Accountability Framework for Non-Faculty Employees

Value Statement

Austin Community College District (“ACC”, or “the College”) is committed to supporting good employee relations and a positive, high-functioning work and learning environment. Employees are expected to fulfill their duties with professionalism, respect, and in alignment with ACC’s core values of Courage, Compassion, Joy, and Yes.

Administrative Rule

1. Managers play a critical role in fostering accountability, a respectful workplace, and professional growth. They are expected to provide clear expectations, timely feedback, and appropriate support on an ongoing basis to help employees meet performance and conduct standards – ensuring no aspect of the annual performance evaluation is a surprise. When concerns arise, managers must address concerns promptly, fairly, and in accordance with College policy and procedure.
2. ACC affirms that exceptional performance must be accompanied by professional, respectful, and values-centered conduct to be recognized as such. Managers are encouraged to acknowledge these contributions as intentionally and proportionally as they would address negative performance or conduct.
3. Staff employees are expected to meet established performance and conduct expectations outlined in job descriptions, policies, ACC Values, and supervisory guidance. When those expectations are not met, managers must take appropriate, timely action using the process outlined in 4.1201.03.1, Accountability Framework for Non-Faculty Employees Guideline/Procedure.
4. The College’s process for corrective action includes informal counseling (verbal or written), formal written counseling, probation, suspension, and termination. Each step does not need to occur in sequence, and the College may initiate action at any level, including immediate termination, when warranted.
5. Managers are responsible for initiating and documenting corrective actions. In most cases, the immediate manager is responsible for identifying the concern, maintaining records, and requesting further action in consultation with Human Resources (HR). In situations where this is not possible or appropriate, a next-level manager may assume this responsibility. Managers ensure actions are consistent, proportionate, and legally compliant.
6. Managers are expected to notify employees of any conduct or performance concern within three College business days to minimize disruption and preserve fairness. Formal documentation may follow, but the issue should not go unaddressed. Except when safety or active disruption requires immediate action, managers are encouraged to pause one calendar day before issuing formal discipline to support objective decision-making.
7. Managers are expected to maintain timely and accurate documentation that reflects the nature of the concern and any previous attempts to provide coaching or corrective feedback. This may include performance evaluations, coaching summaries, emails, incident reports, or follow-up notes.
8. As with all employment actions, probation, suspension, and termination are initiated by the immediate manager (with few exceptions), but require review and approval by the next-level manager, divisional Vice Chancellor, and Vice Chancellor of Human Resources before being communicated to the employee. The immediate manager initiates these actions in the HR system with supporting documentation.
9. If an employee’s presence poses an observably reasonable risk to the physical or psychological safety of students or others, or where serious complaints have been raised, an immediate manager or HR may place the employee on administrative leave with pay to allow for de-escalation and a fact-finding process.
10. These standards are intended to protect fairness and consistency while also preserving morale, maintaining productivity, and resolving issues in a timely, values-aligned manner.

Definitions

Manager: An individual who has the authority and responsibility to supervise one or more employees, including assigning work, setting expectations, providing feedback, evaluating performance, and addressing conduct.

Supervisory relationships, including direct and indirect reports, are documented in the College’s organizational structure within the HR system and should be referenced by both employees and managers for clarification of reporting lines.

Employee: Any individual hired and paid by ACC to perform work, regardless of classification, title, or funding source. This includes full-time and part-time staff and hourly/temporary workers.

Note: While temporary/hourly employees may be released at-will, managers are strongly encouraged to provide verbal or written feedback and maintain documentation to ensure lawful, objective, and defensible decisions. No employee may be terminated for an illegal reason.

Contractors are not employees of the College, but are expected to uphold College policies and standards. Managers may partner with HR and shall contact the employing agency regarding performance and conduct issues.

Ineligibility for Rehire

Employees may be deemed ineligible for rehire by the Vice Chancellor of Human Resources in cases involving egregious acts such as violence, illegal activity, or serious violations of College policy.  Employees have the right to appeal their eligibility for rehire status and any adverse employment action taken against them through the College’s formal grievance process within the Office of Equal Opportunity Compliance in accordance with Administrative Rule 4.0702.01, Resolution of an Employee Grievance.

Employee Rights and Resources

Employees who have questions about workplace expectations, feedback they’ve received, or any formal action may consult their supervisory organization, HR, the Employee Relations Officer (Office of Equal Opportunity Compliance), or the Ombudsperson. Employees may also pursue resolution in accordance with AR 4.0702.01, Resolution of an Employee Grievance.