OAR 471-030-0075: Contract or reasonable assurance defined

(1) The following must be present before determining whether an individual has a contract or reasonable assurance: (a) There must be an offer of employment, which can be written, oral, or implied. The offer must be made by an individual with authority to offer employment. (b) The offer of employment during the ensuing academic year or term must be in the same or similar capacity as the service performed during the prior academic year or term. The term ‘same or similar capacity’ refers to the type of services provided: i.e., a ‘professional’ capacity as provided by ORS 657.167 or a ‘nonprofessional’ capacity as provided by ORS 657.221. (c) The economic conditions of the offer may not be considerably less in the following academic year, term or remainder of a term than the employment in the first year or term. The term ‘considerably less’ means the employee will not earn at least 90% of the amount, excluding employer paid benefits, than the employee earned in the first academic year or term, or in a corresponding term if the employee does not regularly work successive terms (i.e. the employee works spring term each year). (2) An individual has a contract to perform services during the ensuing academic year, term, or remainder of a term when there is an enforceable, non-contingent agreement that provides for compensation for an entire academic year or on an annual basis. (3) An individual has reasonable assurance to perform services during the ensuing academic year, term, or remainder of a term when: (a) The agreement contains no contingencies within the employer’s control. Contingencies within the employer’s control include, but are not limited to, the following: (A) Course Programming; (B) Decisions on how to allocate available funding; (C) Final course offerings; (D) Program changes; (E) Facility availability; and (F) Offers that allow an employer to retract at their discretion. (b) The totality of circumstances shows it is highly probable there is a job available for the individual in the following academic year or term. Factors to determine the totality of the circumstances include, but are not limited to: (A) Funding, including appropriations; (B) Enrollment; (C) The nature of the course (required or options, taught regularly or sporadically); (D) The employee’s seniority; (E) Budgeting and assignment practices of the school; (F) The number of offers made in relation to the number of potential teaching assignments; and (G) The period of student registration. (c) It is highly probable any contingencies not within the employer’s control in the offer of employment will be met. (4) An individual who voluntarily leaves work for good cause, as defined under OAR 471-030-0038, does not have reasonable assurance with the employer from whom the person left work.