Archive for ‘Policy Point’

Have you ever wondered who can send mass emails to the ACU Campus? ACU’s  Internal Communication Policy seeks to define guidelines for group communication using technology at ACU.  It is the aim of this policy to acknowledge that email is the primary medium of communication for faculty and staff while also addressing the problem of unwanted email or “spam” through the proper use of the myACU portal. Gatekeepers for various audiences are identified in the policy.

Posters, flyers, and any other form of advertising are not permitted on walls, sidewalks, windows, doors, stairs, railings, trees, trashcans, lamp posts, vehicles or any other location on campus outside of the designated bulletin boards or kiosks. Requests for exceptions can be made to Student Life.

The purpose of ACU’s nondiscrimination policy is to preserve a work environment that is free from unlawful discrimination. The policy is to ensure that persons who apply for employment and persons who are employed are treated in a nondiscriminatory manner in matters of gender, race, age, color, national origin, veteran’s status, genetic information or disability in employment or the provision of services, in accordance with applicable federal, state and local laws.

The University maintains standard definitions of employment status and classifies employees for purposes of personnel administration and related payroll transactions accordingly. Review Policy 010 to see the details of these definitions.

010. Definitions of Employment Status

As the ACA (Affordable Care Act) continues to roll out, ACU is working to comply with the new law and regulations. One of the changes will effect student employees. HR recently sent out an email regarding these updates, however, please review this Policy as a reminder of those changes.

Policy No. 011 Student Employee Policy

The purpose of the Family Medical Leave Act (FMLA) is to enable eligible employees to receive time away from work, with or without pay, for limited periods to attend to specified medical or family needs with job protection and no loss of accumulated service. This policy applies to all full-time, reduced full-time and half-time employees who have been employed by ACU for at least 12 months as of the date the leave begins, and have completed 1,250 hours of service during the 12 month period immediately preceding the leave. Contact HR if you have questions about FMLA and what qualifies for leave. 

Even after you are hired to work at ACU the Background Check &Self-Reporting policy requires that individuals must disclose to the Office of Human Resources any and all felony or misdemeanor arrests or convictions that occur after the date of hire.  Failure to self-report any arrest or conviction is a terminable offense. This does not include minor traffic offenses (Class C) unless the individual is a Routine Driver under the ACU’s Driver Policy.  The purpose of the policy is to maintain a safe and secure campus environment and protect the university’s financial and physical assets by establishing a formal process for screening, background checks and self-reporting.

ACU’s ADA policy has recently been revised to ensure compliance with provisions of the law. The purpose of the policy is ensure that applicants and employees with disabilities are provided with reasonable accommodations.  ACU is committed to providing reasonable accommodations for qualified individuals with disabilities in a fair and equitable manner and in accordance with applicable federal and state law.

According to policy the use of tobacco products, electronic cigarettes, and vaporizers is strictly prohibited on campus. This policy establishes the University as a smoke free institution and includes but is not limited to tobacco and other smoking related products and devices. The use of these items is prohibited in all property owned by the University including vehicles, campus grounds, and parking lots.

Faculty and staff should feel free to inform visitors of this policy.

As a new feature to the newsletter, HR will highlight specific policies on the second Monday of each month Be sure to watch for them!

Recently HR has been asked how to handle vendors who walk into offices trying to sell various services or items. ACU actually has policy on Solicitation and Distribution  that applies to both employees and non-employees. This policy allows you to politely inform any cold calls or walk-ins from salespeople that ACU has a no solicitation policy.