SUPPORT STAFF

The Support Services staff report to the Director of Support Services. The Director assigns one faculty assistant to each faculty suite. Faculty Assistant’s are assigned to support all of the faculty members in the given suite, as well as to provide support to the overall Department. In rare instances if workload is a problem, a staff assistant in an alternate suite may be assigned to support a specific faculty member. Periodically, staff may be reassigned as needed.

To best serve the faculty, the support staff require realistic and specific deadlines for their assignments. This allows the staff to prioritize and manage their daily workload.

Due to the large number of faculty that we support, it may not always be possible for the assigned faculty assistant to complete projects which require substantial word processing (typing, formatting, transcribing) in a timely manner. When a staff assistant has a heavy workload and is unable to fulfill any request from an assigned faculty member, the project will be reassigned to the Support Services Coordinator for completion. In the absence of the Coordinator or in the event that she is unable to complete the project by a specific deadline, the project will be assigned to another member of the Support Services team by the Director.

Generally staff hours are 8:45am-4:45pm, however in some instances staff schedules may be adjusted. Faculty schedules are always a factor in the approval of adjusted hours for their assigned faculty assistant.

Staff are not permitted to work over 35 hours per week without prior authorization from the Director of Support Services. With prior approval, staff may earn comp time for 1-5 overtime hours worked or paid time at their regular hourly rate. Any project that will require assistance for 5+ additional hours of work must be pre-approved by the Director of Support Services and the Vice President’s office.

Any request for help which may affect the staff work hours and/or regular work schedule should be submitted to Janine LaFauci, Director of Support Services, via email (jlafauci@suffolk.edu). Please leave sufficient time for necessary approvals to be processed (minimum 2 weeks).

During the summer months (generally beginning after the Spring exam period and ending one week prior to the start of the Fall semester) the Support Services Department follows a flex schedule. Flex schedules allow staff to work their regular 35 hour week over a 4 day period. Flex days (generally Monday, Wednesday or Friday) are approved annually and determined by the workload of the suite, as well as department coverage needs.

All employees who are at least half-time are eligible for tuition benefits in the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences and in the Sawyer Business School, effective on their date of employment.

Support Services staff are permitted to take up to three tuition free courses (maximum 10 credits) per semester and up to 4 courses (maximum 14 credits) during summer sessions.

Some courses may require adjustments to the regular work schedule. Schedule adjustments are approved on a case by case basis. Faculty schedules and office work are a large factor in the approval process. Commonly approved schedules include 50 minute courses meeting Monday, Wednesday and Friday during the following times:

• 8am-8:50am: Staff schedule adjustment-9am-5pm
  
  
• 9am-9:50pm: Staff schedule adjustment-10am-6pm
  
  
• Lunchtime: 50 minute courses meeting any time between 11am and 3pm (lunchtime courses require no schedule adjustment)
  
  
• Evening classes meeting after 4pm: Staff schedule adjustment-8am-4pm
  
  
• Evening classes meeting after 4:45pm (no schedule adjustment required)
  
  

Courses meeting between 1 ½ hours and up to 2 hours for two days per week may be approved, depending upon suite workload and faculty schedules.

In very rare instances courses required for graduation are offered at times which would require major schedule adjustments. In this case each of the assigned faculty will be asked to approve the adjustment before permission to enroll will be considered.

In the summertime, staff may request to use earned time (vacation, personal or comp) to compensate for being out of the office for an extended period to take courses. Permission to enroll will be considered on a case by case basis and depends upon faculty needs.

After two consecutive years of employment, support staff are eligible for Law School tuition remission benefits (75% of the Evening program), however they may not work in any Law School office (with the exception of the Law Library) and must transfer to an alternative campus office prior to enrollment.

Staff who are taking classes must submit a Tuition Remission form, along with a proposed schedule adjustment, to their supervisor prior to class registration. (Forms are available through Human Resources or at on the web.)

Each staff member is evaluated on the anniversary of their date of hire and receives an increase in pay determined by their performance.

Staff are evaluated by their direct supervisor based on the following factors:

• Service (develops effective working relationship with students, faculty, staff and other departments)
  
  
• Teamwork/Collaboration/Interpersonal Skills (works effectively with others)
  
  
• Problem-Solving/Resourcefulness (displays good judgment, creativity and initiative in resolving problems)
  
  
• Job Knowledge/Technical Skills (understands duties and responsibilities and uses appropriate methods, equipment and materials to complete work)
  
  
• Quality of Work
  
  
• Productivity
  
  
• Reliability
  
  
• Overall Job Performance

We use the following criteria to categorize job performance:

• Exceeds Expectations
  
  
• Meets Expectations
  
  
• Needs Improvement
  
  
• Does Not Meet Expectations

Although there is no formal Merit Award system for support staff, overall job performance is a factor in the annual salary increase. Employees who "exceed expectations" are eligible for a higher percentage than those who "meet expectations." Employees who "need improvement" are eligible for a minimal salary increase and those who "do not meet expectations" are not eligible for an increase in pay.

Praise and/or problems regarding Support Services department staff should be reported to Director of Support Services. Praise and/or problems received throughout the year are saved as part of the employee file and this information is a determining factor in the overall job performance evaluation during the annual employment review.

KUDOS Reward and Recognition Program
KUDOS is the Suffolk University Reward and Recognition Program that lets you instantly recognize and reward exceptional contributions and customer/staff service. KUDOS can be given to your faculty assistant, or any other individual or department/team. Any employee of Suffolk can give KUDOS to any other employee or group within the community (including ABM/Janitorial Services and Sodexho/Catering Services).

Nominees receive a KUDOS Certificate of Appreciation along with the nomination ticket. Each month all KUDOS recipients are entered into a prize raffle. In addition, all nominees are recognized quarterly in the SUN. Twice a year, in October and March, a special reception is also held for the nominees where additional raffles are awarded. (KUDOS recipients must be present at the reception to be eligible to win raffle prizes.)

To nominate an individual, faculty may send a note to the Director of Support Services (jlafauci@suffolk.edu), or fill out an online ticket through the Human Resources website. Hard copy tickets are also available at the KUDOS treasure chest located in the Law Financial Aid office (Suite 140).

Some faculty members supervise Research Assistants and/or Work Study Students. These students are often asked to copy cases, articles and other items. Students are required to submit their copy requests directly to the Copy Center or to the Faculty Assistant in the given suite. Due to leasing restrictions, students are not permitted to use the convenience copiers.

Research assistants and/or work study students are not permitted to use staff workspace or reception areas in any way, this includes staff computers, and telephones, either during regular business hours or during off hours.

Faculty who wish to give Campus Cruiser and/or Blackboard access to research assistants/Work Study Students to assist in course preparation or posting should contact the Law Registrar’s office. These students can be given limited access to specified courses. For confidentiality purposes, faculty should never provide their personal login or password to their office computer, Campus Cruiser/Blackboard or any other password protected program/file.

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