Position Budgeting

​New position requests and position modifications must have initial approval from their Divisional VPs (President's Staff member) for the upcoming fiscal year. Once the VP gives the approval, the financial manager for the department must contact Human Resources to receive access to the online position request form. The manager will provide justification for the new position or position adjustment. Human Resources (HR) will provide the compensation and benefits information. All personnel budget requests for the upcoming year must be submitted to HR by late January.

More information about staff position budgeting can be found here [pdf].

 

Items to consider when drafting a new position:

  • Position Summary: Purpose of the job as well as position responsibilities. The position should advance Swarthmore's mission and reflect the College's values. 
  • Responsibilities: Essential and secondary tasks/duties, including supervisory responsibilities. 
  • Qualifications: Required (Education, Experience, Licenses/Certifications, Other Skills) and Preferred (Education and/or Experience above a required level). 
  • Physical Demands: Physical requirements for the position, which is important for compliance with the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA)
  • Working Conditions: Irregular or unusual work schedules and/or conditions required.

Lastly, please identify if the position will require office space or some form of campus space as part of the individual's work responsibilities. Positions that have space needs will be brought to the attention of the Capital Planning team.  

Full Time Equivalent (FTE)

Full Time Equivalent (FTE) is a unit that indicates the number of hours worked by one employee on a full-time basis. At Swarthmore, an FTE of 1.0 indicates a full-time employee working 35 hours per week (40 hours for most essential employees such as EVS and Public Safety positions). An FTE of 0.5 indicates a person working half-time. Below is a handy guide to help you determine the correct level of hours for a position. 

  • Annual hour base (35 hours) x 52 weeks = 1,820 hours    (Half-time = 910 hours)
  • Annual hour base (40 hours) x 52 weeks = 2,080 hours    (Half-time = 1,040 hours)

FTE by month (Full-Time)*

12 months = 1.0 FTE

11 months = 0.92 FTE

10 months = 0.83 FTE

9 months = 0.75 FTE

8 months = 0.67 FTE

7 months = 0.58 FTE

6 months = 0.50 FTE

5 months = 0.416 FTE

4 months = 0.33 FTE

3 months = 0.25 FTE

2 month = 0.167 FTE

1 month = 0.083 FTE

  • Individuals that are 0.75 FTE or higher are eligible for full-time benefits.
  • Individuals that are between 0.5 and 0.7499 FTE are eligible for part-time benefits.

* Part-time FTE are calculated based on the number of hours per week.