ARTICLE XVII

LIBRARIANS

A. Initial Appointments

1. The initiation and coordination of search activities for prospective new appointees to the library shall be the responsibility of the Dean/Director or his or her designee, who shall keep the Personnel Committee informed of these activities. The Dean/Director may discuss with the Personnel Committee the professional criteria to be fulfilled by any candidates, and may request that the Personnel Committee interview candidates.

2. If the Committee is requested by the Dean/Director to interview candidates, the Committee and the Dean/Director shall cooperate in arrangements for personal interviews. No travel expenses will be authorized without the prior approval of the College/University official responsible for such matters in the normal course of College/University procedures.

3. If the Committee is requested to review the pool of candidates, the Committee shall transmit its recommendations to the Dean/Director who shall transmit the Committee's recommendations, along with the Dean/Director's own recommendation, to the appropriate Vice President and the President for ultimate recommendation to the Board of Trustees.

B. Promotions

To the extent that a College/University has a locally negotiated or accepted procedure and/or practice regarding promotions for Librarians, they shall remain in full force and effect until such time as a change is made in accordance with the New Jersey Employer-Employee Relations Act and its governing regulations.  At other Colleges/Universities, the following procedures shall apply unless and until changed in accordance with the New Jersey Employer-Employee Relations Act and its governing regulations.

1. Promotional procedures, including those set forth below, are not applicable to part-time employees, but such employees may be appointed/reappointed to a higher title.

2.  The President shall announce availability of promotions to a Librarian II, Librarian I and/or an Assistant Director of the Library position, whichshall activate the promotion and Personnel Committee process.  The President shall indicate in his or her announcement whether the available promotion or promotions may be considered upon the basis of professional growth or whether the available promotion or promotions are to fill a particular need in the library.

3.  Promotions based on professional growth, shall be announced at the same time as the announcement of available faculty promotions is made. Structural promotions shall be announced by the President as they become available.

4. Full-time Librarians whose qualifications meet or exceed the requirements for Librarian II or Librarian I or Assistant Director in the Library may apply for announced professional growth promotions by November l, and for announced structural promotions within the time specified in the announcement. The application may be accompanied by any substantiating documentation which the individual cares to submit.  Nomination of a librarian for promotional consideration may be made by other than the individual.

5. The Personnel Committee's recommendations on any promotion or promotions shall be in rank order from the highest (number l) to lowest.  There shall be separate lists ranking candidates for each available structural promotion. There shall be one overall list ranking all candidates for any available growth promotions. The final recommendations of the Personnel Committee shall be made to the Dean/Director on or before February 1 for any available growth promotions and within thirty (30) days of the application closing date for structural promotions. The requirements that there be a ranking may be waived by local agreement.

6.  Article VII of this Agreement shall apply to this Article under the same terms and limitations as such Article applies to faculty promotions. Article XIV.G shall also apply.

7. All promotions are subject to the affirmative recommendation of the President and the approval of the Board of Trustees.

C.  Concurrent Academic Rank and Range Adjustment

         There shall be a Range Adjustment Program at each College/University where full-time librarians are employed.  Full-time librarians who meet or exceed the merit-based criteria established for the range adjustments are eligible to be considered for and may apply for a range adjustment within rank.  The merit-based criteria will be established by the College/University and published for the understanding of the affected employees.  The procedures for consideration will be negotiated between the College/University and the Local Union. The procedures for consideration utilized in the College/University shall be fairly and equitably applied to all applicants and nominees

         Article VII of the Agreement shall apply to librarian range adjustments under the same terms and limitations as such Article applies to promotions.

         For Purpose of the Librarian range adjustments the following ranges shall be utilized:

D.  Library Personnel Committee

1.  Each College/University shall establish a Library Personnel Committee consisting of full-time librarians included in the negotiations unit, elected by such librarians. As a matter of local agreement between each Local UNION and each College/University, such Personnel Committee may include the Dean/Director of the Library or his or her designee as a non-voting member of such Personnel Committee.

2.  The Personnel Committee shall evaluate full-time librarians within the negotiating unit for reappointment or promotion within the negotiating unit and such recommendations shall be made to the Dean/Director of the Library, who will in turn submit the recommendations of the Committee and the Dean/Director's own independent evaluations and recommendations, if any, to the appropriate Vice President and the President for ultimate recommendation to the Board of Trustees.

E.  Staff Meetings

There shall be, at minimum, quarterly staff meetings of librarians in the negotiating unit and other professionals assigned to the library with the Director of the Library to inform, consult and advise on matters of concern to the library. Such unit members may suggest items for inclusion on the agenda of such meetings. Such matters of concern may include discussion of the general structure of the library.

F.  Change in Status, Librarians

1. a. Full-time librarians may make written application to the President of the College/University, or his or her designee, for a one-year change in status from twelve-month employment to ten-month employment.

2. Such application shall be made by May 1 of the fiscal year prior to the year in which the change is requested. The President may approve the change in status, at his or her discretion, based upon the needs and work pattern of the library, and such approval shall not be unreasonably withheld.

3. In the event the change in status is approved, the employee shall be off the payroll from July 1 to August 31 of the fiscal year following the request. The employee will return to the payroll upon reporting on September 1.

4. Accrued vacation time or sick leave may not be utilized during the period when the employee is off the payroll.

G.  The scheduled hours for librarians shall not involve split work periods, other than those provided for meals, except as may be required by unanticipated needs or for periods of special activity.

H. Employees who are released from their regular duties to attend work-associated meetings and conferences, or who participate in union activities as provided in Article X.F, or who participate in professional improvement programs which include but are not limited to activities such as courses and seminars, shall not be required to make up the time missed.  Such employees remain responsible for performing all work assignments.

I.  With the approval of the appropriate supervisor, qualified full-time librarians may be permitted to teach courses on an overload basis if such teaching does not interfere with the primary responsibility of the individual and if it does not violate the provisions of Article XI.C. Such permission shall not be arbitrarily or capriciously withheld. At the option of the College/University and with the approval of the supervisor, qualified part-time librarians may be permitted to teach courses on a overload basis if such teaching does not interfere with the primary responsibility of the individual and if it does not violate the provisions of Article XI.N.

J.  Promotion upon Tenure

         A Librarian may apply for and be reviewed for promotion to the next highest Librarian title concurrent with his or her review for tenure, and advancement in title may be awarded concurrent with tenure.