Subd. 1. Seniority.

Seniority shall be defined as full-time equivalent years of continuous service at the university in which the faculty member has served. This definition shall not reduce seniority accrued as of the effective date of this Agreement to members of the bargaining unit.

Subd. 2. Full-Time Equivalent Year.

A full-time equivalent year in a quarter based system shall consist of three (3) quarters of continuous service for a full-time faculty member while one (1) quarter and two (2) quarters of continuous service in an academic year shall result in one-third (.33) and two-thirds (.66) of a full-time equivalent year respectively. A full-time equivalent year in a semester based system shall consist of two (2) semesters of continuous service for a full-time faculty member, while one (1) semester of service in an academic year shall result in one half (.5) of a full-time equivalent year. Faculty with less than a full-time appointment for any quarter or semester, as applicable, shall receive the appropriate fraction. No additional full-time equivalent years shall be accrued for any assignment beyond the regular academic year.

Subd. 3. Continuous Service.

Continuous service shall commence on the first duty day an individual begins employment service with a State university and shall be interrupted only by separation because of resignation, non-renewal or dismissal for just cause. A leave of absence pursuant to Article 17 or 18 shall not interrupt continuous service except where expressly limited in Article 18.

Subd. 1.

For purposes of layoff (see Article 23), "seniority" may be exercised only in the department or program in which the faculty member is serving at the time of retrenchment or in any department or program in which the faculty member has served at least three (3) full academic years.

In the event a faculty member is laid off and meets the three (3) years of service requirement provided herein in more than one department or program, in the university in which he/she is serving, he/she shall be entitled to be assigned to such department or program as determined by the President. If two (2) or more faculty members have equal seniority, then those with greater length of tenured service, shall have priority for retention. Should faculty members still equal in seniority, then those with greater length of total service in the university shall have priority in retention.

Beyond this the decision of which person to retain will be made on the basis of programmatic needs of the university as determined by the President.

Faculty members returning from non-bargaining unit positions to the bargaining unit shall have their seniority restored to a level earned at the time they left the appropriate unit. Such seniority shall include employment service rendered prior to March 9, 1976, if such employment service qualified as seniority pursuant to the Minnesota State University Board Rules and Regulations which were in effect March 9, 1976.

Subd. 2.

In the event a faculty member is reassigned or permanently transferred to another university, he/she shall carry all accumulated rights and benefits to his/her new university with the exception that there shall be no carryover of seniority for the purpose of calculation of layoff priority (see Article 23).

However, the seniority accumulated by a faculty member at a given university shall be maintained at that university as long as the faculty member is either employed within the System, or takes leave pursuant to Articles 17 and 18, or possesses recall/reassignment rights pursuant to Article 23.