A02.07.02 Employee Exchanges

Effective Date: January 23, 1992	New:
	Revision: X

Policy Statement

Procedures/Rules Statement

Policy Statement

Douglas College is committed to providing a program of employee exchanges for faculty, staff and administrators, as a means of enhancing the quality of courses and programs of study through employee revitalization and renewal.

Procedures/Rules Statement

A. Definitions

1. Employee - faculty, staff and administrators.
2. External Exchange - the exchange of employees with an educational, governmental, nongovernmental or business institution outside of British Columbia.
3. Internal Exchange - the exchange of employees within British Columbia.
4. Outgoing Participant - an employee leaving Douglas College for a temporary assignment in another institution.
5. Incoming Participant - an employee from an outside institution who has received a temporary assignment within Douglas College.

B. Eligibility Requirements for Outgoing Participants

To be eligible, applicants,

1. Must be regular continued employees of Douglas College (support staff, faculty, administrators) with a minimum of three years service to qualify for up to six months of exchange. Employees with six years or more service are eligible for up to twelve months of exchange. (see Item E regarding extensions)
2. Faculty must have the written approval and recommendation of their department Director/Chair before applying for an exchange.
3. Support Staff and Administrators must have the written approval and recommendation of their immediate supervisor before applying for an exchange.
4. All employees must supply three letters of support from peers/colleagues (to include descriptions of an applicant's attributes as a colleague/coworker).
5. Under normal circumstances, the College must be satisfied that the exchange will not result in a negative financial position.

C. Eligibility Requirements for Incoming Participants

1. The College must be satisfied that the incoming applicant is suitable to perform the duties and responsibilities of the job or position specified in the exchange opportunity and under normal circumstances, the College must be satisfied that the exchange will not result in a negative financial position.
   Incoming applicants must be deemed satisfactory, in writing, in one of the following ways:

   (a) Support Staff and Administrative Positions - approval by the appropriate level of supervisor.

   (b) Faculty Positions - utilizing the Departmental Selection Committee structure to ensure that incoming candidate meets the requirements of the position to be filled.

2. Where assignment of duties for an incoming applicant requires temporary certification, applicants must demonstrate their ability to be certified before the exchange proceeds.

D. Number of Exchanges

The number of exchanges which may occur in any given academic year (September - August) will be announced by December 1st of the preceding year.

E. Length of Exchange

Exchanges may be of any length up to one year duration as agreed to by the home and host institutions and the exchange participant. Exchanges may be extended to a maximum two year limit with the agreement of all parties to the exchange.

F. Frequency of Applying

Employees who have participated in an exchange are not eligible for a successive exchange until three years of regular employment has elapsed from the time they resume regular service with Douglas College.

G. Compensation

1. The College will pay outgoing participants their ongoing salary or wage and benefits, subject to the appropriate collective agreement.
2. Incoming participants will be paid by the sending institution.

H. Rights and Responsibilities

1. Incoming participants will be governed in all matters concerning working conditions by the appropriate collective agreement of the host institution, with the exception of salary and benefit provisions and others as described in the Memorandum of Agreement covering each exchange.
2. Assignment of duties and obligations of the incoming participant will be detailed in the Memorandum of Agreement which must be signed by the Dean or designate of the prospective Division or unit and by the incoming participant.

I. Housing and Relocation

The College will not provide housing or financial relocation assistance for incoming or outgoing participants. However, where possible, the College will facilitate the removal of impediments to a successful exchange.

J. Employee Exchange Advisory Committee

Procedures to implement and maintain the Exchange Program will be developed and revised by an Employee Exchange Advisory Committee. This Committee will be comprised of two faculty elected from the College Wide Professional Development Committee, two staff elected from the Staff Professional Development Committee, and two members appointed from the College Administration. The Faculty Professional Development Consultant and a representative from Personnel will sit on this Committee as ex officio, non-voting members.

K. Selection Committee

The composition of the selection committee will vary depending upon the category of employee requesting an exchange. In all of the following cases the College Exchange Coordinator will ask employees to participate:

1. Staff Exchange - two staff persons and two administrators
2. Faculty Exchange - two faculty members and two administrators
3. Administrative Exchange - two administrators, one staff person and one faculty member

The Faculty Professional Development Consultant and a representative from the personnel office will sit on the committee as ex-officio and non-voting members.

In addition, College Exchange Coordinator will convene, chair and report the Committees recommendations.

L. Application Procedure

All employees requesting an exchange will provide the Employee Exchange Selection Committee through the College Exchange Coordinator with:

1. a current resume,
2. a description of the job/position which they are prepared to exchange,
3. a cover letter which states why the exchange is requested and how the exchange will benefit the applicant and the College.

M. Selection Criteria

Once an applicant has met the threshold requirements specified in B above, the following criteria will be used to determine successful exchange applicants:

1. relevance of requested exchange experience to the stated needs of Douglas College
2. relevance of requested exchange to the applicant's career path
3. where more than one employee is applying for the same exchange opportunity and when applicants are judged equal on the above selection criteria, seniority or length of FTE service will be used to break tie.

N. Written Report

All successful exchange employees will, within two months of returning, submit a written report to the administrator responsible and to the Exchange Program Coordinator.

As well, they will be expected to participate in educational activities which may have resulted from their exchange, such as curriculum revision/development and presentations at professional development events.