PERSONNEL
60.10
Revised 7-07
Human Resource Services
335-4521
PDF link
OVERVIEW
Only WSU officials holding delegated appointing authority may hire employees and authorize other employment actions specified below. See below for the definition of appointing authority.
This policy:
- Specifies the positions of individuals who are routinely granted appointing authority, and
- Provides the University processes for requesting appointing authority and designating authority to appoint temporary employees.
Appointing Authority Definition
Only the President and those individuals he or she designates may hold appointing authority. An individual who holds appointing authority is authorized to hire and dismiss employees and to take the additional actions specified for each employee classification, i.e., faculty, administrative professional, civil services employees, collective bargaining unit employees, or temporary employees.
FACULTY AND ADMINISTRATIVE PROFESSIONAL PERSONNEL
The WSU Board of Regents delegated "full authority to act for the Board of Regents for purposes of employment, appointment, discipline, or termination of any academic or exempt (administrative professional) employee of Washington State University" to the WSU President and the authority to delegate this authority to subordinates. (RCW 28B.10.528)
Appointing Authority
The President delegates appointing authority to executive officers for faculty and administrative professional employees in each division. Executive officers include vice presidents and other specified administrators. Contact the President's Office or the Provost's Office for a current list of University executive officers.
Additional Appointing Authority
An appointing authority may not designate another employee as an appointing authority. However, an appointing authority may ask the President to designate additional appointing authorities. For example, it is anticipated that the Provost would request that all college deans be designated as appointing authorities for faculty. Likewise, deans would request such designation for department chairs.
See the "Procedures" section below to designate additional appointing authorities.
Powers Held Only by Appointing Authorities
Only those individuals who have been designated by the President as appointing authorities for faculty and administrative professional employees may take action as an appointing authority.
Such actions include, but may not be limited to, the following actions:
- Hire.
- Authorize layoffs or reduce the number of working hours.
- Discipline, i.e., demote, dismiss, suspend, or reduce pay.
- Modify previous disciplinary actions or withdraw disciplinary charges in accordance with the Faculty Manual or the Administrative Professional Handbook rules and procedures, as applicable.
- Reassign an employee.
- Take any action to end employment, including terminate employment for cause, disability separation, or a make a finding of a presumed resignation.
Provost Approval Tenure Track Faculty
Only the Provost may authorize an offer of employment to a tenure track faculty member. The WSU Faculty Manual provides guidance for determining when the Provost should be consulted regarding other decisions affecting faculty members.
CIVIL SERVICE AND COLLECTIVE BARGAINING UNIT EMPLOYEES
The WSU Board of Regents delegated authority to act for the Board of Regents for purposes of employment, discipline, or termination of civil service and collective bargaining unit employees to the WSU President and the authority to delegate this authority to subordinates. (RCW 28B.10.528)
Appointing Authority
The President delegates appointing authority to executive officers for civil service employees and employees covered by collective bargaining unit agreements in each division. Executive officers include vice presidents and other specified administrators. Contact the President's Office or the Provost's Office for a current list of University executive officers.
Additional Appointing Authority
An appointing authority may not designate another employee as an appointing authority. However, an appointing authority may request that the President designate additional appointing authorities. For example, it is anticipated that a vice president would request that department directors be designated appointing authorities for civil service and collective bargaining unit employees. Likewise, the Provost would request that all college deans receive appointing authority for civil service and collective bargaining unit employees. See the "Procedures" section below to designate additional appointing authorities.
Powers Held Only by Appointing Authorities
Only those individuals who have been designated by the President as appointing authorities for civil service and collective bargaining unit employees may take action as an appointing authority under WAC 357 regulations. Such actions include, but may not be limited to, the following actions:
- Hire.
- Authorize layoffs or reduce the number of working hours.
- Discipline, i.e., demote, dismiss, suspend, or reduce pay.
- Reject an employee during his or her probationary period.
- Reject an employee during his or her trial service period.
- Modify previous disciplinary actions or withdraw disciplinary charges in accordance with Department of Personnel rules.
- Reassign an employee.
- Take any action to end employment, including terminate employment for cause, disability separation, or a make a finding of a presumed resignation.
Employing Official
An "employing official" is defined as: "An administrative or supervisory employee designated by the appointing authority to exercise responsibility for requesting certification, interviewing eligible candidates, and recommending appointment of individuals to classified positions." (WAC 357-01-150)
NOTE: Some state regulations refer to civil service employees and employees covered by bargaining unit agreements collectively as classified employees.
The University also refers to the employing official as the hiring manager.
Appointing authorities of civil service and collective bargaining unit employees are also "employing officials" or "hiring managers" for such employees.
Additional Employing Officials
Appointing authorities may designate other administrators as employing officials.
Employment Actions
An employing official, or hiring manager, would typically be involved in the following employment actions regarding civil service and collective bargaining unit employees:
- Request certification of applicants for vacant civil service and collective bargaining unit positions.
- Interview certified applicants for civil service and collective bargaining unit positions.
- Approve all requests for leave.
- Approve requests for use of compensatory time.
- Approve changes to a work schedule.
TEMPORARY EMPLOYEES
An appointing authority has authority to appoint a temporary employee. See 60.26.
Appointment Forms
An appointing authority may designate a subordinate to approve temporary employment appointments. See below for procedures.
In order to provide internal fiscal control, the designated subordinate should not be the same employee who is assigned responsibility for temporary employment payroll functions.
The subordinate may not delegate to other employees the authority to approve temporary employment appointments.
Faculty, Administrative Professional, Civil Service, Collective Bargaining Unit Appointments
To request appointing authority, to replace an existing designation of appointing authority, or to nominate an additional appointing authority for faculty, administrative professional, civil service, or collective bargaining unit appointments, complete and submit a Request for Appointing Authority Delegation form to Human Resource Services. Complete and/or print the PDF master on 60.10.7 to make copies of the form as needed.
If the person submitting the request is not an executive officer, include the responsible executive officer's written approval. Contact the President's Office or the Provost's Office for a current list of University executive officers. NOTE: If the requester does not directly report to an executive officer, she or he should obtain approval of any intervening supervisors before seeking the executive officer's approval.
HRS forwards the request to the President. The President decides whether or not to issue a letter of delegation to establish the appointing authority. If such a letter is issued, a copy is sent to HRS for retention in the delegation files (see below).
Temporary Employment Appointments
Complete the form on 60.10.6 to designate an employee to approve temporary employment appointments.
Send the form to HRS and to each employee identified on the form and file a copy in the department file.
DELEGATION FILES
HRS maintains the master file of delegations of appointing authority.
To view the current list of delegations of appointing authority, go to the HRS web site at:
Select HRS Information; then
Select Appointing Authority
HRS also maintains the forms which name employees who are designated to approve temporary employment appointments. See above and 60.10.7.
See the PDF master forms:
60.10.6: Appointing Authority
for Temporary Employment Appointments
60.10.7: Request for Appointing
Authority Delegation
Complete and/or print as needed