EHRA Non-Faculty

EHRA Non-Faculty Position Management

EHRA Non-Faculty positions fall into two categories:

  1. Senior Academic and Administrative Officers (SAAO)
  2. Instructional, Research and Information Technology (IRIT) positions

In order for a position to be EHRA, it must fall into one of these categories. For more information on these categories, review the EHRA Designation Guide.

All position actions have to be routed through NinerTalent, however, if you are looking to create a new position please complete the EHRA analysis tool and contact our office before entering the information into NinerTalent. We require a current and accurate position description for all EHRA Non-Faculty positions in NinerTalent.

For assistance with NinerTalent, please reference the EHRA Non-Faculty Position Management User Guide.

EHRA Non-Faculty Position Definitions and Classifications

As a State entity, the University of North Carolina System is subject to the North Carolina Human Resources Act (the Act) and its various provisions. Based on principal job functions, some University positions are subject to the Act and are referred to as SHRA, while others are exempt from the Act and referred to as EHRA. There are two broad categories of staff positions exempt from the Act, which are: Instructional, Research and Information Technology (IRIT) and Senior Academic and Administrative Officers (SAAO).​

Any non-faculty position that is proposed for EHRA status must meet the criteria for either IRIT or SAAO to be covered under the human resources policies established by the Board of Governors of the University of North Carolina System.

SAAO Tier I and Tier II Positions

Tier I SAAO

Positions qualifying for designation as Tier I SAAOs are characterized by the following job titles:

  • Chancellor
  • Executive vice chancellor
  • Provost
  • Vice chancellor
  • Dean
  • Directors of major administrative, educational, research, and public services activities of the University designated by the Board of Governors

Tier II

The remainder of senior officer positions qualifies for designation as Tier II SAAOs and includes the following job titles and/or principal functions:

  • Senior associate, associate, and assistant vice chancellors.
  • Vice, senior associate, associate, and assistant provosts.
  • Vice, senior associate, associate, and assistant deans. This includes senior leadership positions in administrative divisions within academic units (e.g., Assistant/Associate Dean for Finance, Assistant/Associate Dean for Human Resources, etc.). Each administrative division within an academic unit is limited to one Tier II leadership position.
  • Professional members of the chancellor’s staff such as assistant to the chancellor, special assistant to the chancellor, special advisor to the chancellor, chief of staff to the chancellor, and secretary of the university.
  • A position that provides administrative direction of separately designated divisions or departments of institutional activity (e.g., campus-wide offices) uniquely associated with institutions of higher education or that serve as a principal deputy to such a position. These positions are characterized by active, continuing involvement in formulating, interpreting, and implementing institutional policy and exercising substantial independence of administrative authority and discretion in areas such as program planning and design and allocation of resources. In the instance of a “principal deputy,” these positions generally fall within offices with significant campus-wide responsibility and scope and there is only a single “principal deputy” designated within the defined work unit.

Refer to the EHRA Non-Faculty Position Analysis Guide for further information about the SAAO designation.

IRIT Positions

The ongoing job responsibilities for such positions for IRIT must address one of the following:

  • Engage in or be uniquely supportive of instruction, student success, and/or the direction or coordination of education or academic-supportive activities.
  • Engage in or be uniquely supportive of original scholarship, creativity, or scientific research efforts, and the dissemination of such research/scholarship results (including dissemination through extension/public service). The ongoing job responsibilities must be involved with independent research design, implementation of research procedures, analysis of data, interpretation of research results, and/or dissemination of results through publication or public service.
  • Serve in an FLSA-exempt information technology position within a UNC System EHRA Non-Faculty IT Professional classification. UNC System Office EHRA Non-Faculty Classification Guide * Page 4 of 11 * Revised August 2022
  • Serve as a staff physician or staff veterinarian (without primary faculty rank), providing clinical healthcare services to human or animal populations.

IRIT Subcategories include:

Academic Advising & Assessment, Academic Preparation & Enhancement, Academic Standards, Athletics Coaching and Athletics Management, Audit, Business, and Finance, Certified Law Enforcement, Continuing Education, Cooperative Education, Counselors, Information Technology Professional, Institutional Research & Assessment Management, Instructional Consulting, Laboratory Management, Physicians and Dentists, Public Service & Extension, Research Administration & Compliance, Research and Clinical Professionals, Student Support Services, and Technology Transfer.

Refer to the EHRA Non-Faculty Position Analysis Guide for the subcategory definitions and requirements.

Certain IRIT positions have specific classification definitions: EHRA Information Technology Classification Definitions

Resources

The UNC System Comparison of Employment Policies – SHRA and EHRA Non-Faculty Employees

Quick Reference Guides

User Guides: