Human Resources

Employment Classification and Designation

06:46:00 Employment Classification and Designation

1. The following are employment categories:

   1. Faculty - All faculty members who hold academic rank and who are directly engaged in instruction, departmental research, or public service. Faculty may be employed either on a 9-month service basis and compensated over a 12-month period, or employed on a 12- month service basis and compensated over a 12-month period.
   2. Non-faculty (Exempt) - These are employees who primarily have executive, administrative, or professional responsibilities and are therefore exempt from the provisions of the Federal Wage and Hour Law. The College refers to this group as professional staff or professional non-faculty.
   3. Clerical and Support Employees (Nonexempt) - All personnel other than faculty, administrative, or student personnel who are therefore subject to the provisions of the Federal Wage and Hour Law. The College refers to this group as clerical/support employees.
   4. Student Employees - All employees who are students of the College and employed through the Financial Aid Department. There are three categories of student employees: Academic Work Scholarship, Federal Work Study, and Institutional Employment. Students may be employed in more than one category. However, hours worked cannot exceed twenty hours per week.
   5. The Academic Work Scholarship - Awards deserving students tuition and book allowances in exchange for work. A student is usually required to work five hours per week.
   6. Minors - No person under the age of sixteen may be employed by the College. Minors who are sixteen or seventeen may be employed under certain conditions. For information, restrictions, and conditions regarding the employment of minors, see TBR Policy No. 05:01:00:05.
   7. Volunteer Employees - All volunteer employees must be registered with the State of Tennessee pursuant to T. C. A. 8-42-101 prior to beginning work at Chattanooga State. The use of volunteer employees must have the prior approval of the requesting employee’s immediate supervisor, the Human Resource Office, the Vice-President for Business and Finance, and the President.
      1. The department/division requesting volunteer(s) must ensure that the work assigned to the volunteer(s) does not negatively impact another employee’s duties; i.e., reduction of hours, reassignment, reclassification, etc. The volunteer must complete the Statement of Understanding Agreement Form which can be obtained from the Human Resource Office. Since the volunteer(s) are not employees, the Human Resource Office will not maintainany records of the volunteer(s) other than the Statement of Understanding Agreement Form and will also register the volunteer(s) with the Tennessee Board of Claims.
      2. If the department requires the volunteer to fill out additional application materials, the department must ensure that no discriminatory questions are asked.
      3. Support employees (nonexempt) cannot hold a paid position and then perform the same type of duties on a volunteer basis. Support employees may volunteer at the College as long as they perform different services. Questions regarding volunteer employees may be directed to the Human Resource Office.
2. Each employee is also assigned one of the following designations
   1. Regular Full-time Employees - All personnel (executive, administrative and professional, academic personnel, and clerical and support) who are employed on a continuing basis, expected to exceed six (6) months and who have a regular work week of 37.5 hours or who are scheduled to carry a full teaching load or its equivalent. Regular full-time employees include full-time Modified Fiscal Year (MODFY) employees.
   2. Regular Part-time Employees - All personnel (executive, administrative and professional, academic personnel, and clerical and support) who are employed on a continuing basis, expected to exceed six (6) months and who have a regular work week of less than 37.5 hours and who are scheduled to carry less than a full teaching load or its equivalent. Regular part-time employees include Modified Fiscal Year (MODFY) employees.
   3. Temporary Employees - All personnel whose period of appointment or expected service is less than six (6) months. This definition should not be confused with employees who are designated as probationary employees, who may be regular full-time or part-time employees. Temporary employees are not eligible for employment benefits (retirement, state insurance, annual or sick leave, and holiday pay or longevity credit). An employee who has worked as a temporary for the maximum time of one calendar year must be completely separated and off the payroll for fourteen calendar days before becoming eligible for re-employment in a temporary position. After one year of employment, the college should consider adding a position with benefits if the assignment is needed on a regular basis.
   4. Modified Fiscal Year (MODFY) Employees - All regular, full and part-time, non-teaching personnel whose service period is at least nine months. MODFY employees work an academic year beginning in August and ending in May. The MODFY employee schedule during the 9-month period follows that of other non-faculty staff.

Sources for information: Chattanooga State Executive Staff meeting, November 27, 1997 and TBR Guideline No. P-010. For further details on the other information above, see TBR Policy No. 5:01:01:00.

Approved: Executive Staff, 05/20/09
Approved: President’s Cabinet, 05/20/09
Approved by President, 05/20/09
Reviewed and Revised: Human Resources, November, 2000