VII - 1.01 - Policy on Interim Selection and Recruitment of Administrators

I. Policy and Purpose

It is the policy of the University to recruit, screen, and select candidates to ensure that University employees are individuals of the highest caliber and of diverse backgrounds. These procedures define the process to be followed to achieve that end and are consistent with applicable regulations governing Equal Employment and Affirmative Action. See also, BOR - VII - 1.01 - Policy on Recruitment and election.

II. Applicability

1. Scope

This policy applies to all University Administrative positions.

2. Responsibility

It shall be the responsibility of each Unit Head, Dean, and Vice President to ensure that positions in his/her area are filled with highest caliber of diverse employees and selected in accordance with the following guidelines and procedures.

III. Guidelines and Standards

A. Obtaining Authorization to Hire

1. When it is determined that an opening has occurred, or is about to occur, in an administrative position, the area Vice President shall be provided the title and job description of such vacancy by the Unit Head. The respective Unit Head, Vice President, Provost, or President referred to herein as Responsible Authority, shall determine the need to hire.

2. To initiate the process for obtaining authorization to hire, the Responsible Authority shall follow the guidelines for processing the Personnel Requisition Form, ensuring that a position description exists for the vacancy and that the appropriate approval signatures are obtained.

3. The area Vice President shall forward the Personnel Requisition Form and position description to the Department of Human Resources for review and processing.

B. Search Committee Guidelines

Administrative effectiveness within the University requires that those persons responsible for ultimately supervising, evaluating and recommending administrators play a major role in recommending the initial appointment of persons to fill such positions. The University does endorse a collegial concept in which academic faculty and students participate to a limited degree in this process, and the structure of Search Committee shall reflect this philosophy.

1. The President of the University, in consultation with the Director of Human Resources, may deem it necessary to waive the review and selection requirements of any of the administrative positions covered by this policy when necessary to address the needs and demands of the University. In such cases, a temporary appointment shall be made for a period not to exceed six months, or in unusual circumstances, not to exceed a total acting period of twelve months.

2. For the position of a Director, Dean, Vice President, or Provost, the initial review and selection will be in accordance with the search process contained herein.

3. The Search Committee shall be comprised of seven (7) members, including the Chair, unless a different number is specifically prescribed.

C. Members of a Search Committee in the Selection of Administrators

1. The Provost and Vice Presidents. The President shall appoint a committee for the purpose of searching for and recommending names for a Provost or Vice President. The Responsible Authority shall be the President.

a. The composition of the search committee for the position of Provost shall include one (1) Dean; one (1) administrator; two (2) faculty representatives from each of the academic schools; two representatives selected by the Faculty Council; one representative from the Staff Council; and two students (one from the Student Government Association and one from the Graduate Student Association).

b. The composition of a search committee for the position of Vice President shall include two representatives from the Faculty Council; two representatives from the Staff Council; one School Dean (academic or administrative), and two student representatives (Student Government Association and Graduate Student Association).

c. The President shall appoint the Committee Chair.

d. The Committee shall operate as in a search for a School Dean with academic departments, except that it shall send its recommendation to the President.

2. School Deans. When a vacancy exists in the deanship of a School with academic departments, the Provost, in consultation with the President, shall determine the disposition of the vacancy. Upon notification from the President, the Provost shall appoint a committee for the purpose of searching for and recommending names for a School Dean. The Responsible Authority shall be the Provost.

a. The composition of the search committee for a School Dean shall include a faculty member elected from each department in the school; one faculty member selected by the Faculty Council; one student selected by the SGA and one student selected by the GSA.

b. The Provost shall appoint the Committee Chairperson.

c. The Search Committee shall send its recommendation to the Provost. The Committee shall solicit input from the School faculty and shall also obtain input from the students, the support staff, and any other source which it deems necessary for the successful accomplishment if its task.

3. Director. When a vacancy exists in the position of a Director, the Area Vice President, in consultation with the Unit Head in whose area/unit the vacancy exists and the President, shall finalize disposition of the need. The responsible Authority shall be the Unit Head.

a. Upon notification from the President that the position will be filled, the Area Vice President shall authorize the department to search for a Director. In consultation with the University Council and the Area Vice President, the Unit Head shall appoint an appropriate committee for the purpose of searching for and recommending names for the position.

b. The Search Committee shall send its recommendation to the Unit Head for his/her consideration and recommendation, through the appropriate approval channels to the President.

c. The composition of a search committee for a Director shall consist of two members selected by the area Vice President; one faculty member selected by the Faculty Council, one member selected by the Staff Council and one member selected by the SGA and one member selected by the GSA.

d. The Area Vice President shall appoint the Committee's Chairperson.

D. Search Committee Procedures

1. Written notification of the members of the search committee shall be signed by the Responsible Authority, as identified above, and forwarded to the Office of Human Resources for retention in the position recruitment file.

2. The Responsible Authority and/or designee will immediately notify the appropriate Councils to elect the required membership to serve on a particular search committee.

3. All nominating Councils shall have five (5) working days after receipt of the notification to submit the names of recommended individuals to the Responsible Authority.

4. The Search Committee shall normally submit the names of at least three (3) nominees to the Responsible Authority. If three names are not available for submission, the Responsible Authority may determine whether the Search should proceed or be reopened.

5. The Responsible Authority shall submit his/her recommendation through the appropriate approval channels to the President.

6. If the President and/or designee accept the recommendation, the candidate's name shall be forwarded to the Office of Human Resources who will proceed with the offer process.

7. If the President and/or desginee rejects the recommendation, he/she shall notify the Vice President or Provost (as applicable) to reactivate the Committee.

8. The term of office for each administrator is consistent with the term of his/her contract. However, Appointing Officers of the University have the authority to recommend, through appropriate channels, the termination of an academic administrator appointed by them before the expiration of the appointee's term. The President retains the ultimate authority to affirm or reject any such recommendation.

E. Appointment Procedures for Administrators.

1. The authority to appoint the Provost and/or Vice Presidents resides with the President.

2. The authority to recommend Deans resides with the Provost, and the authority to appoint Deans resides with the President.

3. The authority to appoint Department Chairs resides with the School Dean, with the approval of the Provost. The Provost will inform the President.

4. The authority to appoint Directors resides with the President or designee.

IV. Definitions

1. Director - A Director may be defined as a senior level manager who reports to an executive level administrator, such as President, Vice President, Provost, or Dean. This position functions at a level such that he/she has major and/or full programmatic or departmental oversight with supervisory responsibilities, higher level degree (Masters or greater), substantial experience requirements - a minimum of seven (7) to ten years (10), and a greater complexity of decision-making responsibility.

2. Coordinator - A Coordinator may be defined as one who performs professional and/or administrative duties and reports to a Director, Associate Director, Manager or Department Chair. This position may or may not supervise staff, has responsibility for a function or partial programmatic oversight. It requires a Bachelors degree, but may prefer a Masters, and the experience requirements are two (2) to five (5) years. This position's decision-making responsibility is less than that of a Director and must be conferred by the higher authority.

3. Acting Appointments - Designating an employee to an acting capacity status is justified only when time or circumstances do not permit the immediate selection of a permanent position under the established procedures of this policy. The appointment in an acting capacity to an exempt position should normally not exceed a period of six months. An extension may be made for a total acting period of twelve months under unusual circumstances.

4. Interim Appointments - Interim appointments are those appointments of external candidates into an existing period for a limited amount of time.

 

Effective Date: 11/16/2000