Note that this policy also applies to faculty.
The University provides equal employment opportunities to all employees and applicants for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, national origin, age, disability, marital status, sexual orientation, gender identity, genetic information, political ideology, or status as a Vietnam-era or special disabled veteran in accordance with applicable federal, state, and local laws. This policy applies to all terms and conditions of employment, including, but not limited to, hiring, placement, promotion, termination, layoff, recall, transfers, leaves of absence, compensation, benefits, and training.
The University administers all policies, practices, and procedures in ways that are consistent with the University's Catholic and Jesuit character.
Contact the University's Assistant Vice President for Institutional Equity/Equal Opportunity Officer for additional information.
Any person who believes he may have been harassed or discriminated against in violation of the principles in Policy 201 should first discuss the matter with their direct supervisor. If for any reason an employee does not want to discuss the matter with the direct supervisor, the employee may discuss the matter with the department head, or the Assistant Vice President for Institutional Equity/Equal Opportunity Officer ("AVP for HR/EOO").
In all cases, managers, supervisors, directors, or department or division heads who receive any complaint or concern involving harassment or discrimination must bring the matter to the immediate attention of the Assistant Vice President for Institutional Equity /EOO.
If the appropriate manager, supervisor, director, department or division head, or the AVP for IE/EOO are not able to resolve a concern or complaint of harassment or discrimination, the AVP for IE/EOO will further investigate the matter and recommend a solution to the relevant Vice President, who will decide how the concern or complaint will be resolved.
Any person who believes that the relevant Vice President has not resolved a concern or complaint in accordance with this Equal Employment Opportunity policy may make a written appeal to the Vice President for Administration or to the Provost, who may reopen the investigation, continue the investigation, or decide how the complaint will be resolved. The written appeal must be submitted within ten (10) working days of the decision of the relevant Vice President. The decision of the Vice President for Administration or the Provost will be final.
Individuals who bring complaints of harassment or discrimination or who participate or cooperate in an investigation shall not be subject to any adverse employment action or other retaliation for having utilized the procedure or participated in the process, even if an investigation shows that there has not been a violation.
Individuals with complaints or concerns about sexual harassment should follow the Sexual Harassment Complaint Procedure. Individuals with complaints or concerns about a failure to accommodate a disability should follow the Section 504/ADA Policy and Appeal Procedure.
The procedures are not designed to restrict or limit the right of any person to file an administrative complaint with a governmental enforcement agency such as the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission or the Washington State Human Rights Commission.
The University follows a policy of "employment at will." This policy of employment at will means that an employee can terminate their employment relationship with the University at any time and for any reason and that the University can terminate the employment relationship at any time and for any reason, at the sole discretion of the University. The University cannot guarantee permanent employment or employment for a specific term, nor will the University adhere to or enforce any promises of permanent or specific-term employment made to an employee by any person.
Seattle University follows recruiting policies and procedures consistent with its commitment to diversity and its position as an equal opportunity employer. Openings are publicized through on and off-campus postings and advertising.
When a new or existing staff position opens, the hiring manager will create an online personnel requisition using the University’s recruiting system. A user account needs to be set up and approved at this website prior to creating a requisition. The online system facilitates electronic approvals for the areas of the Executive Vice President, Provost, and Chief Financial Officer, as applicable. The approvals and position details are then submitted electronically to the Human Resources Office (HR) for posting. Prior to posting, HR will review the position to ensure proper classification. The hiring manager should consult Human Resources for advice on establishing the position before completing a requisition under the following circumstances:
HR works with the hiring manager to prepare advertising and coordinate recruitment efforts in appropriate media, such as newspapers, professional journals, websites, and regional and/or national agencies. HR pays for the cost of the advertising. It is the practice of the University to post non-faculty positions for at least seven calendar days before hiring a candidate to fill the position.
HR receives all applications and supporting documents via the recruiting system. No application materials are accepted via other methods. Persons who need assistance with the recruitment process may contact the Office of Human Resources at: 206-296-5870. A computer kiosk is also available in the HR Office during business hours for those who need computer and internet access for application purposes.
All interested employees who meet a position's minimum qualifications are encouraged to apply. Selection is based on department needs and candidates' qualifications and performance. The University fills all job vacancies with the individual it deems most qualified for the position and reserves the right to select candidates from outside the University. We ask that internal candidates tell their current supervisor if they are in the final round of interviews (part of the internal application process). The supervisor with the opening will contact the current supervisor to notify current supervisor that the candidate has been selected and to gather a reference. New supervisor and current supervisor will discuss and confirm a suitable date for the transfer.
The hiring manager or their designee selects those to be interviewed from the pool of qualified applicants and should use a consistent set of interview questions for all candidates. Please refer to the Hiring Manager's Guide for guidelines in recruiting and interviewing for a position.
A hiring manager or their designee may choose to form a search committee to help in the selection process for professional and managerial level jobs. The membership of the search committee generally will consist of five to seven people who can provide appropriate input for the level and nature of the position. Director-level positions may or may not require a search committee to be appointed. Human Resources will determine when a search committee should be formed. A member of the HR staff may act as advisor to the hiring manager or the chairperson of the search committee to insure compliance with University policies and procedures.
The hiring manager or their designee will check the employment history and references of the final candidate(s) under consideration. A minimum of two supervisory references should be completed with one of the contacts at the current employer or most recent, if not currently employed. For internal candidates, a reference must be completed with the candidate’s current supervisor.
Prior to hire, criminal history background checks are conducted on candidates for all staff positions, including temporary employees and volunteers. Conditional job offers may be made before a background check is returned with approval from HR. Persons applying to any staff position must complete a criminal history background check authorization form. A third-party vendor on contract with the university conducts all criminal history background checks. Candidates have the right to request a copy of their background check results from this vendor. Candidates who have accepted the offer of employment may not begin any work until the background check has fully cleared.
Staff relocation expenses are coordinated and approved through the Office of the Controller and funded by the hiring department. Actual expenses will be reimbursed up to $5,000, unless otherwise approved by the Office of the Controller. More information can be found on the Controller's website.
A new employee should report to their department the on the first day of employment as scheduled. The Hiring Manager and HR will schedule a time for the new employee to fill out required paperwork on their first day and make arrangements for the employee to attend the New Employee Orientation.
At the commencement of employment, all new employees are required to provide documentation their identity and employment authorization in accordance with the immigration laws of the United States.
Temporary employees may be engaged to work with the University either through a Temporary Staffing Agency or by entering into a Short-Term Temporary Employment Agreement with the University directly.
Temporary Staffing Agency: HR can provide recommendations for staffing agencies. The hiring department will coordinate with the agency on an appropriate hire for their assignment and pay for the services directly. Hiring managers should contact HR to hire from a temporary agency.
Temporary Employee Direct-Hire: HR will work with the hiring manager to identify candidates for temporary positions, which may include advertising. Policies 210, 211, 213 and 701 apply to direct-hire temporary employees. All offers of employment to temporary staff members must be confirmed with HR and approved on a temporary requisition submitted through the University’s recruiting system. A Letter of Agreement form, provided by Human Resources at the time of appointment, will be used to present the position details to the temporary employee.
Hiring managers wanting to hire a specific person for a temporary position should contact Human Resources.
Note that this policy also applies to faculty.
The Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA) is a federal law that protects the privacy of student educational records and establishes rights for students relative to the disclosure of these records.
As a recipient of federal education funding, Seattle University is required to manage educational records consistent with the requirements of FERPA. All persons employed by the university are expected to be aware of and comply with these requirements. The university provides online FERPA training and all university employees, including faculty, staff, and students, are required to take this training.
A record of individuals who have completed FERPA training will be maintained by the university. Access to administrative computing systems, including Colleague and InformSU, will be allowed only after completion of FERPA training.
Any questions regarding this policy should be directed to the Office of the Registrar.
Note that this policy also applies to faculty.
Seattle University complies with the Americans with Disabilities Act, Section 504, of the Rehabilitation Act and applicable state and local laws providing for nondiscrimination in employment against qualified individuals with disabilities. The University also provides reasonable accommodation for such individuals with disabilities.
An employee or applicant seeking an accommodation in connection with employment should first contact the Office of Human Resources for assistance. It is the responsibility of the employee to provide the university with adequate notice of the disability, to request the particular accommodation, and to provide any necessary medical verification of a disability-related need for the accommodation. On receipt of an accommodation request, Human Resources will meet with the requesting individual and other relevant University personnel to determine the individual's needs and the availability of reasonable accommodations. Complete information about accommodations for individuals with disabilities, including appeal procedures, may be found here.
Note that this policy also applies to faculty.
University employees have the responsibility to perform their jobs in a safe, conscientious, and effective manner. University employees must be able to work in a drug-free environment and themselves be free from the effects of drugs. The following conduct is strictly prohibited and may result in immediate termination of employment:
If an employee is convicted of a criminal drug statute, they are required to report their conviction for a violation occurring in the work place to their immediate supervisor within five (5) days after such conviction.
An employee who observes, or has knowledge of, other employees in a condition that affects their ability to perform job duties or poses a hazard to the safety and welfare of others shall promptly report the condition to their own supervisor.
The University takes seriously its commitment to provide a drug-free working environment. Anyone with a drug or substance abuse problem is encouraged to seek assistance before the problem affects their employment status. To comply with the Federal Drug-Free Work-Place Act of 1988, HR provides a list of agencies that provide rehabilitative and counseling services.
On receiving a report of a violation of the Drug/Substance Abuse Policy, the Assistant Vice President for Institutional Equity, the Public Safety Manager, and the Director of Public Safety follow the procedures outlined below.
This policy applies to faculty and staff
Seattle University recognizes the occasional need to hire or reassign faculty or staff who will, due to the nature of a particular position or business needs of the University, reside and perform their university work outside of the state of Washington. This policy applies to any ongoing arrangement greater that 90 days in duration in which the individual performing the work will not return to Washington state at the conclusion of the work assignment or continue working intermittently for the University.
Exempt staff and all Faculty appointees are covered under this policy.
Non-exempt employees, temporary workers and supervisors of non-exempt staff are excluded from this policy and may not be employed to reside and perform work outside of Washington state.
Employment of faculty or staff who will reside and perform their university work outside of Washington, must have their proposed arrangement reviewed and approved at least 60 days in advance by Human Resources and the pertinent supervising senior administrator (i.e., Dean, Vice-Provost, Vice-President, or Director). Absent exceptional circumstances, out-of-state employment will be limited to locations where the University already has employees or to locations where the University makes a decision to establish a business presence or program. Decisions regarding out-of-state work will be reviewed on an annual basis and the University reserves the right to alter the arrangement or require that work return to Washington state.
Follow this link for detailed procedures and guidelines related to the authorization of out-of-state work.
The University does not guarantee that faculty or staff working outside of the state on Washington will have the same access to benefits or services as those residing and working in state. Areas such as access to health insurance, state tax withholding, workers compensation, unemployment, employment classification/eligibility for overtime could all be impacted. It is the employee’s responsibility to weigh the potential impact prior to requesting or accepting an out-of-state work assignment.
Employment of faculty residing outside of the United States is prohibited without the without the express written consent of the Provost. This policy applies to situations where a faculty member either currently resides or would establish residence outside the US, therefore situations that are temporary in nature such as sabbaticals, etc. would not apply. Advance notice (90 days) is desired to establish legal compliance and ability to issue pay.