Overview
Once an EPA non-faculty position has been approved, whether currently vacant or filled, an occasion may arise when the department needs to propose one or more changes to the position attributes. This could include a change in the position title, job duties, reporting relationship, salary range, or recruitment minimum requirements. In all of such cases, the Modify Position action within the Position Management System is used to request approval for these changes.
To initiate a Modify Position request, you should first navigate to the Select Position page within the position management portion of EPAWeb. This is accomplished by either clicking on the "Position Mgmt" title on the EPAWeb main menu bar or navigating to the "Position Mgmt" menu and selecting from the sub-menu the "Modify Position" item with your mouse.
Once on the Select Position screen, you will use on of several of the search fields to locate the position you wish to modify. The available search fields are position #, Associated PID (which is the UNC PIDs of any employee hired into the subject position), the position base department number, and position status. After entering the desired search criteria, the "Search" button is selected and the EPAWeb System searches for all positions you are authorized to access meeting the criteria.
Position Search Results List
After initiating the position search, EPAWeb displays a list of positions meeting your search criteria. The search results list include the position #, Associated PID and employee name, Position Title, and the Position Department number and name. In the case of vacant positions, the Associated PID ane Employee Name columns will be blank reflecting the fact that no PID or employee names are presently associated with the position. For positions filled with multiple employees (e.g., position FTEs in excess of 1.0), a single PID and name is displayed. The additional associated employees can be viewed on the position details screen once the position of interest is selected.
To select a specific position to work with, click the Position # of the desired position. If you do not wish to select any of the displayed positions, click the Done button.
Position Details Screen
After selecting the position to work with from the Position Search Results list, the Position Details screen will be displayed. This list displays all of the current position attributes as last approved for the position. Note that if the selected position has position actions in progress but not yet approved, the position details screen will reflect the last approved position attributes and not those reflected in any in-progress actions.
Intiating a Modify Position Request
Once the position of interest has been selected and the position details screen is displayed, you may then navigate to the Position Mgmt menu and select "Modify Position" to initiate an action for this position. Note that this menu option is greyed out on the Position Mgmt menu until such time as you have selected a specific position using the process just described.
Modify Position Screen
This is the data entry screen for the Modify Position action. A summary of the basic position details for the selected position appears at the very top of the data entry screen (circled in red in the example screenshot below).
Required fields are preceded by a red asterik (*) as is standard throughout all EPAWeb data entry screens.
You can use your Tab key to move from field to field while entering data or use your mouse and click any field to begin entry directly into that field.
Fields which have look-up tables available feature a small magnifying glass icon to the immediate right of the data entry field.
You may cut and paste from Microsoft Word or other text editors supported on your computer into any field. This may prove helpful especially for the larger text box fields if you have a position description pre-existing in a Word or PDF document.
Effective Date
The first field to be completed for the Modify Position action is Effective Date. In position management, the effective date is a reference field only. As position management does not directly interface with the University Payroll System, unlike EPAWeb employee actions, this date in no way effects payroll action processing or payment of employees. You should enter your best estimate of the date (dd/mm/yyyy format, such as 07/01/2007) that the hiring supervisor needs the position available for recruitment. As the central offices process a large volume of EPAWeb transactions each month, please be realistic in providing a date that truly reflects the operational needs of your unit. This date helps us priortize which position requests are more time sensitive or have some other related deadline attached to them.
Standard Action Buttons: Pause, Cancel, Clear, Submit
Similar to the rest of the EPAWeb System, each action creation screen in position management has a series of buttons at the very top and bottom of the data entry screen. Each are selected by a mouse click and perform the following functions:
(1) Pause: Saves the current action being prepared and any entered data to the "Paused, Retracted, and Disapproved" Section of the HR Central Inbox. This action can later be selected from the your inbox and you may start where you last left off in completing data entry and submitting the action. This is helpful when you start working on preparing a new action and then are interrupted and must finish this task later.
(2) Cancel: Cancels the action being prepared on your screen. No data is saved nor may any entered data be later retrieved. Use the Pause function if you think you may later return to the action and not have to re-enter data already entered on screen.
(3) Clear: Clears any entered data on your screen and restores the rescreen to how it appeared when the screen was first presented to you after selecting the action from the menu.
(4) Submit: Once you have completed data entry, submits the entered data to the system. Once submitted, the system validates all of your entires against system business rules and any identified errors are displayed back to you with explanations in red. If there are no errors, the action is successfully submitted to the system and a confirmation screen displaying all entered data will be displayed.
Position Reference Information (Actions in Progress, Action History, Position Information Form)
At the very top right area of your screen below the EPAWeb menu bar are three links which provide ready access to important reference information regarding the currently selected position for which an action is being prepared. These links are:
(1) Actions in Progress: If the selected position has any other actions in progress but not yet completed, a count of the number of such positions is indicated in () in orange. Clicking the "Actions in Progress" title will display a listing of any such actions, any of which can be individually selected for action details.
(2) Pos Form: This launches a pop-up window which provides the currently approved position attributes formatted specifically for printing. Use your web browsers normal print function to route the formatted document to your printer.
(3) Action History: Clicking this link with your mouse takes you to a list of all previouly approved actions associated with the selected position. From this list, you can select any individual action to review the action details.
Position Request Type (required field)
Once an effective date is entered, entry of the remaining position details is required which begins with the selection of the "Position Request Type". The request type code may be entered directly (4,5, 6, or 7) or you can click the magnifying glass icon to the right of the request type field for a table of valid entries. When the hourglass is clicked, a table pops up with the valid codes. You can either click on the desired code to select it or close the pop-up table and return to entering the code directly by clicking the CLOSE(X) label in the upper right of the pop-up. The valid position request types are as follows:
4 - Title Change Only: This request involves ONLY a change in positon title with no other changes proposed. In this scenario, the new position title should be entered along with information in the comments/justification text box to support the reason for the proposed change.
5- Change in Reporting Relationship Only: This request ONLY involves a change in the Supervisor PID/Name for this position and the related Supervisor title. In this scenario, those two specific fields should be modified along with information in the comments/justification text box to support the reason for the proposed change.
7- Abolish Position: This request is used to abolish the position after the department has determined it is no longer needed and there is no intention to fill the position. A position may only be abolished once it is vacant, abolishment of filled or partially filled positions is not permitted. Note that once a position is abolished, the department may choose to re-activate the position at a later time using the modify position request. However, reactivated positions are subject to re-review to confirm they still meet EPA non-faculty position guidelines.
6 - All Other Position Changes: This request involves proposed changes to all other position attributes (e.g., FTE, principal functions, salary range) as well as a combination of changes from the previously noted request types (e.g., changing both the title and reporting relationship at the same time).
If in doubt as to which position request type to use, select "All Other Position Changes".
Additional Data Entry Fields for Modify Position Requests
For a Modify Position action, the system displays for each field the current position attribute (as last approved) with a grey background and then to the immediate right a data entry field for the proposed change (representing the change TO data). Consistent with other EPAWeb modules, you are only required to enter data that is changing. So for example, if the position title is not changing but the base department is, you enter nothing in the title field but do enter the new department number in the base department field. The following is a description of the data entry fields that you may update in the modify position action:
Position Status: Displays the current status of the position which may be vacant, filled, or partially filled (the approved position FTE falls below the FTE of employees hired against the position).
Position Working Title: A free form working title to identify the position. This is the title which is used to advertise the position for any recruitment. Since this will be verified by the EEO Office at the time of a requested recruitment, the department should use care in entering the title exactly as it is proposed to appear in the job posting and any employment advertising. The position title can be different than the working title of the employee, especially in instances when the employee holds one or more secondary ranks and their employee working title needs to reflect duties across the multiple assigned ranks.
Position Type: This field defaults to "Non-Faculty" and is not updateable by the department.
Base Department: The department number of the unit which serves as the administrative base for and is considered the administrative "owner" of the position. The department number can be directly entered or the magnifying glass icon can be clicked to display a look-up table.
EPA Non-Faculty Category: Using the published EPA non-faculty position classification guidelines as a reference, the department should select the non-faculty category it believes most closely fits the the proposed position. The available choices are Instructional, Research, Senior Officer Tier I, and Senior Officer Tier II. Human Resources staff will make a final determination of the non-faculty category based on thier position review. But the submitting department is asked to make its best judgement as to the most appropriate category both to assist in a review of the position and to encourage the department to first consult the EPA guidelines in advance of submitting a new position request. The detailed EPA position classification guidelines are available at: http://hr.unc.edu/EPA/epa-nf/class_postmgmt/epanfclassguide.
Perm/Temp: Enter a "P" or "T" to indicate if the position is proposed for temporary or permanent status. Temporary positions are those less than .50 FTE or planned for a duration of one year or less without benefits. Permanent positions are those at .50 FTE or greater with a planned duration of one year or greater.
EPA Non-Faculty Subcategory (used for for Research and Instructional positions only, Senior Officers have this subcategory entered as NA for not applicable): Using the EPA non-faculty position classification guidelines as a reference, the department should select the non-faculty subcategory that most closely fits the proposed position. There are specific subbcategories available for Research positions and a separate set of subcategories for Instructional positions. The available subcategories for Research are: R-1 Academic Research, R-2 Research Administration, R-3 Institutional Research, R-4 Academic Computing, R-5 Community Service, and R-6 Technology Transfer. The Instructional subcategories are I-1 Instructing, I-2 Academic Advising, I-3 Academic Preparation and Enhancement, I-4 Co-Operative Education, I-5 Laboratory Management, I-6 Instructional Consulting, I-7 Instructional Technology, I-8 Continuing Education, I-9 Coaching, I-10 Academic Standards, I-11 Student Support Services, I-12 Professional Librarians, and I-13 Counselors. The Code NA is used for Senior Officer (Tier I or II) positions or if the department is unable to determine the most appropriate subcategory at the time of the position request. A complete description of the subcategories and the related job duties for each is described in the EPA position classification guidelines which are available at: http://hr.unc.edu/EPA/epa-nf/class_postmgmt/epanfclassguide. Human Resources staff will make a final determination of the most appropriate EPA non-faculty subcategory at the time your position request is reviewed. Department's are asked to make a good faith selection of what they believe is the most relevant subcategory to better inform the position review process.
Name of Current/Last SPA Position Incumbent: This field is NOT updated for the Modify Position action.
FTE: The proposed position full-time equivlent (FTE). The position automatically classifies FTEs of 1.0 or greater as full-time and any lesser FTE amounts as part-time. Entered FTE amounts must be greater than zero. The system does permit an FTE amount of greater than 1.0 when the department wishes to propose a multiple incumbent position which is identical in terms of duties, educational and professional requirements and will be filled with multiple employees. For example, 10 academic advisors, all with identicial position attributes may be handled through a single position with multiple FTE or multiple positions with 1.0 FTE. Individual Dean's/Division Offices should be consulted for specific guidance on how they may prefer such situations handled within your specific administrative area.
Supervisor/PID Name: The PID of the position supervisor. The PID may be entered directly or a look-up performed against the master employee file for any active SPA or EPA employee by clicking the magnifying glass to the right of the field. If the supervisor of the proposed position is currently a vacant position, then this field may be left blank.
Supervisor Title: If a valid PID was entered in the Supervisor/PID name field, the supervisor's working title is automatically supplied from either EPAWeb or the SPA HRIS System. The supplied title may be edited if incorrect. If the supervisor of the proposed position is currently vacant and the Supervisor PID/Name field is left blank, the title of the position supervisor MUST be entered.
Position Summary: This is a free form text field. A brief summary of the overall position purpose and responsibilities should be entered along with a brief description of the organization within which this position reports. This summary should be kept brief with the understanding that the individual principal functions of the position will be entered also (see explanation below).
Principal Functions (required field)
Documents the principal job functions or duties that comprise the responsibilities of the position along with an estimated percentage effort associated with each function. The department should identify the principal functions representing the majority of effort performed by the position. For a modify position action, previously approved principal functions will appear with a grey background above the text entry box used to enter newly proposed changes.
The EPA position request process does not require every single job duty to be documented, but instead, the department is advised to focus on the major high-level functions which comprise the position. Functions representing less than 5% effort are not recommended to be documented as individual principal funcrions but instead should be consolidated with other related functions. The total percentage effort for all of the principal functions must equal 100%. The system will display an error message if the percentages do not total 100%.
Note: The text entered into the principal functions boxes may be "cut and pasted" from a Microsoft Word document or any other text format that can be copied to your computers clipboard and then pasted within you web browser.
Education Requirements (required field)
Appearing below the principal functions are text boxes for the entry of educational and experience requirements. For a modify position action, previously approved education requirements will appear with a grey background above the text entry box used to enter newly proposed changes.
For educational requirements, please enter the minimum degree requirements as well as any preferences for specific degree types. For example: A masters degree in the biological sciences is required with a strong preference for a degree in chemistry. The specific educational requirements and preferences must be entered in this text box. Please do not enter "See attached" referencing an attached document. Also, there are very specific minimum educational requirements for EPA non-faculty positions. Before finalizing specific educational requirements for your proposed position, you are strongly encouraged to review the minimum educational requirements for EPA non-faculty positions which can be viewed at: http://hr.unc.edu/EPA/epa-nf/class_postmgmt/epanfclassguide#sub2.
Qualification and Experience Requirements (required field)
Immediately below the text box for educational requirements is an identical text box for qualification and experience requirements. For a modify position action, previously approved qualification and experience requirements will appear with a grey background above the text entry box used to enter newly proposed changes.This box should be used to enter specific changes to professional experience requirements and preferences for the position including any required or desired professional certifications. As an example:
This position requires 5 to 7 years of experience managing a scientific laboratory in an academic or research setting. A certified laboratory manager certification is required and a strong preference will be given for candidates who have experience with Level 3 or higher bio-containment lab protocols and procedures.
Note in the example the specificity of the qualification and experience requirements. The more specific you are in your requirements, the better equipped candidates are to determine if they have the necessary professional credentials you are seeking. This will also prove helpful in effeciently screening candidates when you have large candidate pools.
Text entered in this text box may be cut and pasted from Microsoft Word or any other text format supported by your computer and web browser.
Salary and Expected Source of Funds (required fields)
The salary fields require the entry of whole dollars (e.g., 50000) without commas or other formatting representing the proposed from and to salary range of your position. Please consider carefully the salary range to be entered as the EEO Office will require exceptional approval of any final salary offer that falls outside of this range. While you are required to note a specific salary range in the position request, it is still permissable to post positions with a salary range to be determined based on qualifications and experience.
There is also a free form text field requiring you to enter the expected source of funds for this proposed position. Example entries might include: NIH grant # XYZ123, State Funds, Permanent Trust Funds, and so forth. If you have not yet identified a specific source of funds, enter whatever is known at the time you are creating the position request or if no funding arrangements are yet known, enter "To be determined".
Organization Chart and Additional Document Attachment (optional)
Modify position actions that involve changed reporting relationships or are a result significant organizational changes should include an attached organizational chart. If an organization chart is attached, please check the checkbox indicating so. Attachment of the chart(s) are done by clicking one of the "Browse..." buttons on the screen and then pointing and selecting the location and file name of the chart on your computer. This functions similar to the typical browse function for Windows and Mac computers used in the vast majority of software programs. NOTE: MODIFY POSITION REQUEST ACTIONS WHICH REFERENCE CHANGED REPORTING RELATIONSHIPS AND ARE WITHOUT THE REQUIRED ORGANIZATION CHART(S) WILL BE RETURNED DISAPPROVED.
In addition to any attached organization chart(s), the system permits the attachment of any other relevant supporting documents related to your position request. This may include memos or other relevant information. Documents may be attached after being scanned (e.g., TIF, GIF files) or directly in PDF, Word, Excel, or other widely recognized formats. The data entry screen has buttons to attach up to 3 attached documents. To add more documents, click the "Add more attachments" button.
Comments/Justification (optional field)
At the very bottom of the data entry screen is an optional text box for entry of any miscellaneous comments or other justification to support the request. This field, like the other text boxes on this data entry screen, supports cut and pasting from Microsoft Word or other document formats on your PC.
Submitting Your Action
Once you have completed all of the necessary position modification details and are satisifed with your entires, you should click the "Submit" button (located both at the very top and bottom of the data entry screen) with your mouse. Once you do so, the system validates all entered data and if there are any errors present, provides you informative error messages and leaves you in data entry mode so that you can correct the indicated errors. Once you have corrected errors, you should again click the "Submit" button. You would continue this process until no errors are indicated and the system accepts your action for submission.
Submission Confirmation Screen
Once you have successfully submitted your action, the system displays a confirmation/review screen. This screen displays all of your entered information highlighted in yellow. The yellow highlight denotes fields that you have submitted as proposed changes from the current approved position attributes.
Your action has also been assigned a position action serial number for reference which is displayed in the upper right corner of the screen and the "Current Status" of the action is displayed as "In Progress".
Successfully submitted actions route for approval to a series of pre-defined approval stops based on routing established within the EPAWeb System for your department and school/division. The very bottom of the submitted action review screen displays the routing stops that will be taken by your action in order to receive full approval.
There are four specific buttons of note on the review screen. They include the Printer View, Delete, Retract, and Done buttons. The Done button returns to you the position management home page when you are finished working with this action. The functions of the remaining buttons are described below.
Printer View Button
The Printer View button may be clicked with your mouse to obtain a formatted printed copy of your action. If you select the Printer View button, a seperate browser window will pop-up apart from the displayed position management screen with a view of your action specially formatted for printing. Once this pop-up window is displayed, use your web browsers normal print function (e.g., File | Print menu selections in many browsers) to send this output to your printer. This action may be retrieved in EPAWeb at any time using the Action Search function, so while you may find a printed copy for your files to be helpful, it is not necessary or required.
Delete, Retract, and Done Buttons for Submitted "In Progress" Actions
When reviewing a successfully submitted (e.g., In Progress) action, either immediately after submiting it or later when retrieved through the Action Search function, the Delete, Retract, and Done buttons appear at the very top and bottom of the action display screen. The Delete and Retract buttons are present from the time an action is successfully submitted until the time it receives its final approval but only for the individual who initially originated the action in the EPAWeb System. Once an action is fully approved, the delete and retract functions are no longer available for that action. Even if another individual in the department shares the same EPAWeb role and access as the person who originated an action, only the originator is able to delete or retract their action.
The Delete button will delete the action and stop it from routing for further approvals. The deleted action is recorded in the position's action history and an FYI notification of the deletion is sent to all approvers to whom the action has routed. This function is used when the originator changes their mind and for whatever reason no longer wishes the action to be processed.
The Retract button stops the action from further routing and returns it to the originator's inbox so that changes can be made to the action and then it can be later resubmitted. An FYI notification is sent to all approvers to whom the action has routed prior to being retracted. This function is isued when the originator discovers an error in the original action or submission or otherwise needs to change on or more position details since the action was first originated.
