Angela Abreu, CSC Docket No. 2019-1534

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Appellant's argumentAngela Abreu requests to be permitted to submit an application for the open competitive examination for Technical Assistant 2 Purchasing (S2142W), Statewide, after the filing closing date.

BackgroundBy way of background, the announcement for the subject examination was issued on October 15, 2018, and was open to New Jersey residents who possessed 60 college credits at an accredited college and two years of paraprofessional or technical support experience in procurement/purchasing. Applicants who did not possess 60 semester hours credits could substitute additional applicable experience on a year for year basis as of the November 5, 2018 closing date. It is noted that 18 applications have been received. The eligible list has not yet promulgated.

Appellant's argumentOn appeal to the Civil Service Commission (Commission), the appellant states that she is provisional in the Technical Assistant 2 Purchasing title and if she is not allowed to submit an application, she will lose the title and the increase in salary.! Further, she states that she received the email regarding the subject examination and believed she had enough time to complete and submit her application by the November 5, 2018 closing date. The appellant explains that, at the time, she was going through the process of preparing for her two daughters to attend college, one of whom receives special education. The appellant submits documentation of various examinations taken by her daughter and an

Background' Agency records indicate that the appellant was appointed provisionally to the Technical Assistant 2 Purchasing title, pending open competitive examination procedures, effective February 17, 2018, at William Paterson University.

Individualized Education Program sign-in sheet indicating she attended an October 30, 2018 meeting to determine continued eligibility for her daughter to receive special education while in college. Moreover, the appellant indicates that she has been an employee of the William Paterson University for 22 years and has had “very little opportunity for growth.” It is noted that the appellant is permanent in the noncompetitive title of Program Assistant, Administrative Services. Therefore, the appellant requests an opportunity to submit an application for the subject examination.

CONCLUSION

RuleN.J.A.C. 4A:4-2.1(e) provides, in pertinent part, that applications for open competitive and promotional examinations should be submitted to the Commission no later than 4:00 p.m. on the announced application filing date.

AnalysisIn the instant matter, the appellant did not submit an application for the subject examination between the issuance date of October 15, 2018 and the closing date of November 5, 2018. N.J.A.C. 4A:4-2.1(e) provides that applications must be filed no later than the announced filing deadline. This provision is necessary for the Division of Agency Services to properly process the voluminous numbers of applications it receives for various examinations. See in the Matter of Andrew Romeo (MSB, decided September 22, 2004). Although the appellant describes a set of extenuating personal circumstances, she acknowledges that she did view the examination announcement but missed the closing date. It is emphasized that applicants are provided a three-week period for filing applications to allow them sufficient time to submit timely applications by the closing date. Moreover, it is incumbent upon the appellant to indicate how her personal issues directly affected her, thus, preventing her from filing an application for the subject examination in a timely manner. The appellant did not sufficiently do so. Furthermore, while the appellant notes that she attended a meeting on October 30, 2018, the appellant’s personnel record does not indicate that she was on an approved leave of absence during a substantial portion of the filing period that would have prevented her from meeting the examination closing date. Therefore, she has not provided a sufficient basis to relax the above-noted requirement. Accordingly, her appeal cannot be granted.

ORDER

Therefore, it is ordered that this appeal be denied.

ClosingThis is the final administrative determination in this matter. Any further review should be pursued in a judicial forum.