human resources.
(l)
Salary range
adjustments
Effective 1997-98, the ranges for each
grade level will be adjusted in a three-year recurring cycle. In the first two
years of the cycle, the pay range of each grade level will move up annually by
an amount that is one per cent less than the average salary increase paid to
staff that year. Every third year beginning with 1999-2000, the university will
re-evaluate the ranges in light of current market conditions, as well as other
relevant factors, and adjust the ranges in accordance with that
re-evaluation.
(m)
Administrative compensation plan position
evaluation/re-evaluation processes
The position evaluation process is the
method by which positions are evaluated against a uniform set of criteria and
assigned to established grade levels and appropriate pay ranges. Human
resources conducts the evaluations for new positions. Human resources and the
administrative staff advisory team jointly conduct the re-evaluation of
occupied positions. Re-evaluation occurs when initiated by the incumbent, the
supervisor(s), or human resources. It is anticipated that re-evaluation
initiated by the incumbent or the supervisor(s) for a specific position will
occur no more than once every two years. Position evaluations/re-evaluations
are normally completed in twelve weeks from the time the job analysis
questionnaire is submitted to human resources unless there is an agreement to
extend the timelines and all parties are informed.
(i)
Positions are
evaluated when one of the following occurs:
(a)
A new position is
created. A supervisor, area head, dean, vice-president, or president/designee,
in consultation with human resources, is responsible for submitting a completed
job analysis questionnaire to human resources.
(b)
A position
becomes vacant. A supervisor, area head, dean, vice-president, or
president/designee in consultation with human resources is responsible for
submitting a completed job analysis questionnaire to human
resources.
(ii)
Positions are re-evaluated when one of the following
occurs:
(a)
A
significant change in responsibilities occurs or is proposed in existing
positions. Re-evaluations are initiated by the incumbent or the supervisor
submitting a completed job analysis questionnaire to human
resources.
(b)
Reorganization occurs. Re-evaluations are initiated by
an area head, dean, vice-president, or president/designee prior to the
reorganization and in consultation with human resources. Reorganization may
result in significant changes in position responsibilities.
(iii)
Re-evaluation process for administrative staff positions
initiated by the incumbent and/or supervisor:
(a)
The initiator
completes the job analysis questionnaire that is found on human resources web
site. The criteria used in the grading process are also on this web site. If
the initiator is the employee, the completed job analysis questionnaire is
forwarded to both the immediate supervisor and the second-level supervisor for
signature and comment. When an initiator is a supervisor, area head, or
vice-president, the supervisor meets with the incumbent to discuss position
responsibilities and obtain signatures on the job analysis questionnaire. The
supervisor comments, signs, and forwards the job analysis questionnaire to the
second-level supervisor. Supervisor and employee retain a copy.
(b)
Upon receipt of
the job analysis questionnaire, the second-level supervisor evaluates,
comments, signs, and forwards the job analysis questionnaire to human
resources.
(c)
Upon receipt of the completed job analysis
questionnaire, human resources logs in the job analysis questionnaire, notifies
the initiator, and begins a tracking/timeline. Human resources review all
documents for completeness, gathers additional information as needed, and
distributes the documents to the HR/AS advisory team. Any changes, additions,
or deletions made to the job analysis questionnaire by human resources must be
forwarded to the employee and supervisor.
(d)
The HR/AS
advisory team analyzes, evaluates, and recommends a grade level based on the
established criteria. In the event the HR/AS advisory team requests additional
information, human resources gathers the additional information and forwards it
to the team.
(e)
Human resources forwards the results of the
re-evaluation to the immediate supervisor and the appropriate vice-president
for consideration. If the position reports directly to the president, it is
forwarded to the president/designee for consideration.
(f)
After input from
the immediate supervisor and/or the secondary supervisor, the vice-president or
president/designee reviews all documents and forwards a written decision about
the position to human resources
(g)
Immediately
following the vice-presidential or presidential/designee decision, Human
resources forwards copies of the re-evaluation results, including documentation
that supports the committee's recommendation to the employee and the
appropriate supervisory structure.
(h)
Administrative
staff and/or initiators who do not agree with the determination may meet with
human resources and, if appropriate, the immediate supervisor for further
explanation. If there is still no agreement, the staff member and/or initiator
may follow the conciliation/appeals process.
(n)
Conciliation/appeals process
The purpose of the conciliation/appeals
process is to ensure prompt resolution of disagreements regarding the results
of position re-evaluations and subsequent placement in the plan.
(i)
There are three
steps in the process:
(ii)
Conciliation
meeting
The conciliation meeting, facilitated
by the chief human resources officer/designee, provides the initiator of the
conciliation process and the vice-president with an opportunity to resolve the
complaint in a collaborative, informal fashion. If the position reports
directly to the president, the president/designee will participate in the
conciliation process. Participants in the meeting include:
(c)
Vice-president or
president/designee
(d)
Chief human resources officer/designee
(e)
ASC review team
member from the initial re-evaluation team
The process is normally completed
within four weeks unless there is an agreement to extend the timelines and all
parties are informed.
(iii)
Appeals
board
The appeals board provides the
initiator of the appeals process an opportunity to achieve resolution through
the involvement of administrative staff in reviewing the appeal and making
recommendations to the president's compensation working group. The appeals
board consists of five members of the administrative staff advisory team who
have not been involved in the re-evaluation or conciliation process. Human
resources is available as a resource.
The process is normally completed
within sixteen weeks unless there is an agreement to extend the timeline and
all parties are informed.
(iv)
Presidential
appeal
Within seven calendar days of receiving
the decision of the president's compensation working group, the initiator or
vice-president appeals in writing to the president or his/her designee. The
designee cannot be from the initiator's vice presidential area, human
resources, or president's compensation working group. If the position reports
directly to the president, the president appoints a designee for this process.
Within thirty calendar days after receiving the appeal, the president or
designee makes a decision and notifies in writing the initiator, supervisor,
vice-president, president's compensation working group, and human
resources.
The decision of the president or
designee is final.
Date: January 1, 2014
