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Cooperative Extension Service |
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Agricultural
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U of A Board Policies
Dale Bumpers College
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Guidelines for Appointment and Career Review of Extension Project/Program Support ProfessionalsSUMMARY: Establishes criteria and guidelines for project/program support professionals' appointments and promotions. The single most important factor ensuring the successful future of the University of Arkansas Cooperative Extension Service involves employing and developing personnel of the highest quality. Extension must appoint outstanding qualified project/program support professionals, facilitate their professional development, and provide critical annual performance evaluations. The career review system is provided to reward those project/program support professionals who demonstrate sustained professional growth and significant accomplishment through time. This document is intended to provide guidelines for the appointment and promotion of project/program support professionals consistent with the policies of the Cooperative Extension Service, the Division of Agriculture and the University of Arkansas System. The first section outlines the general requirements for initial appointment. Subsequent sections deal with promotion procedures. A sample career review document is included, complete with examples of the kinds of information called for under each category. Affirmative Action StatementThe University of Arkansas Cooperative Extension Service offers its program to all eligible persons regardless of race, color, national origin, religion, gender, age, disability, marital or veteran status, or any other legally protected status, and is an Equal Employment Opportunity Employer. All units of the University of Arkansas Cooperative Extension Service are to follow the institution’s Affirmative Action Plan in recruitment and employment of support professionals and in their subsequent evaluation and promotion procedures. Additional details concerning the Division of Agriculture Affirmative Action Plan may be obtained from the Human Resources Office. Initial AppointmentUpon appointment, progressive titles will be assigned to each qualified professional staff member. Basic criteria have been established for the appointment of project/program support professionals to the ranks of Project/Program Specialist I, II, III or Distinguished in order to maintain a degree of continuity in the appointment process. Project/Program Support Specialist I - Persons appointed to this rank will hold a Bachelor’s or Master’s degree in an appropriate field or equivalent education and experience necessary to meet the qualifications of the position. Appointees will generally be recent university graduates or have limited professional experience in Extension or a comparable field. Line Item Title: Project/Program Specialist Project/Program Support Specialist II - Persons initially appointed to this rank will have a Bachelor’s or Master’s degree in an appropriate field or equivalent education and experience necessary to meet the qualifications of the position. They will have already established themselves in Extension or a related field. Their technical competence and experience base will be broadly analogous to that of persons who have attained the same rank through promotion. Line Item Title: Project/Program Manager Project/Program Support Specialist III - Persons initially appointed to this rank will have a Bachelor’s or Master’s degree in an appropriate field or equivalent education and experience necessary to meet the qualifications of the position. They will be mature in their profession and will have exhibited a high level of achievement in a University setting. Their technical competence, programming and communication skills will compare favorably with those of persons who have attained the same rank through promotion. Line Item Title: Project/Program Director Distinguished Support Specialist - Persons will not be initially appointed to this rank. It is reserved for project/program support professionals who have distinguished themselves among their peers and have demonstrated an exemplary record during their Extension careers. It is recommended that no more than 15 percent of Project/Program Support Professionals have the Distinguished designation. Line Item Title: Senior Project/Program Director Appointment ProcedureProject/program support professionals are appointed by the Associate Vice President for Agriculture - Extension or his/her designee after consultation with appropriate faculty and administrators. EvaluationAnnual performance evaluations are an integral part of the professional development of project/program support professionals. The evaluation procedure is intended as a means of assessing the support specialist's performance and is structured to ensure that the individual fulfills his/her potential and performs at a level commensurate with his/her rank. As such, evaluations form an important basis from which to consider an individual’s candidacy for promotion in rank. PromotionThe organization recognizes promotion in rank as a significant achievement. Promotion confirms recognition of a sustained high level of performance. Promotion in rank is based on the accomplishments while in current rank. The promotion in rank process for project/program support professional is called Career Review. Promotion from Project/Program Support Specialist I to Project/Program Support Specialist IIIn order for Project/Program Support Specialist I to be promoted to Project/Program Support Specialist II, the person must hold a Bachelor’s or Master’s degree in the appropriate field or equivalent education and experience necessary to meet the qualifications of the position. The Support Specialist must show evidence of establishing credibility with the clientele (Extension faculty and staff), analyzing clientele needs, and successfully implementing projects. The Project/Program Support Specialist I must have demonstrated the ability and competence necessary to:
Promotion from Project/Program Support Specialist II to Project/Program Support Specialist IIIIn order for the Project/Program Support Specialist II to be promoted to Project/Program Support Specialist III, the Support Specialist must hold a Bachelor’s or Master’s degree in an appropriate field or equivalent education and experience necessary to meet the qualifications of the position. A Project/Program Support Specialist II must have demonstrated the ability and competence necessary to:
Distinguished Support SpecialistProject/program support professionals awarded the rank of Distinguished Support Specialist must have excelled in all areas for which they have been given responsibility. They must demonstrate a record of outstanding accomplishment, spanning a number of years. They must be recognized for their service to and leadership within the Extension Service and professional peer groups on state, regional and national levels. Career Review CommitteeThe Associate Vice President for Agriculture – Extension will appoint a six-member committee to recommend action on career review applications for promotion to Project/Program Support Specialist II and III and for appointment to the rank of Distinguished Support Specialist. The committee responsibilities include:
The recommended makeup of the committee should include one individual from each support unit [Communications, Financial Services, Human Resources, Information Technology, Physical Plant and Print Media]. As least one member of the committee should be the director of one of the support units. The remaining members should be at the Project/Program Specialist II, III or Distinguished level. Any committee member with direct involvement in the preparation of a particular application should recuse him/herself from review of that application. Appeals ProcessAll applicants for promotion will be notified of the decisions in writing from the Career Review Committee. The support unit supervisors will schedule conferences with those applicants who were not recommended for promotion. Candidates who do not agree with the decision reached by the committee may appeal the decision in writing to their immediate supervisors, who will forward the appeals to the Associate Vice President for Agriculture - Extension. The Associate Vice President for Agriculture - Extension will appoint an appeals committee consisting of a similar structure as the Career Review Committee. No member of the existing Career Review Committee will be eligible to serve on the appeals committee. No appeals committee member will be selected from the unit in which the appealing candidate resides. A support unit supervisor appointed by the Associate Vice President for Agriculture - Extension will serve as chair of the committee. The chair of the Career Review Committee and the Director of Human Resources will serve as ex officio, non-voting members of the appeals committee. The chair of the Career Review Committee will provide all documentation related to the committee’s deliberations of the appealing candidate. The appeals committee will make a recommendation to the Associate Vice President for Agriculture - Extension, who will inform the appealing candidate in writing. Career Review Promotion Process ScheduleAugust 1: Associate Vice President for Agriculture - Extension advises Unit Supervisors of call for promotion documents. August 25: Letters sent to Support Unit Peer Review Committee members by Associate Vice President for Agriculture - Extension. August 30: Unit Supervisors advise all project/program support professionals of promotion opportunity and pertinent deadlines. October 15: Project/Program support professionals submit promotion documents to Unit Supervisor. Each applicant’s document should include a list of six individuals who have worked closely with the individual and can attest to his/her qualifications. November 15: Unit Supervisor submits a candid letter of support or rejection to the Associate Director. The Unit Supervisor will also forward the promotion documents, letters of evaluation and up to three letters of recommendation per applicant from the lists provided. Letter by the Unit Supervisor to Associate Director will be kept confidential and not returned to employee. November 30: Associate Director forwards the promotion document to the Support Unit Peer Review Committee and support letter to the Associate Vice President for Agriculture - Extension. Promotion documents (without letters of evaluation from Associate Director and Unit Supervisor) are made available to the Support Unit Peer Review Committee. December 20: Support Unit Peer Review Committee reviews documents and forwards them to Associate Vice President for Agriculture - Extension along with recommendation for/against promotion by December 20. After receiving committee recommendations and all letters of evaluation, the Associate Vice President for Agriculture - Extension reviews all documents and retains letters. January 21: The Associate Vice President for Agriculture - Extension will submit recommendations to the Vice President for Agriculture for consideration. March 1: Vice President for Agriculture will notify candidates of his recommendations and forwards the approved applications to the President of the University of Arkansas System and the Board of Trustees for consideration. May: Promotion recommendation acted upon by Board of Trustees. May 20: Vice President for Agriculture sends letters to applicants. Promotion list sent to Associate Vice President for Agriculture – Extension. The Associate Vice President for Agriculture – Extension forwards list to the Associate Directors and Unit Supervisor. July 1: Promotions approved by the Board of Trustees become effective. Career Review Process Supervisor’s ResponsibilitiesThe supervisor plays a critical role in the promotion process. The peer review committee relies upon information provided by the applicant, supervisor and colleagues in determining the readiness of a project/program support professional for promotion. During the promotion process, the responsibilities of a supervisor are as follows:
Sample Document: Project/Program Support Professionals Career Review DocumentPresented for Consideration
Name Date Present Title and Rank Date Present Rank Was Attained Approved Previous University Credit Toward Promotion at Initial Appointment Supervisor’s Verification Initials _____ University of Arkansas Cooperative Extension Service I. Personal InformationA. Educational Record
B. Employment Record
II. Position ResponsibilityA. Current Position Description B. Substantial Changes in Position Responsibility while in current rank (describe, if applicable) III. Achievement ReportThe promotion document should only contain accomplishments since the time of the last promotion. This format should be used as an outline in preparing documentation for promotion. Information should not be listed under more than one category. The material supplied should highlight those areas of achievement that particularly qualify the applicant for promotion. The document itself should be organized in a notebook and in an easily-read format that can withstand handling by several people. Whenever possible, material should be hole-punched. Use of plastic sleeves is discouraged. A. Extension Activities (while in present rank) 1. Major Areas of Work - Discuss your primary responsibilities. 2. Planning Objectives - Includes all work involved in planning with others to determine content, priorities, and emphasis of the unit’s Extension activities. This includes planning with Extension faculty, staff committees, and other universities, agencies, or organizations. Examples: Planned and organized relocation of the Media Services (self-help) area from the Little Rock State Office main building to the Print Shop, April 2001. Worked with Administration, Information Technology, Financial Services and Human Resources representatives to plan statewide implementation of Microsoft Office Product, June 2001. Worked with other Arkansas universities and organizations to establish a compressed interactive video (CIV) user’s network of sites throughout the state, March 2000. 3. Faculty and Staff Training/Assistance - Includes educational activities conducted to train or assist Extension personnel. This includes responses to internal requests by individual contact or correspondence. Supporting materials may be included to demonstrate examples of work accomplished. Your promotion document should contain a minimum of 3 and maximum of 12 examples. Extra documentation examples will not be considered and could adversely impact consideration for promotion. i. Individual and group training. Examples: Conducted Newsletter Design presentation to County Extension Agents, District Conferences, March 1999. Presented information on implementation of Wal-Mart credit card procedures for LRSO staff, 1998. Created employee vesting Access report for Administration, 2001. Counseled Administration regarding the timing and advisability of carpet replacement in Extension’s educational wing, February 2000. ii. Support Materials Developed. Materials produced, including handouts, newsletters, courses, policies, technical guides, information sheets and presentations. Indicate whether the work was original, a major or minor revision, or an adaptation of another work. Each piece of material presented should clearly demonstrate the applicant’s contribution in creating the piece or should be accompanied by an explanatory statement. Examples: Created and presented a CIV presentation for Program Assistants on Family and Medical Leave policy and procedures (original presentation using existing policy materials), June 2001. Created CESP 11-8, “Postal Center Procedures” in Extension Policy Guide (original), September 1999. Wrote “BT Corn Banishes Borer” article for Arkansas Land and Life Magazine (minor revision of existing publication), Fall 2000. Produced “Today’s Garden” TV program on poinsettia plants (original production created in collaboration with horticulture specialist), December 2000. iii. Innovations. Creative activities that improve efficiency, add value or reduce costs. Examples: Created an In-Service Training Management System that saved hundreds of work hours per year, improved delivery of training information and created a historical tracking system for employees (original), December 2001. Developed printer toner cartridge recycling program which reduced costs related to the purchase of new toner and was environmentally friendly, 1997. Developed new procedure for control of fixed assets, March 2001. Created an animated presentation to introduce the Division of Agriculture web site, May 2003. iv. Evaluation - The efforts related to evaluation and reporting of the adoption, success and sustainability of activities (if applicable). Examples: Analyzed needs of Extension faculty and staff to develop a Word Level III training program that focused upon the formatting and management of large documents, January 2003. Evaluated the process by which requests were submitted for purchase orders, implemented online requisitions and then refined the process with a simplified form, March 2003. v. Exemplary support – Day-to-day activities that contribute significantly to the welfare of the organization. Examples: Processed 3,000 purchase orders in fiscal year 2002 without any errors. Protected all major file and application servers in Extension from viruses in fiscal year 2002, avoiding two major shutdowns that plagued other campuses and state agencies. Within a span of six months in 2001, assisted 53 federal employees by counseling and processing all paperwork related to early retirement applications. Created all the artwork used to brand the Extension web site from 2001 through 2003. 4. Funding or Materials Secured in Support of Extension Activities - Includes financial and/or material support secured for Extension programs and activities (e.g., funds, demonstrations, materials). Show estimated value and success rate of applications submitted as compared to awards, if appropriate. Examples: Secured Arkansas State Senator as speaker at no charge for Support Staff In-Service Training Conference, April 2001, for an estimated value of $275. Secured use of a copy machine from City Business Machines during the State 4-H O-Rama for an estimated value of $300. Developed a web-based DD50 Rice Management Program with a grant from the Rice Promotion Board for an estimated value of $35,000, April 2002. B. Professionalism and Service (while in present rank) 1. Service on Extension, University, or Other Committees and Special Assignments – Includes participation in those activities that are in addition to defined job responsibilities. Highlight leadership roles held in each activity. Examples: Diversity Committee, 2002 – present Annual Extension Conference Planning Committee, 2001, 2002 (chair) Career Review Committee, 2000 (chair) 2. Professional Improvement Activities (include workshops/conferences not listed elsewhere) Examples: Attended Microsoft Office Workshop, Little Rock, AR, July 2000. Attended Public Relations Society of America Photo Workshop, March 2001. Participated in National Extension Technology Conference, June 2003. 3. Courses/Certifications Completed
*If applicable 4. Honors and Awards Received
5. Membership and Leadership in Professional Organizations and Societies – Note, candidates for Distinguished Support Specialist should provide contact information for those organizations outside of the state Extension organizations.
6. Papers/Oral Presentations Delivered at Professional Meetings or Associations - Indicate whether state, regional or national and type of meeting. Examples: “Bulletproofing, Backups, and Disaster Recovery” presentation at Banner Summit Conference, Toronto, Canada, April 2001 [national] “Welfare to Work” presentation, Arkansas Human Resources Association, February 1999 [state] 7. Letters/Notes of Appreciation- Unsolicited notes or letters of appreciation. Include copies of the notes/letters within the promotion document. Examples: Letter from Dr. Ivory W. Lyles commending work done to deliver AIMS in a short time frame. E-mail from district director expressing appreciation for the development of signage for the Lonoke County Extension Office. Personal note from a department head commending the professional manner in which a sensitive personnel issue was managed by human resources. C. Management Responsibilities (supervisors only) 1. Supervisory Responsibilities - Briefly describe scope of supervisory assignment. 2. Personnel Supervised # Classified Staff # Non-Classified Staff 3. Annual Performance Evaluations - List annual performance evaluations conducted for individuals within the unit. 4. Civil Rights/Diversity Compliance - Describe activities performed to ensure compliance with Civil Rights regulations and to support diversity. IV. Narrative Summary - In two pages or less, summarize the accomplishments that uniquely justify your request for promotion. Report how your efforts and plans support the goals of the organization. |
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University of Arkansas • Division of Agriculture |
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