Termination of Employment: Administrative and Professional

I. POLICY AND GENERAL STATEMENT

At The University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston (“University”), all administrative and professional staff serve at the discretion and pleasure of the President. This oversight is delegated to the administrative supervisors by the President.

Suitability for continued employment and financial necessities that may result in a decision to terminate an administrative and professional employee are determined by the administrative supervisor. Many factors contribute to an individual's suitability for a particular position. They include, but are not limited to, adaptability to established departmental performance patterns; compatibility with colleagues and superiors; and performance of job as defined in a position description and performance appraisals.

When an immediate supervisor concludes that an administrative and professional staff member will no longer be employed, she or he should follow the procedure described below.

The types of administrative and professional employees are defined in HOOP 193, Salary Administration.

II. PROCEDURE

A. Management Administrative and Professional

After a decision has been made to terminate the employment of an individual in a management administrative and professional position, the immediate supervisor should prepare a memorandum that documents the situation.  Approval for the action must be granted by the Vice President of Human Resources, or designee, the dean or senior management staff member, and the Executive Vice President of Student and University Affairs. Administrative supervisors must contact Human Resources for guidance on the process. Other executive vice presidents should be notified when applicable.

The terms of separation may vary from employee to employee based on a variety of factors that include, but are not limited to, reasons for termination and length of the employee's service to the University.

B. General Administrative and Professional

After a decision has been made to terminate the employment of an individual in a general administrative and professional position, the department head (or designee) should discuss the proposed action with the Dean (or designee).  The department head should then prepare a memorandum to the Senior Vice President for Academic and Faculty Affairs that documents the situation.

The memorandum should be routed to the Dean for review and approval. After approval by the Dean, the department head should route the memorandum to the Senior Vice President for Academic and Faculty Affairs.   If the decision to terminate a general administrative and professional staff member's employment is approved by the Senior Vice President for Academic and Faculty Affairs, the head of the department must meet with the individual to discuss the separation and provide a written notice to the individual. 

The terms of separation may vary from employee to employee based on a variety of factors that include, but are not limited to, reasons for termination and length of the employee's service to the University.  The terms of separation must be included in the memorandum reviewed by the Dean.

C, Academic Administrative and Professional

By definition, academic administrative and professional employees must hold a concurrent faculty appointment.  HOOP 150 Administrative and Professional and Classified Employee Job Classifications. If a decision is made to remove administrative responsibilities from an employee who holds an academic administrative and professional appointment, the administrative supervisor should prepare a memorandum to the administrative head of the unit. The administrative head of the unit must approve the removal of the individual from the academic administrative and professional appointment. The affected employee may lose an administrative supplement, dependent upon the situation.

III. CONTACTS

• • Human Resources (management administrative & professional)
  • 713-500-3130
  • https://www.uth.edu/hr/department/employee-relations/
• • Applicable Unit Head (academic administrative & professional and general administrative & professional)

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