Introduction

The Office of Human Resources, in conjunction with the Office of the Provost, participates in the coordination and administration of academic personnel policies. Questions pertaining to retirement, academic professional performance evaluations, human resource records, and general personnel procedures should be directed to Human Resources at 6-6652. Inquiries concerning specific academic personnel policies should be directed to the Provost’s Office at 6-6614.

 

Academic Appointments

Academic Appointment Categories

There are three categories of academic appointees: faculty, academic professionals, and graduate assistants. Included within the faculty are (1) those in the tenured/tenure-track professiorial ranks (i.e., professors, associate professors, and assistant professors); (2) instructors, lecturers, and other academics; and (3) teaching, research, and clinical associates. Academic professionals are those members of the academic staff whose positions have been designated by the president and the chancellor as meeting specialized administrative, professional, or technical needs, in accordance with Article IX of the University of Illinois Statutes. Graduate assistants include teaching, research, and clinical assistants.

Appointment Periods of Service

The terms of appointment service of the academic staff are normally defined as one of the following:

  • the academic year which consists of two semesters (8/16-12/31 and 1/1-5/15);
  • twelve months, including allowable vacation (the 12 months may encompass any 12-month period, but is normally 8/16-8/15);
  • the summer session.

See MY UI Info for Explanation of Service Basis, Standard Period of Service and Period of Payments

 

Compensation Schedule

All academic staff members are compensated for services in 12 monthly installments or on a pro rata basis for shorter periods. Services over the academic year (August 16-May 15) are paid over 12 months (August 16-August 15). Certain exceptions allow for compensation for services in nine monthly installments for nine-month academic year service. The exceptions include:

1. All Graduate Assistants on nine-month contracts are required to be paid over nine months and are not allowed to choose a 9/12 payment schedule;

2. Faculty on terminal year contracts are required to be paid on a 9/12 payment schedule;

All other visiting or permanent faculty are required to be paid on a 9/12 payment schedule.

Paydays are scheduled for the 16th of each month. When the 16th day falls on a holiday or on a weekend, the payday occurs on the immediately preceding work day.

Contact the UIS Payroll Office: 217-206-7144

Link to the OBFS Payroll webpage

Link to the System HR “Pay” web page for more information about employee compensation

Updated 12.22.2021

 

Establishment of Academic Positions

Academic Professional Positions – Prior Approvals

For the Chancellor’s Division and the Division of Student Affairs, a request to fill an existing academic professional (AP) position or establish a new position begins with development of a position description on the Hire Touch electronic position description form.  HR classification staff use the draft position description to determine if the job responsibilities are appropriately classified as academic professional and exempt from Civil Service, in consultation with the State Universities Civil Service System. If a determination is made that the position is appropriately classified as exempt, HR will notify unit staff. The unit may then initiate a Hire Touch position requisition form, and the request will route for approval by fiscal officer, director/dean, budget officer, division head, and HR.

For the Division of Academic Affairs, pre-approval via the Academic Affairs Staff Position Request Form is needed before the position description is entered into Hire Touch as described above.

The remaining steps in the electronic Hire Touch approval process for approved AP searches are governed by guidelines and policies from the Office of Access and Equal Opportunity (AEO) and the Provost’s Office.

Note: Additional steps may be required for major administrative searches.

Faculty Positions – Prior Approvals

A request to fill a new or previously-occupied faculty position begins with completion of the Faculty Position Request Form (FPR). A worksheet listing FPR form fields is available on the Faculty Search web page to assist departments with gathering information that will be needed to complete the form. The completed form routes for consideration by Dean and Provost. The Provost’s Office initiates the Hire Touch process for approved positions.  The Hire Touch position requisition is routed for electronic approvals by fiscal officer, dean, budget officer, Provost, and Chancellor.

The remaining steps in the electronic Hire Touch approval process for approved Faculty searches are governed by the UIS Faculty Personnel Policy, the Provost’s Office, and the AEO Office.

Civil Service Positions – Prior Approvals

Please see the Human Resources website for information related to Civil Service hiring processes.

Employment of International Faculty and Staff

Before hiring a foreign national for a faculty or staff position, visit the International Faculty & Staff Information page.

Initial Appointment

The University’s Statutes provide that only the Board of Trustees has the authority to make formal appointments to the academic staff. Although units initiate recommendations for appointment, all interactions and communications with individuals to be appointed must indicate that the appointment requires Board approval.

Letter of Offer (Invitation)

Written letters of offer (technically, letters of invitation to accept an appointment) are required for all faculty and academic professional appointments. Draft letters must be vetted by the Assistant Provost for Academic HR before finalizing. In addition, units must obtain a written acknowledgement of acceptance by members of the academic staff who are new to the University of Illinois, new to the academic employee group, or new to a tenure-track faculty position. All internal search approvals must be received by the unit prior to issuance of a letter of offer. The appropriate dean issues the letter of appointment to faculty. For academic professionals, the appropriate director, dean, or division head issues the letter. The letter must be signed as accepted and returned to the appropriate director, dean, or division head before the recommendation for appointment can be processed. The letter of offer does not supersede the official Notice of Appointment issued by the Board of Trustees once all other approvals and appointment papers have been received and processed. Offer letter templates for faculty appointments can be found on the Academic Human Resources website.

Information Required for Appointment

An academic staff member, upon accepting an appointment, must provide the following information required by the University, the state of Illinois, and the federal government: a Personal History and Professional Experience form, which includes the Educational Loan Default Statement; an I-9 before or on the first day of work, as required by the Immigration Reform and Control Act of 1987; and W-4, Withholding Allowances. Additional information may also be required.

The letter of offer includes information on the appointment and electronic access to the required forms. A new employee’s appointment and payroll completion are dependent upon receipt by the hiring unit of the signed letter of offer and the completion of employment-related forms. After receipt, the hiring unit initiates the appointment, forwards the signed letter of offer to the division head, and forwards a copy of the signed letter of offer to Human Resources and the Provost’s Office.

Read more about viewing and updating personal information.

Moving Expenses

Deans and directors of academic and administrative units may approve reimbursement of moving expenses for new employees as their unit budgets allow within the approved university maximum. Additional budget funding for moving expenses requires prior approval by the division head. The maximum amount for moving expense reimbursement should be indicated in the letter of offer. Payments for reimbursement are processed through the unit or dean’s office (see OBFS Business and Financial Policies and Procedures, Section 8).

Reappointment

All academic appointments and reappointments are approved by the Board of Trustees of the University of Illinois. After the initial appointment, which is indicated on a printed Notification of Appointment (NOA) form from the Board of Trustees, future appointments are made and communicated on a year to year basis (unless a shorter term is specified). Adjustments to salary and changes to other conditions of employment, including the annual NOA, are primarily communicated electronically through MY UIS Info. The Board of Trustees retains its authority to modify or terminate appointments in accordance with applicable University policies.

Employment of Relatives

The employment of relatives is permissible at UIS, subject to compliance with University Statutes, review of appointments, and resolution of conflicts. According to the Statutes, no individual can initiate or participate in institutional decisions involving a direct benefit (initial employment, retention, promotion, salary, leave of absence, etc.) to a member of his or her immediate family. “Immediate family” includes an individual’s spouse, children, parents, siblings, grandparents, grandchildren, aunts, uncles, nieces and nephews, and the spouses of any of the foregoing.

12.22.2021

 

Leaves of Absence

All requests for leave require prior supervisory approval, and all absences are reported to the supervisor. Some leaves require changes in appointment status. Sick and vacation leave usage records are maintained by unit or division head offices.

Read more about time off and leave at MY UI Info or contact the Office of Human Resources for more information: 206-6652.

 

Oral English Proficiency

The University of Illinois Act (110 ILCS 305/7c) states, “The Board of Trustees of the University of Illinois shall establish a program to assess the oral English language proficiency of all persons providing classroom instruction to students at each campus under the jurisdiction, governance or supervision of the Board, and shall ensure that each person who is not orally proficient in the English language attain such proficiency prior to providing any classroom instruction to students.” At UIS, evaluation procedures for the oral English proficiency requirements are administered by the Provost’s Office. The following information provides guidelines for employment of faculty and academic staff who wish to obtain employment involving teaching at the University of Illinois Springfield. This policy applies to all individuals who supply classroom instruction.

Pre-Employment Evaluation

An assessment of the effectiveness of the use of oral English is made during the process of hiring new faculty and academic staff who will provide classroom instruction by asking those who participate in hiring to assess candidates’ communications skills. This determination can be accomplished in a number of ways; e.g., formal interviews, assessment of candidates by colleagues within the academic unit, teaching demonstrations and/or research presentations. Deans or the equivalent hiring authority must provide an opinion, via the Assessment of Oral English Proficiency form, regarding oral English proficiency of newly-hired instructional staff at every rank (full-time faculty, adjunct faculty, and teaching academic professionals). This form, which will be maintained in the Provost’s Office, should follow approval of hire requests for all instructional staff.

Instructional staff members with questions about this policy should contact the dean of their college (or equivalent).

Approved by Chancellor’s Cabinet 9.1.15

Revision approved by Chancellor’s Cabinet 5.9.17

Oral English Proficiency Policy rev 2017-5-9 (PDF)

 

Performance Evaluation of Academic Professionals

All academic professionals are to receive annual evaluations to assess performance effectiveness and professional development during the previous year as well as set forth expectations regarding performance and professional growth in the coming year. In addition, some academic professional staff have supervisory responsibility for civil service employees, who also must be evaluated annually.

Performance reviews for academic staff are a factor in determining employee compensation under University policies related to merit-based salary programs.

Evaluations are normally conducted between April 1 and May 31 of the current year and assess performance for the period from April 1 of the previous year through March 31 of the current year.

For additional information concerning the forms or the process, contact Human Resources (6-6652).

 

Salary Increases

Merit Pay

Within the University, colleges are the primary locus where merit pay processes are undertaken. The guidelines below govern merit pay considerations on this campus and pertain to both the basic principles to be achieved and the operational steps to be undertaken. Within these general parameters, deans and colleges have organized college-level processes, which are available from the dean.

Principles and Parameters to Guide Establishment of a Merit Pay System on this Campus

It is accepted practice at the University of Illinois that salary adjustments for faculty shall be based upon an assessment of merit. The establishment of a merit system on this campus must honor the following principles and parameters:

  • Annual salary increments are to be based upon specific assessments of the performance of individual faculty members.
  • While there may be established a norm or average, the merit pay process must also include assessments which recognize performance both above and below that norm.
  • Colleges must be allowed substantial latitude in the assessment of individual faculty performance within the parameters of faculty personnel policy; however, those assessments will be expected to distinguish differences in individual performance.
  • After consultation with the Planning and Budget Committee regarding operating budget priorities, the provost shall annually make funds available to the deans, who will recommend salary increments which shall be added to the base salaries of their faculty.
  • Funds allocated to each college for salary increments will be a uniform percentage of that college’s existing faculty base salary.

Process for Annual Performance Assessment and Merit Pay Recommendation

The performance of each faculty member will be reviewed annually for the purpose of establishing a merit based salary recommendation. This review will examine the performance of the faculty member over the course of a year, in the context of the faculty member’s ongoing professional development and accomplishments.

  • At the beginning of the annual review period, each faculty member will develop an annual “Faculty Performance Plan” (FPP) following discussions involving the individual, the department/program and the dean. The FPP sets goals and expectations for performance for the upcoming year. It incorporates the current 12 Hour Workload Plan, which requires approvals outlined in the UIS Faculty Personnel Policy, but goes beyond it to include other major performance goals and which reflect the professional development of the individual.*
  • The Faculty performance Plan (FPP) is intended to accommodate diverse patterns of professional development and assignment as contemplated in Article 9, Professional Responsibilities, of the UIS Faculty Personnel Policy. It incorporates the assumption that, consistent with the criteria for professional evaluation and assessment (Article 3.), each faculty member will undertake responsibilities in teaching, scholarship, and service appropriate to that faulty member’s discipline, specific role, and work assignment. The FPP should project activities continuing a pattern of professional growth and development for the faculty member.
  • At the end of the review period, each faculty member will submit to the dean, with a copy to his or her Personnel File, a “Professional Performance Report” (PPR) which describes and reflects on performance over the year, relates the performance to the goals and expectations stated in the FPP, and assesses performance in relation to the criteria for professional evaluation in Article 3 of the UIS Faculty Personnel Policy. Faculty members are free to provide additional information and analysis, as they wish.
  • Each college shall conduct an annual performance review of its faculty, in accordance with its bylaws and policies. At the conclusion of this process, and based on his or her assessment, the dean shall make salary recommendations to the VCAA for final decision.
  • If written performance assessments are prepared during the process by a college, the assessment shall be forwarded to the Personnel Files of the relevant faculty members.

Link to Faculty Personnel Policy to read more.

 

Termination of Employment

Nonreappointment of Academic Staff

Full-time, nonvisiting academic professional employees (except for intercollegiate athletics directors and coaches) are entitled to receive notice of nonreappointment as indicated in the following chart. The length of notice required is determined by two factors: the length of time the employee has served the University as an academic professional and the type of funds from which the employee is paid. Contracts paid from “soft” funds specify that the appointment is subject to receipt of funds; contracts paid from “hard” funds have no such specification.

Computation of length of service for 12-month, 10-month, and nine-month appointments will be on the basis of continuous full-time, non-visiting employment in academic professional positions, counting from the first date of employment in such positions to the date notice is given by the University of Illinois Board of Trustees. Periods of time during which the employee is on leave without pay (full or partial) will not count toward the total service credit in determining the minimum required notice. Any prior service credit should be clarified at the time the academic professional position begins. Any break in service of more than 30 calendar days through resignation, termination, etc., would require that the clock start again, but service in one full-time academic professional position eligible for notice will transfer to another full-time academic professional position, if no break in service is involved. A short break (30 days or less) will be handled like a leave without pay in terms of service credit for notice of nonreappointment.

Although the department must notify the academic professional staff member of nonreappointment in writing, it is the Board of Trustees that gives the official notice. The length of notice required is calculated from the date of notice by the Board of Trustees, not from the end of the current contract. If notice is given later than specified in an appointment year, it will be accompanied by an offer from the Board of Trustees of a terminal contract for an additional appointment that will extend the current appointment through the period of minimum notice. For example, academic professionals with pay dates of August 16 to August 15 should be given notice of nonreappointment by the Board of Trustees before February 16 for six months’ notice, or by August 16 for twelve months’ notice (i.e., six months or 12 months prior to the end of the appointment). If notice is not given by these dates, the employee will be offered a terminal contract for either six or 12 months, as appropriate, extending from the date of notice by the Board of Trustees. The period of the terminal contract can be extended further but no more than three annual extensions are permitted (exceptions require approval of Provost Office).

Length of Notice of Nonreappointment Required by Source of Funds and Number of Years of Full-Time Service

Employees Paid from “Hard” Funds(State, Auxiliary, Revolving Accounts)Employees Paid from “Soft” Funds(Grants, Contracts, Federal Funds)
Length of Full-Time Service (In Full Appointment Years Completed)Minimum Notice (In Months)Length of Full-Time Service (In Full Appointment Years Completed)Minimum Notice (In Months)
Less than 4
4 and over		6
12		Less than 4
4
5
6
7
8
9
10 and over		2
6
7
8
9
10
11
12

Formal notice of nonreappointment by the Board of Trustees is not required for part-time academic professional employment or for positions that include in the title the terms visiting, acting, interim or adjunct.

Length of Notice of Nonreappointment Required for Full-Time Director of Intercollegiate Athletics and Coaches by Number of Years of Full-Time Service

A full-time, non-visiting academic professional who is the director of intercollegiate athletics or a coach on an annual contract shall receive three months notice of nonreappointment if they have been employed four years or less; thereafter, they must receive six months notice of nonreappointment. Formal notice of nonreappointment by the Board of Trustees is not required for part-time academic professional employment or for positions that include in the title the terms visiting, acting, interim or adjunct.

Resignations

Resignations, including notices of retirement, are submitted in writing to the supervisor, department head, or other appropriate administrative officer with a copy of the letter sent to Human Resources and the Provost’s Office. A resignation does not become effective until officially accepted and processed by Human Resources. The appropriate dean or supervisor is responsible for changing the appointment to reflect the resignation. The unit supervisor and the employee must also sign a final verification of attendance indicating any balance of vacation and sick leave and the form must be submitted to the office of Human Resources. Employees are encouraged to give as much notice as possible to allow for a smooth transition.

Please note that an employee’s termination date cannot be extended by utilizing sick or vacation leave benefits. The separation date should be the last official day the employee performed service at the university and the last work day, termination date, and job end date are the same. An exception to the last work day rule regards academic staff members employed for the academic year (nine-month appointments) who are resigning at the end of their service period.

Continuation of Benefits

In accordance with state law, the health and life insurance coverage provided by the state and the benefits available to active employees under the State Universities Retirement System cease at midnight of the resignation date. Under federal legislation (COBRA) enacted in 1986, a “continuation option” exists that permits continued medical and dental coverage after separation from employment by making personal payment of the premium. For additional information, contact University Payroll & Benefits (206-7144) prior to the termination date.

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