(Note: OLPM sections on this page may be cited following the format of, for example, "PSU.IV.B.1". These policies may be amended at any time, do not constitute an employment contract, and are provided here only for ease of reference and without any warranty of accuracy. See OLPM Main Menu for details.)
1.Approvals. New permanent positions (PAT, Faculty, OS, and Administrators) should be part of each division’s annual budget planning process. Recognizing that this is not always practical/possible, the following alternative process exists.
1.1Permanent staff positions
1.1.1All positions not included in the division’s annual budget plan require the approval of the responsible Principal Administrator and must be supported by:
1.1.1.1A PDQ (Position Description Questionnaire)
1.1.1.2A description of how the position will advance the programmatic needs of the division
1.1.1.3A funding plan that documents how the new position and related expenses will be funded. Upon approval by the appropriate Principal Administrator, an informational copy should be forwarded to the office of the Director of Finance.
1.1.2Classification—once approved, the PDQ will be forwarded to the PSU Human Resources Office to be classified. Upon classification, a position classification number will be assigned.
1.1.3The Director of Finance and appropriate Principal Administrator will be notified of the classification and the first quartile salary amount. If the first quartile exceeds the estimated/approved budget amount by 10% or more, then the position must be re-approved.
1.2Faculty Positions
1.2.1The refilling of faculty positions requires the approval of the Vice President for Academic Affairs (VPAA).
1.2.2New permanent tenure-track faculty positions require approval of the VPAA and the President in accordance with the appropriate PSU and ̾Ƶ academic policies.
1.2.3New adjunct (temporary) faculty positions require the approval of the VPAA.
1.3Athletic Coaches
1.3.1The procedures for establishing benefited PAT coaching positions will be the same as that of "Permanent Staff Positions” under 1.1 above with the added stipulation that these positions will be contractual in nature. In accordance with ̾Ƶ policy USY V.C.4.2.3.2, coaches shall receive a contract letter of appointment covering up to three years of employment. These contracts differ from normal appointments only in that a set term of employment is specified. Contracts are renewable.
1.3.2Newly generated temporary (hourly) head coach positions are also based on renewable appointments of up to three years, but are not covered under ̾Ƶ policy as specified above given that they are non-benefited. As such, hourly head coaches will not receive formal letters of appointment (contracts), but rather a letter from the PSU Athletic Director outlining the non-benefited terms and conditions of employment. For new positions, sections 1.1.1.2 and 1.1.1.3 apply as specified above.
1.3.3Coaching positions filled prior to July 1, 2001, are subject to the terms and conditions of employment in place at time of hire and are not contractual in nature.
1.4Temporary Positions (non-coach)
1.4.1The procedure for establishing term positions will be the same as that of "Permanent staff positions” under section 1.1 above since these positions often convert to permanent status at the end of the term period.
1.4.2Principal Administrators can create temporary (hourly) and grant positions. Grant positions may only be used in conjunction with a sponsored grant or contract, and these positions shall expire when supportive funding ends.
1.4.3Newly generated temporary (hourly) positions will typically not exceed a 50% time effort on an annual basis.
1.4.4Hourly positions that exceed 50% may be established for up to one year (12 months) with appropriate Principal Administrator approval. For new positions, sections 1.1.1.2 and 1.1.1.3 apply as specified above. In exceptional circumstances, the extension of an additional year may be granted with rationale provided to and supported by the appropriate Principal Administrator and the Director of Finance. Upon expiration after a maximum of two years the hourly position will either be eliminated or converted to a permanent status position via the process described in section 1.1. Potential conversion to a permanent position requires the department head to take the initiative in identifying possible funding sources with any appropriate support from the PA and/or college. Hourly positions filled prior to July 1, 2001, are subject to the terms and conditions of employment in place at time of hire.
1.4.5Pay increases for hourly employees should be processed via an NS-1 form with supporting rationale. Principal Administrator approval is required along with the endorsement of the Human Resources Office.
2.Filling Established Positions
2.1The starting salary for a position will not be advertised until PSU Human Resources has classified the position through the normal classification procedure. Upon hiring an employee, the PSU Payroll Office will finalize a Position Appointment Form (PAF) and forward it to the ̾Ƶ Budget Office.
3.Oversight
3.1New positions should not be created that do not support the primary goals of the institution’s strategic plan.
3.2The Director of Finance will monitor salaries as part of the monthly budget report and reconciliation process.
3.3An annual review of salary and benefit costs will be conducted and compared to all expenditures of the institution. This is designed to monitor changes and relationships between salary and benefit costs.
3.4An annual report comparing FTE positions by department will help monitor growth by department.
