CAREER READINESS - Setting Expectations - Policy

THE ALAMO COLLEGES :

Mission – Empowering our diverse communities for success.
Vision - The Alamo Colleges will be the best in the nation in Student Success and Performance Excellence.
Values – Students First, Respect for All, Community Engaged, Collaboration, Can-Do-Spirit, Data Informed

INTEGRITY:

Policy Guideline: D.4.9 (Policy) Conduct Constituting Moral Turpitude
- D.4.9 (Policy) Conduct Constituting Moral Turpitude
  Responsible Department: Human Resources
  Board Adoption: 4-28-09
  Last Board Action:
  Amended: 1-13-10, 5-26-17
  Moral Turpitude
  Alamo Colleges District employees shall not engage in conduct constituting moral turpitude. Moral
  turpitude is defined as conduct that is contrary to justice, honesty, or morality (Black’s Law
  Dictionary, Also Abridged Seventh Edition). Moral turpitude includes but is not limited to:
  1. Dishonesty; fraud; deceit; theft; misrepresentation;
  2. Deliberate violence;
  3. Base, vile, or depraved acts that are intended to arouse or gratify the sexual desire of the
  actor;
  4. Felony possession, transfer, sale, distribution, or conspiracy to possess, transfer, sell, or
  distribute any controlled substance defined in Chapter 481 of the Texas Health and Safety
  Code;
  5. Acts constituting public intoxication, operating a motor vehicle while under the influence
  of alcohol, or disorderly conduct, if any two or more acts are committed within any 12-month
  period;
  6. Acts constituting abuse under the Texas Family Code; or
  7. Acts constituting an offense against public administration under Title 8, Chapters 36-39,
  Texas Penal Code. *Misuse of information you have access to*
  Notification
  An employee who is arrested for, charged with, or convicted (to include probated sentences and
  deferred adjudication) of an offense involving moral turpitude shall notify the immediate supervisor
  within three business days of being arrested, charged, or convicted (see D.4.11).

PUNCTUALITY/ATTENDANCE:

Policy Guideline: D.4.4 (Policy) Attendance and Punctuality:
- D.4.4 (Policy) Attendance and Punctuality
  Responsible Department: Human Resources
  Board Adoption: 4-28-09
  Last Board Action: Reviewed: 5-25-17
  Regular and punctual attendance is essential to the efficient and orderly operations of the College District and to the students we serve. Each employee shall report to work as scheduled. Employees are expected to report to work on time and to complete their assigned work schedule. Failure to do so may result in disciplinary action, up to and including termination.

TIME SHEETS:

Breaks, Lunches, Absences:
- Under Texas law, there is no requirement for an employer to provide a meal period or break to its employees. Instead, employers must adhere to the requirements of the federal Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA), which also does not mandate a meal or rest break.
Fair Labor Standards Act:
- While lunch breaks are not mandatory, the federal Fair Labor Standards Act stipulates some general rules regarding lunch breaks, and Texas state law mirrors these laws. Essentially, a break of 30 minutes or more constitutes a lunch break, and federal and state law do not require employers to compensate employees for this time when employees are not engaged in work while eating. If an employer provides a break shorter than 30 minutes, it must be paid.
Time Theft or Falsifying time:
- Moving time around between pay periods or imputing, deleting, manipulating work that is contrary to what actually occurred could be considered time theft or falsifying time.
Pay Cycles
- We operate on payroll Lag. This means that the time you worked from the 1^st to the 15^th of a given month is not paid out to you until and 1^st of next month. On the Employee Tab below you can find access to the Web Time Entry Q&A link that will provide the total payroll calendar.
  - Web Time Entry Location
    - Log into ACES
    - Click on Employee Tab
    - Scroll down to find Web Time Entry
- Contact Payroll
  - Any assistance with payroll related items can be submitted to the following email and payroll will reach back out with guidance.
    - Email: Dst-bannerpayroll@alamo.edu

DRESS CODE & IDs:

Policy Guideline: D.4.3.1 (Procedure) Personal Appearance and Uniforms
- D.4.3.1 (Procedure) Personal Appearance and Uniforms
  Responsible Department: Human Resources
  Based on Board Policy: D.4.3 - Personal Appearance and Uniforms
  Approved: 4-28-09
  Last Amended: 5-29-17
  All College District employees are expected to arrive for work in season-appropriate, professional attire. Every employee is expected to exemplify the professional conduct and standards of appearance of their discipline/profession for students. Faculty members should present the standard of dress appropriate for jobs in the discipline taught. Staff and Administrators should maintain a standard of dress appropriate for the profession they have been hired to practice.
  Some basic essentials of appropriate dress include the need for the individual and for clothing/uniform to be neat and clean.
  Managers and supervisors have a responsibility to determine a professional standard of dress for their work area. Management may make exceptions for special occasions.
  The College or Alamo Colleges District ID badge should be carried at all times while on duty. Supervisors are responsible for ensuring each employee has an ID badge while on duty and is accessible or worn visibly based on the requirements of the department and job.
  Employees who do not meet the professional standard may be sent home to change and will not be paid for time off. An employee who is unsure of dress standards that are appropriate for the particular workplace should check with his/her manager or supervisor for clarification.

Title VII:

What is covered by Title VII?
- Title VII is a provision of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 which prohibits discrimination in virtually every employment circumstance on the basis of race, color, religion, gender, pregnancy, or national origin. In general, Title VII applies to employers with 15 or more employees.
- In education this means that when you apply to college you are reviewed based on your actual merits and not ranked because you are or are not a member of a particular race, religion, or sex. When applying to college, Title VII provides all students with a fair and equal chance at acceptance.
What is covered by Title IX?
- No person shall on the basis of sex, be excluded from participation in, be denied the benefits of, be treated differently from another person, or otherwise be discriminated against in any interscholastic, intercollegiate, club or intramural athletics offered by a recipient, and no recipient shall provide such athletics separately on such basis.
- Title IX protects students from sexual harassment in educational programs or activities operated by recipients of federal funding. The protection against sexual harassment derives from the general prohibitions against sex discrimination contained in the Title IX common rule.

FERPA (FAMILY EDUCATIONAL RIGHTS AND PRIVACY ACT):

Basic FERPA Definition
- The Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA) is a federal law that affords parents the right to have access to their children’s education records, the right to seek to have the records amended, and the right to have some control over the disclosure of personally identifiable information from the education records. When a student turns 18 years old, or enters a postsecondary institution at any age, the rights under FERPA transfer from the parents to the student (“eligible student”).
- Generally, schools must have written permission from the parent or eligible student in order to release any information from a student's education record. However, FERPA allows schools to disclose those records, without consent, to the following parties or under the following conditions (34 CFR § 99.31):
  - School officials with legitimate educational interest;
  - Other schools to which a student is transferring;
  - Specified officials for audit or evaluation purposes;
  - Appropriate parties in connection with financial aid to a student;
  - Organizations conducting certain studies for or on behalf of the school;
  - Accrediting organizations;
  - To comply with a judicial order or lawfully issued subpoena;
  - Appropriate officials in cases of health and safety emergencies; and
  - State and local authorities, within a juvenile justice system, pursuant to specific State law.
Directory Information:
- Schools may disclose, without consent, "directory" information such as a student's name, address, telephone number, date and place of birth, honors and awards, and dates of attendance. However, schools must tell parents and eligible students about directory information and allow parents and eligible students a reasonable amount of time to request that the school not disclose directory information about them. Schools must notify parents and eligible students annually of their rights under FERPA. The actual means of notification (special letter, inclusion in a PTA bulletin, student handbook, or newspaper article) is left to the discretion of each school.
What is Directory Information for FERPA?
- FERPA defines directory information as information contained in an education record of a student that would not generally be considered harmful or an invasion of privacy if disclosed.
Items not covered by FERPA
- FERPA does not protect the campus police records.
- The U.S. Supreme Court also ruled that FERPA does not protect student homework or classroom assignments — just education records permanently maintained by a central custodian.
CAUTION
- When in doubt don’t hand it out – check with a supervisor. It is not your responsibility as a student employee to decide what FERPA covers when it is unclear.

POLICIES FOR ALL EMPLOYEES TO NOTE:

Each Policy below should be briefed to student employees so they are aware there are situations that can end employment.

Policy Guideline: D.4.7.1.Ex (Exhibit) Notice of Drug-Free Workplace Requirements
- Responsible Department: Human Resources
  Based on Board Policy: D.4.7 - Drug and Alcohol-Free Workplace
  Approved: 4-28-09
  Last Amended: 11-10-16
  DRUG-FREE WORKPLACE REQUIREMENTS
  The College District prohibits the unlawful manufacture, distribution, dispensation,
  possession, or use of controlled substances, illegal drugs, inhalants, and alcohol in the
  workplace.
  The College District shall establish a drug-free awareness program to inform employees
  about the dangers of drug abuse in the workplace; the College District’s policy of
  maintaining a drug-free workplace; any available drug counseling, rehabilitation, and
  employee assistance abuse programs; and the penalties that may be imposed upon
  employees for drug abuse violations.
  Employees who violate this prohibition shall be subject to disciplinary sanctions. Such
  sanctions may include referral to drug and alcohol counseling or rehabilitation programs
  or employee assistance programs, termination from employment with the College
  District, and referral to appropriate law enforcement officials for prosecution.
  Compliance with these requirements and prohibitions is mandatory and is a condition of
  employment in any federal grant. As a further condition of employment in any federal
  grant, an employee shall notify the College District (the employee’s immediate
  supervisor or other administrator) of any criminal drug statute conviction occurring in the
  workplace no later than three calendar days after such conviction. Within ten days of
  receiving such notice—from the employee or any other source—the College District shall
  notify the granting agency of the conviction.
  Within 30 calendar days of receiving notice from an employee of a conviction for any
  drug statute violation occurring in the workplace, the College District shall either (1) take
  appropriate personnel action against the employee, up to and including termination of
  employment, or (2) require the employee to participate satisfactorily in a drug abuse
  assistance or rehabilitation program approved for such purposes by a federal, state, or
  local health agency, law enforcement agency, or other appropriate agency.
  [This notice complies with notice requirements imposed by the federal Drug-Free
  Workplace Act 41 U.S.C. 702 and notice requirements imposed by the Texas Workers’
  Compensation Commission rules at 28 TAC 169.2.]
  Legal Reference - TACC Policy Reference Manual
  DH(LEGAL) - Employee Standards of Conduct
  DI(LEGAL) – Employee Welfare
  DI(EXHIBIT) – Employee Welfare
Policy Guideline: D.4.11 (Policy) Notification of Misdemeanor and Felony Offenses
- Responsible Department: Human Resources
  Board Adoption: 4-28-09
  Last Board Action: 7-25-17
  1 of 2
  Employees Who are Arrested, Charged or Convicted
  Notice of Charge or Arrest
  An employee who is arrested for, or otherwise charged with any of the following shall notify the
  immediate supervisor of the arrest or charge and shall provide a description of the specific offense
  for which the employee is arrested or charged within three business days of the arrest or charge:
  1. an offense classified as a felony under the Texas Penal Code or federal law;
  2. an offense involving moral turpitude as defined in Policy D.4.9;
  3. operating a motor vehicle while intoxicated as described in Texas Penal Code Chapter 49
  (DWI); or
  4. any offense involving inappropriate use or disclosure of identifying information of another
  person (including students) without the other person’s consent.
  “Arrest” or “arrested” includes being subject to an arrest warrant and appearing or surrendering
  in court under an arrest warrant.
  If the immediate supervisor is not available, the employee shall report the event to the next-level
  administrator, and so on until an administrator in the employee's chain of command is notified within
  the three-day period. If no supervisor or administrator is available to notify the employee shall notify
  the Associate Vice Chancellor for Human Resources and Org. Development within the three-day
  period.
  A violation of this procedure may subject an employee to disciplinary action up to and including
  termination.
  Notice of Resolution of Charge or Final Conviction
  In addition to the notification of charge or arrest, an employee entering a plea of guilt or no contest
  for which a finding of guilt is entered (including pleas of guilt that are withheld by the Court in
  deferred adjudication plea arrangements or other probated sentence pleas) or otherwise found guilty
  of any of the offenses listed above, shall notify the immediate supervisor within three business days
  of the plea or finding of guilt and the details of the specific offense related to the plea or finding of
  guilt.
  Supervisors and Others Who Are Notified
  A supervisor, next-level administrator, or other administrator who receives the notices described
  above shall immediately notify the Associate Vice Chancellor for Human Resources and Org.
  Development and the General Counsel.