April 28, 2005 – Susan Hammons

Regents approve employee drug and alcohol testing, Regents Professor policies

NACOGDOCHES-A new policy allowing for possible testing for drugs and alcohol of employees in safety-sensitive positions was approved today by the Stephen F. Austin State University Board of Regents.

Employees may be subject to testing based on reasonable suspicion of illicit drug or unauthorized alcohol use, after an accident or after the university refers an employee to drug or alcohol rehabilitation. Additionally, employees subject to Department of Transportation regulations, primarily those with commercial driver's licenses, may be subject to random testing.

Employees considered to be in safety-sensitive positions include those who are required to have a university-certified driver's license as part of their job, who carry firearms for security purposes, who control dispatch of emergency services or who repair or maintain university-owned or -leased vehicles. Also, all maintenance personnel and those who use dangerous equipment, chemicals or other dangerous substances, and medical professionals, including doctors, nurses and certified athletic trainers, are considered to be in this category.

Regents also approved a major revision of the Regents Professors policy. Now a department chair, dean or Regents Professor may nominate a faculty member based on extraordinary merit in teaching or research. A nominee must have been a full professor for five years and at SFA at least 10, and be a well-rounded and exemplary faculty member.

A review committee may recommend one nominee each in the teaching and research categories; however, the committee also may decide to recommend only one person or none in any given year. Independent of the committee's review, the deans will review the nominations. Both groups will forward recommendations to the provost, who may recommend to the board, through the president, up to two faculty members to receive the award.

Regents also adopted new academic program review and faculty code of conduct policies and major revisions of those dealing with faculty workload, indirect costs distribution, purchases of used equipment or supplies, and sick pool leave.

Also approved were revised policies for assessment of institutional effectiveness, receipts and deposits, moving expenses, travel, tuition rebates for undergraduates, parking and traffic regulations, digital millennium copyright, family and medical leave, selective service registration, central receiving, and the student service fee allocation.

A classified pay plan policy was replaced with one titled "Compensation Plan for Classified and Non-Classified Staff," which was approved in February.