Minnesota law provides employees with certain rights relating to their personnel records. (See Minnesota Statutes Sections 181.960-181.965). St. Olaf College will comply with all requirements of the law. Employees are put on notice of the following rights and remedies provided by Minnesota law:
The College does not advance payment of salaries and wages, except in unusual circumstances. Any advance payment must have prior approval of the VP/Treasurer.
St. Olaf College desires to have a campus free of alcohol and illicit drugs and to operate all of its academic and co-curricular programs accordingly. It does so out of the conviction that this freedom will a) enhance the atmosphere for study, learning, growth, work, and wellness; b) support members of the community affected by or concerned with the abuse of alcohol and illicit drugs; c) respect the decisions of those who choose not to use alcohol or illicit drugs; and d) promote a caring environment.
Since we recognize that members of the community may, within applicable federal, state, and local law, choose to use alcohol, St. Olaf College will actively educate the members of the campus community about alcohol and drugs and provide help for those affected by substance abuse problems. In addition, the College will provide social activities which do not rely on alcohol or illicit drugs and will maintain a supportive climate for those who choose not to use these substances.
Employees who are convicted of a criminal drug-statute violation that occurred in the workplace are required to inform their supervisor or department head.
At the same time, the College realizes that employees may have a problem of substance abuse which they are not able to control, but would like to overcome. The College supports employees with substance abuse problems who seek treatment to overcome such problems. Employees who wish to seek assistance may discuss such plans with their supervisor or contact the Employee Assistance Program (EAP). The supervisor and the employee will meet with the Director of Human Resources to make arrangements for a leave for treatment if necessary.
The possession, distribution, or consumption of alcoholic beverages is prohibited on the St. Olaf campus, on land owned by the College, and in College-owned honor and language houses. The consumption of alcoholic beverages is prohibited at all College-sponsored functions, no matter where located, that include students.
St. Olaf prohibits the unlawful possession, distribution, or use of illicit drugs and/or controlled substances on any property owned by the College or in any program or activity sponsored by the College in any location.
Anyone violating College policy regarding alcohol, illicit drugs, and/or controlled substances will be subject to disciplinary action.
"Animal" for the purposes of this policy, shall mean any animal other than a human.
"Their human" shall mean the owner or keeper of the animal.
Any person bringing an animal(s) onto the property of St. Olaf College should be aware that the City Code of Northfield applies to their visit. Please refer to Part II, Chapter 10, Article II, 10-31 through 10-98 of the Northfield City Code. The Americans With Disabilities Act also applies as it pertains to Service Animals.
Service animals are legally defined (Americans With Disabilities Act) and are trained to meet disability-related needs of their handlers. Federal laws protect the rights of individuals with disabilities to be accompanied by their service animals in public places. St. Olaf will comply with all applicable laws pertaining to service animals.
No animals are allowed in St. Olaf College's public buildings with the exception of animals required for use in teaching and research or service animals. If the requirement for an animal in teaching or research is questioned, the Dean of the College will make a final determination. The Dean of Students has authority over the policy in the residence halls and College houses.
Animals must be leashed and under the direct control of their human. Animals running freely will be reported to the City of Northfield Animal Control Officer for pickup as provided for in the City Code.
All animal feces must be picked up and properly disposed of by the associated human.
Animals that are tied up and unattended are not under the direct control of their human and are also subject to pickup.
Animals that are left in their human's vehicle will be reported if they appear to be neglected or under duress from heat, inadequate ventilation, or severe cold.
St. Olaf reserves the right to remove from the campus or report to the City of Northfield Animal Control any animal who, because of noise or other factors, is deemed a disturbance on campus. Students and employees who fail to cooperate with requests to remove their animals shall be subject to appropriate discipline.
Persons who wish to report violations of this policy may call St. Olaf Public Safety, #3666.
Employees may have access to confidential information about St. Olaf, its students, employees, alumni, and donors. Such information must never be discussed with anyone who does not have a legitimate need to know. Employees should discuss departmental policy regarding release of information with their supervisor.
St. Olaf College is guided by FERPA (Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act, 1974) in providing privacy of student records. FERPA deals specifically with the education records of students, affording them certain rights with respect to those records. For specific guidelines regarding the release of student information, contact the Office of the Registrar.
The Payroll Office will respond to requests to verify employment of an individual, their title and dates of employment. No other information will be released without a written authorization from the employee or former employee named in the request. However, information required by government agencies or court orders will be released without such a release request.
A Consensual Relationship as that term is used in this policy is one in which two members of the St. Olaf College community are engaged by mutual consent in a romantic or sexual relationship. When such a relationship involves people who differ in power within the College community, it is of special concern because of the potential for conflict of interest and/or abuse of power. Decisions that must be made free from bias or favor may come under question when made by a person who may benefit from or be harmed by the decisions. The mere appearance of bias resulting from a Consensual Relationship may seriously disrupt the academic or work environment. Equally important, such relationships have the potential to undermine our sense of community, mutual trust, and support.
The seeds of harassment and sexual harassment can exist in Consensual Relationships of any kind that involve differences of status or power. For these reasons, St. Olaf College has adopted the following policy with respect to Consensual Relationships and places all employees on notice that the College views Consensual Relationships between College community members, especially when a power relationship exists, as unwise and of a high risk, particularly when students are involved. Furthermore, should any legal claims arise out of a consensual relationship between communities members, the defense of such claims will generally be the responsibility of the parties involved.
Consensual Relations Policy
In situations involving the discouraged behavior in part A, the College reserves the right to transfer employees, rearrange reporting arrangements, or take other action, including disciplinary action, to remedy any situation deemed inappropriate. A member of the College community who violates part B will be subject to discipline up to and including dismissal.
Reporting Apparent Violations and Procedures for Action
Any member of the College community who has reason to believe that a violation of the Consensual Relations Policy has occurred should contact one of the Investigators listed under the Sexual Harassment Policy. The Investigator contacted is responsible to see that the matter is investigated and/or acted upon appropriately. Any concern about violations at the Dean/Vice President/Provost level may be taken to any of the Investigators, or to the President, who shall take, or cause to be taken, appropriate action. If a student believes that he or she has been subjected to sexual harassment, he or she also may file a grievance under the student grievance policy published in “The Book.”
This legislation requires all colleges and universities to distribute information regarding certain campus regulations, campus safety and security policies and crime statistics to all students and employees on an annual basis. The Clery Act includes crime prevention program descriptions, procedures to follow to report criminal activity, campus facility security, authority of campus security officers, drug and alcohol abuse prevention efforts and crime statistics for the past three calendar years based on geographic location.
The Clery Act is posted on the St. Olaf College web site. A paper copy of the Clery Act may be obtained upon request from the Dean of Students Office, Admissions Officer, Human Resources Office or Public Safety.
The College seeks to have a disciplinary system which is fair, firm and consistent. Disciplinary actions may include but are not limited to, withholding of a salary increase, counseling, oral warning, written warning*, suspension (paid or unpaid), demotion, or termination.
The immediate supervisor based upon the circumstances in each case will decide appropriate discipline.
While the College will strive to maintain a progressive disciplinary procedure, it reserves the right to take any disciplinary action it deems appropriate at any time and without prior notice when warranted in the opinion of the College.
Disciplinary action involving suspension and termination should be reviewed with Human Resources. All terminations must be approved by the President in advance or by the VP/Treasurer in the President’s absence.
* Written warnings must be forwarded to Human Resources for inclusion in the employee’s personnel file.
If there is a criminal, medical, or safety emergency, immediately call 9-911. Be sure to calmly provide complete, accurate information.
Contact Public Safety (X 3666) for security or medical situations that are not emergencies.
Send someone to the front door of the building to direct those summoned for help to the scene of the emergency.
All persons must evacuate a building when the fire alarm sounds. Staff should leave doors closed and unlocked and move quickly and orderly to the nearest exit. Stay a safe distance from the building until the "All Clear" signal is given by Public Safety or fire fighting personnel.
Tornado emergencies are classified in two categories: Watch and Warning.
Public information will be available via radio and TV. The following are the Emergency Broadcasting AM stations for Watch and Warning information:
WCCO 830 AM
KYMN 1080 AM
The Northfield siren system is tested on the first Wednesday of each month at 1:00 p.m.
The purposes of the yearly review process are to promote communication and provide useful feedback about job performance based on a current job description, to facilitate better working relationships, to provide an historical record of performance and to contribute to professional development. The College strives to conduct performance evaluations on an annual basis.
It is the policy of St. Olaf College policy to provide equal opportunity to all employees and applicants for employment in accordance with all applicable equal employment opportunity laws, directives and regulations of federal, state, and local governing bodies or agencies thereof.
St. Olaf College does not discriminate against employees or applicants for employment because of race, color, creed, national origin, sex, marital status, age, disability, sexual orientation, status with respect to public assistance, religion (except to the extent religion may be a consideration permitted under law), or any other protected class status.
St. Olaf College will take affirmative action to maintain its goal that all employment practices are free of such discrimination. Such employment practices include, but are not limited to, the following: hiring, upgrading, demotion, transfer, recruitment or termination, rates of pay or other forms of compensation, and selection for training.
The Equal Opportunity Coordinator is the Director of Human Resources. The Coordinator is responsible for overseeing the College's compliance with all state and federal equal opportunity laws to which the College is subject. The Coordinator receives and seeks to resolve complaints about discrimination on the basis of race, color, creed, national origin, sex, marital status, age, disability, sexual orientation, status with respect to public assistance, religion and other protected class status. If you believe the College’s Equal Opportunity Employer policy has been violated, you should contact the Equal Opportunity Coordinator.
The College carries worker’s compensation insurance to reimburse medical expenses and to continue wages in the event of a covered occupational illness or accident incurred in the course of employment. Any employee must immediately notify Human Resources of any work injury/illness. The Worker’s Compensation contract requires that a First Report of Injury be filed immediately with the insurance carrier.
St. Olaf College is committed to creating and maintaining an environment in which all members of the St. Olaf community — students, faculty, and staff are treated with respect and dignity, free from harassment. Faculty, staff, and students are together responsible for maintaining an educational and working environment that is harmonious with the College’s mission.
Harassment consists of unwelcome conduct based on a person’s race, color, creed, religion, national origin, sex, sexual orientation, disability, age, marital status, status with regard to public assistance, or any other protected class status when submission to such conduct:
Harassment of any member of the St. Olaf community by another community member is prohibited.
The College prohibits sexual harassment by any individual, including faculty, staff, students, and third parties such as consultants, contractors or vendors, in any form, including verbal, physical, and visual harassment. Appropriate disciplinary action will be taken against any person found to have violated this policy.
Sexual harassment includes unwelcome conduct that emphasizes the sexuality or sexual identity of a person, such as: sexual advances, requests for sexual favors, sexually motivated physical contact, or other verbal or physical conduct or communication of a sexual nature. Sexual harassment is distinguished from a voluntary sexual relationship by the introduction of the element of coercion, threat, hostility, or unwanted attention of a sexual nature.
Actions that can constitute sexual harassment include:
Although the facts of sexual harassment as listed above may seem self-evident, recognizing such behavior when it is happening to you or others around you may be difficult. Consider whether the behavior:
If at any time you are able to answer yes to any of the above questions, you should immediately contact the Director of Human Resources or another Investigating Officer
Faculty and employees are reminded to review the College's Consensual Relations policy for other guidance relating to romantic relationships.
Concerns of harassment should be directed to an Investigating Officer. These are: the Director of Human Resources, Associate Director of Human Resources, Assistant Provost, or a professional member of the Dean of Students staff. Arrangements will be made to have the allegations investigated and complaints resolved appropriately.
The College will determine what type of investigation is appropriate given the circumstances. If it is determined that the matter can be resolved informally through discussion and education, the College may opt to respond through less formal means. If the investigator deems the offending conduct to be severe or pervasive, a more formal investigation may be deemed appropriate.
A formal complaint process will include the questioning of witnesses. The Investigator will ask to hear the particulars of the complaint. Complaints will be handled in as discrete and confidential a manner as possible. However, in order to aid in conducting a thorough investigation, the College cannot promise complete confidentiality.
The Investigator will investigate the facts of the complaint. The Investigator will seek facts to ascertain the circumstances of the complaint and generally will request that witnesses keep the discussion about the complaint confidential. All documentation regarding the investigation will be kept in a confidential file within the Human Resources Office. It will not be part of an individual's personnel file.
If a violation of the harassment or sexual harassment policy has occurred, the College will take prompt and responsive action including (but not limited to) counseling or education on appropriate behavior, a requirement of behavioral changes, a written warning and/or other disciplinary actions, up to and including termination of employment or enrollment. Any written disciplinary action will be included in the individual's personnel file.
Individuals involved in a harassment complaint must take care to neither say nor do anything that could be perceived as retaliation toward the complainant or any witnesses. Retaliation against any faculty, staff or student for making a complaint under this policy, or for participating in an investigation under this policy, is strictly prohibited and will result in disciplinary action. If an individual believes he or she has been the subject of such retaliation, he or she should notify one of the Investigators as listed above.
Both the complainant and the accused are encouraged to seek counsel through the College's Employee Assistance Program or other support mechanisms available on or off campus. Assistance in locating appropriate support may be requested from the Human Resources Office.
IIT provides the St. Olaf community with both computing and A/V technologies.
The St. Olaf computing systems and campus network support the academic mission and business functions of the College. As a result, recreational uses of the campus network and Internet are highly discouraged; in some cases access may be blocked. Individual supervisors may prohibit all forms of recreational computing (personal e-mail, web surfing, etc.) and all new employees are encouraged to consult with their supervisor regarding individual office policies.
As a member of the St. Olaf community, you are expected to know and abide by the computing policies set by Information and Instructional Technologies and the Academic Computing Policy Board. In addition, you are also expected to abide by all State and Federal laws that pertain to information technology use. Please familiarize yourself with the campus policies at: www.stolaf.edu/services/iit/policies
For more information visit: www.stolaf.edu/services/iit
All information on St. Olaf servers, desktop computers or on computer storage medias, including electronic mail, is considered College property. While Information and Instructional Technologies (IIT) makes every reasonable effort to ensure the security of electronic files, employees should be aware of the following:
Entering computer accounts or reading electronic files without proper authorization is considered misuse of computers. Individuals suspected of accessing others’ files without permission will be referred to the appropriate office for action. The College’s policy statement on the Misuse of Computers policy can be found at: www.stolaf.edu/services/iit/policies/misuse.html
Careful control of keys is necessary to protect College property from fire, theft, vandalism, and unauthorized use. Employees entrusted with keys accept responsibility to: keep keys in a safe place at all times; refuse to lend the keys to anyone but the supervisor; prevent the keys from being copied. Report immediately to the supervisor misplaced, lost, stolen, or damaged keys.
The supervisor will arrange for keys to be issued/transferred. All keys must be returned upon termination of employment.
St. Olaf College is committed to providing a safe place to work, which is free from hazards or conditions that could cause injury or serious physical harm. All employees are expected to comply with all safety and health standards, rules, regulations or orders issued by the College as well as those of the federal and state occupational safety and health laws.
Unsafe working conditions should be reported immediately by employees to their supervisor or department head.
The College recognizes that employees may have outside employment or activities; such activity should not interfere with the employee's performance of their duties to the College and its students or place the employee in a position of conflict of interest.
A conflict of interest may be defined as any situation in which the outside employment/activity would or could reasonably be perceived to conflict with the best interests of the College or with the employee’s performance of their College duties. Use of College resources to perform outside work (e.g. supplies, facilities, electronic resources, equipment, staff) may not be charged to or supplied by the College.
The College recognizes the need for occasional personal phone and fax usage by employees during normal business hours. Such activity should be limited and not interfere with an employee’s work.
Employees are expected to reimburse the College for personal long-distance telephone or fax usage at the indicated rate on the departmental billing provided by Telecommunications.
Consistent with the spirit of the Americans With Disabilities Act (ADA), St. Olaf College will attempt to reasonably accommodate employees who have disabilities. Employees who believe that they have such needs should contact the Human Resources Office.
In an effort to create a more smoke-free environment on campus, not only for the benefit of those who work here, but also for the benefit of students and visitors, the policy of the College is that there will be no smoking in any building on campus.
The College appreciates the efforts of those who travel on behalf of the College. It is the responsibility of each individual employee to comply with the St. Olaf College travel policy. Travel policy guidelines can be found on the Treasurer’s Office web site or by contacting the Treasurer’s Office. Supervisors are responsible for authorizing travel, then reviewing, and approving travel reimbursements in compliance with the College travel policy. Reimbursed expenses must be reasonable, necessary, documented and properly authorized. Employees should neither gain nor lose personal funds because of College business travel.
The personal possession of handguns in all campus buildings and on all campus property is strictly prohibited. This prohibition applies to all employees, independent contractors, and visitors, including those who have a valid permit to carry a concealed weapon. Individuals who possess a valid permit to carry a concealed weapon may, however, keep the weapon locked in the trunk or glove compartment of their vehicle in the parking lot. Employees, independent contractors and temporary employees also are prohibited from possessing handguns or other weapons while operating a College vehicle or while engaging in College business off-premises, except in the individual’s own home. This weapons prohibition does not apply to authorized security or law enforcement personnel.
If you are aware that a student, co-worker, visitor, or other individual possesses a handgun or other weapon in violation of this policy, you should immediately report the conduct at issue to Public Safety or the Northfield Police at 911.
Use of weapons, violence and threats of violence are strictly prohibited on campus and at any St. Olaf-related off-premises event. If you become aware of a threat of violence or other harm to persons or property, you should take the following action, even if you think the threat may be only a joke:
Any violation of this policy by employees, independent contractors, and visitors will result in disciplinary action, up to and including immediate termination of employment or presence on campus.
In the event of a winter snowstorm that exceeds the ability of the St. Olaf College Grounds Department to maintain safe passage on the campus, the following policy shall be in effect.
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