Salary Policies and Procedures

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Last Updated: Sep 21, 2026, 10:05 AM

Position Classification

Each civil service position is classified according to its duties, responsibilities, and requirements. All job titles correspond to the classification plan of the State Universities Civil Service System of Illinois. A classification plan exists in order to provide a basis for consistent and equitable salary relationships and to assist in recruiting, testing, and proper placement of personnel. Current classification specifications are available for study and review at Civil Service Employment and Classification.

Human Resources has been delegated the authority to assign civil service positions to the appropriate classification. A request for a position review may be initiated by the incumbent of the position, the supervisor, or the department head by submitting a signed, up-to-date position description to Human Resources through the appropriate administrative channels. When the position description is received in Human Resources, a staff member will review the material and make arrangements to visit the department to discuss the duties and responsibilities with the employee and the immediate supervisor. When a classification determination has been made, the department head will be advised in writing of the audit recommendation and will be instructed to share the results of the evaluation with the incumbent. Periodic reviews of civil service positions may also be initiated by Human Resources.

Position Description

Position descriptions, together with the class specifications, are the cornerstone of the classification program. A position description shows for each job such things as its function, its duties and responsibilities, its complexity, the knowledge and skills required to perform the job, reporting relationships, working conditions, and supervisory responsibilities. All position descriptions must list the essential duties of the position. Essential duties are those which meet the following standards:

  1. the duty must be done;
  2. taking this duty from the job would fundamentally change the job;
  3. the job exists to perform this duty;
  4. there would be significant consequences if this duty were not done.
Written position descriptions prepared before advertising or interviewing applicants may be used to establish that certain functions are essential. Such documentation may be used as evidence to determine the university's compliance with the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990.

If the essential functions of a job have not already been defined, the position description must be reviewed and the listing of essential duties updated and submitted to Human Resources before a civil service position can be filled. Position descriptions for those positions with continuing incumbents are also reviewed and updated periodically. The State Universities Civil Service System requires new employees or position incumbents whose position descriptions have been updated to sign and date their current position descriptions. Their supervisors, after reviewing the position descriptions for accuracy, will also sign and date them. The position description for each civil service position must be updated at least once every 3 years.

A Position Description Format is available from Human Resources to provide assistance in writing or revising a position description.

Determination of Salary or Wage Rates

Each job classification falls into one of the following categories for the purpose of salary administration:

  1. Range: Classifications in the range category have established minimum and maximum salary values and are normally adjusted annually. The specific salary range for each classification is based on an evaluation of data obtained through local, state, and national salary surveys and on an analysis of the rates in effect at other universities in the state.
  2. Negotiated: The rates of pay for employees in negotiated classes are determined by periodic negotiations between university officials and union representatives having jurisdiction over the class concerned. Initial hire rates and raises are granted in accordance with the terms of the collective bargaining agreement.
  3. Prevailing: The salaries of employees in prevailing classes are established in accordance with the terms of the contract between the given craft and the area multi-employer association. All SIUC employees in the group are hired and receive increases in accordance with terms of the contract.
  4. Established: Employees in classifications in this category receive a salary which is set in a direct relationship to the rate for another class. When there is a change in the rate for the classifications to which the established classification is tied, employees in the established category receive a proportionate increase.