WIU/UPI Agreement 2007-2011

Article 34: Retention (Academic Support Professionals)
Unit B

34.1. Retention Procedures for Academic Support Professionals

  1. Each Academic Support Professional (with the exception of 34.1.b. below) shall be evaluated annually by her or his supervisor. The evaluation shall occur between April 15 and May 15.
  2. An evaluation in the first year of employment shall occur by the sixth month of employment.
  3. Regardless of the date of initial appointment, the calculation of years of employment of Academic Support Professionals will be based on a year of July 1 through June 30, provided, however, that
    1. an employee hired between July 1 and December 31 will enter her or his second year of service on the first July 1 of her or his service at the University;
    2. an employee hired between January 1 and June 30 will not enter her or his second year of service until the second July 1 of her or his service at the University; and that
    3. up to three years of prior service in a position at the University shall count as years of service.
  4. An employee may be recommended for non-retention because of program need or unsatisfactory performance of assigned duties. An employee shall be considered to be on a continuous appointment unless recommended for non-retention.
  5. If an employee’s annual evaluation results in a recommendation for non-retention, the employee’s immediate supervisor or department chair and dean or director, as appropriate, shall provide written reasons, based on the employee’s official job description, and the approved statement of methods and materials of evaluation. The employee may forward the recommendation of the immediate supervisor or department chair and dean or director, for review by an Academic Support Professionals Appeals Committee.
    The Academic Support Professionals Appeals Committee shall be composed of three bargaining unit members from Unit A and/or Unit B to include one member selected by the employee, one member selected by the supervisor/department chair, and the third selected by the first two members selected. The recommendations of the immediate supervisor or department chair and dean or director, and the Academic Support Professionals Appeals Committee, if applicable, and the materials submitted by the employee shall be forwarded to the appropriate vice president for review and evaluation. The Vice President shall then present her or his recommendation to the University President who will then make the final determination.
  6. Notice of non-retention shall be as follows (except for Article 34.2.a. below):
    1. In the first year of service in an Academic Support Professional position in the bargaining unit, not later than three months prior to the termination date specified in the notice
    2. In the second, third, fourth, and fifth years of service in an Academic Support Professional position in the bargaining unit, not later than six months prior to the termination date specified in the notice
    3. If an Academic Support Professional in her or his sixth year of service or more receives notice of non-retention in accordance with this Article, she or he shall receive at least nine months of employment after the notice of non-retention is received

34.2.

  1. Academic Support Professionals who have been hired in positions which are funded predominantly by contracts and grants, sponsored research funds, and educational contracts shall not be entitled to written notice of non-retention as specified in Article 34.1.f. above if the funding for their position is reduced or eliminated. If such funding is reduced or eliminated, the employee shall be notified immediately. If the funding is continued and annual evaluation results in a recommendation not to retain an employee, the recommendation of nonretention must be based upon the reasons specified in Article 34.1.d., and the employee must be given notice in accordance with Article 34.1.f.
  2. The University shall make a reasonable effort to locate appropriate alternate or equivalent employment for an employee whose position is eliminated because of a reduction in or elimination of funds.
  3. If, within two years, the funding source reduction or elimination which resulted in the elimination of an Academic Support Professional’s position is restored to the University, the affected employee shall be offered reemployment in the restored position if the employee’s final evaluation was satisfactory.