Tulsa Community College TCC EMPLOYEE HANDBOOK 2018-19
Welcome message from author
This document is posted to help you gain knowledge. Please leave a comment to let me know what you think about it! Share it to your friends and learn new things together.
Transcript
Tulsa Community College
TCC EMPLOYEE HANDBOOK 2018-19
2018-19 Tulsa Community College Employee Handbook 1
Contents About this Handbook .....................................................................................................................6
Message from the President ...........................................................................................................7
About Tulsa Community College .....................................................................................................8
Overview .............................................................................................................................................. 8
Shared Leadership ................................................................................................................................ 8
Council Structure .................................................................................................................................. 8
Employee Organizations..................................................................................................................... 11
Compensation Procedures ........................................................................................................... 13
Employment Philosophy .................................................................................................................... 13
Compensation Philosophy .................................................................................................................. 13
Hiring, Recruitment, and Applying to a New Position ........................................................................ 13
Employee Classifications .................................................................................................................... 13
Workweek, Workday, and Overtime Pay ........................................................................................... 14
Commencement ................................................................................................................................. 15
Payroll Schedules................................................................................................................................ 15
Payroll Deductions ............................................................................................................................. 15
Merit Pay ............................................................................................................................................ 16
Performance Standards, Evaluation, and Disciplinary Actions ........................................................ 17
New Employee Requirements ............................................................................................................ 17
Probationary Period ........................................................................................................................... 17
Professional Performance Review ..................................................................................................... 18
Compliance Training ........................................................................................................................... 18
Professional Development Opportunities .......................................................................................... 19
2018-19 Tulsa Community College Employee Handbook 2
Leaving Employment with the College/Exit Interview ....................................................................... 19
Employee-At-Will ............................................................................................................................... 19
Termination of Employment Procedure ............................................................................................ 20
Appeal of Termination ....................................................................................................................... 20
Employment Policies .................................................................................................................... 22
Notice of Non-Discrimination ............................................................................................................. 22
Affirmative Action .............................................................................................................................. 22
Sex and Gender Harassment, Discrimination and Misconduct Policy ............................................... 22
Nursing Mothers in the Workplace .................................................................................................... 23
Employees with Disabilities ................................................................................................................ 23
Employee Issues-Resolution Process ................................................................................................. 24
Grievance Procedure .......................................................................................................................... 24
Ethics Line ........................................................................................................................................... 24
Open Records ..................................................................................................................................... 24
Information Security and Confidentiality ........................................................................................... 24
Release of Employee Information ...................................................................................................... 26
Recommendation for Employees ....................................................................................................... 26
Political Involvement/State Ethics ..................................................................................................... 27
Solicitation of Funds ........................................................................................................................... 29
Employment of Relatives ................................................................................................................... 29
Outside Employment .......................................................................................................................... 30
Personal Appearance ......................................................................................................................... 30
Unattended Children .......................................................................................................................... 30
Employee Benefits ....................................................................................................................... 31
2018-19 Tulsa Community College Employee Handbook 3
Insurance ............................................................................................................................................ 31
Retirement Program for Full-time Employees ................................................................................... 31
Benefits for Retired Employees .......................................................................................................... 31
Continuation of Insurance (COBRA) ................................................................................................... 32
Liability Insurance ............................................................................................................................... 32
Employee Education and Tuition Waivers ......................................................................................... 33
Staff Scholarship ................................................................................................................................. 33
Employee Assistance Program ........................................................................................................... 33
Tulsa Teachers Credit Union .............................................................................................................. 34
Workers’ Compensation ..................................................................................................................... 34
Other Benefits .................................................................................................................................... 34
Leave Provisions .......................................................................................................................... 35
Absences and Tardiness ..................................................................................................................... 35
Sick Leave and Sick Leave Sharing Procedure .................................................................................... 35
Holidays .............................................................................................................................................. 36
Vacations ............................................................................................................................................ 37
Military Leave ..................................................................................................................................... 38
Jury Duty ............................................................................................................................................. 40
Family Medical Leave Act ................................................................................................................... 40
Parental Leave .................................................................................................................................... 42
Administrative Leave .......................................................................................................................... 42
College Closings and Essential Employees ......................................................................................... 42
Workplace Processes and Procedures ........................................................................................... 43
Authorized Driver - Travel Compensation, Use of Fleet or Rental Cars ............................................. 43
2018-19 Tulsa Community College Employee Handbook 4
Grant Development and Sponsored Programs .................................................................................. 43
Acceptable Use Standards .................................................................................................................. 44
Security and Confidentiality ............................................................................................................... 45
Copyright, Fair Use, and Peer-to-Peer File Sharing ............................................................................ 46
Email Guidelines ................................................................................................................................. 46
General Telephone Usage .................................................................................................................. 48
Use of College Assets and Resources ................................................................................................. 48
Promotional Materials and Publicity .................................................................................................. 48
Posting Signs ....................................................................................................................................... 49
Name and Address Change ................................................................................................................ 49
Letterhead, Envelopes, Postage ......................................................................................................... 49
Business Cards .................................................................................................................................... 50
College ID ........................................................................................................................................... 50
Purchasing Procedures ....................................................................................................................... 50
Sale of Commodities .......................................................................................................................... 51
Computer/Technology Procurement Procedures .............................................................................. 51
Transfer of Inventory from One Area to Another .............................................................................. 51
Request for Privately-Funded Projects............................................................................................... 52
Gift Policy ........................................................................................................................................... 53
Donated Equipment or Materials....................................................................................................... 54
Donations for Scholarships and Short-Term Loans ............................................................................ 55
Employee Health and Safety ......................................................................................................... 56
Fitness Center ..................................................................................................................................... 56
Flu Shots ............................................................................................................................................. 56
2018-19 Tulsa Community College Employee Handbook 5
Fit For Duty ......................................................................................................................................... 56
Communicable Diseases ..................................................................................................................... 56
Dealing with Exposure to Human Body Fluids ................................................................................... 58
Drug- and Alcohol-Free Environment ................................................................................................ 58
Drug and Alcohol Prevention Program .............................................................................................. 59
Tobacco-Free Environment ................................................................................................................ 59
Campus Police .................................................................................................................................... 60
Emergency Procedures ....................................................................................................................... 61
Emergency Evacuation for Persons With Disabilities ......................................................................... 62
Emergency Care ................................................................................................................................. 63
TCC Alerts Emergency Notification System ........................................................................................ 63
Safety .................................................................................................................................................. 63
Facilities and Services ................................................................................................................... 65
Facilities Usage ................................................................................................................................... 65
Building Hours .................................................................................................................................... 65
Building Temperature ........................................................................................................................ 65
Keys .................................................................................................................................................... 66
Lost and Found ................................................................................................................................... 68
Parking and Traffic Management ....................................................................................................... 69
Orders to Leave College Facilities or Grounds ................................................................................... 72
2018-19 Tulsa Community College Employee Handbook 6
About this Handbook
The Tulsa Community College Human Resources Handbook presents an easy-to-navigate source of information about the College’s employment policies, procedures, practices, and benefits. The handbook is not intended as an expressed or implied contract, nor does it present all policies, practices, and procedures. Rather, the handbook, along with other resources, serves as a guide and reference for all employees, with links to important information posted in MyTCC and elsewhere. When necessary, the College may add, revoke, or modify the content of this handbook and will notify employees of any substantive changes. Employees may also want to consult The Board of Regents’ Policy Manual, The Student Handbook, and/or The Faculty Handbook for additional information.
To clarify information here and for support with employment issues, use the HR Staff Listing, available through MyTCC or e-mail [email protected].
2018-19 Tulsa Community College Employee Handbook 7
Message from the President
Several years ago with the creation of a new strategic plan and our involvement with the Pathways project, we began a journey to transform the student experience. You, the faculty and staff at TCC, are truly our greatest asset in offering the educational services that make that possible.
Creating a positive work environment for our employees is of the utmost importance and we believe the policies, procedures, and practices outlined in this handbook provide the most current and pertinent guiding principles to make that happen. This handbook serves as a resource to provide answers to questions that often arise. If you have additional questions that are not provided in the handbook, please ask your supervisor or the appropriate member of the Administration.
Thank you for your commitment to the service of our community. We all impact student success!
Leigh Goodson August 3, 2018
2018-19 Tulsa Community College Employee Handbook 8
About Tulsa Community College
Overview Tulsa Community College is the largest community college in Oklahoma—a multi-campus institution serving approximately 27,000 students each year, more than any other college in northeastern Oklahoma. In Tulsa, the College is one of the top employers, with more than 1,500 full- and part-time employees. As such, the College has established procedures and processes that govern operations and ensure we continue to provide a positive working environment for employees as well as excellent opportunities for students. The College’s Organization Chart identifies different positions in the College and establishes reporting structures, and the 2016-2020 Strategic Plan identifies the College’s goals for the next several years.
All employees are expected to contribute to, support, and promote Tulsa Community College’s Mission, Core Values, and Vision Statement.
Tulsa Community College is governed by both The Oklahoma State Regents for Higher Education (OSRHE), which prescribes the purpose, function, programs, and standards for all institutions of higher education in Oklahoma, and the Tulsa Community College Board of Regents, which adopts rules and policies that further the College’s mission and oversees the operations of the College.
Shared Leadership Tulsa Community College embraces a philosophy of shared leadership. As a College community, we agree to mutually discover, identify, evaluate, and integrate applicable best practices of shared leadership. We further believe that by committing to a culture of shared leadership, the achievement of the mission of Tulsa Community College will be enhanced.
Council Structure One strategy to demonstrate our commitment to shared leadership is by the inclusion of faculty in various work groups throughout the College. The workgroups, defined below, serve different purposes, align with strategic priorities and administrative needs, and contribute to principles of shared governance. Each group is also guided by the following principles:
2018-19 Tulsa Community College Employee Handbook 9
• The highest level within the College will be the council; committees and task forces will report to one of the councils listed below.
• The purpose of the council structure is to provide opportunities for participation in decision making; efforts should be made to diversify and broaden participation in councils, committees, and task forces.
• Membership on councils must include faculty as well as representatives from areas not reporting to the council chair. Those members who are not appointed ex-officio (by virtue of their positions), such as faculty, should serve for specified terms not to exceed three years.
• Council chairs should determine who chairs committees and task forces and who should participate on the committees and task forces. Generally, committee and task force members will represent a broad group that crosses administrative reporting lines and includes faculty; they may also include members of a council, but this is not a requirement.
• Council agendas and minutes should be recorded and published. • Groups, such as departmental teams and event planning teams, will continue to exist to
conduct work outside of the overall council structure. However, administrators should be mindful of groups operating below “college-level” and work to ensure their efficacy.
• The terms “councils,” “committees,” and “task forces” should be used as part of the established College-wide structure; “team,” “work group,” “department meeting,” etc. is the suggested terminology for work largely within an administrative unit.
• In addition to committees and task forces, the council meetings may include updates, discussion, and actions from work teams within the chairs’ areas.
• The Guided Pathways Council, although a College-wide established council, is a special initiative and falls outside of the “regular” College-wide council structure. It ensures continued focus on integration of Pathways initiatives that fall within various departments.
The following definitions provide standardization and recommended best practices for terminology. This is a guideline; there might be exceptions. A board is a group, such as the Grade Appeals Board or Institutional Review Board, that has been delegated final authority in a specified area. Very few work groups are designated boards.
2018-19 Tulsa Community College Employee Handbook 10
A workforce board provides strategic advice to the institution, program, or other functional unit and does not have decision-making authority or fiduciary responsibility, which allows them to be relatively informal and flexible. Please refer to the Workforce Advisory Board toolkit. A council is a group that consults, deliberates, advises, or makes decisions and is at the highest level of TCC’s internal structure. Currently, TCC has five councils: Academic Affairs, Student Affairs, Administrative Operations, External Affairs, and Institutional Effectiveness. Councils discuss and vote on strategic initiatives and recommendations related to new policies and processes or changes in current policies and practices, with an emphasis on those that affect multiple areas. They will not typically vote on procedures and operational issues unless a need to do so is indicated; this work will fall to the committees. They will make recommendations to the cabinet chair, who ultimately has authority to accept or reject a recommendation. Councils are the responsibility of the cabinet member of that area; the cabinet members of that area are responsible to their supervisors. A committee is created by a council chair to perform a specific function that requires on-going attention, often on behalf of a larger group. Individuals requesting establishment of a new committee must submit a completed Proposal for New Committee Form, available upon request from the President’s office. The President, in consultation with the executive team, must approve all new committees. Committees have the authority to conduct ongoing work, to handle operations within their scope, and to make recommendations to the council involving new policies and processes and changes to existing policies and procedures. Each committee will report to a council. The council chair(s), in consultation with committee chairs, will determine frequency of committee reports. A task force is a small group that accomplishes a specific objective, with the expectation that the group will disband when the objective has been completed—generally, within one academic year (although a task force may request an extension from the council chair). When a task force is needed, the council chair will send an email to the President, stating
Specific problem, issue, or product requested Proposed chair and membership Timeline
2018-19 Tulsa Community College Employee Handbook 11
Other applicable details as requested
In consultation with the Executive Team, the President will approve the creation of a task force. The task force will make recommendations to the council involving new policies and processes and changes to current policies and processes. The council chair(s), in consultation with members of the task force, will determine when a task force should report to the council.
Employee Organizations
The faculty and the staff employees have specific organizations, each governed by its own mission statement and bylaws. These include The College Staff Council, The Professional Staff Council, The Faculty Association, and The Adjunct Faculty Association. The College Staff Council includes staff employees from all College locations and representatives from different functional areas. The committee meets regularly to discuss issues of concern to staff employees and makes recommendations to administration regarding policy issues and staff development needs. They provide communications to staff employees on issues, concerns, and general information. The mission of the Professional Staff Council is to promote professionalism and collegiality at Tulsa Community College. The purpose of the Professional Staff Council is to foster communication and cooperation among important College constituencies while acting as a collective and representative voice of the Professional Staff Council stakeholders and members, defined as full-time non-faculty and non-cabinet-rank professional staff. The Tulsa Community College Faculty Association (TCCFA) exists to promote an academic environment that complements the collegiate learning process Tulsa Community College offers to the student body. To foster such an environment, the faculty must be active participants in all aspects of the collegiate learning process. The TCCFA was established to provide the faculty with avenues to accomplish specific goals related to the overall learning process. All full-time teaching faculty and all full-time professional support staff-faculty are considered Professional Members of the TCCFA. All adjunct faculty not otherwise employed by the College in full- or part-time administrative positions, and all part-time professional support staff-faculty are considered Associate
2018-19 Tulsa Community College Employee Handbook 12
Members of the TCCFA. Associate Members must teach a minimum of one credit hour both fall and spring semester. Adjunct faculty also have an organization that addresses the concerns and working conditions of faculty who teach part-time. This group meets during fall and spring semesters and includes representation from each of the four campuses. More information about this group can be found in the organizational Blackboard site, Adjunct Faculty Association.
2018-19 Tulsa Community College Employee Handbook 13
Compensation Procedures
Employment Philosophy As an urban two-year college, Tulsa Community College strives to provide the best educational opportunities and services to students and to meet the needs of our community through comprehensive programs of instruction and other educational services. To succeed in this effort, the College seeks to employee exceptionally talented individuals who have demonstrated excellence in their field, who are dedicated to continuous self-improvement and life-long learning, and who are committed to TCC’s Mission and Core Values.
Tulsa Community College makes contributions toward or shares in other personnel benefit items, such as comprehensive medical and dental insurance, accident insurance, life insurance, and income disability insurance.
Compensation Philosophy Under Review
Hiring, Recruitment, and Applying to a New Position When a position opens, Human Resources will notify employees via email, and internal candidates are encouraged to submit an application, which will be considered along with other internal and external applications. To attract and hire the best-qualified person for a position within the College, a national search may be conducted.
Employee Classifications All TCC employees fall into one of four categories: faculty, administrators (i.e., professional staff), non-exempt staff, or cabinet. Within the category of faculty are full-time professors, adjunct professors, hourly instructors, librarians, and advisors. The primary responsibility of these employees is to teach students or to work directly with students to provide instructional support. Adjunct and hourly instructors are hired on an as-needed basis, and their responsibilities include teaching assigned classes, attending required meetings, and consulting with students as needed. Together with full-time faculty, adjunct and hourly instructors ensure that learning outcomes for similar courses are consistent across the College. More information about faculty can be found in The Faculty Handbook.
The primary responsibility of administrators is to manage the institution through planning, organizing, directing, coordinating, and budgeting College activities and initiatives. Included in this category of employee are professional support staff—administrators, such as assistants to vice presidents, deans,
2018-19 Tulsa Community College Employee Handbook 14
and directors, whose primary responsibility is the support of administrative activities. Planning assistance, specialists for project development, and other positions identified in job descriptions are also considered administrative.
Non-exempt staff includes persons who are not faculty or administration and who hold technical, clerical, or maintenance positions. Full-time employees in this category, as opposed to temporary, part-time, substitute, and short-term employees, are considered “regular” staff. Those employed less than 51% of the fiscal year, or less than 1040 hours, are considered “short-term” staff employees.
Cabinet members are those employees who report directly to the College President, and campus Provosts, Senior Strategy Advisor to the President, Chief Human Resource Officer, Chief Technology Officer, Assistant Vice-President of Enrollment Management, and Senior Director of Marketing. These positions are appointed by the President and serve at the discretion of the President.
Workweek, Workday, and Overtime Pay The standard workweek at Tulsa Community College begins and ends Fridays at midnight and is typically eight hours a day for five days a week. Workday schedules, however, may vary according to the position in the College. To accommodate different scheduling needs, supervisors are encouraged to provide employees flextime. In many positions, under certain circumstances, flextime allows an employee to arrange different start and end times of his or her normal workday. Flextime is not an option for employees with poor performance records, but as long as schedules do not interfere with the productivity of the employee, adversely affect other employees, and the needs of the department are met, the College supports flextime scheduling.
According to the Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA), “non-exempt” employees who work more than 40 hours a week are entitled to overtime pay or compensatory time off at the rate of one and one-half times the regular hourly wage. All “off the clock” hours must be properly documented and compensated for non-exempt employees. The default and preferred method of compensating employees who work more than 40 hours a week is compensatory time off. Employees exempt from the FLSA provision regarding overtime pay are “exempt professional staff” (see Employee Classification) and typically include faculty and administrators.
Generally, non-exempt employees are asked to work overtime only when such work is necessary to carry on College services. The appropriate Cabinet member must approve any overtime pay. Each employee should maintain his or her time record; employees may not record time for any other employee or ask someone to record their time. Accurate record
2018-19 Tulsa Community College Employee Handbook 15
keeping is necessary to properly compensate employees who are entitled to overtime pay. For more information, see the Leave Reporting and Compensatory Time Off FAQs, located in MyTCC.
For part-time staff, the average work schedule will be 15-20 hours a week, not to exceed 1040 hours between July 1 and June 30. Part-time employees do not receive holiday pay and are generally not scheduled to work on holidays. (See Holidays in this handbook.)
Commencement Participation in Tulsa Community College’s commencement ceremonies is an obligation of all full-time faculty and exempt professional staff. Normally, the College will pay all fees associated with the academic cap, gown, and hood for designated employee participants. Employees who are interested in purchasing their own regalia may obtain information through their Campus Store.
Payroll Schedules All full-time faculty and professional staff, regardless of contract length, will receive twelve equal salary payments each fiscal year. Non-exempt staff and work study employees receive bi-weekly paychecks. Supervisors approve of all time entry submissions, which must be competed online on the Friday before the pay period ends.
Adjunct faculty and full-time faculty teaching overloads are paid four times a semester: September, October, November, and December for fall; February, March, April, and May for spring. Paychecks for summer school teaching are issued twice: in June and July.
Payroll Deductions Regular payroll deductions from each employee’s paycheck include federal and state income tax, social security, parking fees, retirement contributions, insurance premiums, and other deductions. Employees can review their paystubs, the pay schedule, and salary schedule through the MyTCC portal. Any changes to payroll deductions need to be made by the 15th of the preceding month.
2018-19 Tulsa Community College Employee Handbook 16
Merit Pay As part of its compensation plan “to attract and retain qualified and diverse personnel of the highest caliber,” The Tulsa Community College Board of Regents requires that all employee evaluations recognize “different degrees of performance through a merit compensation program” (Policy 4113). Merit pay, therefore, is an additional form of compensation for employees who meet the criteria established by their department. Staff may earn merit pay through the annual performance review. For faculty, merit pay is awarded through the promotion in rank process, which is explained in The Faculty Handbook.
2018-19 Tulsa Community College Employee Handbook 17
Performance Standards, Evaluation, and Disciplinary Actions
New Employee Requirements All new employees are required by Board Policy 4132 to complete the following forms:
• Application for Employment, • W-4 for withholding income tax • The Employee Loyalty Oath (required by state law) • U. S. Citizenship and Immigration Services Form I-9 and all documentation required by
the form • Any other forms and/or documentation relevant to the position or required by Federal
or State laws
New faculty and staff whose position requires a degree are also required to submit official transcripts to Human Resources.
All offers of employment are contingent upon a successful background check, which will be conducted in the final stage of the hiring process. Once hired, all employees are required to participate in orientation and engagement activities. If a person takes another position in the College, another background check is required, unless the person has had a background check within the last year.
Probationary Period New full-time employees will serve a probationary period of no less than 12 months, during which time the supervisor will provide evaluations every three months. These evaluations will cover “primarily quantity and quality of work, work habits, attitudes, punctuality, dependability, and employee’s effectiveness in working with people. The evaluation will be reviewed with the employee during a conference with his/her supervisor.” The Chief Human Resources Officer or designee will review all evaluations and keep copies of the evaluations on file. (Board Policy 4212)
The probationary period is intended to determine the appropriate fit between the employee and the position. As such, employees who move to a new position in the College after completing the year-long probationary period may serve a shorter probationary period in the new position. No probationary period, however, should be less than three months.
2018-19 Tulsa Community College Employee Handbook 18
During a classified employee’s first year with the College, a performance evaluation will be made every three months. After the first year, evaluations will be made on an annual basis. These evaluations will cover primarily quantity and quality of work, work habits, behaviors, punctuality, dependability, and employee’s effectiveness in working with people. The evaluation will be reviewed with the employee during a conference with his/her supervisor. Copies of all evaluations will be reviewed by and filed with the Chief Human Resources Officer or designee.
Professional Performance Review Evaluation systems for employees should be rooted in the traditions, purposes, and objectives of the College; designed to promote continuous improvement; positive rather than negative or punitive; based on the current job description; and confidential. All persons being evaluated should be made aware of the procedures, the timetable, and the results.
Full-time faculty participate in a peer review process, which includes classroom observations and a professional development plan. Similarly, faculty applying for promotion to associate or full professor must provide evidence of professional development as well as teaching excellence and service to the College. More information about faculty performance reviews can be found in the Faculty Handbook.
The members of the Board of Regents will be responsible for the evaluation of the College President.
Compliance Training The College requires annual mandatory training to meet basic regulatory compliance standards for Safety, Risk Management and other federal laws. Full-time employees will be reviewed for completion of the trainings in their annual performance review process. Incomplete training will result in the inability for employees to receive “Meets Expectations” or “Exceeds Expectations” in the annual performance review process. Employees will use an online learning system to access trainings.
2018-19 Tulsa Community College Employee Handbook 19
Professional Development Opportunities Tulsa Community College recognizes the importance of improving an employee’s job-related skills, knowledge, and attitude and of providing opportunities for professional growth and advancement. The College, therefore, offers several avenues for professional development for all its employees, including an annual professional development day, as well as specific opportunities for certain employee groups. Professional development opportunities for all employees are made available through the MyTCC portal. Faculty professional development opportunities are described in the TCC Faculty Handbook.
Leaving Employment with the College/Exit Interview Employees who leave the College must return all assigned College property. To verify property has been returned, the employee will complete a Property Check-Off form (TCC Form S100, available through the MyTCC portal) and submit the completed form to the Campus Police office. The employee’s supervisor will initiate the form, which must be on file with Human Resources three working days prior to scheduled paycheck distribution. The employee will receive payment and/or benefits that have not been previously provided during the next regularly scheduled pay date.
Employees leaving the College are also asked to complete an exit interview intended to collect feedback that may help the College attract, hire, and retain employees and improve operations. When employees provide their two-week notification, Human Resources will contact them to set up an exit interview. The employee may need time away from work during their last week to meet with Human Resources to answer the exit interview questions. Supervisors should contact the Human Resources Office when an employee who is leaving the College has not scheduled an exit interview.
Employee-At-Will According to Oklahoma public policy, all employment in the state is “at will” unless otherwise specifically provided. Tulsa Community College complies with this policy, which means employment at the College can be terminated at any time, with or without either the employee or the College showing cause. No one has the authority or power to alter this at-will relationship. No handbooks, statements, representations, practices or procedures published,
2018-19 Tulsa Community College Employee Handbook 20
made, or followed by the administrators, officers, or employees of the College will operate to alter the at-will relationship of employees.
Termination of Employment Procedure Under Review
Appeal of Termination Board policy 4313 identifies due process for both faculty and administrators whose appointment is not renewed or is canceled. No due process policy exists for the College President, the President’s cabinet, or staff.
Faculty due process procedure can be found in the Faculty Handbook.
If an appointment for an administrator is not renewed or is canceled, that individual may file an appeal with a review committee. The Review Committee shall consist of two members from the administrative staff selected by the President or his/her designee and three members selected by the administrative staff member, or the professional support staff-administrative member, whose termination of employment has been recommended. All five Review Committee members will be full-time professional staff employees of Tulsa Community College. The committee shall select its own chairman each time the committee is formed. Review Procedure -- The review procedure is designed to (1) simplify the issues, (2) effect the stipulations of facts, (3) provide for the exchange of documentary or other information, and (4) achieve such other appropriate objectives as will make the hearing fair, effective and expeditious.
During the proceedings the administration member will be permitted to have counsel of his/her own choice. The administration member will be afforded an opportunity to obtain necessary witnesses and documentary or other evidence. The Review Committee will not be bound by strict rules of legal evidence and may admit any evidence that is of probative value in determining the issues involved. Every effort will be made to obtain the most reliable evidence available. Each member of the Review Committee shall make every reasonable effort to consider impartially all relevant evidence presented to the Committee.
No later than four weeks following the first Committee meeting, the findings of the Review Committee will be forwarded by the Committee Chairman to the President for presentation to the Board. The person whose contract is being recommended for cancellation or non-renewal
2018-19 Tulsa Community College Employee Handbook 21
shall have all the rights and privileges accorded to faculty who are so terminated, including the right of appeal to the Board of Regents.
2018-19 Tulsa Community College Employee Handbook 22
Employment Policies
Notice of Non-Discrimination Tulsa Community College is committed to establishing an environment for its students and employees that fosters inclusion, values equity and diversity, embraces and respects the dignity of people, and provides equal educational and employment opportunity. In compliance with all applicable federal and state laws and regulations the College does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, national origin, sex, age, religion, disability, status as a veteran, sexual orientation, gender identity, genetic information, or any other basis protected by applicable discrimination law in its policies, practices, or procedures. This includes, but is not limited to admissions, employment, financial aid and educational programs, activities, or services. The Civil Rights Compliance Administrator [3727 E. Apache Room AB218, Tulsa, Oklahoma; Phone 918-595- 8487; email: [email protected]] has been designated to handle inquiries regarding non-discrimination policies. The Title IX Coordinator [909 South Boston, Room 505, Tulsa, Oklahoma; Phone 918-595-7842; email: [email protected]]has been designated to handle inquiries regarding sex discrimination, including sexual harassment, sexual assault, pregnancy, domestic violence, and stalking. See Board Policy 4128.
Affirmative Action Tulsa Community College has developed procedures to maintain a work environment that recognizes and values diversity among employees and students and that ensures compliance with Title VI and Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 and Title IX of the Education Amendments of 1972, as well as other appropriate federal laws. The College’s procedures apply to recruitment, selection, placement, training, promotion, termination, and other personnel actions such as compensation, transfers, layoffs, return from layoffs, and institution-sponsored training. Title IX Coordinator and Civil Rights Administrator in charge of monitoring these areas to assure that the administrative policy is applied to each area and that all persons are granted equal opportunity.
Sex and Gender Harassment, Discrimination and Misconduct Policy Tulsa Community College takes acts of dating violence, domestic violence, harassment, sex-based threats and bullying, retaliation, sexual harassment, sexual misconduct, and stalking extremely seriously and strongly encourages individuals to report these acts. This policy, consistent with U.S. Department of Education Title IX guidance, provides details on the College’s response to such acts. The College strives to maintain a safe, productive, and strongly
2018-19 Tulsa Community College Employee Handbook 23
unified environment free of violence and harassment so that all members of our community can live, learn, and be successful. The College is obligated under Title IX to take immediate action to eliminate the harassment, prevent its recurrence, and address its effects, irrespective of formal legal processes. See Board Policy 7217.
Nursing Mothers in the Workplace The College supports the rights of nursing mothers in the workplace in compliance with the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act. Mothers returning to work following the birth of a child will be provided reasonable break periods to express breast milk.
Pregnancy Accommodations:
TCC does not discriminate against any student or employee based on pregnancy or related conditions. Absences due to medical conditions relating to pregnancy will be excused for as long as deemed medically necessary and students will be given the opportunity to make up missed work. A student is allowed to return to the same academic and extracurricular status as before the medial leave began. Students or employees needing accommodations can seek assistance from the Title IX Office, 918-595-7842 or [email protected].
Mothers returning to school or work following the birth of a child will be provided reasonable break periods to express breast milk. Lactation rooms are available in the following locations, if needed.
Metro Campus: MC2017 Southeast Campus: 8156 Northeast Campus: AB147 West Campus: SC108 Conference Center: Room CC412 Owasso Campus: Room 2319 Aviation Center: Room 123 At other locations, Human Resources will provide assistance in arranging a private location.
Employees with Disabilities Employees with disabilities should contact the Human Resources Office. Anyone requiring information about parking permits for students or staff with disabilities should be referred to the campus police office.
2018-19 Tulsa Community College Employee Handbook 24
Employee Issues-Resolution Process Under Review
Grievance Procedure Under Review
Ethics Line Ethics Line helps ensure that the College maintains its Core Values and adheres to the highest levels of ethical conduct by providing a confidential way to report violations of TCC polices or inappropriate conduct. Based on best practices for organizational development and used by other higher education organizations, Ethics Line is intended to augment, not replace, the College’s processes and procedures for addressing concerns about unethical conduct and policy violations. Ethics line can be accessed by phone at 888.706.1718 or online at www.tulsacc.ethicspoint.com.
Open Records TCC’s Open Records policy and procedures are outlined by Board Policy 5218 and 5218AP.
Information Security and Confidentiality Board Policy 5218 directs the administration to develop procedures for protecting the confidentiality of employee and student records, privileged documents, and other information not protected by the Open Records Act. All persons employed to perform duties or services for the College are considered employees and are responsible for securing and protecting confidential information, which includes many forms of information such as the following:
• Personally-identifiable student and parent records • Financial records, including social security and credit card numbers • Health records • Contracts • Institutional research data • Alumni and donor records • Personnel records
2018-19 Tulsa Community College Employee Handbook 25
• College financial data • Computer passwords • College proprietary information/data • Information protected by federal law (HIPAA and FERPA), state law, or local law • College employee’s job function
Certain employees may have authorized access to information as part of their jobs, in which case they are not in violation of the Act. Employees granted access to data and information hold a position of trust and must preserve the security and confidentiality of the information; they must also abide by all applicable Federal and State guidelines as well as College policies and procedures regarding the confidentiality of data. Employees with authorized access to the College’s computer resources, information system, records, or files must use the data or files solely for College business and adhere to the following principles:
• All employees have a duty to use available physical, technological, and administrative safeguards, in accordance with College policies and procedures, to protect the security of all confidential information regardless of form or medium.
• All employees are responsible for the use of their individual account(s) and will take all reasonable precautions to prevent others from being able to use their account(s). Employees will be held responsible for any breach of confidentiality resulting from the intentional disclosure of their passwords, accounts, or I.D.s to another person.
• Documents and files (both electronic and hard copy) containing confidential information are to be accessed, used, and disclosed only with explicit authorization and only on a need-to-know basis for an employee’s job function.
• College resources must not be used to obtain, store, or transmit confidential information regarding any individual or entity without College authorization.
• Based on record retention requirements, documents and files containing confidential information must be disposed of in a way that ensures that the information is no longer recognizable or retrievable.
• Confidential information acquired while employed by or while providing services to the College must never be divulged to anyone outside of the College without authorization or to anyone within the College without the need-to-know for the employee’s job function as established by Human Resources and the employee’s direct supervisor. Employees should direct questions regarding the release of confidential information to their direct supervisor or to the appropriate College office. The chart below identifies the type of information and the appropriate office.
2018-19 Tulsa Community College Employee Handbook 26
Type of Information Appropriate Office
Student information Senior Student Affairs Officer
Employee information Chief Human Resources Officer
Financial information Chief Financial Officer
Electronic information Chief Technology Officer
Open Records information Vice President for External Affairs
Academic programs information Senior Vice President and Chief Academic Officer
Security information Vice President of Administration and Chief Operations Officer
In keeping with this policy, and as part of its legal duty to protect confidential information, the College provides employees with resources and protocols necessary to secure certain information. In addition, all College employees must sign a TCC Confidentiality Agreement as a condition of employment. If an employee is found to have violated this policy, the College is authorized to take action consistent with its existing policies, practices, and procedures, including termination of employment. In addition, a College employee may be subject to criminal or civil prosecution under federal or state statutes.
Release of Employee Information Institutional information and verifications of present and past TCC staff will be released to outside contacts only according to proper legal and controlled procedures by the Human Resources office. All such inquiries are to be forwarded to the Human Resources office. You may call the Human Resources Office for more detailed information.
Recommendation for Employees Letters of recommendation should reflect a substantive evaluation of the person for whom the letter is being written and should be based a on formal review process; therefore, only those who supervise and regularly review an employee’s performance may write that employee a
2018-19 Tulsa Community College Employee Handbook 27
recommendation letter, if requested. Other College employees should not write letters of recommendation for someone seeking employment outside the College. For those seeking a position within the College—for example, an adjunct instructor applying for a full-time teaching position—a colleague may write a recommendation letter based on his or her experiences with the individual. Phone calls and emails from a third party asking a College employee to provide a reference should be submitted to the Human Resources Office.
Political Involvement/State Ethics As state employees and per Board Policy 1214, Tulsa Community College employees are governed by the Oklahoma Ethics Rules. These rules are explained, in a concise format, in the Guide for State Officers & Employees. Two Ethics Rule that all employees should be aware of are Campaign Finance, Rule 2, and Conflicts of Interest, Rule 4.
Campaign Finance Tulsa Community College, like any other public college in the State System for Higher Education, cannot in any way show partiality of any kind for any political candidate for elective office or any candidate for appointive office. This means employees should not engage in any type of campaigning during work hours and should not use any TCC equipment or services, including their College e-mail account, for political purposes. When employees receive unsolicited political emails, they should not respond or should respond with a statement making it clear that the sender should not send future emails to the College email address. The rule does not prohibit voter registration drives on campus or campus speakers, as long as these activities are not promoting a candidate or a political position, nor does it prohibit state employees from expressing opinions as individuals. All state employees are encouraged to engage in political activities, but the Ethics Commission rules make it clear that campaign and political activities cannot use either state time or resources. Distinguishing between possible support of candidates and the implication of College support by this association is often difficult. If a question regarding political involvement should arise, the matter should be discussed with legal counsel.
2018-19 Tulsa Community College Employee Handbook 28
Conflict of Interest The underlying principle of this rule is that employees should never benefit personally from their roles as state employees. The rule stipulates what is and isn’t acceptable as it relates to interactions with College vendors and establishes “rules of ethical conduct for state officers and employees by prohibiting conflicts between their public duties and private economic interests.” According to this rule, employees should not participate in a situation that “would cause a reasonable person to question” the employee’s impartiality. The following are examples of activities prohibited under this rule.
1. Faculty and staff should not engage in any job-related activity that enhances their personal financial position or that of their immediate family members. For example, an employee should not select a vendor based on the promise that the vendor will pay the employee (or a family member) as a consultant. Rule 4.2 provides definitions for vendors, family members, and other terms.
2. Employees engaged in a purchasing decision of $50,000 or more cannot accept any gifts of any amount during the time they are engaged in the decision. Even when not making final purchasing decisions, employees are “engaged” in a purchasing decision when they offer input. According to the Ethics Rules, any item or service offered to an employee for free is considered a gift and therefore should not be accepted during the purchasing-decision process.
3. When not involved in a purchasing decision, employees may accept gifts, other than alcoholic beverages, of less than $20 (annually accumulated $50.00) from a vendor. For example, a staff member would be able to accept a gift or meal of less than $20.00 from a vendor or a potential vendor, as long as the meal does not include alcohol. The rule doesn’t apply to gifts that the vendor gives to all state employees or to employees within a school (for example, when a publisher’s representative buys cookies for faculty and staff within a school), nor does it apply to materials related to the employee’s official duties.
4. Accepting funding for a conference can be a violation of Ethic Rules since the rules prohibit an employee from accepting any benefits that are offered because of the employee’s position within the College. When employees are invited to present at a conference or to participate on a conference panel, they may be able to accept free attendance to the conference, but only for the day they are presenting, only from sponsors that are not College vendors, and only if the same benefit(s) is offered to all participants. If any vendor
2018-19 Tulsa Community College Employee Handbook 29
engaged with the College offers to sponsor attendance at a conference, the employee should decline, even if the vendor asks the employee to present on a panel or to perform other duties at the conference.
Employees may, however, accept “gratuities and hospitality made available to all participants in the event.” In other words, employees at a conference can accept vendors’ gifts, such as a tote bag and food or hors d’oeuvres at a happy hour, if those gifts and food are available to all conference attendees. Employees cannot accept free alcoholic beverages, even if they are offered to all conference attendees. Employees attending a conference need to have a Travel Authorization form (found in Jaggaer on My TCC) signed by the College President, even when the College is not paying for the trip. Penalties for violating Ethics Rules can include law suits, significant monetary fines, and job loss. All employees, therefore, should contact College General Counsel with any questions.
Solicitation of Funds The solicitation of funds from either employees or students requires special permission from the College President. In general, the only solicitations permitted are for the United Way Fund, the TCC Foundation, and specific professional associations. Any contribution or membership made by an employee or student according to this regulation is strictly voluntary. In order to protect employees from the many commercial solicitations and direct mailings, the College does not and employees should not distribute employee contact information.
Employment of Relatives Board Policy 4117 prohibits the employment of relatives in situations where relatives work within the “chain of command” and could therefore influence another employee’s work responsibilities, salary, or career progress. According to this policy, a College employee should not participate in a professional review, hiring decision, promotion opportunity, and/or retention or contractual arrangement for a relative.
A relative is someone within the third degree of affinity or consanguinity, which includes spouses, parents, grandparents, children, grandchildren, stepchildren, grandchildren, and
2018-19 Tulsa Community College Employee Handbook 30
siblings as well as step, half, or in-law relationships. This policy covers all full-time and part-time employees of the College, as well as consultants and contractual individuals. Exceptions are allowed with the approval of the President or designate if such an exception is in the best interest of the College.
If the marriage of two employees creates a conflict with this policy, the College will, when possible, consult with the affected employees and make every effort to move one of them to another comparable position within the College or to re-align reporting relationships; however, the College reserves the right to ask either of the employees to resign if their positions violate this policy.
Employees who have a relative employed in conflict with this policy are to notify their supervisor and Human Resources.
Outside Employment The College does not prevent an employee from working for other employers, as long as the work does not in any way interfere with the employee’s assigned duties and on-campus time. When an employee is invited to participate as a consultant or to perform other duties for additional salary, the work should fall outside the employee’s normal workday.
Personal Appearance The mode of dress of any member of the staff of TCC should be appropriate and in keeping with dress standards common to the area in which he or she works. An employee’s appearance should complement the professional image of TCC in the community.
Unattended Children Under Review
2018-19 Tulsa Community College Employee Handbook 31
Employee Benefits
Insurance Board policy 4211 directs the College to provide comprehensive medical insurance, group life insurance, disability insurance, and other insurance options for all full-time employees. Each fall semester, during an open option period, full-time employees may review benefit options to select the ones that provide the best coverage for themselves and their families. The coverage remains in effect for the following year, unless a “qualifying life event,” such as divorce or a spouse losing his or her coverage, occurs. Plan coverage for all insurance benefits varies according to the guidelines established by the carriers. Information on current plans can be found through MyTCC, in the Employee Benefits area.
For all full-time employees, medical and dental plans are covered all or in part by the College and are available to eligible dependents, which include an employee’s spouse, domestic partner, and/or dependent children. In addition, the College provides group life insurance and accidental death and dismemberment (AD&D) insurance to all full-time employees. Employees may elect supplemental life insurance and AD&D insurance for themselves as well as for eligible dependents.
Full-time employees may also voluntarily participate in the College Flexible Benefits Plan (Section 125), which allows for pretax dollars to be used for payment of approved insurance premiums, medical expenses, and dependent care expenses. The decision to participate in this plan must be renewed each calendar year.
Other insurance options include vision coverage, cancer insurance, supplemental and dependent life insurance, long-term care, and pre-paid legal insurance.
Retirement Program for Full-time Employees Under Review
Benefits for Retired Employees Under Review
2018-19 Tulsa Community College Employee Handbook 32
Continuation of Insurance (COBRA) In compliance with The Consolidated Omnibus Budget Reconciliation Act of 1986 (COBRA), a federal law, full-time employees and their eligible (covered) dependents are entitled to continue group medical insurance coverage after it would otherwise end, under certain circumstances. These circumstances include:
• termination of employment for any reason, except gross misconduct; • loss of eligibility due to reduced work hours; • death of employee; • divorce or legal separation; • dependent child ceases to be a “dependent child” under the plan
Employees or their eligible dependents, if applicable, should notify the Human Resources office immediately if any of these events occur.
Liability Insurance All College employees, as agents of the State of Oklahoma, are protected against liability under the Oklahoma Governmental Tort Claims Act and the Oklahoma Risk Management Act. These statutes protect employees when suits filed against the State of Oklahoma involve a College employee. As long as employees are acting as agents of the College and within the scope of their employment, they will be defended by the State of Oklahoma without cost to them.
The Governmental Tort Claims Act defines “Scope of Employment” as “performance by an employee acting in good faith within the duties of his office or employment or of tasks lawfully assigned by a competent authority including the operation or use of an agency vehicle or equipment with actual or implied consent of the supervisor of the employee, but shall not include corruption or fraud.” No coverage is afforded, however, for willful, intentional or malicious acts that result in damage or injuries to others. Determining approval of a claim is the responsibility of the State Risk Management Office (OMES).
Coverage for incidents or acts occurring while on the job need to be reported immediately to the TCC Risk Management Office. Employees who receive a Subpoena or Claim against them should contact TCC’s Risk Management or General Counsel.
An injury occurring on the job while fulfilling job duties should be reported to the employee’s
2018-19 Tulsa Community College Employee Handbook 33
supervisor and Campus Police on the same day it occurs. Employees must complete the injury report form located on MyTCC and have the supervisor sign the form. All report forms must be submitted to the Risk Management Office by the following business day. All information submitted to the Risk Management Office will be treated confidentially.
For off-campus events and activities sponsored by TCC, departments must purchase event liability insurance that includes the physical location as an added insured. Any event occurring on campus requires the event participant or requestor to submit a liability insurance certificate to the Risk Management Office. Questions about coverage may be submitted to the Risk Management Office.
International travel requires travel insurance to cover injuries, health, and safety while on travel. The College arranges the travel insurance through various vendors and can be secured through the Risk Management Office.
Employee Education and Tuition Waivers Under Review
Staff Scholarship Each year, Tulsa Community College Staff Council funds up to eight $375 scholarships (four in the fall, four in the spring) for deserving TCC staff employees. To be eligible, employees must be non-exempt staff and must have worked full-time for the College for a minimum of two years. In addition, the employees must be working on an associate, bachelor’s, or master’s degree; must be enrolled in three or more credit hours at an accredited institution; and must maintain a 2.0 GPA. Each staff member is eligible for only one scholarship per academic year. Interested employees may apply by going to the TCC scholarship page or by contacting the TCC Foundation.
Employee Assistance Program Under Review
2018-19 Tulsa Community College Employee Handbook 34
Tulsa Teachers Credit Union All employees, full- and part-time, are eligible for membership in the Tulsa Teachers Credit Union. Payments for loans and/or savings accounts can be processed for full-time employees through payroll deduction upon proper notice from the Tulsa Teachers Credit Union to the Human Resources Office. For further information as to how to join the Tulsa Teachers Credit Union, please contact the Human Resources Office or one of the many TTCU offices in the Tulsa area.
Workers’ Compensation The College fully funds workers’ compensation for full-time, part-time, and work-study employees for any injury or occupational illness that occurs during the hours the employee is at work. When injured while performing his or her job duties at work, an employee should refer to the College’s Workers’ Compensation Plan and will need to complete an Occupation Injury or Illness Report.
Other Benefits College employees also enjoy paid time off for vacation and holidays and may take advantage of discounts at area retailers, restaurants, hotels, cell service providers and more.
2018-19 Tulsa Community College Employee Handbook 35
Leave Provisions
Absences and Tardiness Employees who are going to be late for work or to be absent for the entire day are responsible for notifying their immediate supervisor or designate as soon as possible—preferably prior to the start of your workday. Faculty who will miss class because of an absence should consult Faculty Absences in the Faculty Handbook.
Sick Leave and Sick Leave Sharing Procedure According to Board Policy 4135, on July 1 of each year, full-time employees are granted twelve days sick leave per year (or 96 hours) to be used for illness or injury and/or, with approval, for medical and dental appointments when employees can’t schedule appointments after work or in the case of medical emergencies. The College may also approve sick leave for an employee to care for an ill or injured member of his or her immediate family (as defined under the Administrative Leave Policy). If an employee takes sick leave through the end of the fiscal year (June 30), he or she must return to work for at least one day to accrue sick leave for the new fiscal year, which begins July 1; otherwise, no new sick leave will be accrued. New employees will be credited with a pro-rated amount upon employment (e.g., six days if hired mid-year). Employees may check their leave balances any time through the MyTCC portal. Also available through the MyTCC Portal is an online leave form, which employees must complete when taking sick days. A statement from a physician may be required at the discretion of the administration.
Employees may accumulate a maximum of one hundred twenty days (960 hours) sick leave while employed with the College. Retiring employees may add unused sick leave hours toward their time of service with the College. When an employee leaves the College, the Human Resources office will certify to Teacher's Retirement System of Oklahoma every hour of unused sick leave accumulated since 1970. When an employee is terminated, however, he or she forfeits any unused sick leave.
Employees may also donate up to ten days or 80 hours of unused sick leave to the Sick Leave Sharing Bank, which provides additional sick leave days for employees who have a serious health condition (as defined by the Family and Medical Leave Act), who have exhausted their paid sick leave, and who have no other form of compensation from the College to assist them.
2018-19 Tulsa Community College Employee Handbook 36
To donate sick leave, employees should email or send a written request to Human Resources, indicating the number of hours they wish to donate. Human Resources will verify an employee’s ability to donate sick leave and will determine, in consultation with the sick leave sharing bank committee, who is eligible for donated sick leave hours. Employees may be required to provide medical records from a qualified physician(s) when requesting donated sick leave hours.
Human Resources follows these procedures for maintaining the Sick Leave Sharing Bank:
• The donating employee must be a current full-time Tulsa Community College employee. • Employees may donate sick leave in eight-hour increments only and may donate up to a
maximum of six days or 48 hours annually, provided their balance of sick leave does not fall below 80 hours.
• Resigning or retiring employees may donate a maximum of ten days. • Donations to the sick leave bank are voluntarily; solicitations and campaigns for specific
individuals shall not be permitted. • Employees who donate to the sick leave bank shall remain anonymous. • Any employee who donates to the sick leave bank will not be able to reclaim any unused
sick leave, and donated sick leave will not count toward additional service hours upon retirement.
• Recipients must apply in writing to the Human Resources department for assistance from the Sick Leave Sharing Bank during their leave or within 30 days of their return to work. They must meet the definition of the catastrophic illness or injury and be full-time employees with a minimum of twelve months continuous service; in addition, they cannot be receiving College-provided benefits, such as Long-Term Disability.
• When a donation has been approved, the recipient of the Sick Leave Sharing Bank program shall receive their normal scheduled hours of pay, designated as sick leave.
• Qualified recipients are limited to a maximum of 45 days of accumulated paid leave from the sick leave bank per occurrence.
The President of the College shall establish a five-member committee that will work with Human Resources to determine the eligibility of applicants and to assure all procedures are followed.
Holidays The College is closed and employees are entitled to paid time off during the following holidays:
2018-19 Tulsa Community College Employee Handbook 37
• Labor Day • Thanksgiving (day before and after) • Winter Break (Christmas through New Year’s) • Martin Luther King Day • Memorial Day • Independence Day
Faculty work during their 9-, 10-, or 11-month appointments, excluding spring break.
When holidays fall on a Saturday, the Friday before will be observed; when they fall on a Sunday, the Monday after will be observed.
Full-time employees will be credited holiday pay when they are actively employed the day before and after the holiday or when they are on approved medical leave. Part-time employees do not receive holiday pay.
Vacations Vacation allowances for full-time employees differ based on the employee classification (see chart below), but all vacation must be taken at a time convenient to the department to which an employee is assigned. For purposes of calculating vacation leave, only full-time continuous service is considered. Monthly professional staff and cabinet members who have been employed by the College for less than fifteen years may take up to twenty working days (160 hours) of vacation each fiscal year. After fifteen years, they may take up to twenty-five days (200 hours) of vacation each fiscal year. Professional Staff (exempt)
Bi-weekly Staff (non-exempt)
Full-time Faculty Part-time faculty and staff
176 hours/22 days when hired
112 hours/14 days after six months
16 hours/2 days, regardless of years of service
No vacation
216 hours/27 days after fifteen years
136 hours/17 days after five years of service
2018-19 Tulsa Community College Employee Handbook 38
160 hours/20 days after ten years of service
176 hours/22 days after fifteen years
New employees (other than faculty) will receive a prorated vacation allowance in the first fiscal year of employment based on hire date. Human Resources will review unused vacation days for employees who leave the College and will determine how many vacation days the employee has accumulated at the time of departure. An employee who leaves the College at the beginning of the fiscal year, for example, will have only a few vacation days available, whereas an employee who leaves at the end of the fiscal year may be able to use all vacation days.
Military Leave TCC follows the guidelines established by the Uniformed Services Employment and Reemployment Rights Act (USERRA) regarding military leave.
The Uniformed Services Employment and Reemployment Rights Act of 1994 is a federal law intended to ensure that persons who serve or have served in the Armed Forces, Reserves, National Guard or other "uniformed services:" (1) are not disadvantaged in their civilian careers because of their service; (2) are promptly reemployed in their civilian jobs upon their return from duty; and (3) are not discriminated against in employment based on past, present or future military service.
When an employee is called to military service, USERRA requires the employee in the uniformed services to give advance written or verbal notice of the service to their employer, unless such notice is precluded by military necessity. The employee should submit a Leave of Absence Request Form to his or her supervisor when notified of an impending call to service as soon as possible and provide documentation.
Duration of Leave
Extended Military Leave Employees who must be absent from work due to military duty for a time period that exceeds ten working days will be placed on an unpaid military leave of absence for the time period consistent with military orders.
2018-19 Tulsa Community College Employee Handbook 39
Temporary (Two-Week) Military Leave In addition to the rights and benefits provided to employees taking extended military leave, employees who must be absent from his/her job for a period of not more than 10 working days each year in order to participate in temporary military duty are entitled to as many as 10 days of unpaid military leave.
Benefits During Military Leave An employee on active military duty must provide payroll documentation to the Human Resources office to initiate the differential payment.
An employee on military leave may elect to continue the College health plan coverage and is required to pay only the employee's portion of the insurance premium when in the service for 30 days or less. Thereafter, the employee may elect to continue healthcare coverage as provided under COBRA. However, if coverage is terminated at the employee's option, the College may not impose a waiting period for benefit reinstatement upon return to employment. For more specific information regarding the status of Health Plan coverage, Group Term Life/AD&D and other benefits during military leave, contact Human Resources.
An employee on military leave may opt to, but is not required to use PTO during the time that he/she is performing military service. This is an exception to our other leave policies which requires an employee to exhaust all PTO prior to going into an unpaid status. PTO is not accrued while the employee is on military leave.
The College will activate the returning veteran's benefits based upon the length of service he/she would have had if he/she remained on the job.
Returning to Work After Military Duty Military leaves of absence are limited to five years with certain exceptions granted under Federal Law. Persons employed in grant positions should contact Human Resources regarding the current availability of grant funding. Reemployment rights are not extended to an employee who is separated from military service with a dishonorable or bad conduct discharge.
To be eligible for protection under USERRA, the employee must report back to work or apply for reemployment within the following guidelines:
1) If the employee served fewer than 31 days or was away from TCC for other qualified reasons, the employee must return to work the next regularly scheduled workday.
2018-19 Tulsa Community College Employee Handbook 40
2) If the employee served more than 30 days but fewer than 181 days, the employee must notify his/her supervisor of his/her intention to return to work within 14 days after completion of service.
3) If the employee served more than 180 days, the employee must notify his/her supervisor of his/her intention to return to work within 90 days after completion of service.
4) Upon notification of intent to return to work, the employee must provide military discharge documentation to his/her supervisor that establishes timeliness of application for reemployment and length and character of the staff member’s military service.
Contact your Human Resources Consultant for questions regarding reemployment of employees returning from military leave.
Jury Duty An employee called for jury duty needs to notify his or her supervisor immediately. For full-time employees only, such leave will be without loss of pay. As explained in the Faculty Handbook, part-time faculty will need to arrange for substitutes while serving for jury duty.
If a full-time employee must appear in court due to being subpoenaed as a witness, no deduction in salary will be made. This privilege does not apply to court cases involving an employee’s personal business.
Full-time employees shall submit to their supervisors a copy of the jury duty summons or subpoena.
Family Medical Leave Act TCC abides by The Family Medical Leave Act of 1993 (FMLA), a federal policy that ensures job protection to employees who need to take time off work to deal with a serious health condition or to care for a family member with a serious health condition. Under the FMLA, a serious health condition is an illness, injury, impairment, or physical or mental condition that prevents someone from participating in daily activities and that requires either inpatient care or continuing treatment by a health care provider. A serious health condition does not include short-term conditions that require brief treatment or recovery of fewer than three calendar days, nor does it include treatments that are not considered a medically necessary.
2018-19 Tulsa Community College Employee Handbook 41
Under FMLA, the College provides up to twelve weeks (480 hours) of protected leave per fiscal year (July 1st to June 30th) to full-time employees for the following reasons:
• Prenatal medical care or birth of a child and to bond with the newborn child within one year of the birth;
• The placement with the employee of a child for adoption or foster care and to bond with the newly placed child within one year of the placement;
• The employee’s own serious health condition that makes the employee unable to perform the functions of his or her job;
• The care of an immediate family member who has a serious health condition;
• Any qualifying exigency arising out of the fact that the employee’s spouse, son, daughter, or parent is a military member on covered active duty.
During the leave period, the College will continue to provide the health coverage the employee has signed up for and will bill employees for any dependent coverage. Depending on individual circumstances, faculty and staff may be required to exhaust other accrued leave before requesting FMLA or as part of FMLA. Once an employee has exhausted all paid leave for the year, he or she may continue to take the allowed time off without pay. When employees exercise their leave options without pay, that time off may not count toward credited service for Oklahoma Teachers Retirement (OTRS) purposes. In these instances, the rules of the Oklahoma Teachers Retirement System will prevail.
To qualify for FMLA, employees must have been employed with the College for twelve months (not necessarily consecutive), must have at least 1,250 hours of service within the previous twelve months, and must complete the necessary forms and certifications. Medical certification may be required prior to approval of leave, indicating the employee is unable to perform his or her job or is needed to provide care for a family member. Continued medical certification may be required but not more frequently than every 30 days unless the College has reason to believe the employee is able to return to work. To be approved and protected under the FMLA, employees must return necessary medical certification paperwork, completed and singed by a licensed physician.
Human Resources must approve any release with restrictions prior to the employee returning to work. Leave may be denied if the employee fails to provide the required medical certification
2018-19 Tulsa Community College Employee Handbook 42
When medically necessary, employees can take leave intermittently or on a reduced leave schedule rather than use it in one block of time. In requesting FMLA leave, however, employees should make reasonable efforts to avoid unduly disruptions in College operations and should notify their supervisors at least 30-days or as soon as possible before taking leave.
Use of FMLA cannot result in the loss of any employment benefit that accrued prior to the state of the employee’s leave. Upon return from FMLA, therefore, most employees will be restored to their original or equivalent positions with equivalent pay, benefits, and other employment terms. Key employees ranking in the top 10% of the highest paid employees at the College may be excluded from the job guarantee provision if there are reasons justifying such an action.
While an employee is on leave, the College will continue to deduct insurance premiums that the employee has arranged to pay through direct bill or on a payroll-by-payroll basis. Any pending payments accrued during unpaid leave will be deducted from the employee’s check when he or she returns to work. Employees failing to return to work from unpaid leave, except where health conditions will not permit, may be required to reimburse the College for premiums paid on the behalf of the employee during the extended leave.
The College will notify employees requesting leave whether they are eligible under the FMLA. The notice will specify any additional information required as well as the employee’s rights and responsibilities. If an employee is not eligible for FMLA, the reason(s) will be defined in the notice.
Parental Leave Under Review
Administrative Leave Under Review
College Closings and Essential Employees Under Review
2018-19 Tulsa Community College Employee Handbook 43
Workplace Processes and Procedures
Authorized Driver - Travel Compensation, Use of Fleet or Rental Cars Whether traveling between campuses or out of town on business, all employees must become an Authorized Driver to meet Oklahoma’s statutes and guidelines. The Authorized Driver Process is located in Process Maker and includes the link to online Defensive Driver Training in SkillSoft, the Safety Agreement, and the Motor Vehicle Record Disclosure Consent. Employees should complete the training and fill out the forms to become an Authorized Driver.
Process Maker also includes the College Travel Reimbursement form. On this form, employees may claim mileage for certain work-related travel expenses, for example, when employees drive their personal vehicle from a TCC campus to an off-site location for a required College activity, or when an employee is approved to attend a local, state, or national conference. Reimbursement for such travel must include the Travel Authorization and the Authorized Driver Process located in Process Maker.
When using a personal vehicle for College-related business travel, the employee’s vehicle insurance will be considered primary coverage in the event of an accident, and the employee is responsible for any deductibles under the policy. The College's insurance may apply but only if personal insurance limits are exceeded due to a catastrophic accident where a fatality and/or extremely serious injuries occur and only if the accident occurs while on pre-approved College-related travel.
Employees may reserve a College fleet vehicle or departments may request a Rental vehicle for travel. Both require the driver to be an Authorized Driver. Once the Authorized Driver Process is complete, employees may reserve a fleet vehicle in Process Maker or reserve a rental vehicle through Concur, both through the MyTCC Portal. Employees will not be reimbursed mileage if they drive a College-owned vehicle.
Grant Development and Sponsored Programs The Offices of Sponsored Programs and Grant Accounting support TCC by strategically securing public funding for programs and initiatives to maximize student success, professional development, and community engagement. The two departments also serve as stewards of existing grants by promoting sound fiscal and program management and ensuring compliance with applicable laws and regulations and institutional policies and procedures.
2018-19 Tulsa Community College Employee Handbook 44
Acceptable Use Standards Access to computing resources is a privilege granted to all TCC faculty, staff, and students and is limited to purposes related to the College’s mission of education, research, and community service. Since employees and students use the College’s computing resources in the public domain, all users are subject to having all of their activities on this system monitored and recorded by College personnel. Any data created or accessed through College resources is considered to be the property of TCC and may be used in disciplinary or College proceedings.
To ensure employees understand the responsibilities and standards for using College-owned computing resources, the College’s IT Department has created Compliance and Acceptable Use Training.
Legal and Ethical Use College computing resources may not be used to violate any municipal, state, or federal laws; to interfere with or disrupt the orderly educational processes of the College; or to exhibit conduct or activity generally considered grossly offensive or totally unacceptable to society at the time and place and manner of the commission of the activity. Computing resources shall be used in accordance with the high ethical standards of the College community. Examples of unethical use, which also may also be illegal, include:
• Violation of computer system security
• Destruction of or damage to hardware, software, or data belonging to TCC or other users
• Harassment of other users
• Unauthorized use of computer accounts, files, and data which do not belong to the user
• Unauthorized use of access codes assigned to others
• Intentional use of computer telecommunication facilities in ways that impede the computing activities of others (including broad distribution of unsolicited electronic communication)
2018-19 Tulsa Community College Employee Handbook 45
• Violation of another user’s privacy
• Disruption, alterations, or unauthorized monitoring of electronic communications
• Academic dishonesty (plagiarism, cheating)
• Violation of software license agreements and other copyrights
• Unauthorized copying or use of copyrighted material
• Commercial business activities unrelated to TCC
• Violations of network usage. Tulsa Community College accesses the Internet through OneNet; therefore, the OneNet Acceptable Use Policy applies to all internet usage. (See https://onenet.net/current-customers/acceptable-use-policy/)
Security and Confidentiality Employees should keep in mind that the Internet is a public arena and is NOT secure. Under no conditions should employees make passwords, account information, or I.D.s visible or available to another person. Users are responsible for their individual accounts and should take all reasonable precautions to prevent others from being able to use their accounts.
Reasonable Usage The College strives to provide sufficient and up-to-date computing resources to all students and employees but must also be good stewards of the public’s funding and work within financial and physical constraints. All employees, therefore, are expected to make reasonable use of limited resources.
Unreasonable usage can include the unnecessary storage of electronic files, careless execution of intensive programs, and the generation of excessive copier and printer output or electronic mail.
As a courtesy to other people using the networks, employees should avoid transferring large amounts of data between computing systems when possible. Also, computing resources are for instructional and research use, not for personal, recreational, or commercial use. In addition, use of limited workstations, data storage space, printing, or processing capacity should be confined to a reasonable length of time. Employees should refrain from overuse of interactive network utilities (such as those on Internet) and from reconfiguring computer settings.
2018-19 Tulsa Community College Employee Handbook 46
Sanctions If a user is found to have violated these statements, the College is authorized to take action consistent with its existing policies and procedures including suspension and/or revocation of access to computing resources as well as enforcing any policies and procedures stated in the Student Code of Conduct and this handbook.
Copyright, Fair Use, and Peer-to-Peer File Sharing As a provider of intellectual content and as an institution with the technological means of displaying, copying and transmitting that content, the College expects employees, students, guests, or other users of College facilities and equipment to comply with proper copyright procedures as outlined in Copyright Infringement and Peer-to-Peer Statement. The procedures apply to all full-time and part-time members of the College community involved in the copying of material, including students on and off campus and adjunct instructors teaching credit or continuing education courses.
For more information on copyright, contact the dean of libraries and knowledge management.
Printing On each campus, photocopiers/printers are located near offices and can be accessed with a College identification card. All TCC employees are responsible for their own print jobs and for adhering to copyright laws and regulations, and all print jobs must relate to classes or College business. Questions concerning copyright can be directed to the campus library. An FAQ regarding print management is also posted in MyTCC. Problems with photocopiers/printers should be reported to a school office or to Academic and Campus Services.
Email Guidelines To ensure internal communications to all employees are timely, essential for our work, and useful to all recipients, the Marketing and Communications Department has established the following guidelines:
• Emails should not be sent for commercial purposes not directly related to College business.
• Email communications should not violate other policies, such as the Oklahoma Ethics Rules and copyright laws.
2018-19 Tulsa Community College Employee Handbook 47
• Emails should not threaten, harass, or intimidate others. • Emails should not interfere with an employee’s ability to conduct College business. • Emails should present information professionally, clearly, and accurately
Employees who want to send an all-user email must first consider whether other methods of communication, such as a departmental memo or email, would be more effective than an all-user email. In addition, employees must make sure that an all-user email meets the following criteria:
• The message relates to official Tulsa Community College business. • The message affects the entire employee population; the content should have broad
impact. • The message has a level of urgency that makes delay or other forms of communication
inappropriate. • The message is essential to the proper execution of daily business. • The message notifies the community of significant events or changes in governance,
policy or practice. • The message alerts the College community to situations around health and safety.
If the all-user email meets the criteria, the following steps should be followed:
• The Marketing and Communications Department reviews the content for clarity and conciseness and to ensure proper branding and to ensure appropriate formatting so that the email can be read on various devices (e.g., mobile phones as well as on the web).
• A Cabinet member reviews the email to ensure accuracy of content, especially regarding TCC policies.
• The sender includes the name and contact information of someone who will respond promptly to answer questions and clarify information, if necessary.
• The subject line captures the content of the email. • The appropriate supervisor has approved the email.
The College does not routinely inspect, monitor, or disclose the contents of user’s email; however, special circumstances, such as the following, may warrant access of a user’s email:
• When there is substantiated reason to believe that a violation of law or College policy has occurred
• In cooperation with investigations or in response to legal requirements for information
2018-19 Tulsa Community College Employee Handbook 48
• To protect and maintain the College’s computing services and equipment • As needed to protect health and safety
In these instances, the Director of Human Resources may access and disclose the contents of an employee’s email; the Senior Student Affairs Officer may access and disclose the contents of a student’s email. Exceptions to these guidelines must be approved by the Chief Academic Officer.
General Telephone Usage College-owned telephones should be considered “computing resources” and used in compliance with the College’s Acceptable Use Statements/Standards located in this Handbook. Long distance calls that incur cost to the College require an access code, which may be obtained by contacting the Purchasing Department.
Calls for faculty or staff will be referred to the office to which the person is assigned. Calls relating to student academic and/or other information of a non- emergency nature should be referred to the Office of Admissions and Records.
Use of College Assets and Resources The Board of Regents (policy 4136) of Tulsa Community College prohibits the personal use of College assets, such as laptops, vehicles, printers, or office equipment and supplies; however, the Board recognizes that under certain conditions it may be necessary for employees to use College assets off site. Any employee using College assets off of campus property must have proper written authorization and such assets shall be used for College business purposes only.
Promotional Materials and Publicity All publicity efforts and news releases, including those initiated by College employees, are coordinated through the Marketing and Communications department. Employees should go through Game Plan, located in the MyTCC portal, to request promotional materials, including printed brochures, posters, and programs, as well as digital materials, including photography, social media messages, graphical identities, and Website content. Every request to the Marketing Communications Department must be submitted through Game Plan. The Game Plan site also contains valuable resources for TCC employees, including the TCC Marketing Guidelines, TCC logos, PowerPoint Templates, Photography Model Release Form, Campus
2018-19 Tulsa Community College Employee Handbook 49
Maps, and Letterhead Templates.
Employees seeking to promote an event, a class, an academic program, or an initiative should contact the Marketing and Communications department as soon as possible, preferably two to three weeks in advance. Requests for public service announcements should be made six weeks in advance. When emergencies or short notice requires immediate action, the Marketing and Communications department will work quickly to secure publicity.
When submitting requests for publicity, provide as much detail as possible about the event, ensure that all information (including the spelling of names) is accurate, and use complete names of organizations rather than abbreviations. The tremendous competition in metropolitan Tulsa for media coverage means that the Marketing and Communications department cannot guarantee all requests submitted will receive media attention.
Employees should consult with the Marketing and Communications department before conducting interviews for media outlets or participating in radio or television programs.
Posting Signs The facilities department establishes guidelines for posting signs for events and activities as well as for permanent signs, such as building signs. Any employee who wishes to post a temporary sign for an event or who has questions about signage at any College location should refer to these guidelines, available through the MyTCC portal.
Name and Address Change An employee who changes his or her name, address, or marital status needs to update personal information in the MyTCC portal. Full time employees should also consult the Change of Address Kit. This process is very important as it affects both insurance benefits, payroll records, and other fringe benefits provided by the College.
Letterhead, Envelopes, Postage Use of the College letterhead and envelopes and mail posted through the College postal meter should always be for correspondence related to College business, not for personal
2018-19 Tulsa Community College Employee Handbook 50
correspondence. Serious consequences can result if the College-metered stamp ever appears on any outgoing correspondence that is not official business of Tulsa Community College.
Business Cards All business cards must be ordered through the Target Marketing Print Request form, available to authorized users through MyTCC (Jaggaer/SciQuest). The front of the card includes the employee’s name, title, phone number, email address, and campus address, including office or room number. For a fee, paid by the employee’s department, the back of the card may include additional information, such as an employee’s mobile phone or the school logo (e.g., School of Business and Information Technology).
Employees will not have the opportunity to proofread their business cards before they are printed, so information on the form should be correct.
College ID Under Review
Purchasing Procedures Board Policies 5111, 5112, and 5113 are related to purchasing supplies, equipment, and services. The Department of Purchasing has established procedures employees need to follow to comply with Board policy and state statutes. The Purchasing Department will not honor any agreements or orders for purchase unless the established procedures are followed.
To purchase supplies, equipment, and services or to pay for any activity that requires College funds, employees must complete a requisition, and the requisition must be cleared with the supervisor. Incomplete requisitions will be returned to the issuing office for the appropriate information.
Employees should not purchase goods or services in the name of the College and expect to be reimbursed by the College. All contractual arrangements or agreements affecting the College must be approved by the appropriate cabinet level executive or supervisor.
2018-19 Tulsa Community College Employee Handbook 51
Sale of Commodities Employees or organizations that are not officially part of the College may not sell instructional materials, including textbooks, or commodities except through the Campus Store or food service, or unless authorized by the College President. Furthermore, employees should not take College work time to sell private goods or services to other employees.
Computer/Technology Procurement Procedures Tulsa Community College operates under the assumption that all software and information technology hardware throughout the College is properly approved and purchased through the College’s purchasing system prior to use. All technology-related purchases are subject to review by the Information Technology Department to ensure compatibility with existing IT infrastructure.
Software Instructional software packages and administrative packages must have College approval prior to installation and use on College equipment. All copying of software packages must adhere to applicable license agreements. Individuals using licensed software assume the legal responsibility for utilization. Selection and purchase of instructional software is to be made only after discussion with the Chief Technology Officer to ensure it meets technical standards and is compatible with College computing systems and to ensure compliance with any software licensing requirements. Software requisitions will be routed through the Information Technology Department for review prior to issuing a purchase order. This procedure assists in providing the College with the lowest possible price for products and services and eliminates the duplication of purchasing, when appropriate.
College-approved administrative software includes Microsoft Office, available for download to all employees for College use. Employees should visit MyTCC or contact the Information Technology Department at 918-595-7957 or via Call2000 for details.
Transfer of Inventory from One Area to Another The Controller's office must be notified of any asset (furniture, equipment, computers, etc.) that a department no longer needs or is planning to relocate. Included in the notification should
2018-19 Tulsa Community College Employee Handbook 52
be the asset tag number and/or serial number and a description of the item. Only after approval from the Controller's office can an asset be disposed of.
Request for Privately-Funded Projects Any project that is funded through the donations or solicitations of private funds must be authorized through the following process:
1. The project coordinator must prepare a “Project to be Supported by Private Funds Request” form, accompanied by a project outline with project description, budget, and recommended sources of private funding. This form is available in the Provost’s office on each campus and in the TCC Foundation Office. To ensure sufficient time for solicitation, this form should be submitted a minimum of six months before funds are needed. The project coordinator is responsible for monitoring the progress of this form through the approval chain. A request will not be considered or taken to the TCC Foundation for possible funding without a project outline attached to the request form.
2. If the project is approved and funds are available, the TCC Foundation Office will send a “Project to be Supported by Private Funds Approval” form to the project coordinator. If the project is approved and a solicitation plan is necessary and approved, sufficient contributions must be received before funding can be made available for the project. Expenditures may not be made for any project until funding is available and approved.
3. Upon completion of the project, the project coordinator shall submit a brief written report summary on the project to the TCC Foundation Office. This report must be submitted within 30 days of the project’s completion.
4. Any person in the approval chain who does not recommend or approve the project may sign the “Project to be Supported by Private Funds Request” form at the “Project Not Approved” line and return the form to the project coordinator, thereby stopping the project approval process.
2018-19 Tulsa Community College Employee Handbook 53
Gift Policy Board Policy 5217 establishes standards and procedures to promote, encourage, and govern the giving, receipt, use and investment of gifts to and for the benefit of the College. In recognition of the many philanthropic individuals and organizations that bestow monetary and other gifts upon the College, this policy provides a means of ensuring that gifts further the College’s mission and are used in conjunction with, not in place of, public funding.
Gifts of Real Property The College is authorized to accept gifts of real property, including gifts to the Tulsa Community College Foundation, and to use or dispose of gifts of real property in accordance with the laws of the state of Oklahoma, the IRS Code and Regulations, and the policies of the Oklahoma State Regents for Higher Education while also being mindful of the suggestions, recommendations, and directions of the donors.
For gifts of real property, the College administration will evaluate the use and the environmental and economic consequences of accepting the property and will submit a recommendation to the Gifts Committee. Upon the recommendation of the Gifts Committee, the proposal may be submitted for acceptance and approval by the full Board of Regents.
Gifts of Personal Property, Money and Other Items The College administration is authorized to accept gifts of money, equipment, services, and other items and to use or dispose of same in accordance with the laws of the state of Oklahoma, the IRS Code and Regulations, and the policies of the Oklahoma State Regents for Higher Education while also being mindful of the suggestions, recommendations, and directions of the donors. The College administration is authorized to accept gifts of money in amounts of less than $25,000; gifts of money in amounts of $25,000 or more may be accepted by the Board of Regents. For gifts of equipment, services, and other items, the College administration will evaluate the use and environmental and economic consequences of acceptance of the property.
2018-19 Tulsa Community College Employee Handbook 54
Naming College Facilities and Endowed Positions The College may occasionally name certain buildings and facilities or portions thereof, and endowed positions in honor of friends, benefactors, and persons who have made a significant contribution to the College or to education in Oklahoma. College administrators initially review proposals to name a College facility or endowed position and, if deemed worthwhile, bring proposals to the Board of Regents Gifts Committee for consideration. Upon the recommendation of the Gifts Committee, the proposal may be brought before the full Board of Regents for approval.
Naming of facilities and endowed positions must comply with the laws of the State of Oklahoma, the IRS Code and Regulations, the policies of the Oklahoma State Regents for Higher Education, and the direction of the donors. If the naming opportunity is the result of a gift to the TCC Foundation, the Foundation will coordinate the efforts to establish the name or the endowed position.
Donated Equipment or Materials When someone or some organization wishes to donate equipment or materials to the College, the procedures below must be followed. Questions about donations should be directed to the TCC Foundation.
• The appropriate College personnel reviews donated items to determine if the College can use them.
• If the College cannot use the items, the person reviewing them should call the donor or send a letter, explaining why the College cannot use the items.
• Items that can be used will be installed at the appropriate campus, and the Purchasing Department will be notified for inventory purposes.
• Under no circumstances will a College employee value a donation of goods or services on behalf of the College or the TCC Foundation. This is expressly prohibited by federal IRS rules. Instead, the TCC Foundation can acknowledge the receipt of the item by the College or the Foundation without a designation of value.
• The College Foundation will write a thank you letter to the donor on behalf of the College.
2018-19 Tulsa Community College Employee Handbook 55
Donations for Scholarships and Short-Term Loans The TCC Foundation gratefully accepts contributions and payments for student financial assistance. The individual, organization, business, or industry wishing to make a donation should contact the TCC Foundation to establish an account. The donor may designate the purpose of the assistance as a TCC scholarship, an agency sponsorship, or a TCC short-term revolving loan contribution and may determine the criteria for selecting the recipient(s). When the College selects the recipients, donations to the TCC scholarship program and to the TCC short-term loan fund are tax-exempt. When the donor selects the recipient, TCC may not provide tax-exempt verification.
The donor may authorize disbursement in one of several ways: by depositing cash and specifying allowances, by depositing cash and allotting cash payments by semesters, or by specifying charge allowances and being billed for total charges. Allowances may include tuition, fees, books, supplies, uniforms, tools, and personal allowances.
2018-19 Tulsa Community College Employee Handbook 56
Employee Health and Safety
Fitness Center To promote professional as well as personal, physical, and emotional wellbeing for all students, faculty, and staff, the Board of Regents (Policy 7216) has established a process for full-time employees to access the fitness centers free of charge. Full-time employees must complete a form each semester they plan to use the fitness centers and must cover the cost of lockers and towel rental. Part-time staff and adjunct faculty may enroll in and pay for a one-credit hour fitness seminar class, which provides free access to the fitness center, or they may purchase a semester-long membership.
Flu Shots Under Review
Fit For Duty Under Review
Communicable Diseases Board Policy 7215 requires the College administration to comply with all Federal and State laws applicable to College employees, students, and job applicants with communicable, life-threatening diseases, including AIDS, HIV, hepatitis-B (HBV) and tuberculosis, and to provide a working and educational environment free of health hazards to its employees, students, customers, and visitors. Unless medical evidence establishes that a particular disease is communicable through casual contact, employees and students with a communicable, life-threatening disease may continue their employment or education. The policy clearly states that discriminating against or harassing an employee or a student with an illness may result in disciplinary action.
2018-19 Tulsa Community College Employee Handbook 57
Furthermore, the policy requires the College to take all reasonable precautions to maintain confidentiality regarding an employee’s health. Inappropriately releasing or sharing confidential medical information may result in disciplinary action, which may include termination of employment. In certain situations, specific government reporting requirements or a medical justification may necessitate the disclosure of medical information. To carry out the Board’s policy, the College has developed the following procedures and regulations concerning life-threatening diseases in the workplace. These procedures and regulations are also published in the Student Handbook.
An individual with a communicable, life-threatening disease that, according to medical evidence, is a threat to self or others must inform the appropriate supervisor of such condition. Failure to do so may result in an employee being terminated; students may be administratively withdrawn from classes. In turn, the supervisor must inform the administrator within the normal channel of communication of this situation. The College may require an employee to submit a medical report from a licensed physician, which may be reviewed by a College-designated physician. If necessary, the College may request that the College-designated physician exam the employee. Should the illness persist, the employee will be required to provide an updated medical report each month or as required by the College. The employee may not be allowed to return to work until the required report(s) is provided. Medical reports or medical evidence will be used to assess each reported illness on a case-by-case basis.
Those evaluating each case will include the Chief Human Resource Officer and other members of the College administration, in conjunction with the employee and, if desired, the employee’s physician. In addition, they will apply reasonable medical knowledge to determine the nature of the risk posed by the illness, the likely duration of the risk, the severity of the risk, and the probability the disease will be transmitted and will cause harm. In some cases, the College can make reasonable accommodations, consistent with applicable federal, state, and local laws, to allow an employee to continue working at the College. In other cases, if an employee poses an unacceptable risk to self or to others, the employee may be placed on appropriate leave status or terminated in accordance with established College policy.
Health care workers, personal service workers, and food service workers employed by the College follow guidelines issued by the Centers for Disease Control for the prevention of transmission of AIDS and other communicable diseases.
The College will make educational materials on communicable, life-threatening diseases available for students and employees through the MyTCC portal.
2018-19 Tulsa Community College Employee Handbook 58
Dealing with Exposure to Human Body Fluids The Bloodborne Pathogen Standard is designed to reduce workers’ occupational exposure to potentially infectious body fluids, which include Hepatitis B Virus (HBV), Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV), and other infections bloodborne diseases. The College has identified those employees that might have the possibility of being exposed to these diseases and has implemented a plan that will help protect these employees. However, any employee has the possibility of contacting such body fluids through acts such as providing emergency care, cleaning up or coming into contact with vomit, or being involved in helping break up a fight. Therefore, it is necessary for every employee to be familiar the Blood Pathogen Exposure Control Plan and for certain departments to develop exposure control plans as needed.
Drug- and Alcohol-Free Environment Board Policy 4114, in keeping with state and federal laws, strictly prohibits the unlawful manufacture, distribution, dispensation, possession or use of drugs or alcohol in the workplace, on College property, or as part of College-sponsored activities, except in instances when the Senior Vice President for Administration or a designee formally approves serving alcohol at a College event, prior to the event. In addition, the policy prevents employees from performing sensitive safety functions while alcohol or a prohibited drug is in their system. It also requires that employees notify their supervisor of a criminal conviction for a drug-related offense no later than five calendar days following the conviction.
Students or employees who violate this policy are subject to both the institution’s disciplinary sanctions and to criminal sanctions provided by federal, state, and local law. Employees should be aware that a criminal record may preclude certain career opportunities. Moreover, violating this policy can result in required participation in an appropriate drug or alcohol rehabilitation program, suspension or expulsion from the College, a referral for criminal prosecution, and other disciplinary action, including termination of employment. A criminal conviction is not required for sanctions to be imposed upon an employee for violation of this policy.
In addition to criminal penalties and institutional sanctions, someone who unlawfully sells or furnishes drugs or alcohol to another person may become liable if personal injuries or property damage occurs because of the drug or alcohol use. This liability may include liability for injuries or death of the person to whom the drugs or alcohol were furnished, and may include liability
2018-19 Tulsa Community College Employee Handbook 59
to third persons who are injured or suffer property damage by the actions of a person who was furnished drugs or alcohol.
Information related to the Drug and Alcohol Prevention Program is distributed annually to employees and students; is available online through MyTCC in the student handbook; and is available for review in the following offices: Student Life, Student Health Services, the Human Resources Office, and Campus Police.
Drug and Alcohol Prevention Program Tulsa Community College recognizes its responsibility as an educational institution to promote a healthy, productive learning and working environment. To that end, and based upon policies established by the Tulsa Community College Board of Regents and State and Federal laws, the College has established a program to aid in the prevention of drug and alcohol abuse by its students and employees. Counseling and prevention and educational programs are available to both students and employees.
Students and employees may obtain educational literature with respect to alcohol and drug abuse from Student Life, Student Health Services, or the Human Services program.
Employees also may obtain educational literature with respect to alcohol and drug abuse from the Employee Assistance Program or Human Resources department. Employees needing assistance on a voluntary basis are encouraged to contact the Employee Assistance Program.
Employees may also be referred for assistance by their supervisor to the Employee Assistance Program or Student Health Services. Failure to make an appointment upon referral may result in disciplinary action in accordance with College policies. The College makes the Victim Impact Panel, an educational program offered annually, available to students, faculty, and staff.
The College has also established the Center for Addiction Prevention and Recovery Services (CAPRS) and sanctioned the TACKLE (Recovery Support) student organization to provide additional support. Student Health Services and Student Life partner to provide educational programming such as Red Ribbon Week throughout the academic year.
Tobacco-Free Environment Board Policy 7218 prohibits smoking or the use of tobacco products on all property owned,
2018-19 Tulsa Community College Employee Handbook 60
leased, or contracted for use by Tulsa Community College, including both indoor and outdoor areas such as classrooms, laboratories, offices, work areas, vestibules, hallways, enclosed walkways, restrooms, elevators, stairwells, sidewalks, parking lots, and green spaces; smoking and tobacco use is also prohibited in any vehicle owned, leased, or rented for College business. Tobacco products include cigarettes, cigars, chewing tobacco, pipes, hookahs, e-cigarettes, vaping devices, dip, snuff, smokeless pouches, or any form of loose leaf or rolled tobacco.
Employees should exercise courtesy and consideration to inform anyone who is violates the policy. Specifically, employees should follow this procedure to report violations:
• If a violation occurs in a building, the person responsible for the area should inform the person that Tulsa Community College is a Tobacco-Free Environment and request he or she comply with the policy. If the violator refuses, the person will ask the violator to leave. If the violator refuses to leave, the person will call Campus Police;
• If a Police Officer finds a person violating the Tobacco-Free Environment Policy, the Officer will inform the person that Tulsa Community College is a Tobacco-Free Environment and request he or she comply with the policy. If the person refuses, the Officer will obtain the person’s identification.
• If a Police Officer has issued repeated warnings to the same person, a $10 fine may be levied against that person. In the case of a guest, a No Trespass order may also be issued; if the violator is a student, the matter shall be referred to the Dean of Student Affairs in charge of judicial affairs and student wellness.
• to be handled as a violation of College policy;
• If the violator is a faculty or staff member, the matter shall be referred to the employee’s supervisor or to Human Resources to be handled as a violation of College policy.
In rare instances, a request for an exception to this policy may be granted for educational, ceremonial, or cultural events or activities. Requests must be submitted in writing to the Senior Vice President and Chief Academic Officer at least ten business days in advance. The decision of the Senior Vice President and Chief Academic Officer will be final.
Campus Police According to Board Policy 7210, Tulsa Community College will employ police officers who have all power and authority vested by law in peace officers of the State of Oklahoma. College police officers provide lawful protection and security measures to the College, its grounds, buildings, and equipment as well as protection from bodily harm or injury to the College employees,
2018-19 Tulsa Community College Employee Handbook 61
students, and persons lawfully on the premises. The following are some of the responsibilities of campus police:
• detecting and preventing conditions endangering public safety and possible damage, loss, or destruction of the institution’s property by fires, explosions, accidents, or unlawful acts
• enforcing the statutes of the State of Oklahoma, pertaining particularly to the protection of Oklahoma educational institutions by law and the statutory authority of the TCC Board of Regents as prescribed therein
• planning for emergency operations based upon the National Incident Management System (NIMS), Incident Command System (ICS), and various U. S. Department of Homeland Security Presidential Directives.
• maintaining records and reports related to campus safety and required by law • rendering courteous information, services, and assistance to the employees, students,
and visitors on the campuses of Tulsa Community College.
More information about Campus Safety can be found on the TCC Website.
Emergency Procedures Every campus has a Campus Response Team charged with conducting unannounced tornado and fire drills each semester and an announced lockdown drill once a year. In addition, on every campus, Emergency procedures are posted in classrooms and other prominent locations; they are also available on the TCC Webpage. The Director of Emergency Operations ensures that all Campus Response Teams conduct drills and exercises and that there is College-wide consistency in emergency responses.
The College has alarm systems for emergencies such as fires, tornadoes, and lockdown. Each campus, including the Conference Center, uses a pre-recorded emergency message to signal the need to evacuate in case of fire, to take cover during a tornado, or to lockdown for an active shooter. Instructors at non-TCC sites, such as Owasso and NSU-BA, should check with the site coordinator for information regarding emergency evacuation procedures for fire and tornado drills.
During tornado drills or alarms, employees are instructed to remain in the building, to move away from exterior windows, doors, and glassed areas, and to proceed to the nearest Area of Refuge, where they will remain until notified.
2018-19 Tulsa Community College Employee Handbook 62
During fire drills or alarms, each instructor with a class in session must clear the classroom and instruct students to proceed with their personal belongings to an exit identified on the emergency map posted in the classroom. Instructors should know the evacuation route, remind students to take their personal belongings with them, and close the classroom door after all students have exited. Other staff members in service areas (e.g., library, student union, lounge, etc.) should attempt to clear those areas and proceed immediately to the nearest exit. Designated persons will check all areas of the building to assure total evacuation. After buildings have been evacuated, TCC faculty and staff should assist in keeping the student flow moving on sidewalks away from exit areas and buildings. In case of a fire, evaluators should not be used.
During an emergency or natural disaster involving the campus community, campus police will be responsible for evacuating and moving people and for contacting appropriate internal and external service organizations (e.g., engineers, Tulsa Police Department, Tula Fire Department, PSO, ONG, Emergency Management, etc.). Campus police will work with the Tulsa Police Department and the Tulsa Fire Department as well as emergency services to ensure the safety of all students and employees and will update information from the scene of the emergency to share with the designated administrator, as appropriate. The Vice President for External Affairs, or designee, will respond to media requests on the scene as appropriate.
Emergency Evacuation for Persons with Disabilities On the first day of class, instructors should make sure students with disabilities understand emergency procedures, including evacuation plans. The Education Access Office also provides emergency procedures to students during the in-take process. This allows the student to be prepared if an emergency occurs while they are in a classroom or in the library.
Persons using wheelchairs and crutches should go immediately to the nearest stairwell and wait to be evacuated by a police officer or fireman. Persons on the ground floor should follow the normal evacuation route.
Visually impaired individuals should follow the regular evacuation route designated for that classroom area. Special assistance will be given as needed to ensure safe exit via stairways. Faculty and staff should make sure that deaf and hard of hearing individuals are aware that an evacuation is in progress.
2018-19 Tulsa Community College Employee Handbook 63
Persons with disabilities will not be evacuated from the building during preplanned fire drills. Instead, instructors should notify individuals with disabilities when an emergency is occurring.
Emergency Care Employees should call 911 and notify Campus Police if anyone on College premises needs immediate medical attention. For situations that do not require immediate medical assistance, employees should notify Campus Police and should follow the Accident/Injury Procedure. Should an employee experience a health emergency while on the job, TCC has a Workers’ Compensation Plan.
TCC Alerts Emergency Notification System During a crisis, emergency, or weather-related event, TCC Alerts notifies students and employees immediately via phone calls, emails, and text messages. TCC Alerts delivers important emergency notifications and updates, including instruction on where to go, what to do, or what not to do. Employees should log into MyTCC to register for TCC Alerts or to update their emergency contact information. The service is free, but wireless carriers may charge for messages sent.
Safety To assist in providing a safe and healthful work environment for employees, students, and visitors, TCC has established a workplace safety program and a Risk Management, Health, and Safety Plan. TCC Risk Management has responsibility for implementing, administering, monitoring, and evaluating the safety program. Its success depends on the alertness and personal commitment of all.
TCC provides information to employees about workplace safety and health issues through regular internal communication channels such as supervisor-employee meetings, bulletin board postings, memos, or other written communications. A College safety committee assists in these activities and facilitates effective communication between employees and management about workplace safety and health issues.
2018-19 Tulsa Community College Employee Handbook 64
Within their departments, employees and supervisors receive periodic workplace safety training, which may be made available as an in-service or online. Through SkillSoft, the Human Resources department offers online training that covers potential safety and health hazards and safe work practices and procedures to eliminate or minimize hazards. Some training is required to comply with OSHA Standards.
Some of the best safety improvement ideas come from employees. Those with ideas, concerns, or suggestions for improved safety in the workplace are encouraged to raise them with their supervisor or with another supervisor or manager, or to bring them to the attention of a member of the College safety committee. Reports and concerns about workplace safety issues may also be made anonymously without fear of reprisal. Contact the Risk Management Office to report any immediate concerns or issues.
Each employee and student is expected to obey safety rules and to exercise caution in all work activities. Employees must immediately report any unsafe condition to the appropriate supervisor. Employees who violate safety standards, who cause hazardous or dangerous situations, or who fail to report or, where appropriate, remedy such situations, may be subject to disciplinary action, up to and including termination of employment.
2018-19 Tulsa Community College Employee Handbook 65
Facilities and Services
Facilities Usage Under Review.
Building Hours The Metro Campus (909 South Boston Avenue), Northeast Campus (3727 East Apache), Southeast Campus (10300 East 81st Street South) and West Campus (7505 West 41st Street) will be open during regular school hours, Monday through Friday, and from 8 a.m. until 4 p.m. on Saturday. The Conference Center will be open normal business hours Monday through Friday, 8 am to 5pm. Buildings will not be opened during holidays.
Deviations to these operational hours will be posted. Arrangements are to be made by the instructors with their Associate Dean if students are to be in the buildings other than these hours. The Associate Dean should then contact Campus Police and the Director of Physical Facilities.
Building Temperature Tulsa Community College is committed to effective energy conservation practices and processes without sacrificing workplace comfort and functionality. The College also strives to meet Oklahoma State targets for energy conservation. The following practices contribute to energy conservation:
• Every person is expected to be an “energy saver” as well as an “energy consumer.” • Every faculty and staff member is responsible for implementing the guidelines when in
their work area and common areas. • Custodial or other staff working in the facility after normal operating hours should
ensure all lighting is off when they leave. • Employees should keep doors closed at all times when doing so saves energy. For
example, doors between hallways that are conditioned and those that are not conditioned should remain closed.
2018-19 Tulsa Community College Employee Handbook 66
• Blinds and shutters should be closed when the temperature outside is 85 degrees or warmer and opened when the temperature is below 65 degrees. Blinds should always be closed when leaving for the day.
• During College-closing periods (Christmas and Spring Break for example), employees should follow this check-list for shut-downs:
a) Turn off computers, monitors and other devices; b) Clean out mini fridge and unplug all appliances; c) Adjust the thermostat (55 for winter, 80 for summer); d) Turn off lights; e) Close blinds and shades; f) Water plants.
Temperature controls are adjusted to higher or lower settings to meet ASHRAE requirements. Below is the general temperature set up points for the College:
Cooling Season Occupied Set Points: 70°F - 74°F Unoccupied Set Point: 80°F Heating Season Occupied Set Points: 68°F - 72°F Unoccupied Set Point: 55°F
While College engineers work to achieve these comfortable room temperatures, variations in use and occupancy of different areas of campus buildings make maintaining the best temperature difficult at times. For example, classroom temperatures will vary considerably according to the number of students in a room. Employees who want a portable space heater in their office should follow the Space Heater Safety Guidelines, available on the MyTCC portal, and must get departmental approval. The guidelines were developed to help ensure fire safety and to meet Energy Guidelines. Recommended models are included in the guidelines.
Keys The College has developed the following procedures to provide security for its property and equipment as well as to prevent the unauthorized issuance of keys.
2018-19 Tulsa Community College Employee Handbook 67
Individual Office Keys Administrative, faculty, and staff office keys will be issued to the full-time employees occupying a specific office (or complex) that has been designated as their permanent work space. Each full-time employee requiring an office or room key or card key should complete a key request form. Once approved, carpenters will cut the key and give it to the Campus Police. Employees will check out the new keys from Campus Police.
Special Room Key Certain classrooms, labs, storage spaces, and other areas have been provided with special locks. Persons requiring keys to these areas must follow the same procedure as for the individual office key; however, the Vice President for Administration and Chief Technology Officer or designate must authorize a special key. The supervisor requesting a special key should attach a justification explaining why the special key is needed. Facilities and Human Resources will verify with relevant departments whether such special keys (especially master keys) should be granted.
Equipment and Furniture Keys Keys for files, desks, machinery, and other equipment will be furnished by the manufacturer of said equipment.
Lost/Replacement Keys Any loss of the TCC ID/access card or key loss should be reported immediately to the Director of Campus Police or the On Call Police Supervisor at 918-595-8888. The loss of College keys, ID/access cards, or property must also be reported to the individual’s immediate supervisor. If the loss involves a key or ID/access card to a highly sensitive or secure area, the supervisor should advise a Campus Police Supervisor immediately so that he or she can report the matter directly to the Campus Facilities Manager along with a recommendation to re-key the door locks to the area. The Campus Facilities Manager will make the appropriate arrangements to re-key the locks, and Campus Police will secure the area and to prevent unauthorized entries until the maintenance is completed. Replacement keys and TCC ID/access cards will be issued according to College policy and procedures.
2018-19 Tulsa Community College Employee Handbook 68
Surrendering Keys Upon Leaving the College Separation of employment with Tulsa Community College will require all keys/access cards to be returned to the Campus Police office before the individual receives his or her final paycheck. See “Property Check Off” form in MyTCC.
Relocating Employees being relocated to another office will follow the key surrender and key issue procedure. There is no charge for office relocation.
Lost and Found Lost and found items are located in the Campus Police Office. Each Campus Police Office has a locked cabinet used strictly for found property. Students, faculty, and staff may claim personal property upon proper identification of the item. Any item turned into Lost and Found will be kept for six months, after which time it becomes the property of Tulsa Community College and will be inventoried for surplus sale. Found cups or any biohazard items will be discarded at the end of the day. Found clothing is generally donated to a charity.
The Campus Police asks that employees bring any found item to the Campus Police Office as soon as possible or call 918-595-8888 and ask for an officer to come retrieve the item. Employees should not not hold on to found items for any length of time; this drastically decreases the chances of returning the found item to the rightful owner. The Campus Police Office will attempt to locate the owner. If the owner cannot be located, the item will be secured in the Lost and Found cabinet.
Anyone who loses property at TCC can go to the Campus Police Office and complete a Lost Item report so that property found or turned in at a later time can be returned to the owner. After six months, the Campus Police Investigator will collect property from each campus.
2018-19 Tulsa Community College Employee Handbook 69
Parking and Traffic Management Parking is provided to all College employees and students on a first-come, first-served basis. To cover the expenses of operating and maintaining a safe and orderly parking system, students pay a modest parking fee.
Parking is provided in specially designated areas for motorcycles and bicycles. Bicycles may be parked in racks that are provided in or near the parking lots and should not be chained to trees, doors, or railings or parked inside buildings, on walkways or vegetation, or on ramps that provide access for disabled individuals.
The use of a motor vehicle on College property is a privilege, not a right, and is made available only under the procedures established in the parking information and regulations of Tulsa Community College. Campus Police Officers are State Certified Peace Officers and may issue State Citations to violations that occur on Tulsa Community College Property. Failure to comply with the directions of a campus police officer acting in the performance of their duties could result in disciplinary action being taken by the College and a State Court Summons.
Although campus police officers make regular tours of all parking lots, the College assumes no responsibility for the care and protection of any vehicle and its contents at any time the vehicle is operated or parked on the campus.
Employees and students should also be aware of the following regulations and procedures related to parking and traffic management.
Parking Regulations • Drivers must park their vehicles within properly marked spaces on paved surfaces,
taking no more than one vehicle space. • Unauthorized parking in a designated space is prohibited and could cause the vehicle to
be towed. • Parking in No Parking Zones, Fire Zones, or along any of the roadway curbing is
prohibited. • Driving into or parking a vehicle in any area of the campus that has been closed by the
use of barricades, chains, or other traffic control devices is prohibited. • Parking a vehicle in such a location as to obstruct a properly parked vehicle is
prohibited.
2018-19 Tulsa Community College Employee Handbook 70
• Parking a motorcycle, motor scooter, motorbike, or moped type vehicle in the bicycle racks is prohibited.
• Blocking a drive, driveway, wheelchair ramp, loading dock, or dumpster is prohibited. • Parking in an unmarked area is prohibited.
Traffic Regulations • Pedestrians have the right-of-way at all marked crosswalks. • Driving a motor vehicle on pedestrian paths, sidewalks, or any part of the campus not
designated as a roadway is prohibited. • A maximum speed limit of 10 mph is assigned unless otherwise designated. • All accidents involving motor vehicles that occur on campus property must be reported
immediately to Campus Police. • All posted directional signs must be adhered to. • Full stops are to be made at all stop signs. Directions from traffic control personnel and
campus police officers must be adhered to. • All vehicles must be operated safely—not recklessly or carelessly.
Pedestrian Responsibilities • Every pedestrian crossing a roadway at any point other than within a marked crosswalk
(e.g., within an unmarked crosswalk at an intersection) shall yield the right-of-way to all vehicles upon the roadway. Pedestrians should use utmost caution in crossing a roadway and should cross only at marked crosswalks.
• Pedestrians crossing in areas other than marked crosswalks should do so only after determining that no traffic is coming from any direction and that they can cross safely. Students and staff at Metro Campus should use marked crosswalks at each intersection to cross the street.
Removal of Vehicle • The College reserves the right to remove vehicles when illegally parked and assumes no
responsibility for damages incurred in moving any vehicle. Any vehicle remaining on College property for more than 72 hours will be considered abandoned and will be towed at the owner’s expense. Towing a vehicle may also occur when a vehicle is:
o Blocking a fire hydrant; o Blocking a drive, loading area, roadway, dumpster, or other vehicle;
2018-19 Tulsa Community College Employee Handbook 71
o Creating a real or potential safety hazard; o Parked in violation of posted signs.
Handicap Parking
Tulsa Community College will follow the State law regarding parking for persons with a disability, see Oklahoma Statute T-47-11-1007. Operators with a disability may park in any disability designated space provided their vehicle displays a valid disabled license plate issued by the State of Oklahoma or if their disabled placard is properly displayed in their vehicle and clearly visible from the outside.
Employees who have a disability have several options for handicapped parking permits: • The Oklahoma Department of Public Safety (DPS) issues:
o Temporary placards.
o Permanent placards.
• The Oklahoma Tax Commission (OTC) issues:
o Disability license plates.
o Disabled veteran license plates.
Placards and plates can be used for disabled parking only when the person who owns the parking permit is in the car as the driver or is a passenger. Parking permits cannot be transferred to others. Tulsa Community College Police, following Oklahoma Statute T-47 O.S. 15-112F, will honor Disability stickers issued by the Department of Veterans Affairs and federal military bases in the same manner as placards issued by the Department of Public Safety.
Vehicle Breakdowns If a vehicle breaks down on campus, the driver should call Campus Police Dispatch at 918-595-8888 and give dispatch personnel the following information:
• The nature of the problem. • Location of the vehicle. • Date and time (within 48 hours) when the vehicle will be removed. • A telephone number in case Campus Police need to contact the owner.
2018-19 Tulsa Community College Employee Handbook 72
• Make/Model/Color Tag Number.
Even if a vehicle has broken down, it cannot block travel lanes, parking lots, pedestrian walkways, handicapped ramps, fire lanes, or hydrants. Unless they are moved, such vehicles may be subject to towing.
Reporting Collisions Employees should report all collisions to Campus Police by dialing “8888” on any College telephone or 918-595-8888 from a cell phone. The following information should be provided:
• Nature of the accident • Location and type of assistance needed.
Towing Vehicles Tulsa Community College maintains the right to tow any vehicle on College property. The following are violations that could result in a vehicle being towed:
• Parking in a handicapped space without the vehicle being properly registered. • Blocking drives and/or access road/service drives. • Parking on the grass. • Creating a traffic hazard. • Obstructing sidewalks, crosswalks or other vehicles. • Parking in a reserved space without proper parking decal and/or permit or permission. • Leaving or abandoning a vehicle on campus for more than 48 hours without the
permission of the police supervisor of that particular campus or the Office of the Chief of Police.
• Parking in a Fire Lane • A vehicle left abandoned on TCC property for more than 72 hours. See Oklahoma
Statutes T-47 O.S. 11-1106.
Orders to Leave College Facilities or Grounds Board Policy 7211 authorizes The College President or designee to direct any person to leave the College who is not a student or College employee and who
2018-19 Tulsa Community College Employee Handbook 73
• interferes with the peaceful conduct of activities at the College • commits an act that interferes with the peaceful conduct of activities at the College • enters the College for the purpose of committing an act that may interfere with the
peaceful conduct of activities at the College, including threatening or stalking a person, damaging property, and disrupting classes or other College operations and activities
Related Documents
