EPA Employment
EPA Staff members are University employees who are "exempt" from the State Personnel Act. This means that issues
such as overtime and longevity pay do not apply as they would for most SPA employees, who are "subject" to the State Personnel Act.
EPA Staff positions are administrative, professional, managerial, instructional support, development, and research positions.
Most of these positions are "at will" employment, meaning the employee serves at the will of the Chancellor and can be
terminated without justification. Notice of termination is given according to the policy applicable to the particular category
of EPA Staff position. Some EPA Staff are hired on term contracts, where a definite ending date is given, and the employee is
terminated on that date without further notice. EPA Staff positions are also normally subject to merit pay increases.
In the past, postdocs were classified as EPA permanent employees. But effective December 8, 2000, postdocs fall
under a new category of temporary employment defined by Policy Statement #108.
Policy Statement #64, including Attachment A,
explains EPA Staff appointment in detail. The recruitment procedures for EPA Staff are in
the Academic Personnel Procedures Handbook.
There are four different categories of EPA Staff employees at UNC Charlotte: Instructional Support, Research Support,
Senior Academic and Administrative Officers Tier 1, and Senior Academic and Administrative Officers Tier 2. All EPA
Staff appointments must meet the standards of one of these four categories.
The Vice Chancellor for Research and Federal Relations must approve the initial classification of all EPA Staff appointments
in the Research Support category in the academic departments. Research Support positions qualifying for EPA appointment
in academic research must meet all four of the following characteristics:
- a. The position must require substantial independence in creative or research efforts and in the interpretation and dissemination of research results;
- b. The duties must be integral with the University's instructional or research activities and represent an extension of the regular academic and education experience provided by the University;
- c. The position must require that a substantial portion of the total work commitment is devoted to those research activities; and
- d. The position requires possession of a post-baccalaureate degree or a comparable record of independent research productivity.
For most funded research projects, the above characteristics mean that the primary purpose of most EPA appointments will be to
serve as principal investigators or in a similar capacity for primary or secondary research projects that may advance or
enhance a field of academic learning. A key factor in the classification of a position as EPA vs. SPA is the degree of
independence given the employee in directing research and in interpreting and disseminating the results of research.
This standard is not met by simply carrying out the instructions of a supervisor, and most project coordinators and
many program directors will fall instead under SPA employment guidelines. If you anticipate hiring project personnel
under the EPA category, you should discuss the matter with the Vice Chancellor for Research and Federal Relations well
in advance of initiating hiring. If he agrees with you that the position should be classified as EPA, he can give you
step-by-step procedures to help you do it most efficiently.
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