This section describes the campus and community benefits to which employees designated as Faculty Emeritus/Emerita or Staff Retired from Service are entitled after their service to Rhodes.

For faculty emeritus/emerita:

• Continued use of a Rhodes email address
• Campus parking privileges
• Library privileges including the possibility of reserving working space in the library on an “as-needed” basis
• Use of the Bryan Campus Life Center
• Discounts at the College Bookstore
• Faculty/staff discount for event rental of Rhodes campus facilities
• Each faculty member may enroll without fee in one standard course each semester in the academic program of the Meeman Center (based on spaces available; travel courses are excluded)
• Regular courses in the academic program may be audited without charge upon approvals of the instructor and of the Office of Academic Affairs (based on spaces available)
• Faculty emeritus/emerita are invited to attend formal academic occasions, most notably the Opening Convocation of the Academic Year at which time faculty emeritus/emerita will be recognized. The College will include faculty emeritus/emerita in an annual event for faculty with the President of the College and the Office of Academic Affairs
• Potential opportunities for faculty emeritus/emerita to teach part-time, including during summer school or through the Meeman Center for Lifelong Learning.
• Membership for faculty emeritus/emerita to the “Phase Three” faculty development affinity group, which includes access to faculty development opportunities on campus. 

Staff of the College are designated as retired from service if the following criteria are met:

1. The person must have served the College as a full-time member of the Staff for at least ten consecutive years.
2. The person must be in good standing according to the policies and procedures of the College.
3. The person must be eligible to draw retirement benefits as defined by applicable federal/state regulations and college policy.

For staff designated as retired from service:

• Campus parking privileges
• Library privileges
• Use of the Bryan Campus Life Center
• Discounts at the College Bookstore
• Use of the event rental of Rhodes campus facilities
• Each staff retired from service may enroll without fee in one standard course each semester in the academic program of the Meeman Center (based on spaces available; travel courses are excluded)
• Regular courses in the academic program may be audited without charge upon approvals of the instructor and of the Office of Academic Affairs (based on spaces available)
• Staff retired from service will be invited to attend formal academic occasions; most notably the Opening Convocation of the Academic Year at which time staff retired from service will be recognized. The College will include staff retired from service in an annual event for staff with the President of the College.

Eligibility. Full-time, non-exempt staff employees scheduled to work 37.5 hours per work week (Monday through Sunday).

Benefit. Compensatory time is earned when an employee works more than 37.5 hours in a week up to 40 hours. If the employee works more than 40 hours in a week, that time is paid as overtime (time and ½).

Maximum. An employee may not bank more than 37.5 hours of compensatory time. If the employee has a balance of 37.5 hours of compensatory time, any hours worked that would otherwise be added to that balance will be paid to the employee at the employee’s regular rate of pay.

Utilizing Benefit. Employees must request all time off of work from their supervisor. Compensatory time must be used before Vacation time when taking time off of work. Benefit upon Termination: When an employee terminates their employment with the College, the employee will be paid for any Compensatory time earned but not used.

Should an employee have any questions concerning the compensatory time, please contact the Benefits Services Manager in Human Resources.

Rhodes employees can access CONCERN, an Employee Assistance Program (EAP), for counseling services for themselves, their partners and members of their households at no cost. Counselors are licensed or certified seasoned professionals. CONCERN can help with problems such as:

• Marital and family relationships
• Alcohol or drug issues
• Grief counseling
• Gambling and financial problems
• Elder care issues

CONCERN can also refer you to a specialist if you need help beyond the scope of their practice. This service is free and confidential. You may contact CONCERN 24/7 at (901) 458-4000.

The College observes several official, paid holidays each year, including:  Martin Luther King’s Birthday, Good Friday, Memorial Day, Juneteenth, July Fourth, Labor Day, Thanksgiving, and Winter Break (including Christmas and New Year’s Day).

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• An employee must be in pay status on the day before and the day after a holiday in order to be eligible for holiday pay. If an employee is off sick the day before and/or the day after a holiday, the supervisor may request a doctor’s certificate in order for the employee to be eligible for holiday pay.
• Persons employed on a twelve-month basis, but for less than a full work week, receive holiday pay in proportion to the amount of time per week they are actually employed. For example, an hourly employee who works half-time will receive one-half the normal full-time holiday pay.
• If an employee works fewer than twelve months per year, they will not be paid for any holidays falling during the period of time that they are not actually working. For example, an employee who regularly works from August 1 through June 1 will not receive pay for the July Fourth holiday.
• Part-time employees whose regular weekly schedule causes them to be off on an official holiday will not be compensated for that holiday.
• Student employees are not eligible for holiday pay.
• Employees who are required to work on an observed College holiday should be given a compensatory day off in lieu of the actual holiday. The compensatory day off should be taken during the same seven-day period as the holiday.
• If the staffing needs of the department do not permit employees to be given a compensatory day off, employees will be paid for holidays in lieu of time off at straight time, as long as actual hours worked during the seven day period do not exceed forty (40) hours.
• In addition, if a holiday falls on an employee’s regularly scheduled day off, they will be compensated for that holiday at straight time. For example, if an employee is scheduled to work on Saturday, Sunday, Monday, Thursday, and Friday, their days off are Tuesday and Wednesday. If a holiday falls on a Tuesday (the employee’s day off) they will be compensated straight time for the holiday in addition to hours actually worked for the pay period. Any sick or vacation hours during the same week will be reduced so the total weekly hours will not exceed the employee's regularly scheduled hours for the week.

This policy does not apply to faculty. Paid parental leave for faculty is discussed in the Faculty Handbook.

Rhodes currently provides sixteen (16) weeks of FMLA leave for the birth or adoption of a child, and twelve (12) weeks of FMLA leave for the placement of a child with the employee for foster care. Under the new parental leave policy, six (6) weeks of that leave will be paid for the Rhodes employee who is the primary caregiver of the child and two (2) weeks of that leave will be paid for the Rhodes employee who is the non-primary caregiver for the child. This paid leave must be taken within 12 months of the birth, adoption, or state placement of the child and must be taken in consecutive weeks.

The six weeks of paid parental leave include any holidays during that time, with the exception of the College's winter break. 

This paid parental leave is available to full-time staff with at least one year of full-time service at Rhodes at the time of the event (birth, adoption, etc.). Staff who are otherwise eligible for FMLA leave but not eligible for paid parental leave under this policy must follow the terms of the College’s FMLA policy.

The primary caregiver is the staff member who is primarily responsible for the day to day custody, care and control of the child. A request for Parental Leave must be accompanied by an Affidavit of primary caregiver status. The affidavit form is available in Human Resources.

Paid parental leave should generally commence following the birth, adoption, or placement of a child, but in some instances, may occur prior to the event when deemed medically necessary or when it is requisite to fulfill the legal requirements for an adoption, provided all eligibility requirements are met. Except in emergency situations, paid parental leave must be requested no later than sixty (60) days in advance of the start of the leave. Employees may be asked to provide a birth certificate, adoption agreement, or court papers. Paid parental leave must be the first leave used for the birth, adoption, or placement of a child.

Paid parental leave will run concurrently with family and medical leave. If the amount of FMLA leave available is less than the amount of paid parental leave to be taken, paid parental leave will still be granted as specified in this policy, without regard to the existence of the individual's available FMLA leave.

Paid parental leave shall be exhausted prior to the use of vacation or sick leave when such leave is requested for the purpose of a birth or adoption event. Paid parental leave shall be exhausted prior to the use of unpaid leave.

One paid parental leave benefit is available per employee, per birth, adoption, or placement event. The number of children involved does not increase the length of paid parental leave granted for that event. Leave under this policy is not available when a spouse adopts the already born minor child(ren) of a spouse.

While on parental leave the employee may not work secondary jobs at the College.

If an employee does not return to work after parental leave and give proper advance notice (two weeks) they may be responsible for reimbursing the College full payment for compensation paid while on leave.

Eligibility. All full-time staff employees are eligible. For paid leave for faculty, consult the Faculty Handbook. 

Benefit. Eligible employees begin to accrue sick leave credit on the first pay period following their hire date. Sick leave will be earned at the rate of one day each month, up to a maximum of two times the employee′s annual accrual limit. Sick leave will be earned at the following rate:

Introductory Period. Employees in their introductory period are not eligible to use sick leave, but will be given credit for accrued sick leave once regular employment status is achieved. If employees still in their introductory period are absent due to illness or non-work related injury, their pay (only full days if the employee is exempt) will be adjusted to reflect an unpaid absence.

Maximum. The maximum sick days allowed to accrue is two times the annual accrual.

Utilizing Benefit. All employees who are unable to report to work due to personal or other sick leave conditions are required to notify their supervisor (or an alternate designated by the supervisor) no later than one hour prior to their scheduled starting time. Employees who must leave work due to illness or sick leave conditions should likewise advise their supervisor. In cases of advanced knowledge of a sick leave, such as pregnancy or preplanned surgery, the supervisor must be notified as soon as possible in order to prepare for the employee’s absence. All absences for sickness should be processed in Workday.

Employees will be required to contact their supervisor every day that they are on sick leave and let them know their recovery progress, unless their illness is of a continuing nature such as confinement to a hospital.

A doctor’s certificate may be required for sick leave absences. An employee who misuses the sick leave benefit will be subject to disciplinary action as outlined in the Employee Discipline section. Employees are also required to return to work within one day after a physician certifies that the employee is capable of returning. Failure to return to work under this condition is cause for disciplinary action up to and including dismissal.

In addition, each time an employee utilizes more than three (3) consecutive sick days, the employee’s Family and Medical Leave Act (FMLA) benefits may begin and the total amount of the employee’s FMLA benefits will be reduced by the amount of sick leave utilized. Employees should notify the Benefit Services Manager anytime more than three (3) consecutive sick days are used. 

While on vacation, days on which the employee is confined to a hospital or residence because of a major illness or injury may be charged to sick leave. A certificate from the treating physician is required in each case.

As a normal practice, sick leave is to be used by an employee only for their own sickness or illness. However, when a member of an employee’s family (spouse, child, or parent, as defined by the FMLA) is ill, sick time may be used. Routine medical and dental appointments should be scheduled outside regular working hours. If this is impractical, medical and dental appointments scheduled during regular working hours, with the prior approval of the department head, will be charged to sick leave time.

Leave after Exhaustion of Benefit. After all accumulated sick leave has been used, an employee must use accrued vacation and compensatory time. There will be no negative accrual of sick leave. 

Pregnancy. Illness due to pregnancy is treated the same as any other type of illness for the purposes of this Staff Sick Leave Policy.

Benefit upon Termination. On separation from the College, voluntarily or otherwise, no employee shall be compensated for any accrued unused sick leave. Should an employee be employed by the College at a later date, they will receive no sick leave benefits based on prior service.
Should an employee have any questions about the Sick Leave Policy, please contact the Benefits Services Manager.

Rhodes Tuition Exchange Programs

Rhodes participates in two exchange programs to assist eligible dependent children with the cost of undergraduate tuition at colleges and universities other than Rhodes. 

Eligibility. The dependent child, as defined by the IRS, of a full-time employee with at least 1 year of service. The child must have never married and must begin receiving the benefit before the age of 25. The College reserves the right to request the employee to submit proof of the child's dependency as it is defined by the IRS. Dependents of part-time employees (those scheduled to work less than 37.5 hours per week and 10 months per year) are not eligible for the tuition exchange. The dependent must be accepted for admission by a participating institution.

Benefit for Dependents. Tuition exchange programs are limited to 8 semesters of study or until the requirements for an undergraduate degree are met, whichever comes first.

Exchange Programs. Each program has its own application process and tuition credit program. Please refer to the website for the program below for more specific information. (We recommend that employees contact the Financial Aid office of the individual school as well).

• Associated Colleges of the South (ACS): Information at www.colleges.org including a list of schools. The ACS charges a fee of $2,000 per year for participation in the tuition exchange. Employees should notify the Benefits Services Manager if the employee’s child is applying to a school in this program.
• The Tuition Exchange (TE): Information and list of participating schools at www.tuitionexchange.org. Check with individual schools for tuition waiver amount. Applicants for this program should apply at the website.

Students should apply for admission, all scholarships and financial aid just as they would at any other school. 

Benefits after Termination. No tuition payments will be continued after the termination of employment except in the following cases: In the event of death, retirement, or total disability of a Rhodes employee, one academic year of tuition payments will be granted for the spouse and/or natural or legally adopted children for each four years of full-time employment. If a totally disabled employee recovers and resumes employment with an organization other than Rhodes, the tuition payment will terminate.

Rhodes Tuition Remission Program

Benefit for Employees. After one year of service, full-time employees of Rhodes (those working at least 10 months per year and 37.5 or 40 hours per week depending on the employee’s position) may be eligible for tuition remission. The employee is responsible for the registration and application fees, and must meet Rhodes’ admissions criteria as established by the Committee on Admissions. 

After one year of service, part-time employees (those working at least 18.75 hours per week or 20 hours or more per week depending on the employee’s position) are eligible for tuition remission on a pro-rata basis, under the same provisions as full-time employees. Employees who work fewer than 18.75 hours per week are not eligible for tuition remission.

Employees may take up to two (2) tuition remission courses at Rhodes each semester. Tuition remission will be given provided that:

• The employee’s supervisor approves of the class schedule;
• The employee continues as an employee for the duration of the semester;
• The number of credit hours does not exceed 8 in each semester;

Only one course may be taken during the employee’s regular work schedule for full-time employees. If on a part-time schedule, the employee must arrange for class to be before or after their assigned work schedule. The employee must be in good standing with the College and have no disciplinary actions during the past 12 months. This is not an entitlement; the first priority is the mission and function of the College and our responsibility to the College community is dependent upon each other for timely services. If, however, such arrangements can be made, the employee’s supervisor and the appropriate Dean/VP must approve in writing, prior to registration, the revised work schedule necessary to attend the class. The employee’s actual work time excluding class time remains undiminished, and care should be exercised regarding how the revised work schedule may affect others. This policy does not apply for summer sessions, study abroad, or other special programs.

In order to receive tuition remission at Rhodes, the employee must complete, sign, and submit a Tuition Remission form to Human Resources for approval. This form may be obtained from the Benefits Services Manager. After eligibility is confirmed and tuition remission is approved, the employee must complete an Application for Admission as a Special Student, available in the Office of Admission. Both the completed Tuition Remission form and the completed Application for Admission as a Special Student with the required supporting documents must be submitted to the Office of Admission at least two weeks prior to the beginning of the desired semester of enrollment.

Benefit for Spouse/Partner and Dependents. A spouse, partner, and dependent child (as defined by the IRS) of a full-time employee, provided the child has never married and begins receiving the benefit before the age of 25. The College reserves the right to request the employee to submit proof of the child's dependency as it is defined by the IRS. The spouse/partner and dependents of part-time employees (those working less than 37 ½ hours per week and 10 months per year) are not eligible for tuition remission.

Tuition payments are limited to four (8 semesters) academic terms (including summer) regardless of the number of hours a student is enrolled. In other words, tuition remission is not pro-rated, therefore a student enrolled for only 4 credit hours will still be using one of the 8 terms for which they are eligible. A spouse, partner, or child of eligible employees may take music lessons and may enroll as special students in various courses at special rates. For specific details regarding special fees, inquire at Rhodes Express located in Burrow Hall.

Tuition at Rhodes will be remitted on behalf of spouse, partner, and/or natural or legally adopted child subject to the following qualifications:

• After 1 year of full-time employment — one-third tuition at Rhodes will be remitted.
• After 2 years of full-time employment — two-thirds tuition at Rhodes will be remitted.
• After 3 years of full-time employment — full tuition at Rhodes will be remitted.

In order for a spouse, partner, or dependent to receive tuition remission at Rhodes, the employee must complete, sign, and submit a Tuition Remission form to Human Resources for approval. All students must also apply for admission. This form can be obtained from the Benefits Services Manager. After eligibility is confirmed and tuition remission is approved, the spouse or dependent must complete an Application for Admission. Both the completed Tuition Remission form and the completed Application for Admission with the required supporting documents must be submitted to the Office of Admission before the deadline for regular admissions. 

If an employee’s natural or legally adopted child attending Rhodes receives a merit scholarship from Rhodes, the amount of the Rhodes tuition remission plus the merit scholarship will be credited to the student’s account. However, the total amount of Rhodes tuition remission plus all sources of aid, including outside scholarships, shall not exceed the cost of tuition, room, board, and fees at Rhodes.

Benefits after Termination. No tuition payments will be continued after the termination of employment except in the following cases. In the event of death, retirement, or total disability of a Rhodes employee, one academic year of tuition payments will be granted for the spouse/partner and/or natural or legally adopted children for each four years of full-time employment. If a totally disabled employee recovers and resumes employment with an organization other than Rhodes, the tuition payment will terminate.

Tuition Grant Program

Note: The Tuition Grant Program is no longer available for full time employees whose employment date is subsequent to December 1, 2011.

Eligibility. Natural or legally adopted children, never married, and begin receiving the benefit before age 25, of tenured faculty members, and Deans/VPs.

Benefit. Tuition grants will be remitted at any other accredited college or university in the United States, up to a maximum of Rhodes published tuition price and mandatory fees. It is assumed, under this policy, that each student will make every appropriate effort to take advantage of scholarships offered by the other institutions or by any other agency. Rhodes will pay toward the student’s total bill the smallest of the following three amounts:

• The current tuition and mandatory fees charged by Rhodes.
• The tuition and mandatory fees charged by the college or university the student is attending.
• The tuition, room, board, and mandatory fees charged by the college or university the student is attending less all grants and scholarships received by the student, regardless of the source of the grants and scholarships.

Maximum Benefit. There shall be a limitation of four academic years (or the equivalent thereof) of baccalaureate study for each eligible child of a tenured faculty member. Enrollment for more than four academic years and/or after the receipt of a baccalaureate degree will not qualify for tuition grants.

All tuition grant payments under this benefit are considered taxable income and are subject to applicable withholding taxes.

Eligibility. Twelve month staff employees earn vacation time. Faculty and 10-month staff do not earn vacation time. For time off for faculty, see the Faculty Handbook.

Benefit. Exempt employees earn 23 days of vacation with full base pay per 12 month period. Vacation is accrued on a biweekly basis at 6.63 hours per pay period for 26 pay periods.

Non-Exempt employees accrue 11 days paid vacation per year for the first 8 years of continuous service. After 8 years of service, employees will accrue 16 days paid vacation per year, and upon completion of 15 years of continuous service, employees will earn 21 days paid vacation per year.

The following chart provides information concerning vacation accrual rates for non-exempt employees. These rates are based on 26 pay periods.

Time off after exhaustion of benefit. After all accumulated vacation leave has been used, there will be no negative accrual of vacation leave.

Maximum. A year is defined as 12 full months of employment. An employee’s “year” begins on the first of the month following their hire date. The maximum vacation accrual is one and one half time (1 1/2) the annual vacation rate.

For example, if an employee earns vacation at the rate of two weeks (10 days) a year, the maximum accrual allowed is three weeks (15 days). Employees will lose credit for unused vacation time in excess of these maximums.

Utilizing Benefit. The actual date(s) of vacation time must be approved by the employee’s supervisor. Employees with compensatory time available must use that before using Vacation pay.

Subpoenas. Employees that have received a subpoena to appear either as a witness or as a defendant shall adhere to the vacation policy. 

Introductory Period. Vacation with pay may not be granted until a new employee has completed the 90 day introductory period, although vacation credit will be accrued during that period.

Benefit upon Termination. When an employee terminates their employment with the College after their introductory period, the employee will be paid for any unused vacation accruals subject to the following limitations:

• Employees who have at least fifteen consecutive years of service as a full-time staff member will be paid a maximum of one month (23 days) of unused vacation. 
• Employees who have less than fifteen consecutive years of service as a full-time staff member will be paid a maximum of two weeks (10 days) of unused vacation. 

However, if the employee’s termination is a result of disciplinary actions, or if the employee does not give sufficient notice (2 weeks) of their resignation, payment of unused vacation accruals will be forfeited. Employees will not be paid for any vacation leave if they leave the service of the College, voluntarily or otherwise, during their introductory period. If, subsequent to employee’s termination of employment for any reason, the employee should again be employed by the College, they shall not receive seniority or vacation benefits based on prior service.

An employee may not use vacation for the purpose of extending their date of termination. Employees may take vacation during the notice period. However, payment for unused vacation accruals will be reduced by the amount of vacation taken during the notice period. 

Should an employee have any questions concerning the vacation policy, please contact the Benefits Services Manager.