Policies & Procedures

The three major groups of permanent employment at the University are referred to as “SHRA”, “CSS”, “DMSS”, and “EHRA.”

As a State entity, the University of North Carolina (UNC) system  is subject to the State Human Resources Act (SHRA). University positions are administered in accordance with the provisions and requirements of that Act. Positions covered by the Act are referred to as “SHRA” positions.

Clinical Support Staff (CSS) were created at ECU to meet the needs of the health care marketplace. Support staff for ECU Physicians are usually designated as CSS staff in contrast to SHRA. In order to be designated as CSS, more than 50% of an employee’s duties must be clinically oriented and in support of the practice plan.

Dental Medicine Support Staff (DMSS) were created at ECU to meet the needs of the dental school operations. DMSS employees, and the clinics they support, may be considered more similar to private dental practice clinics than to traditional state agency positions.

Positions considered exempt from the State Human Resources Act are referred to as Exempt Human Resources Act (EHRA), fall in these categories:

• Non-Faculty Instructional, Research, and Information Technology positions
• Senior Academic & Administrative Officer (“SAAO”) positions

While these groups are all state employees and share many similarities, SHRA, CSS, DMSS, and EHRA employees have some differences in terms of benefits, leave allowances, and policies. ECU’s Department of Human Resources provides human resources programs and policy administration for SHRA, CSS, DMSS, and EHRA Non-Faculty positions. For EHRA Faculty, human resources are primarily administered by the Office of the Provost or the Health Sciences Human Resources office.