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MnSCU-IFO Master Agreement 1999-2001

ARTICLE 9
Personnel Files

Section A. Personnel Files.

Each university shall maintain at the university one (1) official personnel file for each faculty member. Such file shall contain copies of personnel transactions, official correspondence with the faculty member, material collected in accordance with procedures established in Article 22, which may include summaries of unsigned student evaluations, as well as other similar materials. Unsigned letters or statements, other than those indicated above, shall not be placed in the faculty member's personnel file. Only those MnSCU employees whose job responsibilities require it, and who are designated by the Administration or other persons specifically authorized by law, shall have access to a faculty member's personnel file. Faculty members shall not have access to the personnel files of other faculty members except as authorized in Section C below. This Section shall not be construed to prohibit access to materials provided as part of an application for promotion, tenure, or retention.

Commencing January 1, 1990, a dated log shall be maintained of official correspondence with faculty members and of material collected in accordance with the procedures established in Article 22 including any unsigned student evaluations which are added to or removed from faculty personnel files. Errors in the maintenance of the log shall not be subject to the grievance procedure.

The Dean may also keep a personnel file for any faculty member which shall only contain copies of resumes, educational transcripts, appointment documents, Article 22 materials, application files, forms and recommendations for action under promotion, evaluation, non-renewal, or tenure. However, the administration shall only take action on personnel matters with respect to a faculty member based upon file information contained in the official personnel file.

Section B. Access.

Consistent with law, each faculty member shall have access to his/her official and Dean's personnel file. Such access shall be during normal business hours under university supervision. A faculty member shall have the right to place in his/her official personnel file such material as he/she determines may have a bearing on his/her position as a faculty member, including statements in response to any items in his/her file.

Section C. Exclusive Representative.

Representatives of the IFO, Association, or other persons having written authorization from the faculty member concerned may examine, under university supervision, the official and Dean's personnel file of that faculty member, except for the limitation provided in Section B hereof.

Section D. Right to Copies.

Upon written request of the faculty member, the Employer shall provide to the faculty member copies of contents of his/her official and Dean's personnel file, except as limited in Section B hereof, provided that the cost of providing such copies is borne by the faculty member.

A faculty member shall be provided a copy or written notice of an addition to and/or modification of any non-routine material in the faculty member's official personnel file, such as grants, letters of commendation or reprimand, seniority summaries, salary adjustments, and letters regarding retention, promotion, or tenure. Resolution of a grievance concerning the personnel file may include removal of material from the personnel files.

Section E. Expiration.

Annually, any material which a faculty member requests be removed from his/her personnel files shall, with the approval of the President, be removed. Annually, the faculty member may have data removed from his/her file which is more than ten (10) years old, except that which is required by law to be kept therein or material whose removal, in the opinion of the Attorney General's office, might subject the university to suit or damages.