Rule 3362-4-25 | Compensation for administrative employees.
(A) Purpose and scope
(1) Shawnee state university desires a competitive and equitable compensation system that will attract and retain qualified administrative personnel. The purpose of this policy is to establish and maintain an administrative compensation system that considers comparable positions in similar markets, internal equity, the performance of employees, and the availability and allocation of funds as determined by the president. The university administers compensation practices in compliance with applicable federal and state laws, including but not limited to the Equal Pay Act, Title VII of the Civil Rights Act, the Age Discrimination in Employment Act, the Americans with Disabilities Act, and applicable provisions of Ohio law. Nothing in this rule creates a contract of employment or guarantees a specific salary increase, adjustment, or continued employment.
(2) This policy applies to administrative employees in approved administrative positions for either "regular" or "term" appointments, regardless of the funding source, and who are not in positions that are under a collective bargaining unit.
(a) Regular appointments are expected to be ongoing, subject to the needs of the university, with no designated end date.
(b) Term appointments are for a designated period of time, normally between one and three years. The duration may be determined by the funding source (e.g., externally funded grants) or by authorization of the president. Continuation of term appointments is contingent upon operational need, funding availability and institutional authorization.
(3) This policy does not apply to executive staff; faculty and staff covered by a collective bargaining agreement; student employees; or temporary or intermittent staff with at will employment agreements.
(B) Categories of administrative positions
(1) Administrator - an administrative position with professional, managerial, supervisory, or fiduciary responsibilities that is exempt from collective bargaining under section 4117.01 of the Revised Code, and may meet the exemption criteria under the Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA).
(a) Employees in administrator positions that meet FLSA exemption criteria for duties and salary tests will be classified as "exempt."
(b) Employees in administrator positions that meet the FLSA exemption criteria for the duties test, but not the salary test, will be classified as "non-exempt."
(2) Administrative technical support staff (ATSS) - an administrative position that is confidential in nature and is exempt from collective bargaining under section 4117.01 of the Revised Code. ATSS employees do not meet the exemption criteria under the Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA) based on the duties test. ATSS employees will be classified as "non-exempt."
(C) Fair labor standards act (FLSA) status
Administrative employees classified by the department of human resources as "non-exempt" due to not meeting the FLSA exemption criteria (based on salary and/or duties test) will be compensated for their work in accordance with the FLSA and its associated administrative regulations.
(D) Classification/compensation structure
(1) The director of human resources is responsible for managing the structure of the administrative compensation system(s) and for reviewing the applicable structure relative to the appropriate market. Market benchmarking data is utilized as a guide for compensation administration and does not create an entitlement to a specific salary placement.
(2) The director of human resources or designee will assess all administrative positions' responsibilities and determine the placement of each within the university's compensation structure, relying upon market benchmarking methodology, with consideration of internal equity for comparable responsibilities. Internal equity considerations may include comparable scope of responsibility, supervisory authority, organizational impact, required qualifications, degree of complexity, and relevant experience.
(3) Salary offers or adjustments exceeding established compensation guidelines or market placement thresholds shall require additional justification and approval by the president in accordance with university procedures.
(4) In exceptional cases, the president is authorized to approve a signing bonus as an incentive for a candidate to accept employment at the university. The president may also approve one-time non-base compensation payments, including merit-based bonuses to support institutional recruitment, retention, and performance objectives.
An athletics performance bonus schedule may be established by the athletic director to define bonuses for varsity coaches who meet certain individual or team performance milestones, or receive certain recognitions from their conference, league, or governing association. Any such schedule shall be approved by the president.
(5) The department of human resources retains authority for evaluating position classifications and determining whether changes in assigned duties warrant reclassification review in accordance with university procedures.
(E) Salary budget and allocation
The allocation of an approved salary pool in the annual operating budget is at the discretion of the president who may allocate all, a portion, or none of the salary pool. The salary allocation may be applied evenly to all administrative employees (across-the-board) or to individual employees based on factors such as, but not limited to, market benchmarking, internal equity analyses, and/or performance.
(F) Procedures
The board of trustees authorizes the president to establish procedures to effectively implement this rule. Such procedures may include eligibility requirements, conditions, and other provisions regarding signing bonuses and other bonuses discussed in paragraph (D)(4) of this rule.
Last updated July 7, 2026 at 7:28 AM
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