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Freeze Exemption 2025

Update: Request for Freeze Exemption Process

As announced by the Chancellor’s Office on 1/13/2025, a freeze to hiring, equipment purchases/contract services (exceeding $10k) and out-of-state travel was implemented to align with the suggested guidelines for budget control from governor’s Inslee’s office. We kindly request that we all adhere to these guidelines for the duration of the freeze. We understand that the rollout of the exemption request process has been a challenging process, and we have worked diligently with each campus to clarify the process for requesting an exemption to the freeze. Your patience with this process is deeply appreciated by our team.

Please take note that from this point forward, position requests will not be approved in ctcLink without a signed exemption form included in the attachments of the request. Purchase orders exceeding the $10k threshold will not move forward unless a signed exemption form is attached to the requisition. Out-of-state travel authorization will pass the review stage once a signed exemption form is attached to the authorization form.

Please follow the steps below to complete the request for freeze exemption process:

StepActionApproval or Key Contact
1.Submitter to verify funding source and available fund balance with campus budget director via Help Desk ticket.North: Andrew Buchanan     
Central: Lela Cross (acting)     
South: Lolita Khachaturova     
District: George Ray 
2. Use the Decision Tree to determine if the position can move forward in the hiring process.Decision Tree
3. Request for Freeze Exemption Required.Position meets the requirements to submit exemption request form to the Request for Freeze Exemption Survey
4.Fill out the Request for Freeze Exemption (RFE) form and upload unsigned into the Request for Freeze Exemption Survey. Moderator receives notification of submission- forms are copied to signature folder of EA of each campus (Teams channel) every Monday.Submissions are filtered into Teams for EAs to process per campus internal procedures Site Moderator: Angelina Nelson-Jeffrey
5.Campus EA submits the position to their President based on individual campus procedures every Tuesday (COEA presents District requests to Chancellor/President team).North: Toni Stankovic     
Central: Alexis Mccamy     
South: Koh Phasomsap     
District: Vanessa R. Johnson
6. EA uploads President-signed Exemption Request into respective Exempt Process Team folders.Signed document presented to Chancellor/President by District EA
7. Signed Request for Freeze Exemption form goes through final review by Chancellor/Presidents. Approved forms are signed by the Chancellor COEA informs HR of status of all completed forms.Chancellor President meetings: 1st and 3rd Wednesday
8.a.Hiring/Personnel: COEA provides copy to HRD, CCing submitter. HRD moves forward with ctcLink position approval.North: Xaila Lewis (interim)     
Central: Scott Rixon     
South: Briane Franks     
District: Tim Collins/Xaila Lewis
8.b.Purchasing: EA returns signed copy to submitter. Submitter includes signed form as a pdf on the requisition in ctcLink. The purchasing team will only approve requisitions that include this document.North: Lisa Gacer     
Central: Jasmine Jackson     
South/District: Angela Gurney
8.c.Travel: EA returns signed copy to submitter. Submitter includes signed form as a pdf in the travel authorization attachments section. Travel coordinator will move forward with review and approvals.North/Central: Vanessa Martinez    
District/South: Ken Delmese

For Reference:

Regarding Stipends: 

Please note the exceptions found in the Hiring/Personnel Request for Freeze Exemption Form:

  • "Seattle Colleges may not fill a new or vacant position for those supported by funds 001, 101 (State Allocation), 149 (State Tuition), and 146 for Running Start and International revenues, with the stated exceptions below. All active searches will be suspended. "Active search" is defined as a position that has already been approved through ctcLink AND has been posted and opened for search, and is currently accepting applications. Other personnel costs include: stipends, sabbaticals, exempt non-represented reclassifications, reassigned time."
  • This freeze on personnel hires does not apply to positions that are: Funded exclusively (100%) by self-support or revenue-backed programs including, but not limited to private or federal grants (146 or 148), auxiliary services(520), student activity fees (522) lab fees (148) or allocated capital funding (147).

Purchasing (Equipment & Service Contracts exceeding $10k):

  • Adding funds to existing POs (blanket POs) will require an exemption request form.
  • A19s are not used to reimburse for purchases exceeding $10k and will not require an exemption form to process.
  • Purchases exceeding $10k will require a fully signed exemption form before the Purchasing department can move forward with approval of a requisition. The form must be attached in the ctcLink requisition as a PDF.

Signature Processing Timelines:

  • All staff are required to submit their complete exemption requests through the Microsoft forms host site so that it may undergo the signature process; the timeline of which is dependent upon in internal procedures of each campus. Please refrain from direct submissions to EAs or individual personnel.
  • District requests are processed for signatures on the 1st and 3rd Wednesday of the month.
  • If you are curious about the status of your submission at the president’s level, please reach out to your campus EA via email or the Help Desk.

Assistance: 

  • For assistance, please submit a ticket to the Help Desk where a budget director, human resources representative, purchasing team-member, travel coordinator or executive assistant can assist you.
  • You may also reach out to district finance and operations at scdbf@seattlecolleges.edu; CCing your campus EA.

Please complete the form and upload into the host site to have your request reviewed and signed. All requests are processed for signatures in batches on the 1st and 3rd Wednesday of the month. On behalf of Seattle Colleges administration, we thank you for your patience and understanding during this transition and appreciate the great work you’ve done in working through the process with us.

Seattle Colleges    
District Finance and Operations & SC Exemption Process Team     
scdbf@seattlecolleges.edu    
1500 Harvard Ave    
Seattle, WA 98122