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POSITIONS AND APPOINTMENTS

The university makes an important distinction between a position and the appointment of an employee to that position.

Position - A specific job title in a specific department, which is also a distinct entry in the department's personnel budget, and has been approved by the appropriate university administrator. Actions taken which affect a position typically include the following: (a) the establishment of a new position, (b) revision or reclassification of an existing position, and (c) search and selection process to fill a vacant position.

Open Position - A vacancy, created by the transfer, promotion, advancement or loss of an employee, or the approval by the appropriate administrator for the addition of a position. (Policy 3342-6-02.101)

Appointment - A formal action taken to assign an individual to a position, which specifies the terms of employment. This action specifies a rate of pay for a specific period of time for one employee. Appointments include the following actions: (a) new hire, (b) transfer, and (c) promotion.

Appointing Authority - The ultimate appointing authority is the Board of Trustees through the president. The president may delegate the authority to make unclassified appointments to appropriate vice presidents.  The board has designated the office of the Vice President for Human Resources as appointing authority for nonacademic classified employees. All personnel actions, including appointment and removal, are subject to subsequent approval by the Board of Trustees. (Policy 3342-6-04)

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FAIR LABOR STANDARDS ACT (FLSA)

The Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA) sets minimum hourly wage, overtime pay, equal pay, record keeping and child labor standards for employees covered by the Act. Non-exempt status Kent State employees are covered by FLSA. This Act also addresses which employees are exempt (see definition below) from specific provisions of the act, such as overtime pay. Administration and enforcement of FLSA and related statutes are the responsibility of the Department of Labor. Kent State must comply with both federal and state wage regulations. (Policy 3342-6-07.4, Policy 3342-6-07.7, Policy 3342-6-07.9)

Non-Exempt Status Employees
Non-exempt status refers to an employee who is paid based on the type of work performed.  Non-exempt employees are paid by the hour for all time worked and are required to account for all time worked as well as the use of sick, vacation, and other leave time. Non-exempt employees are entitled to overtime pay at a rate of not less than one-and-one-half times their regular hourly rate of pay after 40 hours of work in a given workweek.

Exempt Status Employees
Exempt status is determined by how an employee is paid, how much an employee is paid, and the kind of work an employee performs. Generally, exempt employees are compensated on a salary basis.  The nature of exempt positions may require employees to work more than regularly scheduled hours in a given work week. Exempt employees are not eligible for overtime pay, not covered by the overtime pay provisions of the federal FLSA, nor subject to a reduction in pay based on quality or quantity of work.

EMPLOYMENT STATUS

Within some categories of employment, the university makes further distinction with respect to the employment relationship. These distinctions are discussed below.

Full- or Part-Time Status
Faculty, classified and unclassified staff may be employed on a full- or part-time basis. Full-time employees are those with a 40-hour per week assignment (or its equivalent) for at least nine months.  Full-time NTT faculty who are appointed after the start of the academic year and have an appointment of less than nine months will be deemed to have full-time status for the purpose of benefits eligibility, if their offer of appointment explicitly includes a statement of the university's intent to offer a nine-month appointment in the succeeding year. Part-time faculty and staff may be eligible for some university benefits. For more information, contact Talent Management at (330) 672-2100, or email employment@kent.edu.

Additional Status Designations for Classified Employees
Hourly classified employees are further designated to have one of the following statuses:

Probationary Period – The probationary period constitutes a trial or testing period for the employee at the beginning of an original appointment, or immediately following a promotion.  During the probationary period (generally 120 days) an employee may be terminated or reduced in pay grade. The probationary period applies to classified represented and classified non-represented employees.

Temporary – An employee who is appointed for a limited time, fixed by the appointing authority, for a period not to exceed four months and no more than 28 hours per week.

Grant Position – An appointment funded by a grant. The length of the appointment is determined by the duration of grant funding.

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CIVIL SERVICE TESTING

Several classifications at Kent State require that individuals pass a Civil Service exam. Applicants will be notified regarding date, time and exact location of the test.  All applicants will be required to present photo identification prior to taking the exam.

When an applicant receives a passing score, his/her name is placed on an eligibility list.  The list is arranged according to examination scores from highest to lowest and is used to fill vacancies as they occur.  When a department has a vacancy, it receives the names of 10 eligible candidates from which to choose.  The names of those not chosen within two years are removed from the list.  To become eligible after this period of time, a candidate must retake and pass the exam.

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NEW HIRE ORIENTATION

New Hire Orientation is designed to smoothly integrate new employees into the university culture. The orientation features information pertaining to important university policies, structure and organization, and a detailed review of health and other benefits. New hires receive a welcome packet that includes information regarding university resources.

New Hire Orientation is offered bi-weekly on Mondays so that new employees have full access to the HR staff. Employees are strongly encouraged to attend orientation immediately following their first day of employment as possible. For more information, visit the Training and Development website, or call (330) 672-2100.

OPPORTUNITIES FOR FACULTY AT CENTER FOR TEACHING AND LEARNING

The Center for Teaching and Learning (CTL) offers many important resources for faculty, including individual teaching consultations, peer reviews and workshops. The Center hosts events throughout the year that focus on enhancing student learning and creative teaching.  The CTL also supports faculty learning communities, such as the Teaching Scholars and Faculty Fellows programs. New faculty will find answers to many of their questions related to teaching, scholarship and student concerns at the Faculty Learning and Support Hub information portal (FlashPort) at www.kent.edu/flashport.  Faculty are encouraged to visit the CTL to learn more about the support resources available for faculty members throughout their career at Kent State at www.kent.edu/ctl.  For more information, visit the Center for Teaching and Learning website.

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LEARNING OPPORTUNITIES

The university offers a wide range of professional development opportunities for faculty and staff, including instructor-led, webinar and on-line courses. The HR Training and Development website contains a summary of the various types of training, as well as a course catalog featuring a suite of programs in the following categories:

• Orientation
• Beyond Compliance
• Management
• Supervisory
• Diversity
• Recruitment
• Teambuilding
• Leadership
• Personal Development

Employees can view their training program history at any time by clicking on the  found on the Training and Development website. All training information can also be found in FlashLine under the Employee tab, Resources, Training and Development. 

BEYOND COMPLIANCE

Beyond Compliance (BC) ensures annual training for Kent State faculty and staff on the relevant laws and university policies regarding discrimination, harassment and violence prevention. All current Â鶹´«Ã½ full-time and part-time staff must attend a minimum of two hours of BC Training for each fiscal year (July 1 - June 30). For more information, including a list of training topics, visit the Beyond Compliance website. 

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JOB OPPORTUNITIES

All job opportunities should be filled within a reasonable time period with the best-suited candidate in accordance with the university policy on equal employment opportunity. In general, job vacancies in the university system shall be communicated internally as well as externally to the widest relevant recruitment area. Kent State also advertises in major regional newspapers and other media. (Policy 3342-6-02.101) Check for career opportunities on our .

EMPLOYMENT OF RELATIVES

Kent State has no objection to the appointment of members of families throughout the university, regardless of relationship, so long as one family member is not in a position to influence a decision in favor of or against the other. (Policy 3342-6-04.2)
 

Veterans

Applicants who are residents of Ohio and who have been honorably discharged from active duty in the U.S. military are eligible to receive an additional credit of 20 percent on their exam if they obtain a passing score.  Proof (i.e., copy of the DD-214 showing the type of discharge) must be submitted on or before the exam date or with the job application.  No credit is given if proof is submitted after the exam date.

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RECOGNITION AND SERVICE AWARDS

Kent State sponsors various programs and events annually to recognize the many contributions of its faculty and staff across all eight campuses. Some programs are university-wide, while others are sponsored by departments, divisions or by a specific campus within the university system. Listed below are some of the major recognition programs for staff. A link to a complete list of recognition programs for faculty and staff is available in the Web Resource box to the right. Visit our Recognition Programs website.

President's Award of Distinction
The President's Award of Distinction recognizes Kent State staff for demonstrating exceptional performance in advancing one or more of the priorities or university-level initiatives during the previous fiscal year (July 1 through June 30). Full-time classified and unclassified employees at all campuses who are currently employed by the university for a minimum of one year are eligible to be nominated. Learn more.

Faculty Excellence Award
The President's Faculty Excellence Award was created in 2015 to recognize exceptional performance by a faculty member, which leads to the achievement of national or international recognition. National or international recognition may be demonstrated in research, teaching and/or service. Tenured and tenure-track faculty members in all disciplines and from all campuses were eligible based on recommendations to department chairs and deans. Learn more.

Milestone Years of Service
Staff employees are recognized when they reach milestone years of continuous service with the university. Classified employees receive a certificate and a service achievement award — in the form of a cash payment — at every five-year milestone. (Policy 3342-6-07.11) Unclassified employees receive a certificate and a gift at every five-year milestone. Employees receive a gift catalog and instructions for ordering the gift of their choice.

Twenty Year Club
The Twenty Year Club honors classified and unclassified employees who have 20 years of continuous service at Kent State. The program was established in 1966. Learn more.

Torchbearer Award
The Torchbearer Award was created as a recognition program to celebrate and honor Â鶹´«Ã½ community members who are shaping the university with mentorship, cutting-edge curriculum, and new programs or initiatives that center diversity and inclusiveness and aim to increase belonging at Â鶹´«Ã½. Learn more.

*NOTE: Employees receiving gifts should contact a tax consultant to determine if IRS regulations apply. (Policy 3342-7.02.14)

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