Procedures for the Employment of Unclassified Personnel on Externally Funded Grants

The following procedures include instructions for:

Creation of new unclassified positions, and employment of individuals to fill those postions;
Creation of emergency temporary positions and employment of individuals to fill those positions; and
The filling of existing or continuing positions vacated by resignation or retirement during the course of a project.

Creation of New Unclassified Positions

In order to process the appointment of unclassified personnel on externally funded grants, the Research Office must first have a written notification of award/funding of the grant.

All requests for the creation of new unclassified positions or for the appointment of unclassified personnel to positions must have the approval of the University of Louisiana System and do not become official until ratified by the full UL System Board of Supervisors. Since the UL System Board of Supervisors meets only periodically, the process of requesting the appointment of unclassified employees should begin immediately upon receipt of official notification of funding.

Once notification of award/funding of the grant is received, the procedures for the employment of unclassified personnel on externally funded grants are as follows:

The Project Director/Principal Investigator (PD/PI) must submit a letter to the President, through the proper chain of command, requesting permission to create the position (see sample letter). The President's office will submit this request to the UL System for approval. To expedite the process, the PD/PI's may want to review with the Research Office a draft letter to the President, even beforu official grant notification is received.
During review through the chain of command, the EEO Officer assigns an EEO Number (this number is required on all correspondence), and provides a check list detailing proper search procedures. PD/PI's should review the University's EEO policy statements.
Once the PD/PI receives an approved copy of the request to create the position, the PD/PI may then begin a search to fill the position. A vacancy announcement must be approved through the chain of command and the EEO Officer. To expedite the process, the PD/PI's may want to review with the Research Office a draft of the vacancy announcement before final approval of the position. Please remember that even with approval to create a position, a position may not be filled without approval by the President. A new employee may not begin working in a position until after the correct procedures have been followed and approval has been given for an official appointment date.
Names and addresses (preferably home addresses) of all applicants must be sent by the PD/PI to the EEO Officer on mailing labels as they are received. The labels will be used on envelopes for mailing an EEO Data Form to each applicant. It is urged that additional applicant names/addresses be sent in on a weekly basis while applications are still being accepted.
After closing the date for applications to be received, a list of names only of all applicants must be sent by the PD/PI to the EEO Officer for approval of thu applicant pool.
Tthe PD/PI initiates an Appointment Form for Unclassified Personnel to hire the candidate. This form must have signatures as follows: 1) person recommending employment; 2) EEO Officer; 3) Director of Academic Planning and Faculty Development (if person will be teaching); 4) appropriate Department Head/Director; 5) appropriate Dean; 6) appropriate Vice President; 7) Vice President for Research, Innovation, and Economic Development; and finally, 8) the President.
The President's office sends Requests for Appointments to the UL System for approval. Once UL System Officials have preliminarily approved the appointment, the President's office will send an approved copy of the appointment form to the Vice President for Research, Innovation, and Economic Development, who will notify the appropriate PD/PI and others in the chain of command that the appointment has been preliminarily approved, pending review by the UL System Board of Supervisors.

Note: The Board of Supervisors meets only periodically. Appointments may begin on effective dates of appointment as preliminarily approved by UL System Officials, pending ratification by the UL System Board of Supervisors.

If subsequently, the Board of Supervisors fails to ratify an appointment, such appointment will be rescinded and the President's office will notify the PD/PI through the Vice President for Research, Innovation, and Economic Development and the rest of the chain of command.

Should the relevant employee elect to delay starting work until after official ratification by the Board of Supervisors, it is the responsibility of the PD/PI to notify the Vice President for Research, Innovation, and Economic Development of the delay in starting date. The Vice President for Research, Innovation, and Economic Development will notify the President and the Assistant Vice President for Financial Services (and others in the chain of command) by memorandum alerting all involved of the change in employment starting date.

Creation of Emergency Temporary Positions

In some cases it is not necessary to fill a permanent (or long-term) position, requiring a complete EEO screening process. In the case of such emergency temporary appointments (limited to a maximum of one year duration, or until the end of the fiscal year, which ever comes first*), the procedures will be as follows:

The PD/PI must submit a letter to the President, through the proper chain of command, requesting permission to create the position (see sample letter ). The President's office will submit this request to the UL System for approval.
Once the PD/PI receives an approved copy of the request to create the position, the PD/PI may then submit a letter to request permission to fill the position.
Once the PD/PI receives permission to fill the position, the PD/PI initiates an Appointment Form for Unclassified Personnel to hire candidate. This form must have signatures as follows: 1) person recommending employment; 2) EEO Officer; 3) Director of Academic Planning and Faculty Development (if person will be teaching); 4) appropriate Department Head/Director; 5) appropriate Dean; 6) appropriate Vice President; 7) Vice President for Research, Innovation, and Economic Development; and finally, 8) the President.
The President's office sends Requests for Appointments to the UL System for approval. Once UL System Officials have preliminqrily approved the appointment, the President's office will send an approved copy of the appointment form to the Vice President for Research, Innovation, and Economic Development, who will notify the appropriate PD/PI and others in the chain of command that the appointment has been preliminarily approved, pending review by the UL System Board of Supervisors.

Filling of an Existing or Continuing Position

In the case of continuing positions (positions that already appear in the budget), the procedures will be as follows:

During review through the chain of command, the EEO Officer assigns an EEO Number (this number is required on all correspondence), and provides a check list detailing proper search procedures. PD/PI's should review the University's EEO policy.

When filling a continuing position with a new employee, the PD/PI must first send written notification to the President's Office via the appropriate chain of command indicating the resignation (or retirement) of the previous employee. This notification should include a letter of resignation from the employee previously appointed to the position.
The PD/PI must then send through the appropriate chain of command a letter to request permission to fill the position. This letter should be similar in format to a letter requesting permission to create a position (see sample letter). Substitute the words "fill an existing position" in place of the words "create a new position."
Once the PD/PI receives an approved copy of the request to fill the position, the PD/PI may then begin a search to fill the position. A vacancy announcement must be approved through the chain of command and the EEO Officer. To expedite the process, the PD/PI's may want to review with the Research Office a draft of the vacancy announcement before final approval of the position.
Names and addresses (preferably home addresses) of all applicants must be sent by the PD/PI to EEO Officer on mailing labels as they are received. The labels will be used on envelopes for mailing an EEO Data Form to each applicant. It is urged that additional applicant names/addresses be sent in on a weekly basis while applications are still being accepted.
After the closing date for applications to be received, a list of names only of all applicants must be sent by PD/PI to the EEO Officer for approval ov applicant pool.
The PD/PI initiates an Appointment Form for Unclassified Personnel to hire candidate. This form must have signatures as follows: 1) person recommending employment; 2) EEO Officer; 3) Director of Academic Planning and Faculty Development (if person will be teaching); 4) appropriate0Department Head/Director; 5) appropriate Dean; 6) appropriate Vice President; 7) Vice President for Research, Innovation, and Economic Development; and finally, 8) the President.
Appointment Forms for Unclassified Personnel submitted for continuing positions must have the same rank/title, salary, and restricted account number as the previous appointment.
The President's office sends Requests for Appointments to the UL System for approval. Once UL System Officials have preliminarily approved the appointment, the President's office will send an approved copy of the appointment form to the Vice President for Research, Innovation, and Economic Development, who will notify the appropriate PD/PI and others in the chain of command that the appointment has been preliminarily approved, pending review by the UL System Board of Supervisors.