Search and Appointment Procedures | Academic Affairs Unit

Apr 30, 2018

Scope: Who is Covered by this Policy?

Faculty 

Policy

General

The Office of the Provost has established search procedures for recruiting and appointing tenured and tenure-eligible faculty, lecturers, and teaching faculty (collectively referred to as faculty). All searches must comply with all of the following search procedures.

Selection Requirements

  1. A request to fill a position, completed in its entirety, must be submitted when seeking approval to fill a vacant or create a new position. Essential responsibilities, the date application screening will begin, the proposed salary range, and the required and desired qualifications must be specified separately. The request to fill a position is forwarded to Academic Personnel Services after approvals are obtained by the department chair, the dean of the appropriate division, and the Office of Equity and Equal Opportunity (OEEO). The Office of the Provost must approve all requests to fill a position prior to any advertising or job posting.
  2. When a search committee is to be used, it must be appointed with as diverse a composition as practicable and should include gender as well as ethnic representation, even if members are drawn from cognate departments. The Vice President for Institutional Diversity and Inclusion must be consulted regarding composition of search committees. For a note concerning the constitution of this committee see the policy titled “Employment of Members of the Same Family”.
  3. Lecturers and Teaching Faculty may not vote on matters involving the hiring, promotion and/or tenure of faculty in tenure-eligible ranks.
  4. The entire search committee or department chair (if there is no search committee) must meet with the Office of Equity and Equal Opportunity and the Vice President for Institutional Diversity and Inclusion to review and obtain approval of:
    • the recruitment and advertisement plan, which shall be designed to attract a highly qualified and diverse pool of applicants;
    • the applicant data collection process;
    • the selection process, including any ratings instruments; and
    • general search procedures.
  5. This meeting should take place during the first meeting of the search committee. Upon OEEO approval, the recruitment plan and advertisement must be included in the request to fill which is then forwarded for approval by the dean of the appropriate division
  6. All advertisements must include the date the screening of applicants will begin, the position’s responsibilities and required qualifications as specified in the approved request, and University requirements.
  7. Prior to the selection of candidates for interview, it is the responsibility of the search committee chair or department chair (if there is no search committee) to obtain from OEEO an Applicant Flow Data Report indicating the composition of the pool of applicants. OEEO must approve the composition of the applicant pool before candidates are invited to interview. If OEEO finds the candidate pool to be unacceptable, OEEO in consultation with the Office of the Provost will make a determination whether to conduct additional recruitment or to close the search. If additional recruitment is undertaken, the hiring department must request an updated Applicant Flow Data Report prior to conducting interviews.
  8. After receipt of the approved Applicant Flow Data Report, candidates selected for inclusion in the final interview pool must be approved by the dean of the appropriate division, and the Office of the Provost before being invited to campus to interview.
  9. Once interviews have been completed, reference checks have been conducted, and a candidate identified for final consideration, the department must complete a hiring recommendation. A hiring department may not recommend an applicant who does not meet the required qualifications for the position. The original letter of application, the candidate’s vita, and copies of any correspondence that include desired terms of employment, e.g., chair’s letters, must be included with the hiring recommendation and forwarded to Academic Personnel Services. All materials will be submitted to OEEO for hiring approval. Academic Personnel Services will issue a letter of offer after approval is obtained by OEEO and the Provost, and with receipt of an acceptable background check. Candidates are responsible for presenting a certified transcript as proof of terminal degree and/or proof of required licensure to the Office of Academic Personnel Services prior to the start of the appointment.
  10. No academic department or dean has appointment (hiring) authority. Only the President and Provost have appointing authority. A letter of offer may be sent to the candidate by Academic Personnel Services only after approval by the Provost.
  11. Records, written or electronic, of the recruitment and selection process must be kept by the hiring department for three years. Records maintained should include information on advertising, recruitment letters, telephone calls or other contacts, interview notes, applications received, letters of appointment or rejection, ratings instruments, and specific steps taken to recruit women and minorities.

Background Checks

  1. The appropriate personnel office will conduct a background verification of any candidate for employment. This policy applies to faculty, unclassified administrative staff, and classified staff positions.
  2. This requirement generally does not apply to hourly student workers, interns, and graduate assistants. It does not apply to intermittent employees or temporary appointments of less than ninety (90) days. In addition, a second background verification is not required for those employees who have had a break in their service or an absence of less than one year.
  3. In most cases, the background verification will be completed prior to making a formal offer of employment. If the background verification cannot be completed before an offer is made, the background verification must be completed before the individual begins employment unless an exception is granted by the appropriate vice president or the President. In any event, the background verification must be completed and a decision made no later than thirty (30) days after the start of employment. In most cases, only the finalist being offered the position will be subject to the background verification requirement. However, there may be circumstances where the background of more than one applicant is verified (e.g., dean, vice presidential or presidential search).
  4. Prior to conducting the background verification, the finalist(s) must sign a consent form. If the individual declines to provide the consent for the background verification, he/she will no longer be considered a candidate for the position.
  5. The appropriate personnel office will review the results of the criminal background checks. The results are confidential and will not be shared with the hiring department. If the background verification reveals the existence of a criminal conviction, it does not result in an automatic exclusion from employment. Only pending criminal charges or convictions that are substantially related to the circumstances of the particular job may be considered in determining if an offer of employment will be tentatively withdrawn. Arrests (other than pending) or detention orders that do not result in convictions or pleas and expunged or sealed convictions will not be considered.
  6. If a decision is tentatively made not to hire an applicant (or to withdraw an offer) based on the results of the background verification, the appropriate personnel office will be responsible for notifying the applicant of the results and providing an appeal process. The individual will have three (3) working days from the receipt of the notification to challenge the findings and then seven (7) working days to successfully resolve it. If the findings are upheld, the appropriate personnel office will notify the individual of the non-selection.

Related Form(s)

Not applicable.

Additional Resources and Procedures

Not applicable.

FAQ

Not applicable.

Policy Administration

Next Review Date

7/1/2023

Responsible Officers

  • Director of Academic Personnel Services
  • Assistant Provost for Academic Personnel
  • Director of the Office of Equity and Equal Opportunity
  • Provost and Executive Vice President for Academic Affairs

Legal Authority

OFCCP

Compliance Policy

Yes

Recent Revision History

 Edited July 2018; Edited July 2019

Reference ID(s)

  • MUPIM 6.1
  • OAC 3339-6-01

Reviewing Bodies

  • Provost and Executive Vice President for Academic Affairs
  • Director of the Office of Equity and Equal Opportunity