Chapter 23: Jury Duty and Subpoenas for Court Appearance
23.1 Jury Duty
A University employee officially called for jury duty shall be excused on the days actually served upon presentation of evidence of the call and any subsequent service to their supervisor, Director, or Department Chair. Neither normal salary nor accrued leave time will be affected, and the employee is entitled to retain any routine jury payment received for service. Administrative and Professional staff and faculty members are expected to perform their normal duties, if reasonably possible, when not actually in court or performing duties related to the jury service, and faculty shall make arrangements for the teaching of any classes to be missed with the Department Chair. A copy of the jury summons is to be provided by the employee to their supervisor, Director, or Department Chair and to the Office of Human Resources. If the employee is released early from service or service for that date is canceled, they employee is required to report to work.
23.2 Subpoena for Appearance
23.2.1 A University employee who is compelled by subpoena to appear in his or her official University capacity as a witness in a judicial proceeding must immediately notify their supervisor, Director, or Department Chair upon receipt of the subpoena, and a copy shall be forwarded to the Office of Human Resources and the Vice President for Business Affairs. The Vice President for Business Affairs will coordinate any additional review required. If it is determined that the subpoena is valid and the employee is required to appear in court, the appearance shall be considered as the conduct of regular and assigned duties and shall not affect normal salary or leave time. In such cases, the employee may not accept a witness fee for the appearance.
23.2.2 If the subpoenaed appearance as a witness is not in an official University capacity and the employee is not a party to the judicial proceedings or acting in a paid consultative capacity for a party to the litigation, the employee must notify their supervisor, Director, or Department Chair of the required court appearance. The resulting absence from University duties for the time actually required for the court appearance shall not affect normal salary or leave time, and the employee may accept a witness fee for the appearance.
23.2.3 Employees appearing as a witness or otherwise participating in judicial proceedings to which they are a party in their private capacity or are professionally engaged as a consultant by a party to the litigation must do so on their own time and take vacation leave time if eligible or request an unpaid leave of absence from the University. Remunerated participation is further subject to compliance with the University’s regulation of outside employment by employees pursuant to Chapter 4 of this Section of the Handbook.