Procedure Manuals
Details

For human resource staff, more detailed instructions, procedures, and exam materials are available on the secure section of the SUCSS website.

An applicant/employee should directly contact the university where they are seeking employment for specific deadlines as it relates to testing protocols.

Credentials Assessment is a rating by the human resources department of an applicant's/employee's education, experience and special credentials/qualifications (licenses, etc.). The human resource department uses guidelines to assign specific points to each section of the Credentials Assessment. To determine an appropriate rating for each examination, a review of a résumé, cover letter, university/agency official employment application, official college transcript, copies of license/certification and any other relevant material may be required. The final rating of the Credentials Assessment accounts for 100% of the entire examination.

Topics covered in the Credentials Assessment include the following:

• University/college coursework and/or degrees from an accredited institution of higher learning preferably in police science, law enforcement, other police or law curriculum or a closely related field.
• Military and/or Police Training.
• Completion of a training program related to FBI National Academy, Northwestern Traffic Institute, Law Enforcement Officers Certification Examination, Illinois Law Enforcement Officers Executive Management, Southern Police Institute, PERF’s Senior Management Institute for Police (SMIP) or an equivalent advanced police/management program (if required by the employing institution) etc.
• Full-time work experience related to serving as a police officer and related to the primary functions of the position and position description AND with the appropriate amount full-time supervisory experience or management experience as required by the position, related to law enforcement, police, field training officer, shift or unit commander, etc.) or obtained at a position of similar responsibility with a federal, state, county, college or university, municipal, or public institutional police organization having a recognized merit system and the position to which they are applying.

The application/résumé must include a complete work history and educational background, which will be evaluated for the position.

• Updated copies of transcripts, résumés, and/or other verification of education/training/employment, special credentials/qualifications (licenses, etc.).

A copy of the applicant’s/employee’s driver’s license, state identification, etc. or other government-issued picture identification should be on file with the University’s Human Resource Department.

Before administering the Credential Assessment, a human resource representative should review the following documents listed in the SUCSS apps for an overview of the testing process.

Human resources must read the following:

• Ethical Guidelines (Section 9.6) and
• Employment Guidelines.

Upon participating in the Police Lieutenant, Police Captain, and/or Deputy Chief Credentials Assessment, an applicant will review the following documents provided by the respective university for an overview of the testing process.

Applicant/Employee Materials to be read are the following:

• Ethical Guidelines (Section 9.6) and
• ACT 70 State Universities Civil Service Act and Confidentiality Statement (must also be signed).

The Credentials Assessment should only be completed for those applicants/employees who have met the Minimum Acceptable Qualifications. An applicant/employee is encouraged to update their applications and submit copies of their official transcripts, résumés, driver’s license, and/or other verification of education/training/employment to assist in evaluating their credentials. All certificates or documents used to validate education/experience applicable to this examination must be verified and current at the time of the examination and will become property of human resources.

Upon receiving the applicant's/employee's official employment application, résumé, official transcripts, summary of experience and proof of any special credentials/qualifications (licenses, certificates, etc.) and cover letter, the human resource department uses guidelines for each level’s Credentials Assessment (Police Lieutenant, Police Captain and/or Deputy Chief) to assign specific points for each section of the Credentials Assessment to determine an appropriate rating for each examination.

Test monitors should strictly follow the Employment Guidelines when administering this examination. All certificates or documents used to validate education/training applicable to this examination must be verified by reviewing the actual document or obtaining a copy of the document. If these documents are not available at the time of examination, the applicant should present this information to the human resources office within 24 hours.

The Test Administrator should complete all of the information on the Credentials Assessment including the Equal Employment Opportunity (EEO) form to collect demographic information and notify the applicant of their score. The applicant’s/employee’s race, color, religion, sex (including sexual harassment and pregnancy), national origin, ancestry, age, marital status, disability, military status, familial status, sexual orientation (including gender identity) or unfavorable military discharge must not be considered in determining the rating of a candidate’s Credentials Assessment score.

Notification of Score

The Credentials Assessment rating ultimately determines the applicant’s/employee’s final score. The employment register for each classification is subsequently established based on the final test scores.

If an applicant/employee passes or fails the Credentials Assessment for the Police Lieutenant, Police Captain, and Deputy Chief, the University’s Human Resources will notify the applicant/employee through a Notification of Score upon completion. This document, derived from E-Test, will share a scoring summary of the Credentials Assessment.

In accordance with the Act and Administrative Rules, any applicant/employee may rewrite the Credentials Assessment for the Police Lieutenant, Police Captain, and Deputy Chief classifications 4 times within any 12 month period with at least one month (30 days) time lapse between each rewrite.

The Deputy Chief is a Custom Class and may not be offered unless there is a vacancy.

A Police Lieutenant, Police Captain, and/or Deputy Chief examination will be determined as 'Incomplete' when an applicant has failed to submit the required materials within the prescribed time period. An ‘Incomplete’ results in a failing score (0) for the entire examination.

The appeal process follows recheck procedures as outlined in the Examination Procedures Manual, Section 1.6, Review of Examinations. A candidate may request a recheck from the university that administered the examination within 30 days after receiving the Notice of Examination Score. The University System office reviews the Credentials Assessment using all of the materials that were used by the place of employment to ensure all components were calculated accurately. There are no further steps to the appeal process.

Applications/résumés and other submitted materials utilized in the Credentials Assessment for the Police Lieutenant and/or Police Captain, must be kept on file in accordance with approved record retention policies but at least for two (2) months after completion.

Applications/résumés and other submitted materials utilized in the Credentials Assessment for the Deputy Chief must be kept on file in accordance with approved record retention policies for the employer’s Custom Classes.