Position Management Policy

Date: March 20, 2011

Policy: KU Medical Center will utilize a system of Position Management for all positions.

Definition: Position Management is the business process to manage the KUMC workforce against budgeted resources according to business needs. It is the primary tool for managing headcount in each school/department. This is an ongoing process requiring continual management, review and approval. In particular, position management defines the policies, processes and procedures by which a position is created, modified or closed. It enables historical reporting on overall headcount as well as tracking of specific position transitions. In addition, position management provides better budget management and a clearer understanding of the cost of services.

• The following principles guide KUMC's position management:
• All employees must be assigned to at least one position; except in rare circumstances, each employee will be assigned to only one position.
• All positions will be assigned a unique position number for identification and historical tracking.
• The active positions will be reviewed on an annual basis.
• New positions must be approved as must the modification of an existing position.
• It is expected that the need for most new positions will be identified during the budget process. Vacant positions will also be evaluated during the budget process.
• Vacant active positions that have not been filled for a period of one year and are not under active recruitment will be inactivated at the beginning of the following fiscal year unless otherwise approved by the appropriate Dean, Associate Dean or Vice Chancellor.

Creating a New Position: To establish or modify a valid position, a request must be made by the Chair or Department Head and approved prior by the appropriate Dean, Vice Chancellor, or designee.

• Creation of a position will be required for the following reasons:
• A newly identified business need not covered by any position's current job description;
• Change of the following attributes for an existing position:
  • Department (except for departmental reorganization),
  • Job Code (including promotion or demotion),
  • Regular, Temporary, or Limited Term status,
  • Type (Faculty, University Support Staff, Unclassified),
  • Significant change in job description (as evaluated by HCM).

Recruitment for any faculty/staff may not begin until a position has been approved and established. Once a request is approved, HCM will establish a position, assign to it a unique 'position number' and a position description.

A request for a new position must include the following:

• Position description describing the duties and responsibilities of the job to be established,
• Special knowledge, skills, and abilities required as well as any license or certification requirements,
• Minimum and preferred qualifications pertaining to education and experience,
• Proposed Job Title,
• FTE,
• Type (Faculty, Unclassified, University Support Staff),
• Regular, Temporary, or Limited Term
• Proposed hiring salary
• Department Name/Number,
• Work schedule/hours/location,
• Position Number and Title of the person supervising the requested position,
• Expected funding source(s).

Requests to establish positions must also be accompanied by a new or amended organizational chart.

Deans and Vice Chancellors are accountable for managing the positions in their areas and supervisory employees must ensure senior level approvals prior to effecting actions that will change the headcount in their area. The Executive Vice Chancellor will provide direction to Deans and Vice Chancellors in their management of positions.