The UW System Title and Total Compensation Project was implemented November 7, 2021. The Project established a new Job Framework for the majority of titles in the UW System. The following Guidelines are provided to assist HR, leadership, and managers/supervisors when determining the most appropriate title within the Job Framework.

• Job Family: Made up of jobs that involve similar work and require similar training, skills, knowledge, and expertise. Each job at UW System belongs to a single job family.
• Sub-Family: Consists of jobs within a larger job family and describe specialized functions within a specific Job Family.
• Official Title/Title of Record: The Job Title that corresponds to the Standard Job Description and maps to a specific salary grade/range. Job Titles are consistent across UW System and map to similar market positions outside of UW System.
• Standard Job Description: Describe work that is common, usual, and regularly found in the UW System. Includes a Job Summary, list of essential job responsibilities, and qualifications to include preferred or required minimum education.
• FLSA Status: The Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA) is a federal law that established labor standards for public and private sector employers. The law defines a standard work week, established a national minimum wage, and establishes parameters for working minors. The law also guarantees overtime for certain positions. The FLSA provides a set of standards to determine which jobs are covered by the act (non-exempt) and which jobs are not covered (exempt).
• Lead Worker: Plans, schedules, assigns and reviews work of individuals or for a defined project, program or function.
• Functional Manager: Plans, organizes, allocates resources, assesses performance, and leads the operational activities of a defined project, program, or function (ex: budgetary spending, space utilization, administrative resources and schedules); may also have supervisory responsibilities, but it is not required.
• People Manager: Any individual whose principal work is different from that of the individual’s direct or indirect subordinates and who has supervisory authority, in the interest of the employer, to hire, transfer, suspend, promote, manage conduct and performance, discharge, assign, reward or discipline at least 2.0 FTE or equivalent employees, adjust their grievances, and/or to authoritatively recommend such action, if the individual’s exercise of such authority is not of a merely routine or clerical nature, but requires the use of independent judgment. Supervisory responsibilities typically also review the work of their immediate subordinates and may approve hours worked.
• Institution Title: A job that has primary responsibilities that impact the majority or the entirety of the institution and/or UW System or has significantly larger scope than the school/college/division in which it resides, and typically contains “(Inst)” in the job title or mentions “institution” or “enterprise” in a standard job description.
• Business Title: A business title provides more description to an employee’s assigned official job title (title of record). An employee can use a business title, with department and HR approval, that provides more specific detail about an individual position within the organization, or the type of work performed. Business titles replace working titles.

1. General Guidelines on Titling
   1. To be mapped to a certain title and SJD, employees are expected to perform all the responsibilities identified in the SJD. Exceptions may occur when a responsibility indicates “May direct…”
   2. Ideally, the SJD should reflect about 80% of work performed by an employee on a regular basis. Where additional duties exist, the work can be supplemented using the Supplemental Position Description (SPD) Guidelines.
   3. While Job Families/Sub-Families aid in determining an appropriate Official Title for a position, work units/departments may review and utilize titles in all job families.

      Example: A position in Facilities Planning and Management that performs office support functions may best map to a position in the Administrative Job Family, rather than the Facilities and Capital Planning Job Family.

   4. The standardized job description and minimum preferred education represent the systemwide shared minimum elements of each job description. When posting for an open position, institutions can add additional requirements or preferences to their specific recruitment. An employee can meet the preferred education requirement through comparable experience. This education requirement is a guide only, except where identified as required (e.g., for licensing purposes).
   5. The assigned Official Title and SJD should be that which best maps the position to the market equivalent position.
   6. The performance of duties by the employee must meet the identified FLSA status for that SJD in order to be mapped appropriately. The employee’s whole employment circumstances must be considered when making an FLSA determination for any given position.

      For example, an employee who works in an exempt position as Marketing Specialist cannot take an additional non-exempt role (e.g., temporary University Staff), assuming the duties of the Marketing Specialist are considered their primary duties.

   7. Employees hired into an Official Title that is FLSA non-exempt will be within the University Staff Employee Category. Employees hired into an Official Title that is FLSA exempt will be within the Academic Staff Employee Category.
      1. Assignment of Employee Category is based on the duties test alone. Individuals who perform duties meeting the FLSA Duties Test but do not meet the FLSA Salary Test will be non-exempt Academic Staff.
      2. Employees who were hired prior to November 7, 2021 (implementation of the TTC Project) may be allowed to remain in their existing Employee Category.

         Note: At implementation of the University Personnel Systems on July 1, 2015, Employees were offered the opportunity to remain in their legacy Employee Class. These employees may continue to remain in their legacy Employee Class/Category.

   8. The TTC Project identifies recommended Employee Categories for each position, including the use of Limited Titles. UW-Milwaukee will maintain the Guidelines of Limited Title Appointments, and approval for Limited Title must be obtained for those titles that are not statutorily required to maintain Limited status. Identification of Limited Status via the SJD Library does not alone justify Limited status.
   9. The TTC Project has added new titles that includes Teaching Professor (Assistant, Associate, Full), Research Professor (Assistant, Associate, and Full), and Professor of Practice. Use of these titles may only occur in accordance with Guidelines established by Academic Staff and Faculty Governance.
2. Supervisory/Management Title Guidelines
   1. In most instances, if an Official Title includes the term “Supervisor”, it requires that an appropriately mapped employee meet the requirements outlined in the People Manager.
   2. In most instances, if an Official Title incudes the term “Manager”, it requires that an appropriately mapped employee performed duties as either a People Manager or a Functional Manager.
   3. Official Titles that include the term “Director” most often require that the incumbent perform duties of the People Manager. In addition, those at a Director-level will generally perform work that is distinct from their subordinate employees and will operate at a strategic level for the respective unit.
      1. Individuals who perform work similar to their employees might best be mapped to a Manager or Supervisor title.
   4. Functions identified for the Lead Worker can be added to any SJD via use of the Supplemental Position Description (SPD).
   5. Positions that do not meet the definition of a People Manager and have supervisory responsibilities can have this added to any SJD via use of the Supplemental Position Description (SPD).
      1. If, during the course of employment, the business needs change so the position now meets the definitions of ‘People Manager’ and ‘Functional Manager’, it is possible a new Official Title/SJD is appropriate. When moving for a non-supervisor/manager position to one that meets the criteria for a People Manager or Functional Manager, this will typically be accomplished through a recruitment.
3. Leadership Title Guidelines
   1. The market informed compensation and titling structure developed through the Title and Total Compensation Project ensures that employees are appropriately matched with a job title that is commonly found across external markets and accurately describes the work being performed in a particular job. While this market match is important across all job levels and job families, the appropriate application of leadership titles to employees is essential to aligning the University of Wisconsin System’s jobs with the market.
   2. Job Families and Sub-Families were created to reflect a job’s industry, operation, or function that aligns to market. Employees should be mapped within the Job Family and Sub-Family that best defines their function. Therefore, current employees with an Assistant or Associate Deans title, who do not have academic oversight should be mapped to the most appropriate market informed standard job description found in the library. Additional leadership titles (e.g., Assistant or Associate Vice Chancellor) that have a more market appropriate title found outside of higher education should map to that corresponding market title.
   3. When and When Not to use Assistant or Associate Dean Titles:
      1. The Assistant and Associate Dean titles should not be applied to any employee who does not have academic oversight of an academic program, department, school, or college. For those employees who currently hold any variation of a Dean title, (e.g. Assistant Dean) who do not have academic oversight, but will map to a more market appropriate title, may still use the Dean variations in their Business Title according to the Business Title Guidelines.
   4. Best Practice When Mapping Incumbents:
      1. Start by searching for a Standard Job Description that is specific to the Job Family that aligns with their duties and respective industry, operations, or function (e.g. career services, student affairs, accessibility services, etc.).
      2. Assistant/Associate Dean Standard Job Descriptions should be the last option if it is determined that there is not appropriate market data to support the use of an existing Standard Job Description.
      3. Assistant/Associate Dean titles may also be utilized for faculty with a concurrent limited appointment. These job codes are out of scope for TTC and therefore these incumbent populations will remain unchanged.
4. Institutional Title Guidelines
   1. Institutional jobs are typically found in centralized work units (e.g., Business and Financial Services, University Information Technology Services, Office of Human Resources, Legal Affairs, etc.). On limited occasions, they may be found in school/college/division offices depending on breath of responsibility, scope, and impact.
   2. Some titles will inherently operate at the institution level due to organizational structure and can only be titled at the Institution level (e.g., Accountant IV (Inst), Chief Facilities Officer (Inst)).
   3. Some titles may either be at the Institution level or may perform duties in the title that impact the Institution. In this case, separate titles exist in the SJD Library to reflect those with and without Institution Scope. (e.g., Academic Advising Director and Academic Advising Director (Institution)).
   4. Note: Just because a job resides in a unit that functions at the Institution level it does not necessarily have institution scope.
5. Career Levels
   1. Career Levels differentiate titles by factors such as:
      1. Organizational impact
      2. Complexity of work
      3. Independence and supervision
      4. Leadership and talent management expectations
      5. Knowledge and experience
      6. Title series relationships
   2. Career Levels are informed by career differentiation common in the market and based on criteria provided by third-party compensation consultant.
   3. Along with external market data, guide the placement of jobs in the job framework to balance market competitiveness and internal parity.
   4. Jobs in different career levels may be in the same salary grade because they are paid similarly in the market.
   5. A school’s, college’s, or division’s organizational and reporting structures do not always map directly to the job framework. The job framework reflects market different that may not be visible on organizational charts.
6. Business Titles
   1. Business titles should be used for the following:
      1. To clarify a position’s role in the organization
      2. To describe the work performed in a role
      3. Align with industry best practice
   2. Business Titles cannot:
      1. Duplicate a title of record
      2. Misrepresent the university of the authority of a position
      3. Use words typically associated with executive titles like President, Chancellor, Provost, or Dean
   3. Business Titles can be used in employee directories, email signatures, business cards, and all external referrals to a position.
   4. Business Titles do not change an employee’s title of record or assigned pay range. Business Titles can be used to reflect changes in the position that do not warrant a new title or salary range.
      1. Business Titles can be used to identify a Senior or Distinguished level of a position, as determined through previous Academic Staff processes and procedures.
   5. Business Titles must be approved by the HR Business Partner in consultation with the Division Head and Supervisory/Manager. These should be submitted by the HR Business Partner, or approval therefore, when making HRS Updates.
   6. In certain circumstances, positions may be identified as Assistant Dean, Associate Vice Chancellor, or Director without being a title of record. These usages can only be used as identified within these guidelines or with approval of Central HR Classification and Compensation.
      1. Criteria for use of a Business Title containing “Assistant Dean” or “Associate Vice Chancellor” are outlined in Section C Above.
      2. Use of “Director” in Business Titles will be very limited and will be considered in light of the following criteria:
         • Scope of the employee’s role beyond immediate Department or School/College.
         • Oversight and responsibility for program outcomes and work of other employees, even if not a formal supervisor.
         • Performance of distinctly different duties than others who are supporting the program.
         • External factors that require that employee identify as a Director to successfully perform the responsibilities of their position.
   7. In certain circumstances, instructional positions may be identified as a “Program Director.” These usages can only be used as identified within these guidelines or with approval of Central HR Classification and Compensation.
      1. Employees need to be in Faculty or Instructional Academic Staff position/title (e.g., Ranked Faculty, Teaching Professor, or Teaching Faculty).
      2. Position requires oversight of an academic program, including strategic planning, administrative oversight, resource allocation (e.g., personnel and finance), and academic curriculum development. Programs may include oversight of a specific area or specific degree program (e.g., Program Director, Dance Graduate Program).
      3. Business Title should clearly define the program area.
7. Titling for Temporary University Staff and Hourly Academic Staff for short-term/less than 50% positions
   1. Under the TTC Title framework, employees are assigned a title based on the duties of the position. Where the position’s duties would be considered exempt for the FLSA (based on the duties test), the individual should be assigned an exempt title and fall into the Academic Staff employee category.
   2. In certain circumstances, it may be appropriate to use an LTE appointment with an LTE-specific title for this purpose. Use of an LTE for duties that would generally be considered exempt-level work should only be used in rare cases. Presumably, they would work very limited or sporadic hours to address certain needs and where it would not be appropriate to provide them a contract because of the varying nature of the hours and duration of work.
   3. Considerations for Temporary University Staff Hires
      • At-Will Employees.
      • Per policy, can be paid below the minimum for the Salary Range. (Note: LTE-specific titles have an open salary range)
      • Will be paid based on hours worked.
      • Temporary University Staff are not eligible for benefits unless they reach the hours threshold that requires WRS (generally become eligible via “lookback”). Appointments must be given health insurance if it meets the requirements of the ACA.
      • May only utilize non-exempt TTC titles and LTE-specific titles.
   4. Considerations for Hourly Academic Staff
      • Require pay within the salary range for the position.
      • In most cases, an FTE is identified for the position; however, will be paid based on hours worked.
      • Position may be benefit eligible for short-term/grad benefits depending on duration and FTE of appointment.
      • May be paid based on annual/academic year rate or may be established with an hourly rate. Only should be paid with an hourly rate when hours will vary greatly week to week and no FTE can reasonably be determined.
      • Appointment contracts will generally be fixed-terminal, and where warranted, must be renewed after contract ends.
      • May only utilize Academic Staff titles.
8. Out of Scope Titling
   1. With implementation of the TTC Project, a number of titles were considered “out of scope” of the Project. These titles and corresponding salary assignments were not impacted by the project.
      1. Faculty (all ranks of Professor, Visiting Professor, Adjunct Professor, Clinical Professor) and titles requiring Faculty Status (Academic Program Director, Associate Dean, etc.) (title codes beginning with FA or ICC).
      2. Coaches (title codes beginning with CC).
      3. Executive Administrators (Chancellor, Provost, Vice Chancellor, Dean, Academic Program Director) (title codes beginning with EX or CC).
      4. Student Assistants and Research Associates (title codes beginning with SA).
      5. Student Help (title codes beginning with SH).
      6. University Staff Temporary Job Titles (title codes beginning with TE).