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Instructions:

Guide for Personnel Administrators – Primary Adjunct Appointments-Contract and Personnel Action Form (PAF) Preparation

INTRODUCTION:

This guide providesinstructionsfor Personnel Administrators (PAs) in preparing contracts and personnel actionsfor individualswhose primary appointment is an adjunct faculty position. This guide does not apply to full time faculty whose secondary (“overload”) jobs is processed as an adjunct position.

Adjunct faculty appointments must be recruited for under VCU’s recruitment process for adjunct faculty positions, (see Adjunct Position and Recruiting Hiring Guide) unless hired (or renewed) prior to implementation of these recruitment procedures.

Since adjunct faculty appointments are part-time, temporary appointments, these appointments are only for a period of up to one year.

Prior to hiring an individual into an adjunct position, it is important to understand that at Virginia Commonwealth University (VCU), there are several federal and state laws which impose certain restrictions onthe employment of adjunct (part-time, temporary) faculty. VCU’s Adjunct Faculty Appointments - Compliance with ACA, MCP, andFLSA document details these restrictions. These procedures must be adhered to for any initial adjunct appointment or subsequent adjunct appointment. Most significantly, alladjunct faculty are restricted to working no more than twenty nine (29) hours per week per, on average, between May 1st and April 30th of the following year (the “Standard Measurement Period”), which is no more than 1480 hours during the Standard Measurement Period.

Accordingly, upon the selection of an adjunct faculty member, and prior to contract issuance, the schools/units are therefore responsible for determining from the prospective adjunct faculty if they have or have had any other adjunct or hourly appointment(s) (non-benefited jobs) at VCU during the “Standard Measurement Period”. The PAs should also review the “Management of 29 Hours” and the “Management of 29 Hours – Individual Audit” reports in VCU’s Reporting Centerwhich will help to ensure compliance with the 1480 hourly restrictions.

CATEGORIES OF ADJUNCT FACULTY:

There are currently six (6) categories of adjunct faculty appointments at VCUas follows:

  • Adjunct faculty that provide credit instruction(Position Class AJ001, Position Number J00001)
  • Adjunct faculty who have primarily administrative responsibilities(Position Class AJ002, Position Number J00002)
  • Adjunct faculty who provide continuing education instruction(Position Class AJ003, Position Number J00003)These positions are only available to full-time faculty as an “overload” and do not require a recruitment.
  • Adjunct faculty who provide instruction during the summer(Position Class AJ004, Position Number J00004)
  • Adjunct faculty who provide instruction in the Elderhostel Program(Position Class AJ005, Position Number J00005)
  • Adjunct faculty who provide non-credit instruction(Position Class AJ006, Position Number J00006)

APPOINTMENT OF ADJUNCTS WITH INSTRUCTIONAL DUTIES (CREDIT OR NON-CREDIT)-

J00001, J0004, J0006:

  1. Once a candidate has been selected through the VCU adjunct recruitment process:
  2. Inform the successful applicant that they will be sent an employment contract and new hire forms.
  3. Communicate that they are required to submit an official seal-bearing transcript within 30 days of hire in accordance with VCU’s Transcript Requirements. This communication can be sent electronically.
  1. Prepare the employment contracteither using the applicable credit or non creditadjunct contracttemplate (i.e. J00001, J00004, or J00006). These templates are available on the PA Resources Website and are also included in the set of contract templates sent to PAs each year at contract renewal time.
  2. In preparing the contract, ensure the course load restriction [e.g. teaching no more than twenty-four (24) credit hours between May 1st and April 30th of the following year] will not exceed the maximum credit hour restriction. The AdjunctCalculatorshould be used to determine the FTE% for each adjunct position (see instructions on using the Adjunct Calculator below).
  3. When the contract dates are entered in the adjunct calculator, the Banner begin and end dates will be automatically generated by the calculator. These dates also determine the number of pay periods between the two dates.
  4. The employment dates listed on the adjunct faculty contract do not have to match the Banner pay period begin and end dates exactly, but they should correspond with the Banner dates. For example, if the adjunct faculty member is teaching for the fall semesterand the contract begin date is August 16 and the end dateis December 17, in Banner, the begin and end dates for this appointment should be August 10th and December 24th.
  1. Once the contract has been prepared forthe dean or respective unit head’s signature (electronic signatures are permitted for adjunct contracts):
  2. The contract should be sent to theindividual witha copy of the contract, a return envelope (unless sent electronically), and a copy of the Adjunct Terms and Conditions document which can be found on the PA Resources Website. This template is also included in the set of contract templates sent to PAs each year at contract renewal time.
  1. Upon receipt of the signed contract, follow the regular VCU HR hiring process andcomplete thePersonnel Action form (PAF) in eJobs in reports tab). A sample PAF to be used for new adjunct instructional faculty can be found on the PA Resources Website.
  1. The PA should follow up with the faculty member to obtain their transcript(s) if not provided at the time of hire. All transcripts received by the PA must be maintained in the faculty member’s personnel file in the respective school/unit.
  1. If the salary for the initial instructional adjunct appointment is over $10,000, the PA should submit the draft contract tothe respective VP/Faculty Personnel offices (either OFRR or VP for Health Sciences, as applicable) for reviesl prior to issuance. In addition, the PA should submit the PAF to the respective VP/Faculty Personnel office for approval.
  • The respective VP/Faculty Personnel office will send the appropriate documents to and copy the respective PA.
  1. TRANSCRIPT REQUIREMENT-The PA should follow up with the faculty member to obtain their transcript(s) if not provided at the time of hire.
  2. For areas under the Provost, all transcripts received by the PA should be sent to the HR Administrator for the personnel file maintained in the OFRR (unless otherwise delegated for retention by the School/Unit).

ADJUNCTS WITH NON-TEACHING DUTIES (PRIMARILY ADMINISTRATIVE)

J00002:

Most adjunct faculty positions should be for instructional duties. Non-teaching adjunct appointments (e.g. senior level administrative assignments) are an exception and must meet both a “job duties test” and a salary threshold under the Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA). Accordingly, before recruiting for a non-teaching adjunct position (e.g. for administrative duties), the position, must be pre-approved for posting by Human Resources to ensure compliance with the restrictions under the FLSA (see Adjunct Faculty Appointments - Compliance with ACA, MCP, and FLSA).

(1)Once a candidate has been selected for a non-teaching adjunct position, through the VCU adjunct recruitment process:

  • Inform the successful applicant they will be sent an employment contract and new hire forms.
  • Communicate that they are required to submit an official seal-bearing transcript within 30 days of hire in accordance with VCU’s Transcript Requirements. This communication can be sent electronically.

(2)Ensure the adjunct appointment is for no more than 29 hours per week on average between April 1st and May 30th of the following year, which is no more than 70.63%. The Adjunct Calculator should be used to determine the FTE% for each J00002 adjunct position.

  • When using the Adjunct Contract Calculatorfor processing a 12-month non-teaching adjunct appointment, do not enter more than 28 hours per week.
  • The FTE% on contracts for non-instructional adjunct appointments should match the FTE% on the corresponding personnel action (part of the Adjunct Non-Teaching PD form).

(3)Once the contract has been prepared for the dean or respective unit head’s signature (electronic signatures are permitted for adjunct contracts):

  • The contract should be sent to the individual with a copy of the contract, a return envelope (unless sent electronically), and a copy of the Adjunct Terms and Conditions document which can be found on the PA Resources Website. This template is also included in the set of contract templates sent to PAs each year at contract renewal time.

(4)Upon receipt of the signed contract, follow the regular VCU HR hiring process found in the PA Quick ReferenceGuide and in the PAF Reference Guide.

(5)TRANSCRIPT REQUIREMENT-The PA should follow up with the faculty member to obtain their transcript(s) if not provided at the time of hire. All transcripts received by the PA must be maintained in the faculty member’s personnel file in the respective school/unit.

NON-Teaching Adjuncts with a Combination of ADMINSTRATIVE

and Instructional Duties:

If the approved, non-teaching adjunct position includes some a combination of administrative and instructional duties, there should be a separate contract issued for each of the functions, one for the administrative duties and one for instructional duties. In order to properly account for the total hours worked, two (2) separate PAFs are required, one for the administrative duties and one for the instructional duties. The total hours worked for both parts of the individual’s job must comply with the hourly restrictions noted above.

PROCESSING A SECONDARY ADJUNCT APPOINTMENT(“OVERLOAD”):

In order to comply with the provisions of the Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA) and VCU’s adjunct search process, adjunct faculty are not permitted to have additional employment in more than one part-time, non-benefited position (adjunct or hourly) at VCU unless they have been authorized to do so by the respective hiring authorities. In addition, overload jobs for non-teaching adjunct positions are not permitted unless the duties are instructional. This is to ensure compliance with the provisions of the FLSA. Also, any additional assignment not related to the original adjunct appointment must be recruited for (see Adjunct Position and Recruiting Hiring Guide). Any secondary assignment that is not primarily instructional may require an appointment to an hourly position. An Overload Job Request Form for Adjunct Facultyhas been developed specifically to provide an approval process for these secondary assignments. These forms should be reviewed by the PA to ensure that:

(1)If the individual ishired for more than one, part time position or has been assigned an additional position which is related to their primary adjunct position, the total combined hours for all part-time, non-benefited positions (either adjunct or hourly) held during the Standard Measurement Periodwill not exceed more than twenty-nine (29) hours per week on average, no more than 1480 hours per year, and no more than 70.63% FTE. If at any time during the Standard Measurement Period it is determined that the employee’s projected hours might exceed this hourly limit, the employee’s hours must be reduced and/or their adjunct position may be subject to earlier termination;

(2)The prospective adjunct faculty has been contacted to find out if they have or have had any other adjunct or hourly appointment(s) at VCU during the “Standard Measurement Period”, and;

(3)Prior to offering an adjunct appointment,the “Management of 29 Hours” and the “Management of 29 Hours – Individual Audit” reports has been reviewed in VCU’s Reporting Center to make sure theindividual will not exceed the hourly restriction by offering the additional assignment.

USING THE aDJUNCT cALCULATOR

Recording of FTE% and Hours Worked on Personnel Actions:

Prior to completing a PAF for an adjunct faculty member, refer to the Adjunct Faculty Appointments - Compliance with ACA, MCP, and FLSA document which provides guidance on how hours worked are to be calculated for adjunct faculty. The Adjunct Contract Calculatorwas also developed to assist PAs in determining the FTE and hours worked for each adjunct assignment.

Each school/unit is responsible for ensuring that when adjunct faculty are appointed (either in a new or continuing appointment), the PAF, ePAF, and/or Overload form submitted in the HR Banner system has the correct FTE% (based on credit hours and/or hours worked per week) using theAdjunct Calculator for each adjunct position. The FTE% on contracts for non-instructional adjunct appointments should match the FTE% on the corresponding PAF.

Using the Adjunct Calculator:

  • Data to be entered in fields on Adjunct Calculatorare as follows:

Begin Date:Contract Begin Date
End Date:Contract End Date

Contract Type: Select one of the following contract types:

  • Fall – Fall Semester (Aug – Dec)
  • Fall & Spring – Fall and Spring Semesters (Aug – May)
  • Non-Credit – Based on Contact Hours
  • Non-Teaching – Administrative Duties
  • Spring – Spring Semester (Jan – May)
  • Summer – Summer Semester (May – Aug)

Credits or Hours:

  • The number of Credit Hours taught
  • Max 9 Credits in the Fall
  • Max 9 Credits in the Spring
  • Max 18 Credits in the Fall and Spring
  • Max 6 Credits in the Summer
  • Hours Per Week – for administrative positions with Max of 28.0 per Week
  • Contact Hours – for non-Credit teaching

Click the “Calculate” button: This will generate the following data to be entered onto the PAF/Overload form:

  • Banner Effective Date
  • Banner End Date
  • Pays
  • FTE
  • Hours per Day
  • Hours per Pay
  • Number of Work Days
  • Total Hours for the contract – Can be a Max of 1480 for the contract

RENEWAL OF TEACHING ADJUNCT APPOINTMENTSTHROUGHAN ePAF:

Instructional Adjunct appointments can only be renewed if the position is still active in Banner* and if duties of the position are substantially the same as the duties in the original recruitment. Otherwise, there must be a new recruitment which would necessitate a contract, PAF, and new hire forms as noted above.

*Adjunct faculty positions only remain active in Banner for nine (9) months after the date of the last payroll activity.

  • If the position is still active in Banner and the duties of the position are substantially the same as those in the original appointment, instructional adjunct appointments can be renewed by issuing a new adjunct contract with an Adjunct Terms and Conditions of Employment document, and processing the adjunct renewal in Banner using an ePaf.

RENEWAL OF NON-TEACHING ADJUNCT APPOINTMENTS

Non-instructional adjunct appointments can only be renewed if the position is still active in Banner* and if duties of the position are substantially the same as the duties in the original recruitment. Otherwise, there must be a new recruitment, which would necessitate a contract, PAF, and new hire forms following the new hire process for instructional adjunct faculty as noted above.

*Adjunct faculty positions only remain active in Banner for nine (9) months after the date of the last payroll activity.

Any non-instructional adjunct appointment must continue to meet the “salary basis test” under the FLSA as well as the “job basis test”. Accordingly, prior to contract issuance, obtain required approval from the respective HR Consultant as shown below:

  • In eJobs search for the original Non-Teaching Adjunct hiring proposal
  • Under the “Reports” tab select the “Non-Benefited PAF”
  • Print the PAF and complete relevant sections
  • Forward PAF to respective HR consultant for review and signature
  • Upon HR Consultant’s approval, prepare adjunct contract for Dean (or designee’s signature) using the applicable template and include the Adjunct Terms and Conditions of Employment document for issuance to the adjunct faculty member
  • Submit signed contract and PAF approved by HR Consultant to HR through ImageNow

For more information on processing adjunct renewals in Banner see the PAFReference Guideand for instructional adjunct appointments, see also the Adjunct ContractRenewal Instructions using ePAF.

Note: Contract Renewals for areas under the Provost:

For instructional adjunct contract renewals over $10,000, PAs should submita draft contract to the VP/Faculty Personnel office for final review and approval by the respective Director even if the personnel action is renewed using an ePAF.

ADJUNCT PRIMARY APPOINTMENTS VS ADJUNCT OVERLOAD APPOINTMENTS IN BANNER:

If an employee has multiple adjunct jobs, HR uses the following process to determine which job should be the Primary job:

1.The job with the greatest FTE becomes the Primary job;

2.If all the adjunct jobs have the same FTE, the job with the highest number of pays takes priority;

3.If both FTE and number of pays are equal, then the job with the highest annual salary becomes primary;

4.If the above three criteria are equal, the job with the lowest job begin date becomes primary;

5.If the all the above criteria are equal, the job with the lowest job suffix number becomes the primary job.

Office of Faculty Recruitment and Retention//Office of the Provost and Vice President for Academic Affairs

901 W. Franklin St., Suite 107• Richmond, VA 23284-2527 • (804) 828-5948 • Fax (804) 827-0779

Rev August 2017Page 1 of 6