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Internal Professional Promotion Plan for Faculty & Staff


Management and the UUP bargaining unit at SUNY Plattsburgh share the responsibility of maintaining a strong and motivated workforce. Our university's success depends on its employees, and this plan aims to recognize the value of those who dedicate their careers to SUNY Plattsburgh. We believe in fostering internal career development to boost employee morale and institutional success, offering current employees priority consideration for open positions. 

“Internal” promotions to vacant positions are provided for in the Memorandum of Understanding Relating to a System of Promotion and Certain Salary Increases for Professional Employees, III.E.(1). Additionally, this document clarifies the process outlined in the earlier Plattsburgh State Plan for Internal Professional Promotion (August 16, 1988).  For operational purposes and in addition to promotional opportunities, professional employees seeking lateral, non-promotional opportunities may also use this plan.

UUP and SUNY Plattsburgh management recognize that certain situations will justify professional promotions being made to vacant positions that bypass the process described below.  For example, an assistant director or associate director may be the best person qualified to fill their department’s vacated director position, and in those instances, posting the position will not be necessary. These determinations will be made by management after weighing: (1) fairness to the professional employee by allowing an appropriate promotional opportunity, (2) campus affirmative action considerations, and (3) the greater needs of the campus.

Furthermore, Article XII, Title C, section 6 of the SUNY Policies of the Board of Trustees authorizes the chief administrative officer (i.e., college president) to make personnel decisions:

“Notwithstanding anything contained herein the chief administrative officer of a college may promote or recommend for promotion directly to the chancellor, or designee, any professional employee in the Professional Services Negotiating Unit at the chief administrative officer's college.”

Nothing contained in this document shall serve to modify or lessen the rights and privileges assigned to campus management, United University Professions, or employees under the terms and conditions provided in the SUNY Policies of the Board of Trustees and the UUP/SUNY agreement.

All UUP professional vacancies, including entry-level positions, will be covered by this plan.

At the discretion of the president, after consultation with the affirmative action officer, this process may also be used for some positions designated as management/confidential. However, this process will not be used when searching for the positions of dean, vice president or provost.

Specifically, it is the responsibility of the Human Resource and Payroll Services to ensure that the provisions of the UUP/NYS agreement are met regarding special consideration for retrenched university employees (Article 35).

April 24, 2009 

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