The College of Southern Idaho is an equal opportunity/affirmative action institution. The College seeks to ensure that all of its policies and procedures are in conformity with, but not limited to, the Civil Rights Act of 1964 as amended, Title IX of the Education Amendments of 1972, Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990, Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 as amended, and all other state and federal non-discrimination statutes.
The College is committed to providing leadership in extending equal opportunities to all individuals. Accordingly, the College will continue to make every effort to provide those rights to all persons regardless of race, color, religion, sex, age, national origin, or disability. Decisions affecting the education, employment or access to services and facilities of faculty, staff, and students will be based only on performance and legitimate occupational and educational criteria.
This policy applies to all members of the College community including students, faculty, staff, administrators, vendors, and participants in college-sponsored activities. The policy also applies to all applicants for admission and all applicants for employment.
All faculty, administration, and staff will not discriminate in any personnel action, including but not limited to recruitment, appointment, promotion, training, separation, or terms and conditions of employment. Every step will be taken to ensure equal opportunities for all. Any employee found to have engaged in discriminatory conduct, including harassment, is subject to disciplinary action, up to and including termination of employment.
The Board of Trustees and the Administration of CSI recognize that discrimination can subvert the mission of the College and threatens, in both obvious and subtle ways, the careers of students, faculty, and staff. It is the responsibility of each and every member of the College community to ensure that meaningful, equal employment and educational opportunities exist and to take positive, aggressive steps to ensure equal opportunities for everyone.
The HR Department will accept application materials for currently advertised openings only. It is the responsibility of the applicant to be aware of and submit all the necessary materials for each specific opening of interest. Unsolicited applications for instructional positions will be acknowledged by HR and forwarded to the proper department chair where they may be retained towards potential part-time faculty positions.
Idaho Law provides veteran's preference be given to individuals who have been in active service of the United Stated during a recognized war period or other recognized conflicts as defined by federal law. Veteran's preference is also provided for individuals who have served on active duty in the armed services at any time, have been discharged honorably, and who have a present service connected disability of 10% or more. Veteran's preference is considered into the final outcome of the interview process and may improve a veteran's position on a list of qualified candidates. Preference is given only for initial appointment and not for promotions. Veteran's preference does not mandate an interview or guarantee employment. To be eligible for veteran's preference you must be a resident of Idaho when the application for employment is made.
All final full-time hiring decisions must be approved by the President. It is important that the supervisor of any new employee immediately forward the details of hiring to HR. It is also important that the new employee complete the necessary payroll forms in HR. Both of these actions must take place before a new employee can receive a paycheck.
The College of Southern Idaho is an equal opportunity employer.
The college subscribes to the policy of providing equal educational and employment opportunities, services, and benefits to students and employees without regard to race, color, religion, sex, age, national origin, or disability in accordance with the Civil Rights Act of 1964 as amended, Title IX of the Educational Amendment of 1972, Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973, and the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990.
All full-time academic instructional staff members should hold a master's degree in the field in which they teach or a bachelor's degree in the field in which they teach and documented experience in that discipline, which may be deemed equivalent to a master's degree by the selection committee in that discipline and/or by the administration. Technical faculty must possess the necessary certifications, licenses and experience to meet PTE certification.
Consensual romantic and/or sexual relationships between supervisors and employees and between instructors or staff and students involve power differentials and raise serious concerns about the validity of the consent, as well as concerns about conflicts of interest, abuse of power, and sexual harassment. What might appear to be consensual, even to one of the parties involved, may in fact not be so, when one of the individuals involved in the relationship is in a subordinate position to the other. Within this context, giving praise or criticism, providing performance evaluations, assigning grades, making recommendations for further studies or future employment, or conferring other benefits may diminish the student or subordinate’s actual freedom of choice.
Consent by the student or employee in such a relationship is regarded as questionable, due to the fundamentally unequal nature of the relationship. Moreover, others may be affected by such behavior because it places the instructor or supervisor in a position to favor or advance a student or employee’s interest at the expense of others.
Conflicts of interest may arise in connection with consensual romantic and/or sexual relationships between instructors, staff and students, or between supervisors and subordinates. Individuals entering into such relationships must recognize that:
When a romantic and/or sexual relationship develops between that individual having a position of authority over another within the college, the person in authority must remove themselves from any activity or evaluation that may reward or penalize the student or employee and must inform their supervisor about the situation. The supervisor will make suitable arrangements for the objective evaluation of the student’s academic or employee’s job performance. Prohibited activities include, but are not limited to, hiring, promotion, supervision, evaluation, determination of salary, grading, and advising. Violations of the policy, if proved, will result in the imposition of corrective actions and/or disciplinary sanctions, up to and including dismissal from the College’s employ.
Instructors and supervisors should be aware that conducting such consensual relationships with students or employees they supervise makes them liable for formal action. Complaints alleging sexual harassment, as defined by law, may be filed by either party of the consensual relationship or by an aggrieved party outside the relationship.
CSI is committed to a learning and working environment free from any kind of sexual harassment and/or intimidation. All employees will maintain professional and ethical relationships with students and with colleagues.
NEPOTISM POLICY (Added: 2/00)
Persons who are employees of the College who also happen to be related by family or marriage or are living in the same household, shall not be placed in the same direct line of supervision under which one relative is responsible for supervising the job performance or work activities of another related person. In the event that persons who are currently employed by CSI, and are in the same line of direct supervision, become related by marriage, or are living in the same household, one of said persons shall be reassigned.
Most regular full-time faculty and staff at CSI receive an annual contract. All contracted personnel will receive a contract by mail on or before May 15. Employees hired after April 1 will not receive a contract until the following contract year. Employees who are funded by grants/soft money will not be issued an employment contract. The contract outlines the title and position to which the individual staff member is appointed and gives the salary and the term of the appointment.
The College of Southern Idaho makes every effort to protect employees’ privacy rights and interests and prevent inappropriate or unnecessary disclosures of information from any worker’s file or record. While complying with its governmental reporting and recording-keeping requirements, the College strives to ensure that it handles all personal and job-related information about employees in a secure, confidential, and appropriate fashion in accordance with the procedures outlined below.
Payroll and benefits records, including annual and sick leave, are retained in the HR. Annual and sick leave are also listed on the payroll check stub. All paper-based documents relating to personnel records are retained by HR, with the exception of some affiliated programs, who maintain their own personnel records. Files are considered confidential and are only accessible to authorized personnel who have a valid, demonstrable employment need for specific information. All medical information relating to an employee is kept in a separate Medical Records System file in HR and maintained as set forth in Federal Regulations.
The following guidelines will apply to personnel and payroll records:
A. Official personnel and payroll files contain records that are accurate, necessary, appropriate and relevant for College business. No documents that are anonymous or based on hearsay may be placed in the personnel file.
B. To ensure the files are accurate, complete and up-to-date, the employee may review their file, in the presence of authorized personnel and within the office in which the records are housed. The College reserves the right to remove certain sensitive documents, such as letters of reference or management planning documents.
C. An employee may request in writing an amendment of any record pertaining to that employee. Within ten days of the receipt of the request, the custodian of the files will correct any portion of the file which the individual establishes is not accurate, relevant, or complete; OR inform the individual of the refusal and reasons for the refusal to amend in accordance with the request, as set forth in Idaho Code, Sections 9-342, 343, and 344.
D. Material cannot be copied without the prior approval of the President or the Director of Human Resources. If the employee is a faculty member, the immediate supervisor of the employee may make copies for the purposes of annual evaluations and performance committee reviews. A faculty member can add to or update his or her file at any time prior to his or her review. Should a faculty member choose not to do so, the review body shall proceed on the basis of the information available.
E. To ensure that personnel files are up-to-date and contain accurate and complete information, employees are asked to notify their supervisors, Payroll, or Human Resources of any changes in personal information such as name, address, telephone numbers, marital status, benefits, or emergency contacts.
F. The official files may include, but are not limited to, the following items:
Employment applications, resumes, cover letters, payroll and salary information, job classification information, references, accident reports, warnings/reprimands/probationary reviews, commendations when submitted by the employee or the supervisor, information on previous experience, training or education, job related materials, such as published articles, grievance files, performance evaluations and performance for improvement forms, and benefits eligibility information2. Personnel Records Exempt From Disclosure.
The College will, other than to the employee as noted above and to supervisors and others involved in reviews and performance evaluations, or when complying with governmental reporting and record-keeping or legal investigations, refuse to disclose to third parties all personnel records of a current or former employee other than public service or employment history, classification, longevity, gross salary and salary history, status, workplace and employer. Personnel files will not be made available to those outside the College, unless written permission is obtained from the employee. Exceptions to this rule:
A. The College must maintain personnel files under such conditions as are necessary to ensure the integrity and safekeeping of the files, and may establish additional policies and procedures for the maintenance of personnel files.
B. Personnel files must be retained in accordance with the following minimum guidelines for record retention.
1. All applications for a vacant position must be retained for a minimum of one year following the appointment of a person to the position.
2. Any personnel files related to and involving legal action must be retained indefinitely.
3. Personnel files must be retained for a minimum of three years following severance of an employment relationship with the College. A summary record of employment relationships must be kept indefinitely.
Questions or issues about the applications or enforcement of these record-keeping measures should be addressed to the Director of Human Resources.
In addition to an orientation to the work site and duties of the position at the departmental level, HR offers a new employee orientation frequently throughout the year for new full-time employees that are hired. The HR Department is always available to answer your questions about benefits, policies, and procedures. For more information, please contact the HR Department.
Regular full- and part-time employees and adjunct faculty are offered an opportunity annually to develop an Individual Development Plan (IDP). The IDP is shared with the supervisor or department head of the employee's unit or department.
The goal of the Plan for Development process is to encourage the communication of goals among individuals, and to assist, when possible, in providing resources to help meet professional and personal goals while concurrently meeting the strategic and operational goals of the College. Each of us seeking continuous development of ourselves leads to the continuous development of CSI.
For further information, please see the Goals and Objectives and Unit, Individual, and Maintenance worksheets for the Plan.
The CSI Staff picture Identification Card identifies you as an employee of CSI for the purposes of gaining passes to all sports events on campus, participating in events sponsored by the Student Information Office and attending all other functions sponsored by CSI.
All full-time employees are entitled to receive a picture I.D. card. The card may be obtained and validated in the Admissions and Record's Office in the Taylor Building Matrix or at any off-campus center. Validation stickers need to be obtained each term: fall, spring and summer.
Administrative offices are open from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m., Monday through Friday.
All twelve-month employees are expected to work the regular workweek except on holidays declared by the President of the College. Any deviation from this policy must be requested on a regular leave slip prior to leave time.
It is the intent of the College that all staff take or are offered the opportunity to take one fifteen-minute break within each four-hour work shift. For most staff this would be one fifteen-minute break in the morning and one fifteen-minute break in the afternoon.
Breaks are meant to be an opportunity to take care of personal business, relax, and to get away from the employee's work station. Breaks are not intended to be lumped together and taken at one time, used instead of a lunch hour, or forfeited in lieu of reduced work hours. Breaks are to be arranged with your supervisor.
The following employment periods apply to all employees of the College. Other contract periods may exist as agreed between the employee and supervisor and as approved by the President.
The College observes ten legal holidays:
1. New Year's Day
2. Martin L. King, Jr. - Idaho Human Rights Day
3. Presidents' Day
4. Memorial Day
5. Fourth of July
6. Labor Day
7. Columbus Day
8. Veterans Day
9. Thanksgiving
10. Christmas
When one of these falls on Saturday, the preceding Friday will be observed as the holiday; on Sunday, the following Monday will be observed or such other day as may be prescribed by law.
Regular full-time employees, unless specifically scheduled, do not work holidays and receive their regular monthly salary. Regular part-time employees' holiday pay will be prorated according to their regularly scheduled work hours. All other employees do not receive holiday pay.
Your employment at CSI may fall under one of these categories:
An employee of the College may not use his/her regular work hours to earn compensation from sources other than the College of Southern Idaho, except for services construed to be of desirable public service approved by the President. Policies of the Board of Trustees permit additional instructional assignments at added compensation, provided such additional work does not in any way interfere with the individual's primary assignment and the individual obtains the necessary approval from the appropriate supervisor.
College services and resources including equipment and personnel are to be used solely for purpose of conducting College business. No College property may be taken home without authorization of the appropriate supervisor. College property taken home must be for the purpose of benefiting the College.
The College recognizes the value to its students and personnel and to the citizens of the state arising from the many types of consulting and other external experiences. Such activities can contribute to the quality of instruction, enhance the professional competency of an individual, and bring credit to the institution. These activities also provide valuable services to businesses, industry, professional groups, public and private organizations, local, state, and federal governments as well as provide important links between the College and the community.
As defined herein, the policy does not apply (a) to normal short-term professional activities such as participation in symposia, accreditation visits, speaking engagements, exhibitions, or recitals, even though honoraria may be received for such participation; or (b) when the faculty (employee) is not within the term of his or her contract period or is on leave.
The proposed outside professional employment or continuing business activity must meet the following conditions:
A. Must not interfere with assigned duties or responsibilities;
B. Must not constitute a conflict of interest by misuse of the College position for personal profit or compete with the education, research,or public service programs of the College in a manner which would be determined by the supervisor to be detrimental to the College;
C. Is subject to prior approval of the President or his designee;
D. Must not be undertaken with the claim that the individual is officially representing the institution as an official representative of the institution in connection with the outside professional employment or continuing business activity;
E. Must have prior institutional approval and provide for compensating the College at the rates established by the College if involving the use of College equipment, facilities, or services.
Political activities undertaken by any college employee must reflect the employee's own private life and feelings and not be representative of the College. Before making political commitments, it is advisable for an employee to discuss the situation and implications with his or her supervisor and the President. Additionally, faculty members shall not solicit, actively support, or proselytize for any political candidate within the classroom or on the campus and thereby abuse his or her special position of influence.
Any employee of the College of Southern Idaho who is elected to or appointed to any public office which requires that employee to be away from his or her job at the College for more than three weeks per semester shall be required to tender a resignation or apply for a leave of absence with no assurance that a position with the College will be available should the employee decide to return to the College; or said employee must apply to the administration for relief from this policy.
The College of Southern Idaho highly values the contributions of employees and attempts to provide regular employment. However, in the event it becomes necessary for the College to reduce the work force because of economic conditions, reorganization, changes in needs or technologies, programmatic considerations, or other circumstances, this policy establishes procedures to ensure fair and equitable treatment. The decision to retain or separate an employee due to a reduction in force will follow from a fair and systematic consideration of the current and future needs of the College relative to the employee’s skills, knowledge, performance and productivity. Length of service will be considered but may receive less weight in the determination, depending on the needs of the College. Consistent with the at-will employment practices and policy, nothing in this policy negates the College’s right to terminate any employee for any reason or for no reason.
PURPOSE
This reduction in force procedure for employees provides equitable treatment for the layoff of employees when reduction in force becomes necessary. A reduction in force decision should be reached only after measures such as attrition or a hiring freeze on vacant positions, limits on purchasing and travel, and job sharing and work schedule alternatives have been considered.
A reduction in force (layoff) may take the form of elimination of jobs, reduction in percent effort, and/or reduction in salary. This policy is not to be used in the case where the employee is subject to termination for unacceptable conduct or performance problems and is currently on a performance improvement plan. It is important for units to manage unsatisfactory performance issues separately from the reduction in force process, although overall performance is a reduction in force consideration.
This policy applies to regular exempt and nonexempt employees working at least 20 hours a week. In addition, employees classified as instructional personnel, as defined in the Faculty Handbook, shall be subject to those pertinent sections within the faculty handbook. Administrative employees classified as Director or above are not covered under this policy and are subject to employment decisions made by the President and/or the Board of Trustees. Positions funded by sponsored funding, such as grants, are considered a type of term employment, conditioned upon specific funding and may have a defined end date and are not subject to this RIF policy.
Termination due to a reduction in force will be considered a final separation from that position at CSI. An employee who loses his/her position during a reduction in force will have no recall rights to the same or similar position. Human Resources will provide assistance to place the affected employee elsewhere within the College, if a similar available position is vacant and if the employee is qualified for the position. Consistent with normal recruiting and staffing practices, affected employees will be considered for any openings, should they apply.
The College will ensure that there is full compliance with EEO commitments, laws, and College policy when implementing a reduction in force. Race, color, gender, age, religion, creed, national origin, marital status, Vietnam Era veteran status, disabled veteran status, or disability are never a consideration in identifying an employee for reduction in force.
REDUCTION IN FORCE COMMITTEE
The President and his Administrative Council will serve as the Reduction in Force (RIF) Committee. The committee will determine the work and positions that are affected. This committee will counsel departments on exploring alternatives to an imposed reduction in force, explain proper procedures for applying the reduction in force policy and recommend exceptions to this policy.
PROCEDURES
Determining Priorities for Reductions
When a campus-wide reduction in force is ordered, the Reduction in Force Committee will designate in which departments or functions the reductions will occur. The President may elect to combine small offices, or include the entire campus in some classifications. A reduction in force decision requires an evaluation of the need for particular positions and the relative value of specific employees so that the College can continue to provide the highest level of service possible with a reduced work force.
When conditions necessitate a reduction in force, the committee will first determine if the work functions or activities can be eliminated. If so, the job of the individual(s) performing the work functions or activities will be terminated and the individual may be separated from service at the College.
If work functions or activities cannot be eliminated, employees may be subject to reduction in force by job classification on the basis of current and future needs of the College and on the employee’s skills, knowledge, performance and productivity, length of service (up to 10 years), and extenuating circumstances. However, when a reduction in force creates or elevates an operational need, an employee’s unique qualifications or skills for the position(s) remaining after reduction will be considered.
After the reduction in force determination is made, the department head shall prepare a written report that outlines the reasons supporting a reduction and the function(s) to be altered/eliminated. Before announcing or implementing an elimination of work or reduction in force that results in the termination of an employee, the affected area or department will review its written report, including position and classifications, names of employees to be terminated, reason for reduction in force and assessment of the reduction in force’s impact on EEO profile, including adverse impact analysis, with Human Resources. Written documentation relating to the identification of an employee for reduction in force must be retained for three years.
The President has final approval of all RIF plans.
RIF Notification
An administrator or supervisor, along with the Director of Human Resources, will notify the employee as far in advance as possible, but an employee must be notified a minimum of two weeks prior to the termination date.
An employee who has received notice of a reduction in force may elect to leave the College prior to that date. For purposes of salary and record keeping, the date of departure will then become the termination date.
Affected employees who continue to work during the two-week notice period may be given time off for job counseling and job interviews. HR will assist in providing job search information and assistance to the affected employee.
Each employee terminated by a reduction in force will also receive written reduction in force notification. The notice must include separation dates, direction for obtaining benefit information, eligibility for unemployment insurance benefits and appeal rights.
Appeal
If an individual who has been notified of layoffs has reason to believe the action was not in accordance with this policy, he/she has ten (10) working days from the date of layoff notification to appeal the decision to Human Resources using the Grievance Process as outlined in the Employee Handbook.
BENEFITS
In accordance with College policy, an employee terminated because of a reduction in force will receive payment for accrued vacation. In addition, non-exempt employees will be eligible for paid compensation time.
No payment will be made for sick leave. Sick leave balance at the time of layoff will be restored if the employee is rehired by the College to a regular full-time position within twelve (12) months.
All College benefits will be continued through the remainder of the calendar month in which the layoff occurs.
Health insurance coverage will be handled in accordance with College policies and all applicable laws. Medical, dental, and vision insurance plans may be continued in accordance with COBRA, which in general allows for coverage continuation for 18 months beyond the termination date at the expense of the employee.
Retirement plan benefits will be provided according to the terms of the retirement plans.
Employees terminated as a result of reduction in work force may be eligible for unemployment insurance benefits. Eligibility is determined by the applicable state agency, not the College.
A CSI employee who is receiving tuition benefits for the employee and/or spouse prior to the day of separation will continue to receive the benefit through the end of the semester in which the separation occurs. The College will honor an approved tuition benefit request for the staff member’s dependents during the remainder of the academic year for which the student is currently enrolled.
Employees who leave the College in good standing will be eligible for rehire. Past performance will be considered when a former employee applies for rehire.