Getting Started w/Faculty EPAFs

Banner HR offers the Electronic Personnel Action Form (EPAF) through Employee Self-Service (ESS) via myEOL, providing a modern, paperless way to process personnel actions.

Here’s how we currently use EPAFs:

  • Adjunct Faculty: Rehire contracts for Fall, Spring, and Summer terms
  • Permanent Faculty (benefit-eligible): Overloads and stipends
  • Permanent Non-Faculty: Teaching overloads

The EPAF streamlines workflows by eliminating paper forms, offering real-time integration, and enhancing accessibility. Designed to be mobile-friendly, it allows users to initiate and approve actions anytime, anywhere.

 

Before You Begin

To use EPAFs, you must first request access:

 

  • Once approved, you’ll be able to log in and begin using EPAFs in Employee Self-Service (ESS) via myEOL.

EPAF Roles

Among an EPAF, user access and responsibilities are separated into specific roles:

  • Originators – Initiate and create new electronic personnel actions.
  • Approvers – Review and approve actions, return them for correction, or add comments.
  • Proxy – Authorized to approve in place of the assigned Approver.
  • FYI Reviewer – View-only role; no action is required.
  • Applier – HR designee who applies approved EPAFs into Banner for payroll.

Examples of Role Assignments:

  • Originator: Department Administrative Assistant or designated staff person
  • Approvers: Principal Investigator, Supervisor/Department Head, Director/AVC, Dean/Vice Chancellor, Budget Executive
  • FYI Reviewer: Faculty Approver, Provost

For Originators

Locating an EPAF

  • Not Yet Submitted: Find it in EPAF Originator Summary → Current tab.
  • Submitted Transactions: Found in your History tab.
  • Waiting / Returned for Correction: Found in your Current tab.

Tips for Originators

  • Set up a default routing queue to save time on commonly used approval categories.
  • Always select the correct Approval Category:
    • Adjunct Faculty → code begins with ADJ
    • Overloads → code begins with OVL
    • Stipends → code begins with STP
  • Click All Jobs to see the employee’s history and select the correct position suffix.
  • Once saved, every EPAF is automatically assigned a transaction number.
  • If you make a mistake after submission and the status is still Pending, you can select Return for Correction to edit.
  • You can search for transactions by employee name, Banner ID (preferred), or transaction number.
  • Avoid creating duplicate EPAFs for the same employee and position.

Position numbers:

  • XCxxxx = Permanent Employees and Permanent Faculty
  • FAxxxx = Spring and Fall Adjunct Faculty
  • SSxxxx = Summer Faculty

 

For Approvers

Locating an EPAF

  • Pending EPAFs needing your approval appear in your Current tab.
  • The In My Queue tab shows EPAFs that will be routed to you in the future.

 

Tips for Approvers

  • You can assign one or more proxies to approve on your behalf.
  • Confirm the EPAF uses the correct approval category for the employee type.
  • Review effective dates, number of pays, and term dates.
  • Review EPAFs carefully — use the comment section if you need more information before approving.

 

EPAF Tips to Remember

  • Contract Type:
    • (P) Primary – An employee’s main or first job.
    • (S) Secondary – A supplemental job in addition to the main job. (Employees must always have a primary job.)
  • EPAF Dates:
    • Base Job Begin Date – First date a person ever worked in a given position number. This never changes.
    • Query Date – Always match this to the Effective Date. It defaults into all date fields.
    • Effective Date – The date the action takes effect in Banner (usually a payroll date).
    • Personnel Date – The true start, end, or change date (can differ from the Effective Date if action is late).
  • Duplicate EPAFs → make sure a previous EPAF hasn’t been submitted for the same employee/position

Position Errors

  • Invalid Position Number → Contact the Budget Office or Contracts & Grants, depending on the position number.

EPAF Processes

  • Permanent employees and faculty receive benefits. They are never adjuncts.
  • Adjuncts do not receive benefits.
  • Overloads, stipends, and summer teaching by permanent employees and faculty are all in addition to their regular positions.
  • XCxxxx = assigned position for teaching/overload/stipend (not their regular position).
  • FAxxxx (Spring/Fall) and SSxxxx (Summer) = assigned positions for adjuncts.
  • New adjuncts or faculty who haven’t taught in over a year must go through PeopleAdmin.
  • Chair, Endowed, or Administrative Stipends require an End Date.
  • EPAFs are used only for adjuncts returning within one year to teach the same or similar courses.

 

EPAF Statuses

Each transaction moves through statuses depending on the action taken:

  • Pending – Awaiting action from an Approver.
  • Approved – Action approved by the Approver.
  • Disapproved – Action denied.
  • Void – Action canceled by the Originator.
  • FYI – View only; no action required.
  • More Information – Approver has requested clarification.
  • In the Queue – Transaction is on its way but requires action before reaching your level.
  • Acknowledge – FYI user has viewed the EPAF.
  • Removed from Queue – System-generated for EPAFs voided or disapproved before reaching certain approvers.
  • Return for Correction – Sent back to Originator for updates.
  • Applied/Completed – Approved EPAF has been fully applied to Banner.

 

 
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