Section II: The Augustana Workplace

When positions become open at the college, the hiring manager will work with the Office of Human Resources or the Provost to discuss the need for a replacement. Departments should first look at whether any reorganization of duties or changes to the position are in order. All position replacements must be approved through the Office of Human Resources or the Provost’s Office, which will present requests to the VP of Finance/CFO and the President.

Approved positions will be posted on the college website as well as advertised in other venues to create the best pool of applicants. Current employees who are interested in open positions will be considered along with outside candidates. This practice may change in certain situations such as when the timeline of a search process would cause a severe detriment to student outcomes or college operations.

In some circumstances, such as a departmental reorganization, the college may decide to limit applications to current employees. In these circumstances, the Office of Human Resources will notify the campus community of the opportunity as well as the application process.

When a position within the college becomes available, it is the college’s practice to seek the best-qualified candidates possible. In addition, the college follows all applicable federal, state and local laws and does not discriminate based on any protected class. While employee referrals for open positions are welcomed, these referrals will not receive preferential treatment. Applicants will be required to submit materials and answer questions during the selection process. All offers of employment will be contingent on a criminal and background check. Open positions are generally posted on the college website and relevant outside posting sites.

Current employees who are interested in an open position must follow the same application procedures as outside candidates and will participate in the same selection process as outside candidates. Generally, non-faculty employees who have worked in their current position for less than six months will not be considered for open positions. To the extent possible, confidentiality regarding the interest of internal candidates will be maintained until it is appropriate to conduct an internal reference check.

For some positions, a medical exam may be required to establish the prospective employee’s ability to safely perform the requirements of the job. All candidates who are selected for a position will be required to successfully complete a criminal background check before employment can begin.

Some positions may be eligible for assistance with work authorization from the college. Generally, this assistance is available only for faculty positions and all requests are coordinated through the Office of Human Resources. For approved positions, the college will pay required fees for temporary (H-1B) approvals and share the cost for permanent residency applications with employees. Any assistance for family members is the responsibility of the employee.

Stipends are occasionally used for faculty employees in situations where work outside of usual workload is assigned for a discrete period. These are most often used for interim leadership assignments or overload course work. Stipends are normally not available for exempt and non-exempt employees. All stipends must be approved using the college's stipend request form with a signature from the appropriate Cabinet member. In rare instances, stipends may be provided to non-faculty employees. These requests must be pre-approved by Human Resources. Stipend payments are not eligible for retirement contributions or other benefits. For more information, please refer to the Stipend Policy.

As part of the overall student experience, student employees are used on campus in a variety of work settings. Children, or other close relatives, of current employees are not allowed to work in the same department as their parent or other close relatives. In general, it is expected that student employees will be held to high standards of professionalism, productivity and regular attendance. Often student employment is part of the learning process, so additional reminders and extra feedback should be given to make sure that student employees understand job expectations and have the tools and knowledge to create high-quality outcomes. 

Summer jobs for students are available in a variety of settings, and the same general guidelines apply. Summer jobs are reserved for currently enrolled students. Graduating seniors and incoming first-year students should not be hired for these campus jobs. The Office of Human Resources may grant limited exceptions for graduating seniors if unique high-level skills are needed for the work.

The following guidelines must be followed when hiring student employees: 

• Currently, the college uses Handshake to post all open student positions. Assistance in posting a student position is available by contacting career development.

• Augustana must comply with federal regulations by submitting all new student hires (no matter the length of employment) to the student payroll coordinator at least 48 hours prior to the student’s start date via the Student New Hire Form, and ensuring that those students have completed the necessary paperwork (Federal I-9 and W-4s) before those students start their jobs. Failure to follow these guidelines will result in the student not being paid on a timely basis.

• The college sets restrictions on the maximum number of hours students may work on campus, in a combination of all positions. Supervisors should seek guidance on this threshold from the student employment coordinator located in the career development area of CORE. These hours may vary for international students where off campus employment is not available.

During breaks, students are allowed to work no more than 40 hours if the departmental budget allows for it.

While individual employees may decide to leave employment at Augustana at any point, retirement is defined by the college as retirees enjoy certain benefits and are invited to participate in the retirement celebration each year.

Augustana defines retirement as those employees who are at least 55 years of age with at least 10 years of service, and a combined age and service year total of at least 70. When calculating total years of service for retirement, years of service will not restart due to a service break. Generally, the college expects an extended period of notice for retirements of at least 30 days. 

Employees contemplating retirement should note that retirement under these age and service requirements may not satisfy the requirements for other retirement benefits. 

Employees of Augustana College are free to pursue their own activities outside of work hours; however, additional employment that might be in conflict or in competition with the work of the college is prohibited.

Employees may be asked to work additional hours or engage in work on the weekends or outside the normal schedule. On these occasions, it is expected that employment with Augustana College will be the first priority. 

For those employees with employment outside of the college, for any outside work performed during normal work hours, paid time off should be utilized rather than "flexing" one's hours for thise obligations and gain supervisory approval before beginning work. In addition, employees can not use Augustana materials, tools, workspace or technology to complete outside employment duties

Upon hire, a personnel file is established for each employee. Access to these files is limited to legitimate business purposes and is maintained by the Office of Human Resources. In addition, the Office of Academics Affairs maintains a file for faculty employees. An employee’s personnel file houses basic employment information, compensation history, performance-related documents and other information related to employment with the college. Employees who wish to review their file should schedule a time with the Office of Human Resource and/or Academic Affairs, who will review the file with the employee. Twenty-four hours’ notice is generally required. Employees are not permitted to remove their files or items contained in their files from the reviewing area.

Each employee is responsible for notifying the Office of Human Resources of any changes in personal information such as:

• change of mailing address 
• change of primary phone number 
• change of emergency phone contact 
• change in marital or dependent status 
• name change 
• change in direct deposit location or amount 
• change in tax withholding information 
• change in license status (i.e., suspensions or revocations), any drug- or alcohol-related driving offenses, and any motor vehicle accidents in which a college “credentialed driver” was at fault

Theft of Augustana College funds, property or property of individuals who are members of the college community should be reported immediately to the Office of Public Safety/Police and Human Resources, which will conduct an investigation. When college funds are involved, the vice president of finance and administration will be notified.

It is the policy of Augustana College to report theft to the Rock Island Police Department for further investigation and prosecution. The president has sole authority to forgo referral to the Rock Island Police Department for criminal prosecution.

In the case of theft of property from individuals on college property, the decision to file a criminal charge is up to the individual victim. A decision on whether criminal prosecution is appropriate for a theft does not determine whether an accused employee should be terminated or otherwise disciplined.

Employees who resign their position may be considered for re-employment should future positions become available for which the employee is qualified. Time off accruals will begin anew and previous service will not be considered. Benefit eligibility, including tuition remission and exchange will be based on the new employment date.

Smoking and vaping are prohibited on the Augustana campus. This includes cigarettes, vapes and similar products that involve the burning or vaporizing of tobacco, and similar nicotine-containing products. Augustana College asks that all community members share in the adherence and enforcement of this ban. If necessary, a report can be filed through the Reporting Incidents form. Additionally, smoking, vaping and use of smoke-free tobacco is not allowed in college-owned vehicles by drivers or passengers.

In general the work of the college continues despite inclement weather or other severe weather conditions. In some cases, the college may choose to shift to remote learning and remote work during times of inclement weather. In these cases, employees whose jobs or supervisors allow for remote work, should not travel to campus but instead work remotely. Some employees or departments may be required to report to work despite inclement weather.

Employees whose jobs do not allow for remote work and are not asked to report to campus may utilize paid time off to avoid unpaid time.

Additional information regarding essential staff and pay policies are available in the Staff and Administrative handbook.

In order to foster an environment for learning and to avoid the potential for exploitation, Augustana College employees are prohibited from engaging in any relationship with students of Augustana which may reasonably be perceived as a dating, romantic, or sexual relationship (referred to in this Policy as “amorous relationships”). This prohibition of amorous relationships with students applies even if the relationship is considered by both parties to be consensual. This prohibition also applies to amorous relationships with students that the parties may describe as a single interaction, casual or serious, or short term or long term.

When an amorous relationship with a student exists prior to the hire of an employee or prior to the enrollment of a student, the employee or potential employee must notify human resources of the relationship. This relationship will be exempted from this policy provided it does not violate any other College policies regarding conflict of interest, nepotism or personal relationships, and any other requirements related to the relationship are followed. In the case of an amorous relationship existing prior to an employee’s hire, the disclosure must be made prior to or at the time of hire. In the case of an amorous relationship existing with an individual prior to their enrollment as a student, the employee must disclose the relationship prior to the student’s enrollment.

An employee who violates this all-college policy will be subject to discipline up to and including dismissal in a manner consistent with other college policies.

Augustana College places a high value on students and employees and is committed to maintaining a safe and healthy learning environment and a workplace free from chemical substance abuse. Similarly, Augustana College is committed to compliance with the Drug-Free Workplace Act (1988) and the Drug-Free Schools and Communities Act of 1986 and Amendments of 1989.

Augustana College prohibits all employees (for this policy only, “employee” or “employees” includes student workers) from reporting to work or performing work for the college while impaired or under the influence of illegal drugs or alcohol. The use, possession, dispensation, distribution, manufacture or sale of alcohol or illegal drugs by an employee in the workplace, or while the employee is on duty or official college business, is prohibited. This standard of conduct applies to all college-sponsored on-campus and off-campus activities.

Any employee found to have violated this policy will be subject to discipline up to and including termination or dismissal. As appropriate, the college may refer individuals for treatment in lieu of or in addition to disciplinary action.

Federal law contains further prohibitions against the manufacture, possession with the intent to distribute or distribution of controlled substances, including narcotic drugs, depressant or stimulant substances. As appropriate, the college may refer individual cases to the appropriate authorities for legal action as part of its responsive action.

Any employee who is convicted of violating any criminal drug statute must report that conviction to the director of Human Resources no later than five days after the conviction. For purposes of this policy, “conviction” means a finding of guilt or the imposition of a sentence, or both, by any federal or state judicial body. Failure to report such a conviction may result in immediate dismissal.

Employees who drive an Augustana vehicle or personal vehicle for college business are required to promptly report any change in licensure status. As part of the college’s drug-free awareness efforts, an Employee Assistance Program is available for those in need of rehabilitation or counseling. This service is without charge to employees and family members.

More information about the Employee Assistance Program is available in the benefits section of the All Employee Handbook. Additional resources and information on this the health risks of drug and alcohol use along a description of the legal sanctions for the unlawful possession or distribution of illicit drugs and alcohol is available in the Alcohol & Illegal Drug Abuse section of the Employee Handbook Appendix.

While the possession, use or distribution of alcoholic beverages on the premises or while at work is prohibited, the following situations are exemptions from this policy:

• Alcoholic beverages served and consumed by employees at special meetings or events that are catered by Augustana Dining Services or at which the college has approved the serving of such beverages, with a designated individual to monitor alcohol service

• The private apartments of residence hall directors 

• Other special events under the direction of a member of the Cabinet .

Alcohol should not be served in locations where students are present. Alcohol may be served in confined consumption areas and in the Kenny Anderson All-American Club.

Employee bulletin boards are located near many employee entrances as well as outside the Human Resources area and outside the Academic Affairs area. These boards house important information about employee rights; any long-term or short term required postings, as well as federal, state and local labor laws. Employees should check these bulletin boards for important information on a periodic basis. Bulletin boards are for college posting, and employees may not post information on college bulletin boards.

Open communication is an attribute to which all departments within the college strive. Employees’ suggestions are always welcomed and can generally be directed to the department chair, manager or supervisor. Employees also are welcome to provide suggestions to the president through the online suggestion box on the President’s Office web page. This suggestion box allows any employee to submit a suggestion either anonymously or with a name attached. All suggestions are reviewed, referred to the appropriate Cabinet member, and kept on file. Follow up from the Cabinet member is provided whenever possible.

Upon hire, an email account is established for each employee of the college and will be used for frequent college communication. Employees are placed in appropriate email groups based on their position. The ability to send mass emails is limited by position as well, and messages to large groups should generally be sent using one of the following methods:

• HR Update: A weekly publication sent to all college employees
• Student Bulletin: A twice-weekly publication sent to all students during the academic year
• Campus Update: A periodic publication sent to internal and external audience

Any emails sent are considered Augustana communication so care must be taken to ensure that content is appropriate and does not violate our community principles.

Based on the requirements of each employee’s position, required training will be provided to employees. Most training of this nature will be delivered electronically and are required for compliance with a number of state and federal laws as well as other agreements and/or best practices. Employees are required to complete the training by the assigned timeline. Questions about content or technical issues associated with completion can be directed to the Office of Human Resources which will coordinate a response.

The Office of Communication and Marketing is responsible for the college’s social media presence. Employees or departments that wish to create an official Augustana presence should work through the Office of Communication and Marketing.

Departments should ensure that passwords and access are recorded by the department and can be transitioned in the event an employee leaves the college.

In general, the college uses social media to enhance reputation. Some social media content invites discussion of important ideas and issues. Augustana College reserves the right to remove posts or comments on its channels that are obscene, defamatory, offensive, abusive, spam or advertising, or contain threats of violence or are unrelated to the content or information. 

Augustana College also reserves the right to remove posts or comments that violate applicable laws including, but not limited to, copyright and trademark, or those that violate the use policies by the applicable social media provider. 

The Office of Information Technology oversees the college’s technology concerns and is responsible for creating and enforcing policies and procedures to ensure college information remains as secure as possible. Additional information is available on the ITS page of the Augustana website. The following guidelines have been established for all employees using Augustana technology:

1. Augustana email and other provided resources are not private or confidential. All College provided technology as well as data stored on or transmitted over College resources, belongs to the College. While Augustana College does not routinely monitor an individual’s electronic data or network usage, the College may monitor, examine, regulate, any data located on or accessed via Augustana provided resources, without the permission of the user. While Augustana College does not routinely monitor the contents of email, the contents of any user’s private directories, and Internet usage, all college-supplied technology belongs to the College. With a user’s verbal or written permission, ITS staff may or the College may access email or files in a user’s private directories for diagnostic purposes without the permission of the user. However, if asked by the appropriate authorities (for example: Dean’s Office, Security, or law enforcement), we reserve the right to do so.

Many software systems are designed to collect usage information and to log user activity. The college routinely aggregates the data stored in these logs for analytical purposes. In general, the college does not attempt to extract from the logs data regarding the activity of individual users. The college does, however, reserve the right to do so.

2. Disparaging, abusive, profane or offensive language; materials that would adversely or negatively reflect upon the college or be contrary to the college’s best interests; and any illegal activities—including piracy, hacking, extortion, blackmail, copyright infringement and unauthorized access to any systems, data or technology—are forbidden.

3. Copyrighted materials may not be utilized by employees on any college equipment without the express permission of the owner of the copyright as well as proper citation of source. All employees obtaining access to other companies’ or individuals’ materials must respect all copyrights and may not copy, retrieve, modify or forward copyrighted materials, except with permission or as a single copy to reference only. Faculty should consult with the copyright policy which more clearly outlines permissible uses of materials.

4. Employees are responsible for the content of all text, audio or images that they place or send over the college’s network system. No email, or other electronic communications, may be sent which hides the identity of the sender or represents the sender as someone else. The college’s name is attached to all messages, so employees should use discretion in formulating messages.

5. Internal and external email messages are considered business records and may be subject to discovery in the event of litigation. Employees should be aware of this possibility when sending email within and outside the college.

Due to the nature of the college’s busy campus, it is difficult to distinguish visitors with a legitimate business purpose from those whose visits are of personal nature. To avoid unnecessary annoyances and interruptions from work, solicitation (i.e., candy sales, magazines, church-related events, etc.) by an employee of another employer is prohibited. Employee distribution of literature in work areas is prohibited at all times. Trespassing, soliciting or distribution of literature by non-employees on the college’s premises is prohibited at all times. Exceptions to the policy for charities can be made by department chairs or managers but must be made in advance of any solicitation.

Personal visitors

Personal visits from family members, children, grandchildren and/or friends are allowed on a limited basis and should happen infrequently. Typically, these visits should be combined with regularly scheduled breaks and should not disrupt the workflow of the area. Young children should be supervised at all times to ensure that safety issues do not occur.

Employees are not allowed to substitute the workplace for childcare, even on a limited basis.

Contractors, Service Vendors and Inspectors

Contractors, suppliers, service vendors and inspectors, including IT technicians, plumbers and OSHA inspectors can enter our premises only to complete their job duties. The Office of Public Safety is responsible for providing these visitors with badges and for instructing them to wear those badges at all times on our premises.

Unauthorized visitors

Public Safety staff that spot unauthorized visitors may ask them to leave. Visitors who misbehave (e.g., engage in hate speech, cause disruption or steal property) will be asked to leave and prosecuted, if appropriate. Employees who spot unauthorized visitors may refer them to the Office of Public Safety.

Designated parking areas have been provided for employees of Augustana College. Employees should utilize these areas and are not allowed to park in areas designated for student use. New employees should secure a parking permit and sticker from the Human Resources or Public Safety offices and follow the instructions for proper display of the sticker. Cars that are parked in fire lanes may receive a ticket from the City of Rock Island. Improperly parked cars on campus also are subject to parking tickets from Augustana Public Safety officers. Tickets are the responsibility of the employee, and unpaid parking fines may result in discipline.

Employees who travel for Augustana College business should follow the travel policy found on the Augustana website: https://www.augustana.edu/about-us/offices/purchasing/travel. These guidelines were created to ensure that employees make travel decisions that allow for accomplishing the purpose of their business in a cost-effective manner. Questions or clarifications about the travel policy should be directed to the employee’s direct supervisor or to the director of financial planning, analysis and procurement.

Travel expenses must be documented for reimbursement purposes. Travel advances generally are not available. Non-exempt employees who travel on behalf of the college for training or regular work assignments should work with their supervisor to determine which travel and training hours are considered work hours. A practice memo with detailed guidelines is available from the Office of Human Resources.

As a cost-savings mechanism and convenience feature, purchase cards are available to employees who frequently make purchases on behalf of the college. Purchases made with these cards are for legitimate business purposes only, and each employee is responsible for providing documentation for purchases made and detailed receipts. Misuse of the purchase card will subject the employee to discipline up to and including termination. Detailed guidelines for purchase card usage are available on the campus website.

Employees are provided keys to those areas where access will be needed on a regular or frequent basis. To maintain the security of our campus, employee access may be restricted. The keys provided are the property of the college and must be returned when employment at Augustana ends. Lost or stolen keys should be reported immediately to the Office of Public Safety. Augustana keys should never be copied or loaned to anyone. Keys are generally not available for temporary employees, seasonal employees or independent contractors.

This policy applies to all employees, students, persons conducting business and individuals visiting the college’s campus.

Augustana College maintains a weapons- and firearms-free campus. “Campus” includes, but is not limited to, the Augustana College campus in Rock Island; a regional office located in Lombard, Ill.; field stations located throughout the state of Illinois; residential properties owned and controlled by Augustana located in Rock Island, including residence halls and transitional living areas; and sites, whether owned, leased or controlled by Augustana, where Augustana programs, activities and classes are held. Unless authorized by law or specifically exempted by Augustana College policy or federal or state law, no individual may possess a weapon or firearm while on the Augustana College campus.

The provisions of this policy do not apply to law enforcement officers required to carry a weapon for their employment, including sworn officers of the Augustana College Police Department; the use of simulated weapons or firearms in connection with Augustana College theatrical productions; or off-duty law enforcement officers on campus.

A weapon or firearm may be transported into a college-owned parking area if the weapon or firearm and its ammunition remain locked in a case out of view within the parked and locked vehicle. “Case” is defined as a glove compartment or console that completely encases the weapon or firearm and its ammunition, the trunk of the vehicle, or a weapon or firearm carrying box. The weapon or firearm may be removed only for the limited purpose of storage or retrieval from within the trunk of the vehicle. A weapon or firearm must be unloaded before removal from the vehicle. Any individuals arriving on campus with a licensed weapon or firearm who cannot store their weapon or firearm in their vehicle must immediately contact the Augustana College Police Department at 309-794-7711.

Violations of this policy may result in arrest and prosecution, as well as referrals to external law enforcement agencies. Additionally, any individual visiting campus found to violate this policy may be banned from campus. Students in violation of this policy will be subject to discipline, up to and including, but not limited to, expulsion from Augustana College. An employee found to violate this policy will be subject to discipline, up to and including, but not limited to, immediate termination of employment.

Signs are posted at main building entrances informing that concealed firearms are prohibited. Signs are in accordance with the design approved by the Illinois State Police.

While Augustana employs a dedicated group of Public Safety/Police staff, it is the job of each and every employee to assist in keeping our workplace and campus as safe as possible. Employees who receive or overhear any threatening communications from an employee or outside third party should report it to the Office of Public Safety/Police immediately. Employees should not engage in either physical or verbal confrontation with a potentially violent individual. If an employee encounters an individual who is threatening immediate harm to an employee or visitor to our premises or to any worksite, contact the Office of Public Safety/Police at 309-794-7711 or an emergency agency, such as 911, immediately.

All reports of work-related threats will be kept confidential to every extent possible, investigated and documented. Employees are expected to report and cooperate with an investigation of any suspected and/or actual cases of workplace violence.

Violations of this policy, including an employee’s failure to report or fully cooperate in the college’s investigation, may result in disciplinary action, up to and including immediate discharge.