6.1 Administrative Staff Positions

Administrative staff have professional or administrative responsibilities in the central and departmental administration. They assure the provision of services essential to the support of the educational and research objectives of the Institute, whether within academic departments or in such central functions as financial and human resources administration, the library system, medical, student services, information systems and technology, public affairs, resource development, and operations. These positions are generally exempt from the Fair Labor Standards Act and usually are not entitled to overtime pay.

6.1.1 Appointment Policies and Procedures

Typically, each staff member has a title descriptive of their function or administrative responsibility. Administrative staff appointments are encompassed within the Institute's staff salary administration program in which each position has been assigned an associated salary range based on an evaluation of level of education and experience required in the position and the difficulty, responsibility, and impact on Institute affairs inherent in the position.

Requests to fill administrative staff positions are submitted by the department through the appointment process and forwarded directly to Human Resources or through the appropriate vice president or dean for approval of an unbudgeted position. Administrative staff positions are generally posted on the MIT website. Prior to the initiation of an administrative staff appointment for an individual, the affirmative action serious search requirement must have been met (see Section 7.1.2 Affirmative Action Serious Search Policy).

Administrative  staff appointments are typically indefinite and without specified term. The first six months of employment is a probationary period (see the MIT Employment Policy Manual Section 2.6.4). Throughout their employment, supervisors should provide their staff with performance feedback, performance reviews, and, where necessary, corrective action (see the MIT Employment Policy Manual Section 3.3). Administrative staff may be laid off for lack of work or funds or for other operational reasons, with notice as provided in Section 7.6 Layoff for Lack of Work or Funds. Policies relating to other terminations of administrative staff are found in the MIT Employment Policy Manual Section 6.0.

6.1.2 Benefits for Administrative Staff

Administrative staff paid by MIT with a minimum appointment of three months and at least 50 percent of the normal, full-time schedule of their department are eligible for participation in the MIT retirement plans and other staff benefits, except those benefits that are unique to the Faculty (see Section 7.4 Benefits for Faculty and Staff Members).

Administrative staff appointments that are at least 50-percent accrue 15 days of vacation for the first year of employment and 20 days of vacation each subsequent year; part-time employees accrue vacation on a pro-rated basis. Employees cease to accrue their regular vacation once they have a balance of 40 days. Employees with 10 or more years of full-time service are also credited with an extra five days of vacation beginning on each anniversary of 10, 15, 20, 25, 30 etc. years of service; this additional vacation must be used within a 5 year period. For more information on vacation, see the MIT Employment Policy Manual Section 4.2.

6.1.3 Additional Services and Consulting Privileges

A full-time administrative staff appointment implies a primary commitment to the responsibilities of the position and to the goals of the Institute. The compensation provided to individuals who hold full-time appointments assumes that commitment. Accordingly, salaries of these staff members cannot be augmented from funds administered by MIT, except as provided for in the normal pattern of promotion and salary review. Payment for services to other departments or activities within the Institute is not permitted. Exceptions are occasionally made (with prior approval of the Vice President for Human Resources, acting on behalf of the President) when it is advantageous to the Institute to utilize a staff member's secondary skill part time (for example, as an athletic coach), when such arrangements can be made without detriment to the staff member's primary commitment, and when the secondary position is clearly not within the scope of the individual's regular duties and responsibilities. Any requests for clarification and/or exceptions to this policy should be made to the Vice President of Human Resources.

Administrative staff appointments do not normally have consulting privileges as defined for members of the Faculty. Specific instances of consulting service, however, may be undertaken with the department head's prior written approval if the department head is satisfied that each such activity will contribute significantly to the professional growth and development of the individual and to the individual's professional service to MIT or to MIT's service to society at large, and that the individual's normal responsibility and contribution to MIT will not thereby be diminished. Moreover, outside professional activity over and above the individual's regular full-time commitment to the Institute is not precluded. Persons holding such appointments will be asked annually by their department heads to report on their outside professional activities and business interests and relationships, identifying any that have the potential appearance of conflict with the Institute's interests. (See Sections 4.4 Conflict of Interest and 4.5 Outside Professional Activities.)