Job Title Change 2.1-5

Introduction/Purpose:

Saginaw Valley State University (SVSU) recognizes that job duties naturally grow and evolve over time. Occasionally the duties of an Administrative Professional can change significantly, warranting a job title review and potential title change.

Policy: 

Administrative Professional employees are assigned an official job title based on the primary duties of their position. The official job title is used for the assignment of duties, responsibilities, and authority for official transactions.

The university will review an official job title under two circumstances:

1. Expanded Duties - The scope, impact, complexity, responsibilities, or accountability of the position have significantly increased. Examples of factors that may be considered include, but not limited to:
   1. Exercising greater judgment or discretion;
   2. Utilization of a broader or more specific skill set;
   3. Requires more advanced knowledge;
   4. Relation of duties to other employees in similar positions.
2. Organizational Changes – An organizational/departmental change, or restructure may occur as necessitated by operational needs, resulting in the misalignment of current job title.

Years of service, outstanding work performance, and/or an increase in the volume of the existing work are not sufficient grounds for a job title review. A job title change may not result in a vacancy.

 Any misrepresentation of job title should be reported to the Office of Human Resources.

Procedure:

An official job title review for change in duties may occur under the following conditions:

Criteria for Job Title Review Due to Expanded Duties:
The following criteria must be met for a position to be eligible for a title change due to expanded duties:

• • The employee must have at least twenty-four months of continuous service in their current role; and
  • The employee must have been successfully performing the new, permanently assigned duties for a minimum of six months before a job title review request is submitted to the Office of Human Resources; and
  • Substantive change in the employee’s duties and responsibilities must be demonstrated; and
  • The employee must possess higher-level skills and meet the minimum qualifications for the higher position.

Criteria for Job Title Review Due to Organizational Change:
The following criteria must be met for a position to be eligible for a title change due to Organizational change:

• • A reassignment of duties in a department or division that results in a misalignment of job title; or
  • A substantial increase in job responsibilities due to a position elimination within the department; or
  • A substantial change in job responsibilities due to changes in university operations (e.g., an increase or decrease in university services).

Job Title Change Review Request:
It is the responsibility of the supervisor to identify significant changes in job responsibility and initiate a formal job title review request. The formal request should be made in writing and include:

• • Justification/Rationale for the request (including details regarding changes in duties and/or scope of responsibilities),
  • The most recently approved position description on file (prior to the job duty changes),
  • An updated department(s) organizational chart reflecting proposed change,
  • Copy of the most recent performance evaluation for the impacted employee.

Request for an official job title review will be submitted to hremployment@svsu.edu. The Office of Human Resources will consult with the Divisional Vice President, Vice President of Administration and Business Affairs, and the Chief Diversity Officer or their designee(s) when processing the request. The Chief Human Resource Officer and Divisional Vice President will make the final decision.

Definitions:

Chief Diversity Officer: The highest-ranking member of the Office of Diversity programs responsible for Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion, and Affirmative Action.

Chief Human Resource Officer: The highest-ranking member of the Office of Human Resources.

Primary Duty: The "primary duty" means the principal, main, major or most important duty that the employee performs, based on all the facts in a particular case.

Official Job Title: The job title assigned to an employee in the Enterprise Resource Planning System (ERP) for purposes of assignment and delegation authority.

Related Policies & Forms:

Anti-Harassment/Discrimination Policy 2.5-2
Nepotism Policy 2.6-1