3.12 – Employment Agreements and Voluntary Separation

A.    Purpose

To establish standards related to employment agreements, assignment letters, resignations, and retirements.

B.    Policy

The college will coordinate and maintain documentation of employment agreements, adjunct assignment letters, resignations, and retirements. Employees are expected to follow voluntary separation notification guidelines based on a professional courtesy.

C.    Procedures

Full-time employees

  • Full-time employees are issued agreements for the fiscal year based on length of service required by the college. Full-time employees are not guaranteed employment from year-to-year. All agreements are subject to adequate funding.
  • Full-time faculty with overloads are issued assignment letters with their teaching load and prescribed pay.
  • Prior to the end of the current fiscal year, employees will be notified as to whether they will be offered a new employment agreement for the following fiscal year.
  • All new hires (including internal promotions) with a hire date of April 1 or after will retain their initial agreement and salary through the end of the upcoming fiscal year. For fiscal year salary increases that are approved to begin July 1, new hires and employees receiving internal promotions April 1 or after are not eligible until the next fiscal year.

Part-time employees

  • Part-time employees are hired on an as needed basis at the discretion of the department with the approval of the appropriate vice chancellor and are not given any formal agreement. Part-time employees are typically limited to 19.5 hours per week at the college.

Adjunct Employment

  • Teaching assignments are contingent upon a variety of factors. Any assignment may be changed or cancelled based upon the needs of the college and the students. Courses are evaluated on an individual basis and will not be offered without sufficient enrollment as determined by college personnel. The college makes every effort to make cancellation determinations as early as possible; however, all teaching assignments are tentative until the first day of classes.

Voluntary Separation Notification Guidelines

  • Except in extraordinary circumstances, the college expects a professional courtesy of at least two (2) weeks written notice of resignation from non-exempt employees and at least four (4) weeks written notice of resignation from exempt employees. Employees who fail to provide the requested written notice within this timeframe will not be considered eligible for rehire.
  • Except in extraordinary circumstances, all faculty members who tender their resignation are expected to complete all teaching responsibilities of their current courses before their final date of employment. This is required to be considered for rehire. The college expects no less than four (4) weeks written notice of resignation as a professional courtesy.
  • The college requests that any employee who intends to retire provide at least four (4) weeks advanced written notice.
  • A written notice of resignation or retirement should be provided to the employee’s supervisor. The supervisor should ensure a signed copy is provided to the appropriate vice chancellor for approval. The vice chancellor should ensure that an approved and signed copy is forwarded to the chancellor for final approval. After final approval, the notice will be forwarded to the Office of Human Resources.
  • The chancellor has sole authority to approve an employee’s request to revoke a notification of resignation or retirement.
  • An employee’s last day of attending work is their last day as an employee of the college. An employee with accrued vacation time who is retiring, or resigning, will not be allowed to continue with the status of an employee while using vacation time after their last day of attending work.

All employees are employed at-will, which means that the employment relationship may be terminated at any time, with or without cause, by either the college or the employee, subject only to policies approved by the Board of Trustees and consistent with applicable laws.

D.    Definitions

Exempt employees are typically those who work in non-manual executive, administrative, or other professional positions. They are paid a salary for all work performed and are not eligible for overtime compensation.

Non-exempt employees are those who work in manual positions or in other non-executive or non-supervisory roles. All non-exempt employees are paid on an hourly basis and are eligible for overtime compensation.

Fiscal year is July 1 – June 30.

E.    Authority

This policy is maintained under the authority of the executive vice chancellor for administrative services.

F.    Related Policies

2.73 Faculty Workload, Expectations, and Additional Compensation

G.    Implementation

Purpose, procedures, definitions, authority and related policies sections approved and adopted by the chancellor’s cabinet on 02/25/2020 and revised on 04/20/2021.

Policy approved and adopted by the board of trustees on 04/13/2020.

Set for review in fiscal year 2026-2027.