2,541: Content, Access and Modifications of Personnel Files

Last Revised: November 2006

The University shall maintain an official personnel file for each member of the faculty, which shall be the exclusive file for personnel decisions, and which includes all personnel files maintained in the department, unit, or university administrative offices. Provisions regarding files shall apply to all that are maintained. The files shall be maintained, supervised and kept in a secure, locked place, by the appropriate administrators; department files by the chair, unit files by the dean or director, and university files by the administrator designated by the president.

Contents of Files

Each file shall contain any information pertinent to an evaluation of the faculty member's work and normally will include biographical and personal information, evidence of a faculty member's academic and professional accomplishments, and personnel evaluations by department chairs, deans or directors. No anonymous material except duly authorized student evaluations, as authorized by unit or department bylaws, shall be placed in the file.

Access to and Modification of Files

Personnel and payroll files of university faculty are confidential. Personnel and payroll records may only be released pursuant to the written authorization of the faculty member or pursuant to a court order directing release of the records that has been signed by a judge with jurisdiction over the matter, as set forth in Code Subsection 5.6.2. The provisions apply to letters of appointment.

The faculty member shall have access to his or her official personnel and payroll files, and may grant access to such files to a representative with a written authorization from the faculty member. The following additional personnel shall have access to a faculty member's personnel and payroll files solely for reasons to germane to the performance of their official duties: the faculty member's supervisors, which may include department chairs, deans, directors, vice presidents, provost, president, and chancellor; institution payroll officers, institution personnel officers, which may include appointed disciplinary officers; System legal counsel, internal auditors, members of the Board of Regents; faculty senate chair; and confidential institution committees including, but not limited to, tenure and grievance committees (B/R 1/99). As stated in Code Subsection 5.7.2, alleged violations of the NSHE Code or institutional bylaws are subject to grievance.

If a member of the faculty objects to the inclusion, retention, or removal of any material in the individual's personnel file, the faculty member may make a request to the appropriate administrator for its removal or modification, retention, or inclusion. If this request is denied, allegedly resulting in an adverse impact on the employment conditions of a faculty member relating to alleged violations of the NSHE Code or institutional bylaws (Code Subsection 5.7.2), and is subject to grievance.

Public Information

The following information in personnel files is public information and must be disclosed to the public upon request: the employee's name, title, job description, compensation and prerequisites, business address and business telephone numbers, beginning date of employment and ending date of employment.