POLICY 4-9
APPROVAL OF PERSONNEL ACTIONS

• Issued: 7-3096
• Revised: 7-05
• Approved:
  

I. PURPOSE

The following institutional policy is implemented in response to the Delegation of Personnel Power to the Institutional Presidents approved by the State Board of Agriculture on May 3, 1995 and subsequently approved by the Board of Trustees for Fort Lewis College.

II. GENERAL

This policy documents procedures for the approval of personnel actions at Fort Lewis College.

III. RESPONSIBILITIES

A. President of College- Personnel Powers delegated by Board of Trustees for Fort Lewis College to the President:

1. The power to appoint and enter into employment relationships with all personnel other than Vice-Presidents and personnel reporting directly to the President who have been separately identified to the Board in writing by the President as having senior administrative status (collectively "Senior Administrators"). The President shall maintain a summary of all personnel actions taken pursuant to this power and make it freely available to any person, subject to any limitations imposed by federal or state law.

2. The power to renew or not renew employment contracts with all personnel having such contracts.

3. The power to make final determinations with respect to performance based adjustments of compensation and payment of supplemental salary to Personnel.

4. The power to grant or deny application and recommendations for tenure and/or promotion.

5. The power to approve post retirement employment applications and to enter into post retirement employment agreements with eligible employees.

6. The power to terminate all personnel having "at will" status and to make final decisions with respect to the termination of contractual and tenured employees consistent with procedures set forth in the Exempt Staff and Faculty Handbooks.

7. The power to establish such procedures as may be necessary to afford personnel appropriate due process where legally required if procedures set forth in the Exempt Staff and Faculty Handbooks are not sufficient to meet such a requirement. Such power shall include the right to establish procedures for providing due process prior to the threatened denial of any constitutional right, notwithstanding the existence of rights in the Exempt Staff and Faculty Handbooks to grieve actions after they have been taken. Such procedures shall be reviewed with the Board prior to implementation.

8. The power, concurrently with and in addition to existing inherent power, to impose disciplinary sanctions upon personnel for violations of established College policies, including, but not limited to, the power to suspend, demote and reassign.

9. Notwithstanding the delegation of the powers set forth above, the President shall inform the Board of all matters that may reasonably be expected to have a materially positive or negative impact upon the institution.

None of the powers set forth above shall be further delegated by the president to any person.

a) Specific Powers Not Delegated, but Retained by the Board

1. The power to make final decisions on all appeals from grievances initiated under procedures established by the Exempt Staff and Faculty Handbooks.

2. The power to make all decisions relating to the appointment, employment, compensation, evaluation, and termination of the President.

3. The power to award or deny tenure to the President.

4. The power to appoint and enter into employment relationships with all Senior Administrators.

5. The power to declare a financial exigency or reduction of force as provided in the handbooks.

6. The power to make determinations as to sabbaticals and other forms of leave by personnel.

7. The power to confer emeritus status on retiring personnel.

8. The power to award honorary degrees.

9. The final power to approve any and all personnel policies of the Institution’s including, without limitation, handbooks and policies within handbooks, affirmative action plans and policies, salary administration plans, performance evaluation systems, performance evaluation arrangements, and promotion and tenure policies. No institutional policy shall have any form or effect unless adopted or approved by the Board.

B. Human Resources

1. The Office of Human Resources is responsible for maintaining a record of all delegated personnel actions for faculty and exempt staff. The record shall be submitted to the President for approval in the same format as past Board of Trustees personnel action agenda items and in conjunction with Board meetings. Recorded data must include name, rank and title, department, date, basis of service and salary.

2. The Office of Human Resources is responsible for submitting a summary of all personnel actions grouped by sex and ethnicity. The summary shall be in the format of the Board Agenda and shall include all actions for the months following the preceding board meeting and agenda report. A detailed memorandum shall be submitted to the President of all personnel actions involving persons of color.

3. The Office of Human Resources is responsible for submitting to the President a summary of continuing delegated personnel actions for faculty and exempt staff. The record shall be in the form of a data report including name, rank, title, department, date, basis of service and salary. The President must approve these actions before letters of reappointment are issued.