A full schedule of meal hours is posted on the bulletin board in the faculty dining area. Faculty members may obtain meals at a nominal cost during those hours.
The scheduling of University sponsored events on or off-campus should be cleared on the University calendar through the Office of Student Services or the Director of the University Center . Academic programs should have the acknowledgment of the Vice President for Academic Affairs or the appropriate college dean before the time and place for allocations are made.
To reserve space, either consult Schedula (online) or contact the Director of the University Center for events to be held in that building.
The use of any University facility by non-University persons or groups must be cleared by the Office of Student Services.
Xavier University of Louisiana, in its concern for the physical and emotional health, development and well-being of its students and employees, and in compliance with federal and related collegiate guidelines, provides a program of prevention and early intervention for alcohol and other drug use, misuse, and dependency. The University has affiliation with the Network of Drug-Free Colleges and Universities and upholds the standards of the Network in commitment to the elimination of Drug and Alcohol Abuse.
Xavier University expressly prohibits the unlawful manufacture, distribution, dispensing, possession or use of drugs or alcohol for non-medical reasons on University premises. Also, an individual under the influence of alcohol or illegal drugs is prohibited from being on University premises. Further the unauthorized use, possession, sale, dispensation, distribution of drugs off University premises and outside working hours will not be tolerated if it adversely affects in any way the employee's job performance, the employee's own or other's safety, the University's reputation in the community or other important University interests.
It is a condition of employment that each employee agrees to abide by the policy statement herein. In addition, it is also a condition of employment that each employee agrees to notify Xavier University of any drug related conviction within five (5) days of the date of any judgment or conviction.
Illicit drugs and alcohol abuse are a threat to the physical and mental well being of individuals and clearly are an impediment to the learning process and environment. The use of illicit drugs and the abuse of alcohol may contribute to birth defects in children, health hazards and other debilitating conditions.
Employees experiencing problems with alcohol or drugs are encouraged to seek assistance through the University's Health and/or Counseling Services. Assistance will be offered in a confidential way through referrals to local rehabilitation programs. Participation in a rehabilitation program will be viewed positively by the University, but it will not prevent disciplinary action for acts which have occurred, nor will it relieve the employee of his or her responsibility to perform assigned duties in a safe and effective manner. Failure to successfully complete a rehabilitation program will constitute grounds for dismissal.
The University may require drug or alcohol testing of employees in the following situations: (1) when the supervisor has cause to believe that drug or alcohol abuse may be occurring in the workplace, (2) when the employee to be tested is involved or has been involved in a substance abuse rehabilitation program, (3) when the employee involved is in a position which requires the carrying of firearms or is sensitive from the standpoint of safety, (4) when an employee is seriously injured, causes the serious injury of another individual or causes property damage. Any employees who tests positive under these circumstances will be considered in violation of this policy. The failure or refusal by an employee to submit to a drug or alcohol test when requested will also be considered a violation of this policy.
Any violation of this substance abuse policy will constitute grounds for dismissal.
It is the policy of Xavier University to hire and to promote into positions of responsibility the most qualified persons regardless of race, color, national and ethnic origin, sex, handicap, age or religious creed.
It is the policy of Xavier University of Louisiana (hereafter referred as XU) to grant up to 12 weeks of family and medical leave during any 12-month period to eligible full and part time faculty members in accordance with the final regulations effective April 6, 1995 of the Family and Medical Leave Act of 1993 (FMLA). The leave may be paid or unpaid, or a combination of paid and unpaid leave depending on the circumstances and as specified in this policy.
In order to qualify for Family and Medical Leave under this policy, the eligible faculty members must be taking leave for one of the following reasons:
The faculty member's own serious health condition that makes the faculty member unable to perform the essential functions of his/her position.
The birth and care of a newborn child.
The adoption of a child or receiving a child for foster care.
To care for a spouse, child, parent or someone who functioned as a parent with a serious health condition.
The University administration may initiate Family and Medical Leave by referring a faculty member to a physician of XU's choice to certify that it is safe for the faculty member to continue working and performing duties as required by the job description or to certify that the faculty member does not pose a direct threat to the health or safety of other faculty members, staff, students or visitors at the faculty member's work location.
A serious health condition is defined as a medical condition which requires inpatient care at a hospital, hospice, or residential medical care facility, or a condition which requires continuing care by a licensed health care provider. As a condition for approving a request for Family and Medical Leave, XU requires a faculty member to provide a doctor's certification of the health condition. The certification process is outlined in Section F.
If a faculty member takes paid sick leave for a condition that progresses into a serious health condition, and the faculty member requests unpaid Family and Medical Leave as provided under this policy, XU will deduct the time the faculty member used as paid sick leave from his/her twelve weeks of Family and Medical Leave under this policy. See Section III, “Faculty Benefits”, for sick leave policy for faculty .
An eligible faculty member can take up to 12 weeks of leave under this policy during any 12 month period. XU will measure the twelve month period backwards from the date a faculty member uses any leave under this policy. Each time a faculty member takes leave, XU will compute the amount of leave the faculty member has taken under this policy and subtract it from the 12 weeks of available leave, and the balance remaining is the amount the faculty member is entitled to take at that time.
If a husband and wife both work for XU, and each wishes to take leave for the birth, adoption, or receiving a child for foster care, then the husband and wife may only take a combined total of 12 weeks of leave unless the leave is for the employee's own personal illness or to provide care for the spouse who is ill.
Under current XU policy, faculty members who are participating in the health insurance plan pay a portion of their premiums and XU contributes a specific dollar amount toward their premiums. When the faculty member goes on Family and Medical Leave, XU will continue to contribute towards the faculty member's health insurance premium and the faculty member must continue to pay his/her portion.
If the payment is more than 30 days late, or if the faculty member decides to discontinue to pay his/her share of health insurance premiums, then the faculty member will be notified that if the payment is not received within ten calendar days, the faculty member's health insurance coverage will be dropped for the duration of the leave and the faculty member will have to wait until the next “open enrollment period” to obtain group health insurance.
If the faculty member contributes to any other voluntary benefits including retirement, voluntary life, dental plan and the credit union, XU will continue making payroll deductions while the faculty member is on paid Family and Medical Leave. When the faculty member is on unpaid Family and Medical Leave the faculty member will be required to continue making payments for these benefits.
A faculty member who takes leave under this policy will be offered on return, the same job or one which entails substantially equivalent skill, effort, responsibility, authority, equivalent status, pay, benefits and other employment terms provided the leave (paid or unpaid) does not exceed twelve (12) weeks.
If a faculty member requests leave because of his/her own serious health condition, XU will ask the faculty member to obtain certification of the serious health condition from a licensed physician. The faculty member must respond within 15 days of the request or provide a reasonable explanation for the delay. Failure to provide a certification by a licensed physician will result in a denial of continuation of Family and Medical Leave and/or disciplinary action. The Medical Certification Form available in the Office of Human Resources can be used to provide medical certification.
Certification of the serious health condition shall include the date when the condition began and its expected duration. If the faculty member must take Family and Medical Leave for his/her own medical condition, the physician's certification must also include a statement that the faculty member is unable to perform the essential functions of his/her position. For a seriously ill family member, the certification must include a statement that the family member requires assistance and that the faculty member's presence would be medically beneficial.
XU has a right to ask for a second opinion from a physician that XU will select. If necessary to resolve a conflict between the original certification and the second opinion, XU and the faculty member will jointly select a third doctor, and XU and the faculty member will share the cost. This third opinion will be considered final.
When faculty members plan to take leave under this policy, they must give the Department Chairperson or Dean of the College at least 30 days notice for approval, prior to the starting date of leave. The Dean will review and approve the request for leave and give the approved leave request to the Vice President for Academic Affairs for final approval. The thirty (30) days' notice will not be required in the case of a bonafide medical emergency. In the case of a bonafide medical emergency the faculty member must give notice as soon as it is practical. Someone representing the faculty member should notify XU in the case of a bonafide medical emergency and inform XU as to approximately when the faculty member will be contacting his/her Department Chairperson or Dean. A faculty member undergoing planned medical treatment is required to make a reasonable effort to schedule the treatment at a time that would minimize disruptions to his/her academic assignment. If a faculty member fails to provide 30 days notice for a planned leave with no reasonable excuse for the delay, the leave request may be denied until at least 30 days from the date XU receives notice.
Two weeks prior to the end of the faculty member's leave, the faculty member must notify his/her immediate supervisor, in writing, of the date that he or she is returning to work. If the faculty member is on Family and Medical Leave because of his/her, own serious health condition, the faculty member must obtain a physician's letter authorizing the faculty member to return to work. The physician must also list any restrictions the faculty member may have or accommodations the faculty member may need in performing the essential function of his/her position.
An employee who enters active military duty will be granted an unpaid military leave for the period of time in which reemployment is protected by law. Similarly, employees who have an annual Active Reserve or National Guard commitment (usually two weeks) will be granted unpaid leave to honor this commitment.
Sexual harassment is a form of sex discrimination that violates Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 and Title IX of the Educational Amendments of 1972.
Unwelcome sexual advances, requests for sexual favors, and other verbal or physical conduct of a sexual nature constitute sexual harassment when submission to, or rejection of, this conduct explicitly or implicitly affects an individual's academic or employment status, unreasonably interferes with an individual's performance, or creates an intimidating, hostile academic environment. There are two forms of sexual harassment:
- Quid pro quo (translated from Latin means this for that) which occurs when academic decisions or expectations are based on a student or faculty member's willingness to grant or deny sexual favors. Some examples of quid pro quo harassment are:
- • Demanding sexual favors from students in exchange for high grades.
- • Recommending the termination of a contract for a subordinate who ends a romantic relationship.
- • Recommending tenure or favorable appointments in exchange for sexual favors.
- Hostile academic environment occurs when verbal or nonverbal unwelcome sexual behavior occurs in the classroom or academic work environment. Some examples of hostile academic environment sexual harassment are:
- • Telling sexually oriented jokes or teasing of a sexual nature.
- • Comments about body parts or sexual behavior.
- • Stares or gestures.
- • Repeated requests for dates.
- • Excessive attention in the form of love letters, poems, telephone calls or gifts.
Harassment on the basis of race, religion, national origin, or color is a violation of the Civil Rights Act of 1964. Harassment on the basis of age is a violation of the Age Discrimination in Employment Act of 1967, as amended. Harassment on the basis of disability is a violation of Title I of The Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990, as amended.
Examples of harassment based on race, religion, national origin, color, age or disability are:
- • Making slurs or epithets regarding someone's race or national origin.
- • Telling jokes about someone's age or disability.
- • Distributing literature, cartoons, or materials which belittles another person's religion.
It is the policy of Xavier University that harassment is prohibited and will not be tolerated. Each academic administrator (dean or department chairperson) and faculty member has a responsibility to maintain an educational environment that is free of any form of harassment.
An academic administrator or faculty member shall not threaten or insinuate, either explicitly or implicitly, that a student or subordinate's refusal to submit to unwelcome sexual advances will adversely affect the student's or subordinate's academic or employment status, recommendations, teaching or research assignments, evaluations, compensation, promotions, transfers, contracts, or offers of employment.
An academic administrator or faculty member should not tell jokes, make fun of, belittle, or make disparaging remarks about someone's race, religion, national origin, color, age or disability.
The victim of harassment should directly inform the harasser that the conduct is unwelcome and must stop. If the conduct stops, harassment has not occurred. If the unwelcome conduct continues, it becomes harassment and the faculty should report it to the dean of his/her college or the Vice President for Academic Affairs.
The Vice President for Academic Affairs, or the College Dean, in concert with the Director of Human Resources or a member of the harassment investigation team (faculty or staff who have been specially trained to conduct investigations into allegations of harassment), will investigate all charges of harassment. The U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) recognizes that sexual harassment may be private and unacknowledged, with no eyewitnesses; therefore the Xavier University investigator may make a finding in a harassment charge based solely on the credibility of the victim's allegation.
Xavier University and the EEOC forbid retaliatory actions against someone who files a charge of harassment, including, but not limited to, grades, unfavorable class room or academic assignments, unfavorable recommendations, demotions, reductions in compensation, or encouraging other faculty members or staff to take retaliatory actions against the victim.
An academic administrator or faculty who is found in violation of this policy will be subject to the university's disciplinary process. A student or faculty who knowingly and willfully files a false claim of harassment will also be subject to the university's disciplinary process.
Mail boxes are provided for the faculty in the post office located in the University Center (first floor). Mail services are also provided on the first floor of the Xavier South Building .
All campus parking lots require a permit, available from the Office of Campus Police. Lots are designated "Special Reserved Parking," "Faculty," "Staff" or "Student." After 5:00 p.m. all parking areas are open except those designated "Special Reserved Parking." For specific information concerning traffic regulations on campus, faculty and staff members should read the parking and traffic regulations bulletin issued at the beginning of the school year. For any other information, personnel should contact the Traffic Control Division of the University in the Office of Campus Police located at Carrollton Avenue and Drexel Drive . All cars driven to and from the campus and parked thereon must bear a University parking sticker. These are obtained from the Office of Campus Police or University cashier. (See bulletin mentioned above.) Failure to register and display this sticker may result in a parking fine.
(Revised 7/03)
- At least fourteen (14) working days before a proposal (grant application) is due to the funding source, a New Proposal Clearance Form should be submitted electronically to the Office of Sponsored Programs.
- All pre-proposal information must include the following:
- • A Proposal Clearance Form
- • An Abstract
- • A Budget
- • A copy of the Request for Proposal (RFP) or the website address of the RFP (preferred). In the case of an unusually long or difficult to copy document, please inform the OSP. These forms are available on the OSP website at http://www.xula.edu/OSP-Forms.html.
- The OSP will electronically distribute clearance documents to the following individuals: Department Chair and Academic Dean; Associate Vice President, Academic Affairs; Senior Vice President, Administration; Vice President, Fiscal Services; Vice President, Institutional Advancement; Vice President, Technology Administration; Vice President, Planning and Institutional Research and the Manager of the Office of Grants and Contracts Accounting.
- Individuals who review the clearance documents should respond within one week, to either the PI or the OSP, if they foresee any difficulty with the proposal. In the absence of any response, the grant writer can proceed with full grant application.
The author(s) of the proposal is ultimately responsible for both the substantive and formal quality of the final grant proposal. OSP will provide assistance when requested and will review the final document as appropriate.
Final Proposal Clearance And Signatures
- Copies of the final grant proposal should be routed to the Associate Vice President, Academic Affairs, Department/division chairpersons, the Office of the Dean, the chairs of Safety and Protection Committees (if applicable) and the OSP at least one week before it is due to the funding agency to provide sufficient time for them to read the proposal before authorizing it.
- The cover page or other pages requiring signature of the authorized institutional representative should be provided to the OSP when submitting a copy of the final grant proposal.
- The Final Proposal Routing Form, located on the OSP website, must be signed, indicating that the proposal has been reviewed and approved by the appropriate authorities on campus, before the cover page is signed.
- The OSP will then certify to the President, or to his designee, that the final grant proposal has been approved and obtain the required signature(s) for the university.
- Once the proposal is approved and signed, the PI is responsible for mailing the proposal and the required number of copies to the granting agency. If assistance is needed, the PI should contact the OSP staff.
The author(s) must notify the OSP if a decision is made not to submit the proposal.
When a response is received from the funding source, it is the responsibility of the author(s) to send a copy of either the letter of award (and approved budget) or the letter of denial to the OSP. If the proposal is funded, the PI should follow the Award Approval Process described on the OSP website.
The procedures described below are to be used in establishing a Xavier University account to activate either a new and/or a continuing grant, contract, or cooperative agreement award made to Xavier University . The actions outlined below describe procedures to be followed by the Principal Investigator and/or Grant Manager, the Office of Grants and Contracts Accounting and the Office of Sponsored Programs in establishing a Xavier University account and in notifying the Principal Investigator and all Co-Principal Investigators.
Procedures
- Upon receipt of an award, the Principal Investigator and/or Grant Manager should send the original award letter to the Office of Sponsored Programs (OSP) to initiate the Post-Award Proposal Clearance and Approval Procedures.
- Upon receipt of the award letter, the OSP will work with the Principal Investigator and/or Grant Manager to complete its CHECKLIST of essential items needed to assure that the award letter, grant guidelines, terms and conditions of the award, and other pertinent documents have been secured by that office.
- OSP will complete an award documentation package, which will be forwarded to the PI for review. Such package will include a Routing Form for New Awards and Activating/Revising Grant Accounts and the project budget using Xavier budget codes. This information will be forwarded to the PI for review and signature. The Award Package should then be routed for signature to the PI's chair and, where appropriate, to other individuals who need to authorize cost sharing. This package should then be returned to the OSP. Completed Personnel Forms for all continuing/new personnel on the grant must be included in the package. For positions where individuals have not been hired, those forms should be completed and forwarded to the Office of Grants and Contracts Accounting at the time of hire
- OSP will then provide the Office of Grants and Contracts Accounting with an award documentation file which is complete according to the OSP CHECKLIST. This file will become the official award documentation file for sponsored projects maintained in the Office of Grants and Contracts Accounting. Details important to award implementation and other important award information will be highlighted on the OSP CHECKLIST as reminders to project managers.
- The Office of Grants and Contracts Accounting will review the pertinent documents and, in the absence of any inconsistencies with University fiscal policies, will activate the award into the University's accounting system with the assigned grant number(s). The Manager of the Office of Grants and Contracts Accounting will provide this information electronically to the Principal Investigator. In case of large, multi-component projects, notification will be made to each investigator for each component of the awarded project.
- In the absence of any extenuating circumstances, this process will be completed within three (3) working days after completing the OSP CHECKLIST.
Xavier University receives awards through grants, contracts, and cooperative agreements funded by external public and private sources, including federal agencies. Institutional administrative policies and procedures have been established to assure that the use of these external funds is in complete compliance with the requirements and mandates of all funding sources, particularly federal government agencies.
Xavier University 's policies conform to the applicable rules, regulations and policies contained in OMB Circulars No. A-21; A-110; and A-133. These circulars establish cost principles; administrative requirements; and, audit requirements, respectively, applicable to grants, contracts, and cooperative agreements with educational institutions.
Academic Year
Ordinarily, when a faculty member is under a University contract, federal regulations will not allow extra compensation for services to federally funded sponsored projects beyond the 100% academic workload. Generally, full time faculty and staff when under contract with the University may not increase and/or supplement their base salary from grant and contract funds.
Compensation above and beyond the contractual base salary is allowable for a teaching overload when paid for with University funds or when such arrangements are specifically provided for in the externally funded agreement or approved in writing by the sponsoring agency.
Summer
Compensation for faculty members for work performed on sponsored projects in the summer is based on the prior academic year contract salary. For each month of work performed on a sponsored project in the summer, a faculty member under a nine-month contract may be paid one-ninth of his/her prior academic year salary. If a faculty member receives compensation from one or more collective sources in the summer (i.e. teaching, research, sponsored projects, etc.), the total summer salary for faculty on nine-month appointments can not exceed 3 / 9 s of the appropriate prior academic year contract salary. However, the regulations regarding how much summer salary can be charged to a grant from the granting agency must always be followed.
Faculty on full salary during the summer ( 3 / 9 s of prior academic year salary) are expected to include students in their research laboratory for no additional personal compensation.
Staff Employees
Exempt employees of the University may not receive extra compensation or overtime pay from sponsored projects. These wages must be paid as part of the base salary. The amount to be supported by the sponsor should be shown as a portion of the annual base salary and should be based on the amount of time spent on the project.
Effort Certification Reports
Salaries and wages charged to sponsored projects must be supported by Effort Certification Reports which reflect 100% of an individual's time and are based on actual effort expended. Effort Certification Reports (ECRs) are sent to the Principal Investigator for all employees who are receiving salaries from a grant or contract where the source of the funds is the federal government. These forms must be reviewed by the employee, reviewed and signed by the PI and/or the Grant Manager, and reviewed and initiated by the College Dean. The time commitment on the ECR must be the same as indicated in the grant budget. If the time commitment on the ECR is correct, the completed ECR is returned by the college dean to the Office of Grants and Contracts Accounting. If the PI makes any changes to the ECR, the corrected ECR and a new Personnel Action Form must be routed and signed by the department chair, college Dean, and the Associate Vice President for Academic Affairs. It is subsequently sent to the Office of Grants and Contracts Accounting for verification of any changes and forwarded to the Office of Human Resources where the changes are entered into the Banner system.
Effort Certification Reports are required to be completed bi-annually. Effort reports for Fall Semester, covering the period August 15 through December 31 are due on February 1. Effort Reports for Spring semester, covering the period January 1 through May 14, and summer sessions are due on October 1. Summer session covers the period from May 15 through August 14.
All purchases must receive prior approval from the departmental chairperson or the cost center manager and from the Office of Fiscal Services. The process is begun by completing an on-line requisition using the Banner 2000 system. When the purchase requisition is approved, a purchase order is usually issued to the vendor. A purchase order is required for all external purchases. The University does not assume responsibility for any items that are not purchased through official purchasing procedures and supported by a duly authorized purchase order.
Some internal purchases do not require a purchase order, but do require that the purchasing process be followed with an authorized purchase requisition. Internal purchases are most often made from the bookstore, central stores, and the Document Center ; however, food and services from the cafeteria must have prior approval via the purchase requisition and a purchase order.
Masses are offered daily during the fall and spring semesters in the University chapel for the convenience of the students and staff of the University. Announcement of time for Masses will be found on the bulletin boards in the University. Special Masses or changes in Mass schedule will be announced ahead of time on the doors near the chapel.
An electronic work order must be submitted via the website of Xavier's Physical Plant. The work order will be assigned a number and processed by that office, or as otherwise necessary.
Approved work orders will be assigned for implementation on priority bases, depending upon the current work load of the physical plant personnel, including emergency tasks, and authorized budget approvals.
On the last working day of the month, payments are made electronically into the faculty member's bank account (checking or saving) through direct deposit.
The University also reserves the right to withhold salary checks for any faculty member who has not fulfilled his/her obligation(s) to the University.
This newsletter is edited by the Director of Communications. While the editor confers regularly with the administrative officers, all faculty members are encouraged to have their departmental representatives electronically submit news items concerning their publications, research results of general interest, presentations, election to office in professional and learned groups and their attendance at meetings and conventions.
Travel must be approved in advance by the dean of the college or cost center manager, as well as the Office of Fiscal Services. Travel expenses must be estimated on the travel advance form and submitted, with the appropriate signatures, to the Office of Fiscal Services for final approval and processing. Travel funds are advanced to the faculty member in accordance with the travel policies and per diem in force at the time.
Travel expense reports are to be completed by the traveler, approved by the departmental chairperson or cost center manager, and submitted to the Office of Fiscal Services within five (5) days after the travel is completed. Failure to submit travel expense reports on a timely basis can constitute cause for the University to suspend the travel advance privilege and to withhold salary checks, if necessary, until the reports are duly submitted.
Travel advance forms and travel expense report forms can be obtained from the Office of Fiscal Services.
All faculty travelers must submit to the chairperson a written report in duplicate on the significant aspect of the meeting five (5) days after the travel is completed. The report should include the substance of the attended meeting and any other matter which is of mutual and professional interest. The chairperson will retain one copy of the report for the department and forward the other to the dean of the college.
