Board of regents policy manual georgia

Programs 3. Student Affairs 4. Public Service 5. Campus Affairs 6. Finance and Business 7. Personnel 8. Residency Classification for Tuition Purposes The classification of currently enrolled students and former UGA undergraduates re-admitted as a former UGA undergraduate is the responsibility of the Office of the Registrar. If you are a newly admitted undergraduate student , you should complete the same petition form and submit it along with all supporting documentation to: Office of Admissions University of Georgia Terrell Hall Athens, GA Phone: Please note that the Office of Admissions does not accept faxed petitions.

Eligibility in the group plans will cease for reasons including, but not limited to, the following:. The dependents of a deceased employee, a disabled employee, or a retiree may remain in the USG group health and life insurance programs consistent with the following provisions. In no event shall the spouse of the deceased continue in the group after remarriage. Dependent children may remain in the group until they reach the legal age of majority or until they become eligible for another group benefits plan.

The USG shall continue to pay the employer portion for the cost of the group health insurance for the surviving dependents for this period of 12 consecutive months. The surviving dependent s will be responsible for the entire cost of the dependent life insurance. At the conclusion of this month period, a dependent will have individual policy conversion privileges. Dependents of Deceased Disabled Employees with Fewer than 9. The USG shall continue to pay the employer portion for the cost of group health insurance for the surviving dependents for the remainder of the month period.

Participation in the group healthcare plan may continue after the month period under the provisions of COBRA. If a permanently and totally disabled employee with less than nine and a half 9. The surviving dependents will be responsible for the entire cost of the dependent life insurance. The USG shall continue to pay the employer portion of the cost of group health insurance for the surviving dependents.

Effective May 1, , the USG will offer a system wide voluntary b retirement savings plan and a system wide voluntary b retirement savings plan to which all USG employees are eligible to contribute under the provisions of Internal Revenue Code Sections b and b , respectively. USG institutions shall not offer any separate voluntary retirement savings plans or nonqualified deferred compensation plans after that date.

Previously created institution plans will be consolidated into the system wide plans. USG institutions shall utilize the USG deferred compensation plans when providing deferred compensation to employees. Any contribution to the USG deferred compensation plan by an institution for an employee other than the President must be approved by the Chancellor. Each University System of Georgia USG institution shall establish procedures to counsel employees who fail to meet their personal financial obligations.

Repeated instances of default in payment by USG employees shall be considered sufficient grounds to terminate employment for cause. The USG and any of its institutions may withhold paychecks or deduct from paychecks amounts owed by USG employees for any fine, fee, penalty, or other financial obligation to the USG or any of its institutions and shall withhold any amounts required by a validly issued court order.

Institutions may establish incentive compensation programs consistent with state law, Board Policy, and applicable procedures, however, institutional incentive compensation programs must be reviewed and approved by the USG Offices of Fiscal Affairs and Human Resources. Institutions may adjust employee compensation as a result of multiple factors, including, but not limited to, merit adjustments, promotions, position reclassification, counter-offers, in-range adjustments.

Adjustments to employee compensation is an institutional decision and should be consistent with the approved institutional compensation plan. Faculty, staff, and administrators are encouraged to participate in development activities and study.

Career development opportunities may include, but are not limited to, the following:. Each USG institution shall commit an appropriate amount of funds for faculty and staff development, which will be matched by state appropriated funds to the extent that funds are available.

Such use shall be tightly controlled and employees must be able to provide information as to the location of all USG equipment upon request. If, prior to arrest for an offense involving a controlled substance, marijuana, or a dangerous drug, an employee notifies his or her immediate supervisor that he or she illegally uses a controlled substance, marijuana, or a dangerous drug and is receiving or agrees to receive treatment under a drug abuse and education program approved by the institution President or by the Chancellor, such employee shall not have his or her employment terminated by the institution or the University System Office on account of the drug use that was voluntarily disclosed for up to one year from disclosure as long as the employee follows the treatment plan.

Retention of such employee shall be conditioned upon satisfactory completion of the program. The rights herein granted shall be available to a University System of Georgia employee only once during a five-year period and shall not apply to any employee who has refused to be tested or who has tested positive for use of a controlled substance, marijuana, or a dangerous drug.

The University System of Georgia USG is committed to the highest ethical and professional standards of conduct in pursuit of its mission to create a more educated Georgia. Accomplishing this mission demands integrity, good judgment, and dedication to public service from all members of the USG community.

Furthermore, the USG acknowledges that an organizational culture grounded in trust is essential to supporting these core values and ethical conduct.

The following Statement of Core Values and Code of Conduct are intended to build, maintain, and protect that trust, recognizing that each member of the USG community is responsible for doing his or her part by upholding the highest standards of competence and character. The USG recognizes that each member of the USG community attempts to live by his or her own values, beliefs, and ethical decision-making processes. The purpose of the Code of Conduct is to guide members of the USG community in applying the underlying USG Statement of Core Values to the decisions and choices that are made in the course of everyday endeavors.

The Statement of Core Values and Code of Conduct do not address every conceivable situation or ethical dilemma that may be faced by members of the USG community. Each University System of Georgia USG employee shall make every reasonable effort to avoid actual or apparent conflicts of interests. An apparent conflict can exist even in the absence of a legal conflict of interest. Institutions shall adopt guidelines governing conflicts of interest and may further define methods of reporting conflicts of interest, how to manage said conflicts, and terms used within this policy section, so long as such guidelines and definitions are not inconsistent with this policy.

The USG recognizes the benefits of collaboration and commercialization with the private sector and other third-party entities that supports the USG mission. Under no circumstances should a grant, gift, contract or other funding be accepted that limits the ability of USG employees to conduct or report the results of research in accordance with applicable scientific, medical, professional, and ethical standards.

Institutions shall incorporate policy and review procedures within its institutional guidelines consistent with this policy.

Each USG employee with a work commitment of 30 or more hours per week. Such activities include consulting, teaching, speaking, and participating in business, professional, or service enterprises. Direct reports of USG Presidents and those with a title of Vice President or equivalent must obtain approval from the USG institution President, whose authority cannot be delegated, using procedures established by the Chancellor.

Each USG employee, with a work commitment of less than 30 hours per week. Except as authorized for eligible faculty employees, as set forth in Section 8. Non-faculty employees may not receive Honoraria, as defined in Section 8. USG institution employees are generally prohibited from consulting with or otherwise receiving compensation from a current vendor of, or an entity seeking a vendor relationship with, the USG institution where the employee works.

System Office employees are generally prohibited from consulting with or otherwise receiving compensation from a current System Office vendor or an entity seeking a vendor relationship with the System Office. This prohibition does not apply to vendor or service relationships between the USG and other government entities. Compensation does not include standard Honoraria. See Section 8. Secondary Responsibilities may or may not entail the receipt of Honoraria, remuneration, or the reimbursement of expenses.

Recognizing that teaching, research, and public service are the primary responsibilities of USG faculty members, it is reasonable and desirable for faculty members to engage in additional activity beyond duties assigned by the institution, which are professional in nature and based in the appropriate discipline for which the individual receives additional compensation during the contract year.

Each USG institution shall adopt guidelines governing outside consulting activities of faculty members that shall include the following:. USG employees are encouraged to fulfill their civic obligations and engage in the normal political processes of society. Nevertheless, it is inappropriate for USG employees to manage or enter political campaigns while on duty to perform services for the USG or to hold elective political office at the state or federal level while employed by the USG.

A University System of Georgia USG employee shall not directly or indirectly solicit, receive, accept, or agree to receive a thing of value by inducing the reasonable belief that the giving of the thing will influence his or her performance or failure to perform any official action. The acceptance of a benefit, reward, or consideration, where the purpose of the gift is to influence an employee in the performance of his or her official functions, is a felony under O.

Positions designated as non-tenure track positions or tenure track positions may be converted to the other type only by approval of the institution President.

Non-tenure track positions may be established for full-time professional personnel employed in administrative positions or to staff research, technical, special, career, and public service programs or programs that are anticipated to have a limited lifespan or that are funded, fully or partially, through non-USG sources. There shall be no maximum time limitation for service in positions in this category. The transfer of individuals from tenure-track positions to non-tenure track positions shall be effected on a voluntary basis only.

USG institutions may appoint instructional staff members to the position of lecturer, senior lecturer, or principal lecturer. Lecturers, senior lecturers, and principal lecturers are not eligible for the award of tenure. Reappointment of a lecturer who has completed six consecutive years of service to an institution will be permitted only if the lecturer has demonstrated exceptional teaching ability and extraordinary value to the institution and if the institution determines that there is a continued need for the lecturer.

The reappointment process must follow procedures outlined by the institution. Lecturers who have served at the employing USG institution for at least six years may be considered for promotion to senior lecturer or principal lecturer at the discretion of the institution if the relevant title has been adopted by the institution and the institution has clearly-stated promotion criteria.

Institutions are discouraged from initial hiring at the senior lecturer and principal lecturer levels. Promotion to senior lecturer and principal lecturer requires approval by the President. Reappointment procedures for senior lecturers and principal lecturers follow the same reappointment procedures as those for lecturers. Senior lecturers and principal lecturers are not eligible for the award of tenure. Institutions are authorized to establish non-tenure track professional positions, with the approval of the Chancellor, with academic professional titles assigned to such appropriate positions as defined below.

The designation Academic Professional would apply to a variety of academic assignments that call for academic background similar to that of a faculty member with professorial rank, but which are distinctly different from professorial positions. Persons in such positions may be involved in duties of a managerial, research, technical, special, career, public service, or instructional support nature.

The President of a University System of Georgia USG institution or his or her designee may at any time remove any faculty member or other employee of an institution for cause. Such removals for cause shall be governed by the following policies on Grounds for Removal and Procedures for Dismissal.

Remedial actions taken as part of the post tenure review process shall not be governed by these policies on Grounds for Removal and Procedures for Dismissal, but rather shall be governed by the Board Policy on Post Tenure Review.

A tenured or non-tenured faculty member may be dismissed before the end of his or her contract term for any of the following reasons, provided that the institution has complied with procedural due process requirements:.

Each institution should provide for standards governing faculty conduct, including sanctions short of dismissal and procedures for implementing such sanctions. In imposing sanctions, the burden of proof lies with the institution. These procedures shall apply only to the dismissal of a faculty member with tenure or a non-tenured faculty member before the end of the term specified in his or her contract. Such additional standards or procedures shall be incorporated into the statutes of the institution.

The dismissal of a tenured faculty member or a non-tenured faculty member during his or her contract term should be preceded by:. A dismissal shall be preceded by statement of charges or grounds for dismissal if requested by the faculty member, including a statement that the faculty member shall have the right to be heard by a faculty hearing committee, which shall consist of not fewer than three or more than five impartial faculty members appointed by the executive committee or its equivalent of the highest legislative body of the faculty, from among the members of the entire faculty of the institution.

Members of the hearing committee may serve concurrently on other committees of the faculty. When the hearing committee is called into session, it shall elect a chair from among its membership. A minimum of three committee members is required for any vote or official action to be taken. A hearing committee member should remove himself or herself from the case, either at the request of a party or on his or her own initiative, if he or she deems himself or herself disqualified for bias or interest.

Each party shall have a maximum of two challenges without stated cause that shall be made in writing and filed with the chair of the hearing committee at least five days in advance of the date set for the hearing. Additionally, the chair may decide whether a member of the committee should be disqualified for cause.

If a committee member is removed, the replacement shall be made in the same manner as the original committee was selected. If the chair is removed, the committee shall elect a new chair after committee replacements have been appointed.

Temporary or part-time personnel serving without a written contract hold their employment at the pleasure of the institution President and chief academic officer and their immediate supervisor, any of whom may discontinue the employment of such employee without cause or advance notice. In the event a faculty member is temporarily suspended, the faculty member may request a review within ten days of being notified of the decision.

If the faculty member does so, the President shall immediately convene an ad hoc faculty committee or utilize the services of an appropriate existing faculty committee for the purpose of reviewing the suspension. The committee will recommend that the suspension either continue or cease. If it recommends that the suspension continue, it should also recommend whether the remainder of the suspension should be with or without pay.

Should the initiation of disciplinary proceedings beyond a temporary suspension become appropriate, the institution may initiate such proceedings in accordance with other applicable policies either during or after the conclusion of the temporary suspension. An employment application shall be completed by each person formally applying for a faculty position in a University System of Georgia institution. The application must be kept on file at the institution concerned.

Faculty positions are considered positions of trust subject to the applicable provisions in the Human Resources Administrative Practice Manual. USG institutions should not use the specified contracts for full-time temporary, limited-term, or part-time faculty. The administrative contract should only be used for administrators with professorial rank.

Failure to sign and return such contracts within the time period specified therein may be construed as an abandonment of employment rights. Any other provision in these policies to the contrary notwithstanding, faculty members who fail to verify or maintain the credentials, degree, certification or license required to meet the terms and conditions of their contract shall be subject to immediate dismissal for breach of their employment contract.

The Board of Regents receives an annual appropriation from the General Assembly for all phases of its operations, which may be increased or decreased by the General Assembly or the Governor during the period of any fiscal year.

Expenditures for University System of Georgia USG operation are, therefore, necessarily contingent upon legislative appropriations. In the event that the General Assembly or the Governor reduces the amount of funds appropriated to the Board, the compensation of all employees and other operating expenses may be correspondingly reduced, but the Board will attempt, in so far as possible, to maintain current salary commitments and to exert its best efforts to that end.

Each entry-level salary shall be determined on the basis of the specific requirements of the position and the qualifications of the individual employed to fill the position. Position criteria shall include the academic rank, the academic discipline, and the nature of the responsibilities to be performed.

Criteria related to the qualifications of the individual shall include:. Salary increases for full-time teaching faculty shall be awarded on the basis of merit. Criteria for determining the extent of such increases shall include:.

Research and Saturday classes will ordinarily be carried by USG personnel as part of their normal work load without additional financial compensation.

Adequate allowance in time assigned for the extra duties shall be made by a proportionate decrease in the teaching load. When off-campus services conducted through a continuing education center can be included in the normal work load of an individual, no additional compensation shall be paid.

When extra compensation is paid, it shall be in line with compensation paid for performance of similar duties. Salary supplements from cooperative organizations may only be authorized upon the recommendation and approval of the President of the institution. No consideration shall be given to salary supplements that may be paid from cooperative organizations or other sources that are over and above the regular salary paid with state funds.