| Classification
General Information
Classification is the grouping of jobs into a single position categorization
involving substantially the same kinds of work, equivalent levels
of difficulty and responsibility and requiring comparable experience
and training.
Reclassification is the review or audit of a position which indicates
a significant change in job duties and level of responsibility that
can result in a change in the job title and pay range (up or down).
Classification Review Process
To submit a description of a new position or an existing position for appropriate
job title, complete the on-line Position Description Questionnaire
(PDQ), available in the PDQ
section under Publications
and Forms on our HR Website.
An existing position may be reviewed when the duties change substantially,
either through the addition of new or revised responsibilities or
reorganization. If supervision constitutes 25% or more of the job,
an AMS supplement is to be completed and included with the PDQ.
The AMS Supplement
is also available.
Necessary Approvals - The completed PDQ (and AMS supplement, as
applicable) require the following approvals:
- Dean/Director
- Principal Administrator
The next step is to e-mail the PDQ, along with cover letter and organizational chart, to your
HR Partner (also forward a hard copy with the signed approvals)
for further review and classification determination in conjunction
with the USNH Classification Committee (for PAT positions). Electronic
PDQ documents will ensure timely processing.
Classification Meeting Schedule
Due Dates for submitting PAT PDQ's to Human
Resources. Submit cover letter, PDQ, organizational chart electronically to Human Resources by date below (preferably before) for review by Classification Committee:
September 25, 2009
October 9, 2009
October 23, 2009
November 6, 2009
November 25, 2009
December 18, 2009
January 8, 2010
January 29, 2010
February 12, 2010
February 26, 2010
March 12, 2010
March 26, 2010
April 9, 2010
April 23, 2010
May 7, 2010
May 21, 2010
June 4, 2010
There are NO deadlines for submitting Operating Staff PDQ's.
Classification Determination
The results of the classification review will be communicated to
the supervisor by Human Resources. The effective date of a proposed
reclassification will be the Monday following the date when the
position was first scheduled for official review. It is the supervisor's
responsibility to notify the affected employee of the classification
determination within a reasonable time. If the supervisor is away
from the campus for an extended period, he/she should delegate this
responsibility to another supervisory staff member or request that
the employee be notified directly. Under normal circumstances, the
employee should not bypass his/her supervisor by contacting Human
Resources directly to obtain information concerning the classification
determination of his/her position.
Classification determinations by the Committee may be appealed
by the supervisor either in writing or through a personal appearance
at one of the Classification Committee meetings. During an appeal,
additional compelling information should be provided that was not
included in previously submitted material relevant to the position.
Generic Classification (applies to Operating Staff and PAT positions)
A generic classification is one that may be compared to like classifications
at other institutions or businesses and for which salary data is
available. For an exempt position the job function is primarily
professional or technical and the amount of mechanical expertise
and professional credentials are significant factors in determining
the relative worth of the job in relation to others.
For example, a senior level accountant position would ordinarily
require more expertise than an entry-level position in the same
classification group. Salary ranges are assigned after review of
survey data obtained by the USNH Human Resource Office. The types
of data selected are determined by the recruiting area for the classification
under review and may be local, regional or national. Sources for
this data are other educational institutions, professional organizations,
consulting firms, public employers and private industry.
Many generic positions also have a mechanism for professional advancement
in that they are part of a classification series, i.e., Accountant
I, II, III, and Research Scientist I, II, III.
If the position is generic and can be matched with an existing
classification specification (class spec), it is so recommended.
If not, a new class spec is prepared for University System approval
and salary range assignment. Under normal circumstances the complete
review cycle for a new classification should take no longer than
two or three weeks, after the completed PDQ has reached Human Resources.
There are a few PAT positions that can be categorized as either
Generic or AMS. When this happens, both methods of classification
could be used as a checking mechanism for appropriate determination.
Operating Staff Positions
All requests for classification of new Operating Staff positions
or reclassification of existing positions are reviewed by UNH Human
Resources, usually within two weeks of receiving the PDQ. Human
Resources determines the most appropriate classification for each
position submitted for review.
Professional, Administrative and Technical (PAT) Positions
All requests for classification of new positions or reclassifications
of existing positions are reviewed by Human Resources and the USNH
Classification Committee, which usually meets for this purpose twice
each month. The Committee, which consists of Human Resource representatives
from all USNH campuses and the Chancellor's Office, determines the
most appropriate classification for each position submitted for
review.
Administrative, Managerial or Supervisory (AMS) Position
An AMS position is one that undoubtedly may involve a high degree
of professional and technical ability, but much of the overall responsibility
is to supervise. Where such positions are concerned, numbers of
employees supervised, diversity of tasks performed and size of overall
operations are important criteria.
Salary ranges for these positions are arrived at by the use of
the AMS evaluation plan, a rating system in which a number of points
are assigned to specific degrees of responsibility for each job
factor within five main evaluation areas:
- Performance of Other People
- Commitments
- Equipment, Assets, Money, Records and Reports
- Tangible Results, Projects or Programs
- Education and Experience
If the position under review has 25% or more of the staff member's
time concerned with supervision, an AMS supplement should be completed
along with the PDQ. The information provided in the supplement assists
the Classification Committee in making the necessary judgments on
the points assigned to the position. After each member scores the
position, the points accrued are totaled and averaged, and an assignment
is made to the AMS "Band" with the point spread in which the average
score falls.
The Band refers to the concept that an AMS position is assigned
to one of a series of two or three ranges. This provides a measure
of flexibility on the part of the campus to assign AMS position
ranges, which are in keeping with the internal organizational structure
of the campus. The Band approach can be used to assign two positions
on the same level of the hierarchy, but unequal in terms of responsibility
and dollar worth, to different ranges within the same Band. This
system can also be used for positions that require long periods
for the incumbent to master and those that could conceivably expand
into long-term career positions. In such cases, the bottom range
in the Band may be assigned with the possibility of progression
to the next ranges in the Band over the course of long-term employment
without the need for reclassification review.
If the Committee determines the position to be AMS, a Point/Factor
Evaluation Plan, unique to the University System, is utilized to
aid the Committee in classifying it. |
