The university is a part of the State of Colorado personnel system; and those positions that the system applies to are known as classified staff. The State of Colorado Constitution requires that the State Personnel Board “adopt rules concerning the standardization of positions” and that there is a system in which employees “shall be graded and compensated according to standards of efficient service which shall be the same for all persons having like duties.”

Officers and exempt professional staff are employees who hold positions that have been exempted from the state of Colorado personnel system pursuant to state law. Exempt professional positions are considered neither classified staff nor faculty. These at-will administrator positions provide the university with a broad range of services, including directing programs, managing budgets, and advising students with their academic needs. Officer positions include the chancellor, senior vice chancellor, provost, vice chancellors, associate vice chancellors, and deans. Examples of exempt professional staff positions include directors, associate and assistant directors, managers, professional academic advisors, athletic coaches and trainers, and professional assistants to officers.

State personnel rules provide for temporary employment for work assignments that are non-permanent or seasonal in nature. Temporary positions may be filled without applicants going through an examination process. Temporary appointments are limited by state law to six months in any rolling 12-month period.

An independent contractor is an individual who is not a University employee and who provides specified goods or services in a self-determined manner for which neither the results nor the manner of performance are controlled by the University. Generally speaking, independent contractors retain control over their schedule and number of hours worked, jobs accepted, and performance of their job. Departments wishing to contract with an independent contractor must complete a Scope of Work (SOW) form and send to Employment Services for approval before the contract starts.

Information for employees preparing to retire, retirees looking for employment opportunities, and information about hiring an employee can be found here.