TENNESSEE 
STATE UNIVERSITY 
The Office of 
Human Resources 
Employment Classification (6.15) 
PURPOSE 
The purpose of this policy is to provide guidelines on employee classifications. 
POLICY 
It is the policy of Tennessee State University to establish and maintain a system through which 
all employees are classified in compliance with the Tennessee Board of Regents requirements. 
PROCEDURE 
The following procedures apply for the classification of Tennessee State University employees: 
1. Academic Personnel (Faculty): All faculty members who hold academic rank and who are 
directly engaged in instruction, departmental research or public service will be classified as 
academic personnel. Academic personnel may be employed either on a nine-month service basis 
(academic year) compensated over a twelve-month period (referred to as nine-month academic 
personnel); or employed on a twelve-month period (referred to as twelve-month academic 
personnel). 
2. Executive, Administrative and Professional (Exempt): All personnel other than personnel 
primarily employed in instruction, research or public service who primarily have executive, 
administrative or professional responsibilities, and whose positions require recognized 
professional achievement acquired by formal training or equivalent experience will be classified 
as executive administrative or professional employees. These classifications include all non- 
academic personnel who are exempt from the provisions of the Federal Wage and Hour Law. 
3. Clerical and Support Personnel (Non-Exempt): All personnel other than academic, 
executive and administrative or professional personnel will be classified as clerical or support 
staff. This classification includes all personnel who are covered by the provisions of the Federal 
Wage and Hour Law. 
4. Student Employees: All personnel whose primary purpose at the University is to be enrolled 
in an academic program of the institution will be classified as student employees. Student 
Each employee shall be assigned one of the following designations: 
1. Regular Full-time Employees: All personnel executive, administrative, professional, 
academic, clerical and support who are employed on a continuing basis, expected to exceed six 
(6) months and who have a regular work week of 37.5 hours or who are scheduled to carry a full 
teaching load or its equivalent, including fulltime MODFY (modified fiscal year) employees, 
will be designated as regular fulltime employees. 
2. Regular Part-time Employees: All personnel executive, administrative, professional, 
academic, clerical and support who are employed on a continuing basis, expected to exceed six 
(6) months and who have a regular work week of less than 37.5 hours or who are scheduled to 
carry less than a full teaching load or its equivalent, including part-time MODFY (modified 
fiscal year) employees, will be designated as regular part-time employees. 
3. Temporary: All personnel whose period of appointment or expected service is less than six 
(6) months will be designated as temporary employees. This definition shall not be confused 
with employees who are designated as probationary employees who may be regular full-time or 
part-time employees and who are entitled to all leave benefits. 
4. MODFY (Modified Fiscal Year) Employees: All regular, full and part-time, non-teaching 
personnel, whose service period coincides with the nine month academic year, will be designated 
as MODFY employees. 
In compliance with federal requirements for reporting statistical information to federal, state and 
local government agencies, university employees shall be classified by the following EEO-6 and 
race/ethnic categories. 
Breaks In Service: 
An employee who has worked as a temporary for the maximum time of one calendar year must 
be completely separated and off the payroll for fourteen calendar days before becoming eligible 
for re-employment in a temporary position. 
1. After one year of employment as a temporary employee, the campus should consider 
adding a position with benefits if the assignment is needed on a regular basis. 
2. The process for filling the position will follow TBR Guideline P-010, Personnel 
Transactions and Recommended Forms. 
EEO6 Classification: 
1. EEO1 Executive/Administrative/Managerial 
All persons whose assignments require primary (and major) responsibility for management of the 
the performance of work directly related to management of policies or general business 
operations of the institution, department, subdivision, etc. It is assumed that assignments in this 
category customarily and regularly require the incumbent to exercise discretion and independent 
judgment and to direct the work of others. This category shall include all officers holding such 
titles as President, Vice President, Dean, Director or the equivalent, as well as officers 
subordinate to any of these administrators with such titles as Associate Dean, Assistant Dean, 
executive officer of academic departments (department heads, or the equivalent) if their principal 
activity is administrative. 
2.EEO2 Faculty 
All persons whose specific assignments include instruction, research or public service as a 
principal activity and who hold academic rank titles of professor, associate professor, assistant 
professor, instructor, lecturer or the equivalent of any one of these academic ranks. This category 
shall include Deans, Directors or the equivalents, as well as Associate Deans, Assistant Deans, 
and executive officers of academic departments (chairpersons, heads, or the equivalent) if their 
principal activity is instructional. The category shall not include student teaching or research 
assistants. 
3. EEO3 Professional (Non-faculty) 
All persons whose assignments would require either college graduation or experience of such 
kind and amount as to provide assignments requiring specialized professional training who are 
not reported under the category of Executive/Administrative/Managerial and who are not 
classified under any of the four "non-professional" categories. 
4. EEO4 Clerical/Secretarial 
All persons whose assignments typically are associated with clerical activities or are specifically 
of a secretarial nature. This category includes personnel who are responsible for internal and 
external communications, recording and retrieval of data (other than computer programmers) 
and/or information and other paper work required in an office, such as bookkeepers, 
stenographers, clerk typists, office machine operators, statistical clerks, payroll clerks, etc. 
Included also are sales clerks, such as those employed full time in the bookstore, and library 
clerks who are not recognized as librarians. 
5. EEO5 Technical or Paraprofessional 
All persons whose assignments require specialized knowledge or skills which may be acquired 
through experience or academic work, such as is offered in many two-year technical institutes, 
junior colleges or through equivalent on-the-job training. This category includes computer 
programmers and operators, drafters, engineering aides, junior engineers, mathematical aides, 
licensed, practical or vocational nurses, dietitians, photographers, radio operators, scientific 
assistants, technical illustrators, technicians (medical, dental, electronic, physical sciences) and 
similar occupational activity categories but which are institutionally defined as technical 
assignments. 
6. EEO6 Skilled Crafts 
comprehensive knowledge of the processes involved in the work, acquired through on-the-job 
training and experience or through apprenticeship or other formal training programs. This 
category includes mechanics and repairers, electricians, stationery engineers, skilled machinists, 
carpenters, compositors and typesetters. 
7. EEO7 Service Maintenance 
All persons whose assignments require limited degrees of previously acquired skills and 
knowledge to perform duties which result in or contribute to the comfort, convenience and 
hygiene of personnel and the student body or which contribute to the upkeep and care of 
buildings, facilities or grounds of the institutional property. This category includes 
chauffeurs, laundry and dry cleaning operators, cafeteria and restaurant workers, truck drivers, 
bus drivers, garage laborers, custodial personnel, gardeners and groundskeepers, refuse 
collectors, construction laborers and security personnel. 
Race/Ethnic Classification: 
American Indian or Alaskan Native: A person having origins in any of the original people of 
North America and who maintains cultural identification through tribal affiliation or community 
recognition. 
Asian or Pacific Islander: A person having origins in any of the original peoples of the Far 
East, Southeast Asia, and Indian Subcontinent, or the Pacific islands. The area include, for 
example, China, Japan, Korea, the Philippine Islands, and Samoa. 
Black (Not of Hispanic Origin): A person having origins in any of the Black racial groups of 
Africa. 
Hispanic: A person of Mexican, Puerto Rican, Cuban, Central or South American or other 
Spanish culture or origin, regardless of race. 
White (Not of Hispanic Origin): A person having origins in any of the original people of 
Europe, North Africa, or the Middle East. 
RACE CODES 
1 White, Non-Hispanic 
2 Black, Non-Hispanic 
3 Asian or Pacific Islander 
4 Hispanic 
5 American Indian or Alaskan Native 
REFERENCE 
TBR Personnel Policy 5:01:01:00