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PURPOSE

To provide procedures for filling faculty and/or upper-level management positions.

POLICY

Searches for regular full-time faculty positions (excluding emergency hires) are conducted on a national basis. However, within that scope the university also considers providing career growth opportunities for employees as an independent consideration. A process of internal job notification and application provides chances for current employees to take advantage of opportunities in areas where they may have an interest.

The search process is intended to assist the university in achieving its affirmative action goals by ensuring that ethnic minorities, women, persons with disabilities, and other protected classes in and out of the university workforce are given an equal opportunity to compete for all jobs that become available. Ultimately the President of the university is responsible for diversification in our faculty component. The President has assigned the executive responsibility for issues of enhancing and compliance with diversity standards to the Assistant to the President for Social Equity. It is expected that each Vice President, Dean, Department Chair and Supervisor will work with the appropriate parties to ensure that Clarion University does a thorough job in increasing its diversity.

In order not to conduct a national search a request for waiver of a search may be initiated with the approval of the hiring authority, the reporting official and the Office of Social Equity.

Assuring appropriate information and forms are prepared regarding the final selection and subsequent recommendation of a candidate by the department committee is the responsibility of the department chair or appropriate administrator. However, each department chair or appropriate administrator shall monitor and work for compliance with the university's affirmative action plan, follow the procedures outlined below in recruiting qualified applicants, and for filling all positions in accordance with university procedures. Moreover, the McGuire Memorandum and appropriate collective bargaining articles will be strictly followed and taken into account as each hire is acted upon.

PROCEDURE FOR EMPLOYING NEW FACULTY

REQUEST TO CREATE OR FILL A POSITION (FORM A)

A. The Department Chairperson or Director submits a "Request to Create or Fill a Position" (FORM A), to the appropriate Dean or administrator with substantiating data/information.

B. The Dean or Director/Supervisor evaluates request, taking into consideration work loads, credit hour productions, average class size, enrollment trends, and resources available or anticipated, and program plans.

C. The Dean or Director/Supervisor forwards the requests to the Provost or Vice President with recommendation to approve or disapprove the request. Substantiating data/information accompanies the Dean's or Director/Supervisor's recommendation.

D. The President, after consultation with the Provost or Vice President, authorizes (or denies) position to be filled.

REQUEST TO ADVERTISE AND APPROVAL OF SEARCH PLAN (FORM #1)

A. The Department Chairperson or Director submits a "Request to Advertise and Approval of Search Plan" (FORM #1), for each authorized position vacancy, recommending duties, qualifications, etc. to Dean or Supervisor. Proposed language for anticipated advertisements, notifications and Search Plan must be attached (refer to Article 11 of the Collective Bargaining Agreement (CBA)).

B. The Dean or Director/Supervisor sends endorsed copies through the Provost or Vice President to the Office of Social Equity. If anyone along the way disapproves, conferences are held to reach agreement. The Office of Social Equity will assign a Search Number to said search and this Search Number must be used throughout the process.

C. The Provost's or Vice President's Office pays for and places all academic advertisements in the Chronicle of Higher Education. Advertisements in other professional publications and regional newspapers are placed by the departments in which the vacancy exists. No advertisements may be placed until the Office of Social Equity has approved the search plan and assigned a Search Number.

D. The Dean, Department Chairperson, or Director publicizes the position through other channels as appropriate. For example, for certain faculty and professional positions visits to conferences and other college and university placement centers for recruitment purposes is encouraged. Any expenses incurred must be paid for with Dean or Department funds. No advertisement may occur until FORM #1 has been signed by the Provost or Vice President and the Assistant to the President for Social Equity. Moreover, Search Committees are to utilize the resources provided by the Office of Social Equity for the recruitment process.

SEARCH COMMITTEE COMPOSITION

The composition of the Search Committee, if and when feasible, should reflect the diversity of the department along ethnic/racial and gender lines. If the department is without ethnic/racial and gender representation, then the department is encouraged to seek said representation from outside the department or from among graduate students. (Note: Students are non-voting members.)

SEARCH PLAN

A. The Department Chair or Director submits a list of search committee members and the planned search process to the Dean and the Assistant to the President for Social Equity on the required "Request to Advertise and Approval of Search Plan" (FORM #1).

B. After the search plan has been approved, the search committee chairperson is to arrange a meeting with the Assistant to the President for Social Equity to discuss issues relevant to the recruitment process. The Assistant to the President for Social Equity serves as an ex-officio member of search committees. As such, he/she may call a meeting of the search committee to discuss social equity concerns related to the search process, or he/she may request to attend scheduled meetings of the committee to discuss social equity concerns.

REQUEST TO INVITE CANDIDATES FOR INTERVIEW (FORM #2)

A. The Search Committee Chairperson or other designated person receives and acknowledges all letters of application and credentials. At this time applicants are sent a "Confidential Applicant Data Form" which is provided by the Office of Social Equity but sent by each Department.

B. The Department Search Committee screens and evaluates candidates and makes recommendations to Department Chairperson or Director. Reasons for non-selection must be completed based on the criteria of the advertised position.

C. The Search Committee chairperson completes the "Request to Invite Candidates for Interview" (FORM #2), and organizes this form with the complete application file of candidates recommended for interview. (For description of a complete application file, see complete file list in the "Offer of Appointment" section of this policy.) No candidate can be invited to campus until FORM #2 has been appropriately approved.

D. After consultation with the Department Chair or appropriate administrator and the

Search Committee Chair, the Search Committee Chairperson submits the "Request to Invite Candidates for Interview" (FORM #2) to the Assistant to the President for Social Equity for review and approval. (Note: In cases where FORM #2 is submitted for the purpose of telephone interviews, FORM #2 must be resubmitted by the Search Committee Chair in the order as shown on the checklist.)

E. Following the approval of FORM #2 by the Assistant to the President for Social Equity, the Search Committee Chair then submits FORM #2 to the Dean or Supervisor who approves and notifies the Provost or Vice President of candidates to be invited for interviews.

F. The Search Committee Chairperson arranges the interview schedule. Each candidate should receive information about Clarion, in general, and about travel expenses, in particular. Authorization for travel expenses must be secured from Dean or Supervisor in advance.

G. The Search Committee consults as appropriate to determine the degree of financial support for each candidate interviewed and the order of preference.

REPORT OF INTERVIEW (See Part I of FORM #3)

The Department Chairperson or Director and the Department Search Committee prepare "Report of Interview" (FORM #3) for the candidate selected. The search committee will also be required to document, in writing, the rationale for the candidates not selected based on the criteria of the advertised position.

REQUEST TO OFFER APPOINTMENT (FORM #3)

A. In accordance with APSCUF's CBA: "After review by the department chairperson, the name of a candidate(s) recommended by the majority of regular full-time department FACULTY, irrespective of the recommendation of the department chairperson, shall be submitted to the President or his/her designee, together with the recommendation both of the majority of regular full-time department FACULTY and of the department chairperson. The President and his/her designee may accept or reject the recommendation of the department FACULTY, including the recommendation of the department chairperson, and that decision shall be final; provided, however, that if the recommendation is rejected, the reasons therefore shall be given to the department FACULTY, if requested; and provided further, that in the event of any such rejection, the procedure specified above shall be repeated until a candidate shall have been appointed to fill the vacancy."

The Department Chairperson or Director submits recommendation for employment through Dean or Supervisor to the Assistant to the President for Social Equity (FORM #3).

B. In the case of recommendations concerning temporary faculty, management must complete the back side of FORM #3 (McGuire Memorandum, see Appendix A). The Department Chairperson or Director should submit with the recommendation for employment a complete file for each candidate interviewed. The complete file of each candidate should include the following:

a. Request to Create or Fill a Position (Form A)

b. Request to Advertise and Approval of Search Plan (FORM #1)

c. Letter of application and letter of acknowledgment

d. Credentials, including letters of recommendation

e. Completed request to invite candidate for interview (FORM #2)

f. All pertinent communication items (letters, telegrams, etc.)

g. Reports of interview, etc.(FORM #3) - total departmental vote

C. If the Dean or Supervisor concurs, he/she forwards request and attachments to the Assistant to the President for Social Equity who reviews the integrity of the process and forwards to the Provost or Vice President. If the Dean or Supervisor does not concur, provision in Article 11 of the CBA shall be followed.

D. If the Provost or Vice President concurs with the recommendation, the Office of the President mails appropriate information to the candidate and the President offers the appointment to the candidate.

NOTIFICATION OF UNSUCCESSFUL CANDIDATES

When a signed contract has been received, the Search Committee Chairperson notifies the unsuccessful candidates in writing.

SEARCH PROCESS RECORDS

When the search process is complete all documentation, records and reports relating to the search process, including all written and verbal contact with applicants, must be retained for a minimum of three years and should be kept in the "home unit" of the chairperson of the search committee.