Chancellor Robert Hemenway and Provost David Shulenburger testified before the Legislature Monday, advocating the proposal of a bill that would remove some KU staff members from the confines of the State Civil Service.
The release from the state-controlled program would eliminate rigid job titles and could result in salary increases for some of the 1,400 classified employees at the University. The state sets rules for job titles and University employee qualifications and salaries.
The bill, which is called House Bill 2020, or Senate Bill 74, also would allow classified positions and salaries to be managed by the University and the Board of Regents.
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Maintenance, food service, carpenters and police are some of the categories of classified employees, said Ola Faucher, director of Human Resources and Equal Opportunity.
State Civil Service gives little room for advancement, eliminates merit-based bonuses and does not allow the University to handle disciplinary appeals, Shulenburger said in a prepared testimony for Monday’s hearings.
University employees can often find higher paying jobs outside the campus, Faucher said. An electrician, for example, can receive better pay in a private sector in Kansas City, Kan., or Topeka, she said.
“The salaries are not adequate and do not reflect the difficulties of our geographical location,” she said.
The proposed plan would not cost the state any money, and would return accountability to the University and the Board of Regents, Chancellor Hemenway said to the committees. Chancellor Hemenway and Shulenburger spoke before the House Higher Education and the Senate Ways and Means Committees.
If the bill is passed, universities will not be required to adhere to the changes. University officials can still choose to have their employees remain a part of the State Civil Service.
Classified senate, a committee consisting of classified employees, voted to pursue the bill, said Kip Grosshans, associate director of administration of student housing.
“Our request, if granted by the Legislature, would give us the same advantages enjoyed by other public universities,” Shulenburger said.
The University, Kansas State University and Colorado University are the only Big 12 schools to remain under a state civil service.
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