Current through Reg. 50, No. 187; September 24, 2024
(1) The Division of Human Resources maintains
the only official personnel files for all employees of the USF System,
including faculty. Human Resources is authorized to delegate all or any portion
of this function to the Deans and Directors through the Provost and Vice
Presidents or the appropriate USF System authority.
(2) The CAO may retain the official promotion
and tenure files for faculty.
(3)
The faculty member's home department or unit may retain duplicate copies of
documents contained in the official personnel files. They may also retain
originals of pre-discipline, counseling, and performance documents leading up
to official actions, which at the time of that action will be made a part of
the official file.
(4) The official
personnel file will contain the following:
(a)
Information gathered as part of an employment procedure, such as applications,
letters of reference, letters of offer, and letters of appointment.
(b) Information substantiating salary
transactions, if applicable, such as appointment papers, approvals of special
salary rates, employment contracts, and salary adjustments.
(c) Documentation of performance and conduct,
such as performance evaluation forms, letters of recognition, reprimands,
letters of dismissal, suspension, disciplinary reduction in pay, and approvals
to take appealable disciplinary actions.
(d) Any records relating to a faculty
member's grievance or complaint, appeals, arbitration awards/findings, or
administrative hearing recommendations, and these records will be treated as
exempt during any proceeding specified by Florida law.
(e) Medical records which address the faculty
member's ability to do the job or for any other legitimate business purposes;
however, these records are confidential records that will be maintained
separately from the official personnel file in accordance with applicable
federal and/or state law.
(f) Other
documents deemed appropriate by Human Resources, such as letters of
resignation, layoff notices, etc.
(5) The personnel file will not include:
(a) Benefits enrollment information, which is
separately maintained by Human Resources.
(b) Anonymous material of any kind, with the
exception of numerical summaries of student evaluations and narratives
contained in student evaluations.
(6) Access to the official personnel files of
USF System faculty:
(a) Access to the official
personnel files of USF System faculty is governed by the Florida Public Records
Law Chapter 119 and section
1012.91, F.S. Those wishing to
review personnel files of faculty members may do so during normal business
hours of the Division of Human Resources. Access to and copying of any document
or file will be provided in accordance with federal and state law and these
rules.
(b) Any material exempt from
disclosure by federal or state law will be removed prior to inspection or
copying unless disclosure of such exempt material is authorized by the faculty
member or required by any superseding law.
(7) Faculty rights to append or request
removal of material:
(a) Faculty members have
the right to append responses to any material in the evaluation file, and to
place appropriate information or documentation relating to their employment
into their personnel files, by forwarding the information to Human Resources
with a request for the material to be placed in their file. Examples of the
types of information employees may place in their files are updating of
education or training and clarification or rebuttal of evaluative or
disciplinary information placed in their files by USF System officials. Such
items received by Human Resources will be reviewed for compliance with this
rule and will then be placed in the file or returned to the sender with an
explanation describing why the items are not in compliance.
(b) Faculty members will have the right to
request removal of any documentation shown to be factually
incorrect.
Rulemaking Authority
1012.91 FS. Law Implemented
119.07,
1012.91
FS.
New 10-5-03, Amended
1-25-12.
