Welcome

Introduction

Benefits

Employment Practices

Other Policies

Human Resources Personnel Policies and Procedures

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East Tennessee State University Staff Handbook

Nepotism Policy

The nepotism policy is designed to prevent occurrences whereby relatives who are employees of the University are in direct supervisory line with respect to each other. In order to guard against these practices, the University prohibits full, part-time, student or temporary employees who are relatives from being placed within the same line of supervision where one relative is responsible for supervising the job performance or work activity of another relative. Additional Information can be found in Personnel Policy Manual - PPP-29.

Outside Employment

Employees may engage in outside professional employment or continuing business activity upon notification to and approval from the Director of Human Resources.

The State of Tennessee will not assume liability in legal actions stemming from acts or omissions which occur outside the scope of a University employee's employment. In effect, the employee could be held personally liable for such acts if the activity has not been approved in advance. Additional information can be found in Personnel Policy Manual - PPP-07.

Parking & Traffic Regulations

The Department of Public Safety office is located at the main entrance to campus, east side, on University Parkway. Personnel are on duty 24 hours a day. The emergency number is 911. For business calls the number is 439-4480 or 439-6900.

All persons who are employed by ETSU for 6 weeks or longer and intend to park a motor vehicle on campus, must purchase a faculty/staff parking permit. All faculty, staff and students with disabilities who intend to park a motor vehicle on campus must register their vehicle and purchase an appropriate University parking permit.

Additional information can be found in the Parking & Traffic Regulations Pamphlet issued by the Department of Public Safety - extension 4480.

Intellectual Property

It is the policy of the East Tennessee State University (the University) to: (1) encourage inventions and the production of copyrightable works by employees of the University; (2) facilitate the utilization of such inventions and works to the benefit of the public, the University, and the members of the University community; and (3) provide for the equitable sharing of any proceeds derived from the commercial exploitation of inventions and copyrightable works in which, pursuant to this policy, the University is determined to have an interest. This policy is intended to protect the interests of all concerned parties: the University, members of the University community, external sponsors of research, and the public. More information is available in the Personnel Policy Manual-PPP-37.

Pay Procedures

All employees of the University who are considered to be full-time shall work a minimum of 37.5 hours per week throughout the year; the official workday is 7.5 hours; the normal fiscal work year is 1950 hours. The work schedule includes one (1) hour lunch/meal break and, as work flow permits, up to two 15 minutes miscellaneous breaks. Work breaks and/or lunch breaks cannot be accumulated or used to compensate for early departure from duty.

Compensatory time and overtime payments are available to clerical and support employees only. No employee may work overtime without prior supervisory approval.

Physical Plant and Department of Public Safety employees are paid on the 15th and the last working day of each calendar month. Temporary employee's wages are held two weeks in arrears and are paid on the 15th and the last working day of each calendar month. All graduate assistants are paid on the last working day of each month. All other full-time employees, including 12-month, fiscal year faculty, are paid on the last working day of each month. More information is available in the Personnel Policy Manual -PPP-05.

In order for an employee to be paid, an individual time report is required which is distributed at the beginning of the pay period.

Direct Deposit of paycheck(s) are mandatory for all regular full-time employees, excluding temporaries and students. Other employees may request direct deposit of paycheck if they desire.

Performance Evaluation Procedures

ETSU has a firm commitment to performance evaluation of University employees, whatever their category and level, through the medium of a formalized system. The purpose of such evaluation is to assist personnel in professional development to achieve University goals. Procedures for evaluating non-faculty University employees are addressed in the Employee Performance Evaluation Procedures Guide and the Periodic Review of Administrators (PPP-59), both available on the Human Resources web page at http://www.etsu.edu/humanres/employ.htm

Personnel Records

Under the provision of Tennessee Code Annotated Section 10-7-503, Records Open to Public Inspection, personnel records are considered public records and may be inspected, extracted, or copied by any citizen of Tennessee during normal business hours, in accordance with reasonable University procedures. All questions concerning public records should be addressed to the office of University Relations. Additional information can be found in Personnel Policy Manual - PPP-03.

Probation Period

All new hire support and administrative staff will be on an initial probation period of six months. If, at any time during the probationary period it is apparent that the employee is not performing to expectations she/he may be terminated without notice. If the employee is one who has worked for the institution for a number of years, when she/he begins the new position - whether through transfer or promotion - she/he is treated just as a new hire would be.

Resignation and/or Termination

Each terminating employee shall submit a resignation in the form of a letter to his/her immediate supervisor; clerical and support staff are requested to give 14 days notice; administrative employees are requested to give 30 days notice. Additional information can be found in Personnel Policy Manual - PPP-06.

Safety and Security On Campus

The Department of Public Safety is responsible for campus security. The Public Safety office is located at the main entrance of the campus on University Parkway. The campus and facilities of ETSU are governed by the Tennessee Board of Regents (TBR) and are restricted to students, faculty, staff, guests, and invitees of the University, except when part or all of the campus, its building, or facilities are open to the general public for a designated time and purpose. The Department of Public Safety publishes an annual "Safety and Security on Campus" report, which provides additional information on safety and security programs, along with selected crime statistics involving ETSU students and staff.  This report is located on the Department of Public Safety web site at http://www.etsu.edu/dps.

Notice of Sex Offender Registration

The federal Campus Sex Crimes Prevention Act and the Tennessee College and University Campus Sex Crimes Prevention Act of 2002 require that whenever a sex offender becomes employed, enrolls as a student or volunteers at an institution of higher education in the, state of Tennessee, he or she must complete or update the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation (TBI) sexual offender registration/monitoring form and deliver it to TBI headquarters in Nashville. As defined in section 40-39-102 of the Tennessee Code, a "sexual offender" means a person who is, or has been, convicted in this state of committing a sexual offense or who is, or has been, convicted in another state or another country, or who is or has been convicted in a federal or military court, of committing an act which would have constituted a sexual offense if it had been committed in this state. A "sexual offense" means the commission of acts including but not limited to aggravated and statutory rape, sexual battery, sexual exploitation of a minor, aggravated prostitution, and kidnapping.

Both acts designate certain information concerning a registered sexual offender as public information and therefore amend and supercede the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FER.PA) and other federal and state laws that previously prohibited the disclosure of such personal information. Since the laws require the publication of information pertaining to sexual offenders employed, enrolled or volunteering at an educational institution, said publication does not constitute grounds for a grievance or complaint under institutional or Tennessee Board of Regents policies or procedures.

ETSU Department of Public Safety -- Public Information Notices

Sexual Harassment

East Tennessee State University desires to maintain an environment that is safe and supportive for students and employees and to reward performance solely on the basis of relevant criteria. Accordingly, the university will not tolerate sexual harassment of students or employees.

Unwelcome sexual advances, requests for sexual favors and other verbal or physical conduct of a sexual nature constitute sexual harassment when:

• Submission to such conduct is made either explicitly or implicitly a term or condition of an individual's employment or academic standing; or

• Submission to or rejection of such conduct by an individual is used as a basis for employment or academic decisions affecting an individual; or

• Such conduct has the purpose or effect of unreasonably interfering with an individual's work or academic performance or creating an intimidating, hostile, or offensive working or academic environment.

Detailed information on informal and formal procedures, including investigation of and response to charges of sexual harassment are available in Personnel Policy Manual - PPP-30 and 31, Tennessee Board of Regents Policy 5:01:02:00, Tennessee Board of Regents Guideline No. P-080.

Sexual Orientation

All persons are treated equally in the University's programs and activities, recruitment and admissions, and employment practices. It is the policy of East Tennessee State University that neither its students nor its employees be discriminated against on the basis of that individual's sexual orientation. Such a policy helps ensure that only relevant factors are considered and that equitable and consistent standards of conduct and performance will be applied. For the purpose of this policy, sexual orientation shall be defined as heterosexual, homosexual or bisexual status. Additional information on this policy is available from the office of Human Resources, or in the Personnel Policies Manual - PPP-62.

Smoking Policy

Smoking and other tobacco usage are completely prohibited in any and all buildings, including buildings owned, leased or rented by ETSU. This includes buildings located outside of the Johnson City campus. Doorway areas are considered part of the building for the purposes of this policy. Smoking continues to be prohibited in all state vehicles.

It is the responsibility of all members of the University community to observe this smoking policy. Complaints relating to the implementation of this policy should be referred to the building coordinator. The complaint either will be resolved by the building coordinator or will be referred to the appropriate supervisor. If necessary, disciplinary actions will be initiated consistent with University policy. Additional information can be found in Personnel Policy Manual - PPP-53.

Solicitation

The mission of the fund raising program at East Tennessee State University is to generate contributions to be used to enhance the University's broad spectrum of projects and programs. The President of the University has ultimate responsibility for the fund raising program of the institution. The Chief Development officer is charged with the responsibility of establishing and administering the University's fund raising program. Any solicitation of a gift which might require a commitment of University resources, including unusual space or manpower requirements, maintenance contracts, or matching funds will require appropriate approvals up to and including the University President before the gift is solicited. The President may also seek the consultation and/or approval of the Chancellor of the TBR before final approval is granted. Additional information can be found in the Financial Procedures Manual - FP-24.

Staff Senate

The ETSU Staff Senate is a body whose purpose is to establish committees to study and make reports on matters of concern to the total University staff and to offer appropriate recommendations to the senate and appropriate administrative channels.  The Vice President of Administration serves as advisor to the Staff Senate.

Committees created by the senate receive their authority from the senate and shall report their findings and make their recommendations to the senate.

Elections to the senate shall be conducted annually during the month of July. Nominations shall be derived from each EEOC category so as to represent as fairly as possible the total University staff.

The Constitution, Bylaws, meeting minutes and other information is posted on the Staff Senate website location. The website is located on the ETSU Home Page at http://www.etsu.edu/stsenate/.

Volunteers

It is the policy of the University to allow departments to have volunteer (unpaid) staff. To become a volunteer a statement of Understanding/Agreement must be prepared by the department, signed by the chair/director and forwarded to the office of Human Resources (forms available on the Human Resources web page at http://www.etsu.edu/humanres/employ.htm). The office of Human Resources will obtain final approval signatures and will send signed copies of the agreement to the department, and will notify the Board of Claims. The office of Human Resources will maintain a volunteer file. Additional information can be found in Personnel Policy Manual - PPP-50.

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Welcome | Introduction | Benefits | Employment Practices | Other Policies | Human Resources Personnel Policies and Procedures | Staff Senate | ETSU Home

Questions or Comments, contact
Staff Senate President
Lisa Blackburn
University Center

423-439-4642

This page was updated on February 2, 2007.