Choosing to Pursue Civil Service

By Monica M. Walk

AS UIC Human Resources staff members continue to work with departments on the mandated review of Academic Professional positions and the conversion of some positions to Civil Service, posted openings for Civil Service jobs may catch the eye of current Academic Professionals looking for new challenges.

“EVERYONE IS welcome to apply for any opening on campus,” said Assistant Vice President for Human Resources Robert Crouch. “We post positions to make people aware of vacancies and other career related opportunities on campus, as some openings may involve possibilities for advancement. I hope we have an environment where employees are encouraged to pursue their career interests. It is important to retain institutional knowledge and talent at UIC.”

WHILE ANNOUNCEMENTS of job openings may come through a variety of campus communications vehicles, Crouch recommends the HR website https://jobs.uic.edu/job-board as the most comprehensive listing of available campus positions. The menu of job opportunities on the site includes Civil Service, Academic Professional, Student, and Faculty categories.

POSITION DESCRIPTIONS will outline the skill set, experience, and credentials required to apply for a position, including when transcripts are needed to support academic degrees required for some positions. Reviewing this information will help current employees determine if they can submit a successful application for another University position.

CROUCH EMPHASIZED that jobs classified as Civil Service cover a broad spectrum of abilities, from entry level clerical to professional level such as nurses, managerial, and sometimes supervisory-level positions.

WHEN CONSIDERING a career move within the University, Crouch stated that employees should make their current managers aware of their interest in applying for another role on campus. “No one likes that kind of a surprise,” Crouch said about losing a valued staff member.

THE PROPER classification of positions is necessary for compliance with the State Universities Civil Service System statutes. The process began last year, and may continue for three years. The time-intensive analysis includes personal interviews with employees and their managers to understand the essential functions of the job and culminates in an agreed-upon job description. The new job description is then evaluated and classified as AP or Civil Service.

CROUCH SHARED results of the process to date:

• 1,635 positions have been reviewed and analyzed.
• 2,877 positions remain for review.
• 314 positions have been converted from AP to Civil Service.
• 243 positions are in the process of conversion from AP to Civil Service.

“WHAT AN individual actually does—their duties and functions—determines if the position is Academic Professional or Civil Service,” Crouch said.