UIC COVID-19 Guiding Principles for Hiring
UIC COVID-19 Guiding Principles for Hiring Heading link
In recognition of the severe financial challenges the University will face this fiscal year and next, the Chancellor has approved modified hiring guidelines to be followed prior to authorizing a recruitment and or hiring offer. Although this new business process is officially effective May 1, 2020, a re-examination of the positions that have been currently posted will also be required. These requirements do not apply to UI Health recruitments. Their executive leadership will continue to make decisions about the staffing needs of the health care enterprise (UIC Hospital, clinics and Mile Square Health Center).
Guiding Principles
I. To be approved for recruitment the position must be central to the critical ongoing core activities driven by our mission. These include, in priority order, the following:
Category 1. The COVID-19 response including hiring to support essential functions for public safety, health care other than UI Health, and maintain critical campus infrastructure.
Category 2. Positions directly related to enhancement of online and blended learning, or the online delivery of programs.
Category 3. Grant funded, self-supporting or auxiliary enterprise activities that demonstrate sufficient revenue to offset the salary and related costs of the position and/or other service delivery costs determined to be critical functions.
Category 4. Any other position – including any tenure/tenure track faculty position – that can be clearly justified as a current critical need.
A. Excluded Circumstances.
- If a previously posted position has an offer extended, those offers will not be rescinded. Offers letters that are dated and signed on or before May 1, 2020 should be attached to the HRFE transaction when submitting a new hire. Offers dated after May 1, 2020 should also include the updated Position Authorization with the required approvals and justification.
- If a previously made offer is not accepted, for faculty positions, the Dean shall obtain approval of the Provost or VCHA whether an offer should be made to the 2nd choice. For all other positions, if an offer is rejected, the unit head must obtain the approval of the cognizant Vice Chancellor or Chancellor before going to the 2nd choice candidate.
- This guideline should not impact faculty summer salaries for instruction or research. However, with every personnel action that will incur additional expense, these should be closely reviewed as appropriate within the fiscal constraints we are facing.
- Staff reclassifications, changes in duties for Academic Professional positions as documented with a revised job description that may include title changes and salary increases to reflect the additional responsibilities, and temporary over-compensation actions, especially if related to adjusting workload to avoid additional staff hires.
- The process will not apply to adjuncts or NTT faculty appointed during the academic year. However, the process would apply for NTT appointments that are multi-year, unless such action is not in compliance with the collective bargaining agreement, page 10, Article IX. Appointment, Reappointment, Promotion, Layoff and Recall Section C.2: https://uofi.app.box.com/s/69ge0woheqqq41s418schbclv1o1on7i
B. Excluded Classifications.
Special approval other than compliance with college and unit procedures, as may be amended by those units for COVID-19, is NOT required for the following classifications: Extra Help, Graduate/Teaching/Research Assistant, Student Hourly (Undergraduate and Graduate), Academic Clinic/Research Hourly, Post-Doctoral Research Associate, Medical Residents, Rehire Retiree and 0% Appointments.
Units must demonstrate the financial ability to sustain the costs, given the high likelihood of budget reductions from all funding sources.
- Rather than filling vacant positions, units should focus on how they can shift, eliminate or change job duties to absorb workload rather than incurring new costs.
- To the extent practicable, under the current financial constraints, extra help hires or shorter term visiting appointments are encouraged.
- Positions in any stage of the recruitment process must be reviewed again by the relevant Vice Chancellor unless an offer has been made. For positions that are currently posted on the UIC Job Board, please reach out to your assigned recruiter (for Civil Service positions) or the Office for Access and Equity (for Academic Professional and Faculty positions) before submitting a recertification. When a recertification is submitted it removes the position from the job board. Your recruiter or OAE will notify you of the best way to handle the recertification for your position.
Implementation Details / Process Workflow for New Positions and Current in Process Positions:
- Complete the HireTouch UPDATED POSITION AUTHORIZATION FORM that will get routed to each level for approval. For positions exempted as listed above, please follow normal steps already in place for approval.
- The form will be routed within HireTouch for approvals as follows:
Step 1: The department HR officer will complete all sections of the form and forward to the College HR approver.
Step 2: If approved, the form will be routed to the Dean/Vice Chancellor or their delegate.
Step 3: If approved by the Dean/Vice Chancellor it will route to the cognizant Vice Chancellor / Chancellor for approval. For non-academic units this process will have the Vice Chancellor (or their delegate) approve both steps 2 and 3.
Step 4: If approved by the Vice Chancellor / Chancellor, the form is routed to the Associate Chancellor, Budget and Financial Administration who will complete a financial review.
Step 5: The results of the financial review will be communicated to the cognizant executive to inform their final decision to proceed. If denied the vice chancellor, dean and UIC HR will be informed and the transaction will be stopped.
Please note: UIC HR is updating Hire Touch and you will be notified as soon as the new Position Authorization (PA) form is available for use. Please do not make any changes now in Hire Touch until you receive notification that the new PA is available. Also, if you have been planning to submit for a new position in Hire Touch, please wait until the new PA is available to submit.
UIC HR will reach out the colleges and vice chancellors to advise on adding access and approval authorization in HireTouch. Also, a detailed job aid will be provided with more detailed process steps than listed above.
Janet Parker, Associate Chancellor for Budget and Financial Administration
Michael Ginsburg, Associate Vice Chancellor for Human Resources