PURPOSE

This policy provides guidelines for the recruitment and hiring of Professional Staff Members and ensures the University is effectively allocating human capital resources to fulfill critical needs.

APPLICABILITY

This policy applies to all Professional Staff Member positions at the University (including its subsidiaries and affiliated entities, such as the Academy of Natural Sciences of Drexel University and Drexel University Online (DUO), excluding Faculty Members and Professional Staff Members who are affiliated with a collective bargaining unit.

IMPLEMENTATION

Implementation of this policy is the responsibility of the Department of Human Resources.

ADMINISTRATIVE OVERSIGHT

The Executive Vice President, Treasurer and Chief Operating Officer is the Drexel University official responsible for the administration and financial oversight of this policy.

POLICY

In an effort to effectively manage the University's human capital, a 90-day assessment period/hiring deferment will be implemented for all professional staff hires, unless the position is deemed as critical to student success, safety, or research success. During the 90-day hiring assessment and deferment period, Managers and Position Control Committees will evaluate and assess the need for new or replacement of Professional Staff positions. The Professional Staff hiring process, as outlined below, will allow the University to ensure the appropriateness of positions and manage salary savings so that it is budgeted effectively. As part of the review, hiring managers are required to identify opportunities for restructuring to increase efficiency and better manage labor costs.

DEFINITIONS

Professional Staff Member is defined as an individual employed in any non-faculty category by Drexel University, including an individual who is deemed to be either exempt or non-exempt under the provisions of the Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA) and/or applicable state law.

Position Control Committee (PCC) consists of selected members to evaluate the justification for Professional Staff Positions, ensure that a qualitative assessment has been performed and that all other opportunities have been evaluated (i.e. restructuring, combining staffing with complementary units, changing business processes, downgrading positions, etc.) before recommending approval to recruit for a Professional Staff Member Position.

College/School/Administrative Division Head is defined as the highest ranking administrator in a college/school or division within the University (e.g. Senior Vice President or Dean).

PROCEDURES

Replacement and newly-created professional staff positions will require approval from the Position Control Committee (PCC) prior to posting. It is the responsibility of the hiring manager in consultation with the College/School or Administrative Division Head to demonstrate the necessity of all Professional Staff Member positions. Professional staff positions that are fully funded by research grants/contracts will not be required to follow this policy and should proceed with the normal recruitment process. Professional staff positions that are either fully or partially funded by unrestricted or designated funds will be required to follow the process below. If partially funded, the salary savings reduction will be calculated utilizing the unrestricted and designated portion, which includes DUO accounts.

Days 1 – 60

1. A request for recruitment must be submitted to the College/School/Administrative Division Head utilizing the Professional Staff Hiring Business Case Form [PDF]. This form must be completed in full and detail the necessity of the position. The form must be attached to the Job Card within the Document tab in Drexel Careers prior to submitting to the College/School/Administrative/Division Head for review. If the College/School/Administrative/Division Head denies the position, funds associated with the position will be reallocated to support strategic efforts within the College/School/Administrative Division or University.
2. Position Control Committees will be established with individual committees per College/School and a single PCC for all administrative divisions (the "Administrative PCC"). Representatives for each College/School PCC will be selected by the College/School Division Head. The Administrative PCC members will be selected by the Executive Vice President for Finance, Treasurer & COO and will consist of representatives from Human Resources, Finance, Enrollment Management, President's Office, Office for Institutional Equity and Inclusive Culture, Academic Division Representative, and three additional members from the Administrative Divisions who will serve on an annual basis.
3. The PCCs will be responsible for evaluating the business cases and notifying the College/School/Division Head of approval/denial on a minimum of a monthly basis. Approval from the PCC to fill a position will be based on meeting at least one of the following criteria:
1. Impact on the teaching or research mission of the university.
1. Eliminating the position or a delay in filling the position would jeopardize the teaching or research mission of the university.
2. The necessity of the position for the functionality of the unit.
1. There are no other options available through reassignment or reconfiguration.
2. The position is legally mandated and a decision not to fill the position would result in penalties to the campus.
3. There would be financial or reputational damage if the position were not approved.

Days 60 – 90

4. If the position is approved by the PCC, the College/School/Administrative Division can begin working with their respective Talent Acquisition Consultant in the Department of Human Resources on the recruiting process. Please refer to the link for information on the recruiting process.
5. If the position is denied by the PCC, in consultation with the Senior Vice President, salary funds will be reallocated to support strategic efforts within the College/School/Administrative Division or for higher university priorities.
6. Prior to posting the position, during the HRIS review step in the recruiting process, three (3) months of salary savings will be temporarily deducted from the position budget and transferred to the General University salary savings pool. This will allow the University to effectively budget salary savings each fiscal year. If partially funded, the salary savings reduction will be calculated utilizing the unrestricted and designated portion, which includes DUO accounts.
7. Once a candidate is identified and an offer is extended to the candidate, the hire date must be 90 days from the termination date of the prior employee or, for new positions, 90 days from the original submission date of the Professional Staff Hiring Business Case form.
8. College/School/Administrative Division compliance with the Recruitment Policy for Professional Staff will be monitored, evaluated, and presented on a quarterly basis to Executive Council by the Vice President of Human Resources.

AT-WILL EMPLOYMENT NOT AFFECTED

Notwithstanding anything to the contrary stated in this policy, nothing herein is intended to alter the at-will status of any Professional Staff Member. Drexel University at all times retains the right to terminate any Professional Staff Member at any time for any lawful reason, or for no reason at all.