The Civil Service employee group was one of the first employee groups created at the University. The University Civil Service classification was created in 1945 when the Board of Regents approved the Basic Law for Civil Service of the University of Minnesota. Currently, there are over 4500 employees in Civil Service classifications.
The P&A classification was established in 1980 because the existing employment classifications did not adequately accommodate several converging trends at the University in the 1970s and early 1980s. More research was being conducted, and the proposal and reporting requirements were becoming increasingly complicated. Legal mandates, particularly affirmative action, required considerably more administration and new federal programs allowed for expanded University outreach opportunities.