UPDATED PCRC PROCESS (1/30/23)

The College has a process for the request and approval of personnel changes (including new positions, increases in FTE/hours, refilling of vacant positions, promotions, transfers, and other adjustments in compensation).  This systematic approach to personnel change requests allows for consistent, fair and equitable responses to how requests are identified, evaluated, and resolved.  It also creates a collaborative process for how to best meet the personnel needs of the department and College in a financially responsible manner.

Goals of the Personnel Changes Review Process

  • Create clear, transparent, and understandable processes (1) to identify and communicate a needed or desired personnel action, and (2) to evaluate and resolve each request.
  • Deploy processes that maximize opportunities to create and maintain a diverse workforce.
  • Execute the process with the expediency and deliberation appropriate to the situation. In all cases, the timeline should be clearly defined and understood by all.
  • Process each request with a simultaneous and complementary evaluation of human resources principles (e.g., grade, title, job duties, internal equity, etc.) and budgetary considerations and constraints.
  • Maximize the effectiveness of limited resources to achieve institutional priorities.

 Process Overview and Review Committee

The College has created a Personnel Change Review Committee (PCRC) comprised of the following individuals:

  • Chief Human Resources Officer
  • Director of Financial Planning and Assistant Treasurer
  • Chief Equity and Inclusion Officer
  • Chief Financial and Administrative Officer
  • General Counsel and Senior Advisor to the President
  • Senior Director of Human Resources Strategy and Operations
  • Senior Budget and Treasury Analyst
  • Human Resources Business Partners

This committee will meet every other Tuesday to consider new requests and to continue to resolve older requests that required further deliberation and analysis.  Committee recommendations will be sent to the President of the College for final review and approval. After final review and approval, the committee will communicate status updates to managers with outstanding position requests.  Between meetings, the Office of Human Resources and Finance will gather input on each request, including market data, internal equity information, budgetary considerations, and other data. 

All requests and supporting documentation for review by the PCRC should be sent to PCRC@amherst.edu.  The deadline for submissions is Thursday at noon so requests can be evaluated the following Tuesday.  Requests for new positions or other personnel changes are identified, evaluated, and resolved through the corresponding process outlined below.

Section I – Definitions

  1. New position – A newly created position within a department or division (See Section II, A).
  2. Increase in FTE/Hours – An increase in the amount of hours per week or months per year (See Section II, B).
  3. Vacancy – An unoccupied position due to resignation, retirement, or termination (See Section II, B).
  4. Promotion – An instance when an employee moves to a position with greater or substantially different responsibilities that has a higher compensation level (See Section II, B).
  5. Transfers – Movements between positions (See Section II, B). 
  6. A lateral transfer is a move to another position with the same salary or job classification. It could be temporary or permanent.
  7. A temporary transfer to a position with a higher salary level for a specified period of time will carry an appropriate adjustment, as described in the Transfers Policy.
  8. Adjustments in Compensation – Requests for salary adjustments due to restructuring of the job, retention, market changes, or internal equity (See Section II, B).

Section II – Review Process

  1. New Positions
  2. The senior manager will complete the PCRC request form, including a job description and a copy of the department’s current and proposed organizational charts, to the Personnel Change Review Committee (PCRC). The request should include a description of the benefit of and need for the new position, and how the need will be met in the event the position is not approved.
  3. The Office of Human Resources (OHR) will review the position description, organizational charts, and current work distribution and, in coordination with the department head/chair/supervisor, will assess opportunities for cross-functional or interdepartmental realignment.  Job descriptions will also be reviewed by the Office of Inclusive Leadership.
  4. OHR and the department head/chair/supervisor, with the division's senior manager’s approval, will determine the appropriate placement in the Job Classification and Compensation Program (JCCP). OHR also will recommend the appropriate compensation, taking into consideration market data and internal equity. 
  5. Once the position and compensation review is completed, the PCRC will review the request and supporting documents and will evaluate the impact on the College’s budget. The senior manager’s proposal and the committee’s assessment will then be submitted for final determination and funding through the next annual budget cycle.
  6. Requests for new positions must be submitted before the established deadline in December to allow sufficient time for review and assessment.
  7. Requests for new positions that do not include all the supporting documentation will not be considered. All the documents described in item #1 must be included to ensure a complete evaluation of the request.
  8. Request to Fill Vacancies and Other Adjustments in Compensation
  9. The senior manager and the department head/chair/supervisor will review the current vacancy and necessary/proposed personnel change to evaluate opportunities for restructuring, redistribution, and/or reorganization of the work.
  10. If the senior manager and the department head/chair/supervisor determine that a personnel action is the optimal approach, the senior manager will submit the request, including a job description and a copy of the department's current and proposed organizational charts, to the PCRC. 
  11. The request should include a description of the benefits of filling the vacancy and/or the personnel changes and how the needs will be met in the event the position is not approved; the incumbent’s name; and the effective dates, including the resignation or retirement date if applicable. In the case of a resignation or retirement, a letter must be submitted to OHR prior to any personnel change request submission.
  12. OHR will review the position description, organizational charts, and current work distribution and, in coordination with the department head/chair/supervisor, will assess opportunities for cross-functional or interdepartmental realignment. Job descriptions will also be reviewed by the Office of Inclusive Leadership.
  13. OHR and the department head/chair/supervisor, with senior manager approval, will determine the appropriate placement in the (JCCP). OHR also will recommend the appropriate compensation, taking into consideration multiple sources, including market data and internal equity.
  14. The PCRC will review the request, supporting documents and recommendations from OHR, and will approve or decline further review of the request based on all relevant information. The PCRC will take one of the following actions:
  15. Make a recommendation for approval once the committee fully understands the financial and human resource impacts. (Any additional financial commitments will need to be covered by limited funding set aside for mid-year actions.)
  16. Defer the request to be reviewed during the next budget cycle.

    iii. Recommend against the proposed personnel change.

Addendum  - Updated PCRC Process

In recognition of the importance of financial stewardship, the PCRC will conduct an additional analysis of all personnel changes.  PCRC request forms will be updated to reflect the additional questions below:

  • Replacement - Filling a current vacancy (PCRC approval may be granted if the answer is  “yes” to any of the questions below.)
    • Is this position needed for federal or state compliance?
    • Is this position a member of senior leadership or a department head?
    • Is there gift/grant funding to cover the compensation and fringe costs?
    • Are critical functions negatively impacted if this position remains vacant? (Critical functions are defined as the minimum staffing levels needed to maintain the physical plant, campus safety, critical administrative and academic support, and/or the provision of meals and health care to students.) 
  • Promotion/Transfer/Position Modification/Compensation Adjustments (PCRC approval may be granted  if the answer is  “yes” to any of the questions below.)
    • Is the modification essential for the retention of a high-impact employee? (High-impact employees are defined as potential successors to senior leadership/ department head positions, or those positions deemed critical to the operations of the College.)
    • Is there gift/grant/below-line budget funding to cover the increase in compensation, including fringe costs?
    • Can you sunset a position through attrition (1-3 years) to support this modification?
    • Compared to market data, is the compensation more than 10% below market?  
    • New  Budget Cycle FTE Request (PCRC approval may be granted if the answer is  “yes” to any of the questions below.)
      • Is there gift/grant funding to cover the compensation and fringe costs?
      • Can you permanently move below-line budget funds to fund this position?
      • Are critical functions negatively impacted without the FTE? (Critical functions are defined as the minimum staffing levels needed to maintain the physical plant, campus safety, critical administrative and academic support, and/or the provision of meals and health care to students.) 
      • PCRC approval may be granted if the requested position aligns with College priorities for the fiscal year. Requests should answer the following questions:
    • Can the work be accomplished in a limited-term or academic year?
    • Can this work be done part-time, absorbed by another position, or outsourced?
    • Can you sunset a position through attrition (1-3 years) to support this position?
    • Can you split the position with another department/division?

    The PCRC will send recommendations for personnel changes to the President of the College for final review and approval. The PCRC will notify senior staff of the position requests and outcomes.

    Section III – Forms

    A.  Job Description Form (Please use Textio when writing / editing job descriptions)

    B.  Personnel Changes Review Form