Administrative Policies and Procedures

1 Lamar State College Orange Administrative Policies and Procedures Reviewed September 2019 2 | P a g e 3 | P a g e Contents SECTION 1 INTRODUCTION ..7 Administrative Policies and Procedures ..7 Institutional Statement ..9 Functions of the Human Resources Office .. 16 SECTION 2 HIRING PRACTICES .. 17 Nepotism .. 17 Dual Employment .. 19 Nominations and Appointments .. 21 Limitation on Contracts .. 23 Student Employment .. 25 Disclosure of Information .. 27 Selective Service Registration or Exemption .. 28 Criminal Record Searches .. 29 Driving Policy .. 32 Campus Program for Minors .. 36 Volunteers .. 41 SECTION 3 WAGE AND SALARY ADMINISTRATION .. 42 LSCO Employees .. 42 Employment .. 44 Promotion and Demotion .. 45 Transfer .. 47 Staff Compensation .. 48 Faculty Compensation.

2 53 Merit Increases .. 55 Management to Staff Ratios .. 56 Education Incentive .. 57 Emergency Re-call Compensation .. 58 Time and Effort Reporting Policy .. 60 SECTION 4 ATTENDANCE AND LEAVE .. 62 Attendance .. 62 Campus Closing .. 67 Leave Records .. 69 4 | P a g e Vacation Leave .. 71 Sick Leave .. 74 Catastrophic Sick Leave Pool .. 78 Leave Without Pay (LWOP) .. 82 Extended Leave Without Pay .. 84 Military Leave .. 86 Response/Training Leave .. 88 Leave for Assistance Dog 89 Family Medical Leave .. 90 Parental Leave .. 95 Foster Parental Leave .. 96 Emergency Bereavement Leave .. 97 Emergency Leave/ Administrative Leave and Other Leave .. 98 Workers 100 Return-to-Work Policy and Procedures .. 105 Jury 112 Children in the Workplace .. 114 Right to Express Breast 115 SECTION 5 CONDITIONS OF EMPLOYMENT.

3 116 Ethics .. 116 Standards of Conduct Policy .. 121 Fraud Policy .. 127 Performance Rating .. 131 Disciplinary Actions and Terminations .. 136 Grievance .. 147 Use of State Property .. 151 Social Events with Alcohol .. 152 Drug and Alcohol Abuse .. 155 Tobacco Free Workplace .. 162 Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome (AIDS) .. 166 Whistle Blower .. 168 Open Records Act .. 169 Sexual Harassment .. 170 5 | P a g e Sexual Misconduct .. 174 Racial Harassment .. 208 Concealed Handgun Policy .. 212 Specialized Training Reimbursement Policy .. 215 Personal Appearance .. 216 Open Flame Policy .. 217 Key Control Policy .. 218 Social Media Policy .. 222 Child Abuse Reporting and Training .. 226 SECTION 6 EMPLOYEE BENEFITS .. 228 Insurance .. 228 Retirement .. 231 Insurance and Retirement .. 234 Benefit Replacement Pay (BRP).

4 237 Savings Plans .. 240 Employee Education and Training Plan .. 241 Corporate Travel Charge Card .. 245 Employee Assistance Program .. 247 Professional Development .. 248 Staff/Faculty Educational Development 251 Professional Licenses .. 253 Employee Wellness Program .. 254 Wireless Communication Equipment .. 257 Employee Tuition Assistance Plan for Spouses and Dependents .. 259 SECTION 7 INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY .. 263 Information Resources Appropriate Use .. 263 Information Resources Administrative /Special Access .. 267 Information Resources Security Passphrase .. 270 Information Resources Data Classification .. 274 Information Resources Server Management .. 278 Information Resources Network Management .. 281 Information Resources Physical Access/Environmental Security .. 287 Information Resources Review for Acquisition.

5 289 6 | P a g e Information Resources Cloud Computing .. 292 7 | P a g e SECTION 1 INTRODUCTION Policy: Administrative Policies and Procedures Scope: Faculty and Staff Draft Date: 9/1/1998 Approval Date: 9/1/1998 Effective Date: 9/1/1998 Revised Date: 9/1/2011, 9/1/2015 Next Review Date: 9/1/2021 Lamar State College Orange is governed by the Board of Regents for the Texas State University System. The actions of persons employed by the College shall be consistent with Policies , Procedures , rules, regulations, directives, and guidelines that are adopted or otherwise prescribed by the Board. State human resource management Policies and regulations are drawn primarily from general laws enacted by the Legislature, the biennial Appropriations Act, Attorney General s opinions, and State Auditor interpretations. The primary sources of reference have been the Texas State University System Rules and Regulations, Amended 2019 and the Texas Human Resource Management Statutes Inventory, 2018-19 Biennium.

6 In the event of conflict between the provisions of this Manual and the System Rules and Regulations, the latter shall prevail. Relevant Policies and regulations are presented in summary form in the Administrative Policies and Procedures Manual. This Handbook includes only a brief description of benefits offered by Lamar State College Orange and an overview of major rules and Policies . It is designed to be a reference to guide present employees as well as to provide initial information to new personnel. Nothing in the Administrative Policies and Procedures Manual in any way creates an expressed or implied contract of employment. Employment is terminable at will so that both the College and its staff employees remain free to choose to terminate their work relationship at any time. CHANGES, AMENDMENTS, AND EXCEPTIONS Changes and amendments to these Policies , rules, and regulations may be made by the President with the approval of the Board of Regents for substantial changes.

7 In certain isolated and unique cases, exception to one or more of these Policies , rules, and regulations may be necessary and/or desirable. The authority to grant exception to one or more of these provisions is vested in the Office of the President. 8 | P a g e CERTIFICATION STATEMENT This Policy and Procedure Manual has been approved by the following individuals in their official capacities and represents Lamar State College Orange policy and procedure for the date of this document until superseded. Director of Human Resources; senior reviewer of this Policy and Procedure Vice President for Finance and Operations President 9 | P a g e Policy: Institutional Statement Scope: Faculty and Staff Draft Date: 9/1/1998 Approval Date: 9/1/1998 Effective Date: 9/1/1998 Revised Date: 10/1/2010, 9/1/2011, 9/1/2015, 9/1/2016, 9/1/2019 Next Review Date: 9/1/2021 INSTITUTIONAL POLICY STATEMENT Lamar State College Orange declares and reaffirms its policy of equal educational opportunity, and nondiscrimination in the provision of education, employment, and other services to the public.

8 EQUAL EMPLOYMENT OPPORTUNITY Lamar State College Orange is an equal opportunity employer. Students, faculty, and staff members are selected without regard to their race, color, sex, national origin, age, religion or disability consistent with the assurance of compliance with Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964; Executive Order 11246 amended by Executive Order 11375; Title IX of the Education Amendment of 1972, as amended; Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973; Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990, Americans with Disabilities Act Amendments of 2008, Equal Pay Act of 1963, Civil Rights Act of 1991, Age Discrimination in Employment Act of 1967, Genetic Information Nondiscrimination Act of 2008, and Family Medical Leave Act of 1993. The 76th Legislature has replaced the requirement for Affirmative Action plans with a requirement to have a recruitment plan based on a workforce availability analysis.

9 However, Lamar State College Orange shall have an Affirmative Action Program as required by Executive Order 11246, as amended by Executive Order 11375. STATEMENT ON DIVERSITY Lamar State College Orange believes that freedom of thought, innovation, and creativity are fundamental characteristics of a community of scholars. To promote such a learning environment, Lamar State College Orange has a responsibility to seek cultural diversity, to instill a global perspective in its students, and to nurture sensitivity, tolerance and mutual respect. Discrimination against or harassment of individuals on the basis of race, color, national origin, age, ethnicity, religion, sex or disability is inconsistent with the purpose of the College. EQUAL EDUCATIONAL OPPORTUNITY Lamar State College Orange reaffirms its policy of administering all of its educational programs and related supporting services, and benefits in a manner which does not discriminate because of a student's or prospective student's race, color, religion, sex, national origin, age, disability, 10 | P a g e veteran status, sexual orientation, or gender identity.

10 Further, Lamar State College Orange commits itself to a program of Affirmative Action, to encourage the application of minority and women students, to identify and eliminate the effects of any past discrimination in the provision of educational and related services, and to establish organization structures and Procedures which will assure equal treatment and equal access to the facilities and educational benefits of Lamar State College Orange to all students as required by law. AMERICANS WITH DISABILITIES 1. Policy: In accordance with the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) as amended January 1, 2009, Lamar State College-Orange will not discriminate in its hiring and employment practices against any qualified individual with a disability because of that disability. 2. Definitions: An individual with a disability is a person who has a physical or mental impairment that substantially limits one or more major life functions or activities, has a record of such impairment, or is regarded as having such impairment.