Updates to this Handbook

Ivy Tech State College

TO:	All Full-Time Benefits Eligible Employees

DATE:	May, 2005

FROM:	Julie Lorton-Rowland
	Executive Director of Human Resources, Central Office

RE:	Update to the Full-Time Employee Handbook

Below is a summary of the updates made to the Full-time Employee Handbook. Direct links have been established from this summary to the sections in the handbook to provide you easy access to the updates. Please be sure to review the updates carefully so you are fully aware of the changes in policy.

Personnel Policies and Procedures
—	Employment at the College
	—	Equal Employment Opportunity/ Affirmative Action Policy	Updated non-discrimination categories to include gender and sexual orientation.

	—	Prohibition Against Harassment - Policy and Complaint Procedure	Updated non-harassment categories to also include creed, religion, gender, sexual orientation, and physical or mental disability.

			Removed reference to Vincennes University.

	—	Sexual Harassment	Updated policy to include electronic distribution and displaying or circulating materials of a sexual nature as examples of sexual harassment.

	—	Reporting and Complaint Procedure	Clarified policy to state employees are encouraged to report inappropriate behavior, not just suspected harassment.

—	New Employees
	—	Probationary Period	Clarification made to policy that the 90 working day probationary period affects all newly hired benefits-eligible administrative and support staff employees. Newly hired full-time faculty members have a probationary period that extends through the first full semester of employment.

—	Employee Categories
	—	Employee Group/ Type of Employment	The two sections were consolidated into one section that describes the three employee categories; Faculty, Support, or Administrative as either benefits-eligible or non-benefits eligible.

			Faculty descriptions include brief statement of responsibilities and obligations. Details are outlined in the Faculty Loading Guidelines; APPM Section 3.7.

			Added policy regarding rehired employees who seek status as an independent contractor.

	—	Independent Contractor	New section that describes the current college procedure.

	—	Volunteers	New section that describes the current college procedure.

—	Classification Criteria
	—	Exempt (Administrative) Staff	Expanded descriptions for each classification level to include education requirements and typical responsibilities.

			Added description for unclassified exempt employees.

	—	Non-Exempt (Support) Staff	Expanded descriptions for each classification level to include education requirements and typical responsibilities.

—	Administrative and Support Staff Credentials		Updated policy to state that required degrees are to be completed at regionally accredited institutions and only degrees awarded from regionally accredited institutions may be utilized in the course of college employment.

—	Faculty Credentials		Updated policy to state that required degrees are to be completed at regionally accredited institutions and only degrees awarded from regionally accredited institutions may be utilized in the course of college employment.

—	Job Vacancy Board		Updated policy to include electronic postings as a vehicle to disseminate information regarding College openings.

			Benefits-eligible support staff vacancies will be posted for (5) five working days now instead of (3) three working days.

			Amended policy to state when the College Administration initiates a transfer of an employee to a vacant position of equal or lesser classification, a posting of the vacant position on the College's job vacancy board is not required.

General College Operations
—	Quality of Work Life for You and Others		Expanded types of prejudice to include national origin, gender, sexual orientation, physical or mental disability.

—	Standards of Conduct
	—	Gifts or Favored Treatment	This section was deleted and is now included in the conflict of interest section.

	—	Confidentiality	Updated policy to include protection by federal laws such as FERPA, FMLA, and HIPPA and added the data classification standards for release of information or data about employees, students, or the College.

	—	Political Activities	Amended policy to state the listed political activities are unacceptable and will result in disciplinary action up to termination.

	—	Conflicts of Interest	Adopted the conflict of interest policy as stated in the Financial Management Manual (FMM) that includes a detailed policy, exceptions, standards for compliance, and specific practices not permitted.

	—	College Assets and Personal Business	Updated policy to state personal e-mail or non-business use of the Internet should be kept to a minimum.

	—	Disciplinary Procedures	Updated policy that states disciplinary procedures are applicable to all full-time benefits eligible employees. Non-benefits eligible employees may be terminated without formal disciplinary action being taken with prior approval by the Human Resources Administrator. Termination actions for full-time benefits-eligible employees must be approved, in advance, by the Vice President and General Counsel's office .

	—	Gross Misconduct	Changed language to read that "conviction" of a serious misdemeanor or any felony is grounds for termination under gross misconduct.

—	Additional Personnel Policies		Removed introductory paragraph.

	—	Professional Memberships	Adopted the professional membership policy as stated in the FMM that describes exceptions of when the College will pay for personal membership in professional organizations.

	—	Performance Evaluations	Section added to explain how performance evaluations are handled.

—	Payroll
	—	Absence or Lateness	Updated to state it is important that all College employees maintain a satisfactory attendance record. A record of poor attendance may result in disciplinary action.

	—	Direct Deposit	Removed reference to exceptions for the Workforce Development Summer Youth Program.

Safety at the College			Policy was expanded to explain is each employee's responsibility to help keep the College a safe workplace.

	—	Emergency Response Guide	Section added to explain where the emergency response guide can be obtained and what the procedures are for emergencies such as fire, tornado, severe thunderstorms, etc..

	—	Safety and Violence Prevention Notice	Updated to state individuals who express violent words or behaviors should be referred to the Dean of Student Affairs or the Human Resources Administrator.

Computer Resource Policy
—	Acceptable Use of College Computer Resources
	—	Harassment and Discrimination	Expanded types of harassment or discrimination to include gender and sexual orientation.

—	General Computer Resources Policy		Introductory paragraph changed to state that all college departments have responsibility for providing and maintaining shared computing resources.

	—	Privacy	Added statement that a review of college owned or leased computer resources must be authorized by regional or central office administration prior to the review.

—	Employee Computing Policies
	—	Incident Handling	Added the College Information Security department as one of the contacts when suspected breaches of security of our systems occurs.

Time Off
—	Regular Holidays		Clarification to policy that an employee must be actively working or on an approved leave of absence with pay using accrued vacation, special holiday or sick leave to be eligible for holiday pay.

—	Special Holidays		Updated to specify how to avoid losing the next quarter accrual when the maximum of 56 hours has been reached.

—	Faculty Release Days		Amended to state that faculty release time is claimed in (4) four or (8) eight hour increments.

—	Vacation
	—	Use of Vacation Time Procedure	Amended to state that time off without pay may not be substituted for use of available accrued vacation time, except for those employees on military leave of absence.

—	Sick Leave
	—	Use of Sick Leave Allowance	Amended to state that sick leave for faculty is claimed in (4) four or (8) eight hour increments.

	—	Sick Leave Buyback	Clarified the description of how much sick leave is available for buyback.

—	Family Illness/Accident		Update to policy to define use and tracking of sick leave allowance for short term illness of family members. Also added new language to allow an additional (10) ten days of sick leave use when family medical leave (FMLA) is needed as applicable by policy.

Family & Medical Leave Act Policy			Noted throughout policy timing of some due dates is based on calendar days. References to leave time usage, other than sick, is stated as "accrued leave".

Other Leaves of Absence
—	Temporary Disability Leave		Clarified this leave is available to employees for their own medical condition when not yet eligible for FMLA leave.

—	Extended Disability Leave		Complete rewrite of the extended disability leave policy that designates length of time, use of accrued leave time, payment of insurance premiums and eligibility for re-employment..

—	Personal Leave		Clarification to policy that while on a personal leave an employee will not earn sick, vacation, special holiday, or faculty release days.

—	Military Service
	—	Pay for Military Service	Increased the amount of the normal, annual, short-term training from 10 paid work days to 15 paid work days.

Legally Required Absences
—	Voting		Amended to allow use of accrued leave time when more than (1) one hour of time off is needed.

—	Jury or Witness Service		Updated to state time off for court appearances of a personal or voluntary nature must be taken as vacation, special holiday, faculty release days, or time off without pay if accrued leave time with pay is exhausted.

Other Benefits
—	Educational Support		Reinstated policy that allows employee fee remissions for Ivy Tech non-credit courses not to exceed course fees for (12) twelve credit hours and fee remissions for spouse and/or dependents for non-credit courses not to exceed course fees for (15) fifteen credit hours.

			Removed policy language specific to Vincennes University.

Retirement Programs
—	Retiree Programs
	—	Sick Leave Buyback	Provided consistent language description where also mentioned in the Sick Leave section.

	—	Educational Support	Reinstated policy that allows a retiree fee remissions for Ivy Tech non-credit courses not to exceed course fees for (12) twelve credit hours and fee remissions for a retiree's spouse and/or dependents for non-credit courses not to exceed course fees for (15) fifteen credit hours.

			Removed policy language specific to Vincennes University .

All Sections			Replaced Executive Director of Human Resources with Human Resources Administrator and general formatting and consistencies were applied.

If you have any questions about these changes, please contact your regional Human Resources Administrator.