Reduction in Force

1.0    Purpose

This policy establishes guidelines to reduce or modify the college’s workforce to meet budget or operational needs.

2.0    Revision History

3.0    Persons Affected

3.1    All employees.

4.0    Policy

The policy of Casper College is to ensure the following.

4.1    The college has a process to eliminate or modify positions to address financial or operational needs.

4.2    The college has criteria to determine which positions will be eliminated or modify and how.

4.3    The college follows all applicable federal, state, and local employment laws when implementing a reduction in force.

5.0    Definitions

5.1    Reduction in Force. The elimination or modification of positions that result in the involuntary termination of an employee(s) or a change in an employee’s position that addresses financial or operational needs. These needs may include, but are not limited to, a financial exigency, lack of work, organizational changes, elimination of programs or duties, or outsourcing. Modification of positions may include, but are not limited to, furloughs. Only the Board of Trustees can declare a financial exigency.

5.2    Financial Exigency. This is an imminent financial crisis where there are current or projected insufficient funds for the college to fulfill its mission. The Board of Trustees is responsible for declaring a financial exigency.

5.3    Furlough. This is a mandatory modification of normal work hours without pay. A furlough may include a temporary closing of the impacted area or a reduction in number of hours or days worked in a month.

5.4    Impacted Area. This is the area of the college impacted by a reduction in force as determined by the president. An impacted area may include the entire college, a school, a department, an office, a unit, or a geographic area.

5.5    Full-time. These are 12 month positions that are regularly scheduled to work 30 hours or more per week, 9, 10, or 11 month positions that are regularly scheduled to work 40 hours per week, or faculty positions contracted to teach a full load.

5.6    Standard. This length of service describes benefited executive, administrative, and classified staff positions.

5.7    Tenured. This length of service describes benefited faculty positions. This is a faculty employment status granted by the president

5.8    Supply. This length of service describes benefited, non-tenured faculty positions. Time in this position may count toward continuing contract.

5.9    Adjunct. This length of service describes non-benefited teaching positions contracted for a semester or less. Time in this position does not count toward continuing contract.

5.10    Temporary. This length of service describes non-benefited classified staff or faculty positions that last a defined and finite period. Time in this position does not count toward tenure.

5.11    Recall Status. This is a one-year period where full-time employees who were involuntarily separated due to a reduction in force may be offered a vacant position within the impacted area with the same position title and at the same or lesser percent of time as the position the employee held before the reduction in force. The college will recall employees in the reverse order of separation (last separated, first recalled) to fill the vacancy. Recalled employees must contact the Human Resources Department within 14 days of written notification to accept or decline the position and establish a mutually acceptable return date or lose their recall status. The college will reinstate recalled employees at the same employment status, leave accrual rates, and longevity benefits that the employee had before the reduction in force.

6.0    Responsibilities

6.1    The Board of Trustees is responsible for declaring a financial exigency.

6.2    The president is responsible for authorizing a reduction in force and notifying the board of trustees that a reduction in force will occur, which position will be terminated, and the financial or operational reasons for choosing that position. In the case of a financial exigency, the president is responsible for securing a declaration of such from the Board of Trustees before authorizing a reduction in force for this reason.

6.3    The vice president of academic affairs is responsible for maintaining compliance with this policy regarding faculty employees.

6.4    The director of human resources is responsible for maintaining compliance with this policy regarding administrative and classified staff employees.

7.0    Procedures

7.1    The president may authorize a reduction in force in the case of a financial exigency only after the Board of Trustees has made such a declaration at an official board meeting.

The president may authorize a reduction in force in the case of lack of work, organizational changes, elimination of programs or duties, or outsourcing without board action. The president notifies the board that a reduction in force will occur and the financial or operational reasons for the reduction.

7.2    The vice president of academic affairs (for faculty) and the director of human resources (for administrative and classified staff) are responsible for overseeing the process, working with appropriate vice presidents and supervisors, and for providing the president with the following items:

7.2.1    Justification for a reduction in force and the impacted areas.

7.2.2    A list of vacated, temporary, adjunct, and probationary positions within the impacted area.

7.2.3    A list of employees considering voluntary retirement or separation or who have submitted a request for early retirement.

7.2.4    A list of tenured, standard, and supply employees ranked using the following criteria in descending order.

• Needs of the college
• Essential knowledge, skills, ability, versatility, and performance
• Seniority

7.3    The president along with the vice president of academic affairs and the director of human resources will review the documentation provided to determine which positions to eliminate or modify. They will first consider eliminating or modifying vacated, temporary, adjunct, and probationary positions and positions held by employees considering voluntary retirement or separation. They will then consider eliminating or modifying tenured, standard, and supply positions based upon the assigned rankings.

7.4    The vice president of academic affairs (for faculty) and the director of human resources (for administrative and classified staff) will provide supervisors with a list of positions to be eliminated or modified.

7.5    Supervisors notify employees and provide them with a written statement of changes to their positions not less than 30 calendar days from the effective date.

7.6    The Human Resources Department will place terminated employees on recall status and provide employees with pertinent separation information.