POLICY: Spoon River College assigns or hires employees to one or more classifications, depending on the position to which they are appointed.
The employment status of Spoon River College employees varies depending on the individual position and the need for regularly scheduled employment.
Occasionally, the College seeks individuals to serve in a voluntary capacity in which there is no employment relationship. Refer to the Volunteer Policy for additional information.
The details below cannot be considered mutually exclusive. For example, a full-time employee can also have a pay status of exempt at the same time.
SCOPE:
This policy applies to all Spoon River College employees.
DEFINITIONS:
Administrator: Executives and officers of the College who manage, conduct, and administer programs, staff, and operations of the Board of Trustees. Administrative personnel include the following positions:
President
Vice President
Chief Information Officer
Dean, Career & Workforce Education
Dean, Student Services
Dean, Instruction
Classified Staff: Classified Staff include clerical, food service, and maintenance staff. Clerical staff engages in the process of keeping records and processing information upon the request and direction of college professional staff and supervision. Food Service staff engages in the preparation and serving of food items in the SRC Café. Maintenance staff engages the maintenance or repair of college facilities and equipment. While the majority of classified staff positions are covered under the Classified Staff Collective Bargaining Unit Agreement, some positions in this group are considered temporary and are therefore not covered. Please refer to the Classified Staff Collective Bargaining Unit Agreement for positions included in this work group.
Employment at Will: Under an “employment-at-will relationship”, the employee is employed for an indefinite period of time, and either the employer or the employee can end that relationship at any time regardless of orientation period, for any reason, with or without cause.
Full-time Faculty: Please refer to the Faculty Load section outlined in the Faculty Collective Bargaining Unit Agreement.
Probationary period:All Classified positions have a probationary period of four (4) calendar months. Refer to the Collective Bargaining Unit Agreement between Spoon River College and the Spoon River College Classified Personnel Association (SRCCPA) for additional information.
Professional Support: Professional Support staff includes employees in professional/technical, support, and supervisory positions. Professional/technical staff have specialized skills but may not directly support the process of teaching. Academic support staff exercise professional judgment and discretion and directly supports the teaching and learning process. Supervisory staff have the duty, responsibility, or authority to recommend the employment, transfer, suspension, dismissal, promotion, assignment, reward, or discipline of other staff individuals both full- and part-time.
Other Types of Employment: Supplementary worker programs exist at Spoon River College.
Students of Spoon River College who perform services on a temporary basis. Some of these programs are students workers, work-study student workers, workers from temporary staffing agencies, temporary workers, workers with irregular and/or “on call” schedules, and/or workers who execute specific written contracts with Spoon River College, such as consultants. Some may be considered to be Spoon River College employees and some may not, depending on individual circumstances. Other examples of positions that are assigned on a temporary basis include, but are not limited to:
Athletic Coaches: those who are hired to supervise various sports Coaching Agreement. Athletic Coaches may be considered seasonal employees, depending upon the duration of their employment.
Lab Assistants: those who are hired to support a primary faculty in a lab setting and work with all students as assigned. Lab Assistants are generally considered temporary employment.
Tutors: those who are hired to work with individual students in a lab or classroom setting or are hired to work outside the classroom setting to assist students in mastering learning material.
Other Activity Sponsors: those who are hired to supervise other activities.
Orientation period: All Administrative and Professional Support positions have an orientation period of 90 days from the date of hire. Employees may be prohibited from taking paid time off during this period. Note: Completion of the orientation period is not a guarantee of future employment.
Part-time Faculty: Part-time faculty may teach nine (9) credit hours or less in any academic semester (including interim sessions). Please refer to the Part-time Faculty Employment Policy for additional information.
DETAILS:
Employment Relationship:
The employment relationship of individuals not covered by a collective bargaining agreement or individual employment contract is considered “at will.”
Supervisors will refrain from providing any assurance of job security or continued employment to applicants or employees.
In dealing with performance or misconduct problems, Spoon River College may follow its Progressive Discipline Policy. The College reserves the right to deviate from the discipline policy where the specific situation is deemed serious.
Individuals employed in an instructional capacity are expected to follow the policies and procedures outlined in the Policies and Procedures Manual and the appropriate faculty handbook.
Job classifications: Job classifications at Spoon River College include administrator, classified staff, full-time faculty, part-time faculty, professional support staff, student / work-study student employees, and other. Please refer to the definitions above.
Job assignment: Each person employed by Spoon River College is informed of their job classification, employment status, and pay status at the time of hire. The employment status will determine methods of payroll processing and benefits eligibility.
Employment Status:
Full-time staff: Employees who are regularly scheduled for at least thirty (30) hours per week at least 12 months per fiscal year. Full-time employees are eligible for benefits as defined in the benefits policy.
Full-Time Faculty (tenured): Terms of employment for members of the full-time teaching faculty are covered under the collective bargaining unit agreement upon tenure appointment.
Full-Time Faculty (non-tenured): All newly appointed full-time faculty who have been employed for a period of 3 consecutive school years shall enter upon tenure unless dismissed per the Illinois Public Community College Act. Refer to the Illinois Public Community College Act for additional information.
Part-time (regularly scheduled): Employees who are regularly scheduled to work less than twenty-nine (29) hours per week 12 months per fiscal year as determined in the employee personnel file. Part-time employees are eligible for benefits as defined in the benefits policy.
Part-time Faculty: Part-time faculty are employed on a per semester basis to perform teaching duties. Part-time faculty may teach nine (9) credit hours or less in any semester.
Temporary: Employees who are hired on in a position only for a certain period of time. Temporary employees may be considered seasonal, depending upon the duration of their employment. Refer to the “Other Types of Employment” definition above.
Temporary Full-Time Appointments: Faculty accepting a temporary full-time appointment may receive a maximum of two successive academic year appointments or their equivalent. Faculty on temporary full-time appointment must compete for any standard vacancy in their professional field on an equal basis with all other applicants for the position. Temporary Full-Time appointments are not benefits eligible.
Assignment of Multiple Jobs:
Full-time: Full-time employees may be allowed to perform additional jobs as assigned. For example, part-time faculty, coach, or other part-time or temporary positions.
Part-time, Temporary, and Other: Part-time, temporary, and other employees may only perform one part-time or temporary position for which they are assigned. Exceptions must be authorized by the President.
Pay Status (per the Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA)):
Exempt Status:Refers to employees who are considered exempt from the minimum wage and overtime provisions per The Fair Labor Standards Act. Normally these employees are executives, professionals, outside sales employees, or certain administrators who are not paid on a per hour basis.
Non-exempt Status:Refers to employees who are subject to the minimum wage and overtime provisions per The Fair Labor Standards Act, and are normally paid on a per hour basis.