Supportive Professional Staff (SPS) Position Description Guideline

Individualized job descriptions consistent with activities comprising the scope of responsibility outlined in respective Supportive Professional Staff (SPS) position exemption documents should be produced for all SPS positions including those SPS positions held by faculty having rank in academic departments. A standard outline summarizing minimal information required for the job description is described below. The job description should be completed jointly by the employee and immediate supervisor and submitted through administrative channels for review and concurrence culminating at the vice presidential or equivalent organizational level.

The nature and content of SPS positions vary greatly across the University and there is no expectation that all descriptions will conform to exactly the same format. Completed SPS job descriptions should be forwarded to Human Resource Services where they will be retained on file. Copies of completed job descriptions should be provided to the individual employees and to the department or program supervisors of the respective organizational units.

An effective description should incorporate the following information:

1. An initial summary statement describing the essential functions of the position. This statement should encompass the primary reason for establishment of the position, as well as principal activities or responsibilities to be considered in the event an assessment is needed regarding an individual's ability to return to work following an illness or injury, in accordance with the Americans with Disabilities Act.

2. In a summary outline, a concise enumeration of the various activities carried out by the current employee on a permanent and continuing basis. This summary may include items which are not directly related to the essential functions of the position. Emphasis should be limited to recording what is done, as opposed to an extensive description of how the activities are accomplished.

3. An estimation of the minimal academic accomplishment and work experience that should be required of future candidates for the position, inclusive of any appropriate license(s) and/or certification(s) required to assure successful performance (this is not a summary of the current employee's credentials and will often be more limited than qualifications possessed by the individual currently appointed to the position).

A position description guideline is attached for your information and/or use with this project. However, there is no requirement that all position descriptions follow the same format. Most SPS positions can be effectively described in two or three pages, though variations in length will obviously occur. It is anticipated that completed descriptions will be the result of a collaborative effort between the individual SPS employee, whose work is described, and the supervisor to whom the individual reports. The completed description should be signed by both parties along with the appropriate Vice President or division head and forwarded to the office of the Director of Human Resource Services (Contracts, Records, and Reports, 753-8379). Copies of finalized job descriptions should be provided to the employee and direct supervisor by the division (or equivalent) office.

Following initial development, the SPS job descriptions may be updated at any time. Every three years the SPS job descriptions will be verified or updated as a comprehensive set. Any updated job descriptions should follow the same signature and distribution procedures as outlined above.