REPORT TO CIVIL SERVICE COMMISSION
SUBJECT
Title
Discussion of Classified Minimum Qualifications
Report
BACKGROUND
At the April 11, 2024 Civil Service Commission meeting, commissioners requested to add a discussion item to a future meeting agenda regarding adding an experience equivalency for college/university degree requirements listed on some classified class specifications. This discussion also included consideration of degrees from institutions outside the United States.
DISCUSSION
The current City practice is for the hiring Department to review the class specification before a job announcement is posted. The hiring manager (also known as the subject matter expert) is provided the class specification and is given the opportunity to propose edits, including to the Minimum Qualifications (MQs) section. If the hiring manager determines edits need to be made to the class specification, the revisions are reviewed by the Human Resources Department, the impacted City department(s), and the impacted bargaining group. During this review process, Human Resources staff may also conduct a classification study to ensure proposed modifications are in alignment with the industry standards of its comparator agencies, which would include aligning the minimum qualification requirements.
Once the revisions are completed and the impacted stakeholders agree with the proposed revisions, the class specification revisions are brought to the Civil Service Commission for approval in accordance with Civil Service Rules & Regulations.
As a preliminary matter, it is important to note that many classified positions do not require any education beyond a high school diploma or possession of a G.E.D. For class specifications that list "education equivalent to" a college/university degree, current practice is to consider the degree and/or number of units reported on the application to determine if the candidate meets MQs. For class specifications that list "education and experience ...
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