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Policy 2103 – Faculty/Staff Appointments

Revision Date: 8/3/2006

Responsible Office: Office of Human Resources/Affirmative Action Officer

Appointment request forms and supporting documentation are submitted to the appropriate Vice President/Provost and the Affirmative Action Officer for review. No appointment is final until approval has been received from the President and the Board of Supervisors of the University of Louisiana System. Initial appointments are made at a rank and salary commensurate with personal qualifications, education attainment, individual experience, and job market considerations in relation to available positions as determined by personal communications between the appointee and the proper budgetary administrators. The Unit Head is responsible for the determination that the applicant’s proficiency in oral and written communication is appropriate for the assigned responsibilities. (The certification form is to be included in the Affirmative Action package or with the appointment form as appropriate.) Official transcripts must be submitted for review along with or prior to submission of the employment package. These transcripts, to be reviewed by the employing unit and the Office of the Provost, must verify the academic credentials and coursework of the applicant. If not, as is sometimes the case with foreign academic records, external assistance may be required to verify academic credentials and coursework. Appointment of faculty cannot be completed until official academic credentials have been verified.

Equal Employment Opportunity Searches

When faculty and staff vacancies occur, the procedure outlined in the University’s Affirmative Action Plan should be utilized. Requirements and responsibilities of the position will be formalized in a job announcement that will be widely advertised in a manner which attracts a diversified and broad range of candidates. A position announcement must be advertised in at least one minority journal. Examples of advertising avenues include The Chronicle of Higher Education, newspapers, predominantly black Colleges and Universities in the United States, Jobs in Higher Education, AAR/EEO Affirmative Action Register, and the National Association for Women in Education.

Prior approval for conducting such a search must be requested through the appropriate channels (i.e., Director/Unit Head, Dean, appropriate Vice President/Provost, President, Board of Supervisors).

Following receipt of applications, the Search Committee will review all applications and make recommendations to the appropriate Director/Unit Head. The University EEO Officer must review the Affirmative Action package (Part A) before a job offer is extended to any applicant. The recommendations will proceed through appropriate on-campus channels (i.e., Dean, appropriate Vice President/Provost, Deputy Affirmative Action Officer, Affirmative Action Officer, President). After approval of Part A, the Department will be notified by the President’s Office to proceed with the Offer of Employment, and Part A will be returned to the appropriate Department. After acceptance of the employment offer and hiring, Part B of the Affirmative Action Checklist is to be routed along with the previously completed Part A for final signatures. The signed job offer must be included in the Affirmative Action package (Part B). After all final signatures are obtained, the completed Affirmative Action package (Parts A & B) will be submitted to the Personnel Office. No appointments will be effective prior to final approval by the Board of Supervisors of the University of Louisiana System.

Other Searches

When vacancies occur, the procedure outlined in the University’s Affirmative Action Plan which is discussed above should be utilized. There are rare occasions, however, which warrant the utilization of an alternate form of search if the appropriate permission is attained. Those situations are discussed below.

Acting Appointments

On occasion, units on the campus have a need to make temporary or acting appointments, in order to fill important positions quickly and with minimal disruption. Such appointments may, with permission of the Dean, appropriate Vice President/Provost, Affirmative Action Officer, and President, be made without benefit of a regular search and selection process.

Upon approval of appropriate parties, qualifications necessary to fulfill the responsibilities of the position should be developed in order to identify a pool of persons to be considered for the acting appointment. Following consideration of the prospective candidates, the Director/Unit Head should forward his/her recommendation with a rationale supporting the selection of the person chosen, and a list of others who were considered, stating their racial or ethnic origin and gender.

Rationale: While the primary value of acting appointments is continuity of services, these appointments have the potential to provide invaluable training and exposure for those persons appointed, enhancing their credentials as candidates for future permanent appointments. As such, they provide unique opportunities for preparing individuals for roles of greater scope and responsibility. Given this potential, the University could, whenever appropriate, be instrumental in identifying women and minorities in temporary or acting capacities, as well as in permanent appointments.

Internal Searches for Directors and Unit Heads

Under various circumstances, units sometimes wish to appoint current faculty or staff to leadership in departments and programs through the process of an internal search. Such occasions offer valuable opportunities for promoting knowledgeable and experienced campus personnel to positions of greater responsibility and leadership.

Units wishing to make appointments utilizing an internal search must first request permission from the Dean or Director, appropriate Vice President/Provost, Affirmative Action Officer , and President. The request should include a rationale for making the appointment outside of the regular search procedure and procedures to be utilized for identifying a pool of candidates. Upon receiving approval, the unit would then follow the procedure for conducting searches for permanent appointments, except for external advertising.

Rationale: This would alleviate the necessity for an official affirmative action search if it is not deemed advisable or necessary. Due to budget limitations, it is sometimes necessary to fill positions from within. It would also give the University the opportunity, whenever possible, to identify and appoint employees from under-represented groups to such positions.

Reorganization Appointments

As a result of internal reorganizations, units may wish to appoint current employees to different or newly created positions. Such instances offer valuable opportunities for promoting knowledgeable and experienced campus personnel to positions of greater responsibility and leadership.

Units wishing to make appointments as a result of internal reorganizations must submit a request through the Dean or Director, appropriate Vice President/Provost, Affirmative Action Officer and the President. The request should include a position description, a rationale for making the appointment outside of the regular search procedure, the procedures to be utilized for identifying a pool of candidates to be considered for the position, and a list of those to participate in the decision-making process.

Following consideration of prospective candidates, the Unit Head and Dean/Director should submit a recommendation for appointment, a rationale supporting the selection of the person chosen, and a list of other persons considered, stating their racial or ethnic origin and gender.

Rationale: Same as that for Internal Searches for Directors and Unit Heads.

Exceptional Faculty and Staff Appointments

Most appointments of faculty and staff will require a search. There are rare circumstances, however, in which a Department/Unit or College may request a waiver of the search requirement. These circumstances include opportunities to appoint faculty and staff of exceptional caliber, opportunities to appoint faculty who would be fully funded by their own research grants, and opportunities to appoint faculty or staff who help meet university affirmative action guidelines.

Request for waiver of search requirements should include a description of the candidate; a rationale for making the appointment and how the appointment enhances the quality of the program in terms of departmental research, curriculum, and the recruitment of other faculty or graduate students, etc.; evidence of departmental review and support for the appointment of the candidate; the proposed salary offer; starting date of the appointment; and terms of the appointment.

Rationale: If appointments fall into any of these categories, such a procedure would not require the expenditures and time involved in an unnecessary affirmative action search.

Part-time and Temporary Appointments

Part-time and temporary appointments are extended to persons of satisfactory professional qualifications who perform temporary teaching, research, or administrative support functions as needed. Part-time and temporary personnel are usually selected from a pool of applicants by the employing Department or Division Head. Employment recommendations are then forwarded to the Dean, Provost, and President. Such persons are appointed for a specific academic term.

Part-time and temporary personnel are acquainted with their duties by the appropriate Department or Division Head. Using the University evaluation system in place for unclassified employees, the performance of part-time and temporary personnel is evaluated at the Departmental or Division level using criteria appropriate to specific appointments.

Graduate Assistants

Students appointed with the title of graduate assistant (including research and teaching assistants) must be admitted to a graduate degree program and enrolled full-time (minimum 6 hours) each quarter (Fall, Winter, and Spring) during the appointment period. If appointed during the Summer Quarter, they must be enrolled in at least one class in the Summer Quarter and be enrolled full-time in the preceding Spring Quarter and anticipate full-time enrollment in the subsequent Fall Quarter. These criteria apply to departmental, state-funded, and externally-funded assistantships. Such appointments are not subject to retirement or social security withholdings, and appointees do not participate in University fringe benefit programs.

Graduate Assistantship Guidelines setting forth the University-wide policies pertaining to graduate assistantship administration are available from the Graduate School, College Directors of Graduate Studies, or (Refer to Policy 2310).

Policy 2103 – Faculty/Staff Appointments

Revision Date: 8/3/2006

Responsible Office: Office of Human Resources/Affirmative Action Officer

Appointment request forms and supporting documentation are submitted to the appropriate Vice President/Provost and the Affirmative Action Officer for review. No appointment is final until approval has been received from the President and the Board of Supervisors of the University of Louisiana System. Initial appointments are made at a rank and salary commensurate with personal qualifications, education attainment, individual experience, and job market considerations in relation to available positions as determined by personal communications between the appointee and the proper budgetary administrators. The Unit Head is responsible for the determination that the applicant’s proficiency in oral and written communication is appropriate for the assigned responsibilities. (The certification form is to be included in the Affirmative Action package or with the appointment form as appropriate.) Official transcripts must be submitted for review along with or prior to submission of the employment package. These transcripts, to be reviewed by the employing unit and the Office of the Provost, must verify the academic credentials and coursework of the applicant. If not, as is sometimes the case with foreign academic records, external assistance may be required to verify academic credentials and coursework. Appointment of faculty cannot be completed until official academic credentials have been verified.

Equal Employment Opportunity Searches

When faculty and staff vacancies occur, the procedure outlined in the University’s Affirmative Action Plan should be utilized. Requirements and responsibilities of the position will be formalized in a job announcement that will be widely advertised in a manner which attracts a diversified and broad range of candidates. A position announcement must be advertised in at least one minority journal. Examples of advertising avenues include The Chronicle of Higher Education, newspapers, predominantly black Colleges and Universities in the United States, Jobs in Higher Education, AAR/EEO Affirmative Action Register, and the National Association for Women in Education.

Prior approval for conducting such a search must be requested through the appropriate channels (i.e., Director/Unit Head, Dean, appropriate Vice President/Provost, President, Board of Supervisors).

Following receipt of applications, the Search Committee will review all applications and make recommendations to the appropriate Director/Unit Head. The University EEO Officer must review the Affirmative Action package (Part A) before a job offer is extended to any applicant. The recommendations will proceed through appropriate on-campus channels (i.e., Dean, appropriate Vice President/Provost, Deputy Affirmative Action Officer, Affirmative Action Officer, President). After approval of Part A, the Department will be notified by the President’s Office to proceed with the Offer of Employment, and Part A will be returned to the appropriate Department. After acceptance of the employment offer and hiring, Part B of the Affirmative Action Checklist is to be routed along with the previously completed Part A for final signatures. The signed job offer must be included in the Affirmative Action package (Part B). After all final signatures are obtained, the completed Affirmative Action package (Parts A & B) will be submitted to the Personnel Office. No appointments will be effective prior to final approval by the Board of Supervisors of the University of Louisiana System.

Other Searches

When vacancies occur, the procedure outlined in the University’s Affirmative Action Plan which is discussed above should be utilized. There are rare occasions, however, which warrant the utilization of an alternate form of search if the appropriate permission is attained. Those situations are discussed below.

Acting Appointments

On occasion, units on the campus have a need to make temporary or acting appointments, in order to fill important positions quickly and with minimal disruption. Such appointments may, with permission of the Dean, appropriate Vice President/Provost, Affirmative Action Officer, and President, be made without benefit of a regular search and selection process.

Upon approval of appropriate parties, qualifications necessary to fulfill the responsibilities of the position should be developed in order to identify a pool of persons to be considered for the acting appointment. Following consideration of the prospective candidates, the Director/Unit Head should forward his/her recommendation with a rationale supporting the selection of the person chosen, and a list of others who were considered, stating their racial or ethnic origin and gender.

Rationale: While the primary value of acting appointments is continuity of services, these appointments have the potential to provide invaluable training and exposure for those persons appointed, enhancing their credentials as candidates for future permanent appointments. As such, they provide unique opportunities for preparing individuals for roles of greater scope and responsibility. Given this potential, the University could, whenever appropriate, be instrumental in identifying women and minorities in temporary or acting capacities, as well as in permanent appointments.

Internal Searches for Directors and Unit Heads

Under various circumstances, units sometimes wish to appoint current faculty or staff to leadership in departments and programs through the process of an internal search. Such occasions offer valuable opportunities for promoting knowledgeable and experienced campus personnel to positions of greater responsibility and leadership.

Units wishing to make appointments utilizing an internal search must first request permission from the Dean or Director, appropriate Vice President/Provost, Affirmative Action Officer , and President. The request should include a rationale for making the appointment outside of the regular search procedure and procedures to be utilized for identifying a pool of candidates. Upon receiving approval, the unit would then follow the procedure for conducting searches for permanent appointments, except for external advertising.

Rationale: This would alleviate the necessity for an official affirmative action search if it is not deemed advisable or necessary. Due to budget limitations, it is sometimes necessary to fill positions from within. It would also give the University the opportunity, whenever possible, to identify and appoint employees from under-represented groups to such positions.

Reorganization Appointments

As a result of internal reorganizations, units may wish to appoint current employees to different or newly created positions. Such instances offer valuable opportunities for promoting knowledgeable and experienced campus personnel to positions of greater responsibility and leadership.

Units wishing to make appointments as a result of internal reorganizations must submit a request through the Dean or Director, appropriate Vice President/Provost, Affirmative Action Officer and the President. The request should include a position description, a rationale for making the appointment outside of the regular search procedure, the procedures to be utilized for identifying a pool of candidates to be considered for the position, and a list of those to participate in the decision-making process.

Following consideration of prospective candidates, the Unit Head and Dean/Director should submit a recommendation for appointment, a rationale supporting the selection of the person chosen, and a list of other persons considered, stating their racial or ethnic origin and gender.

Rationale: Same as that for Internal Searches for Directors and Unit Heads.

Exceptional Faculty and Staff Appointments

Most appointments of faculty and staff will require a search. There are rare circumstances, however, in which a Department/Unit or College may request a waiver of the search requirement. These circumstances include opportunities to appoint faculty and staff of exceptional caliber, opportunities to appoint faculty who would be fully funded by their own research grants, and opportunities to appoint faculty or staff who help meet university affirmative action guidelines.

Request for waiver of search requirements should include a description of the candidate; a rationale for making the appointment and how the appointment enhances the quality of the program in terms of departmental research, curriculum, and the recruitment of other faculty or graduate students, etc.; evidence of departmental review and support for the appointment of the candidate; the proposed salary offer; starting date of the appointment; and terms of the appointment.

Rationale: If appointments fall into any of these categories, such a procedure would not require the expenditures and time involved in an unnecessary affirmative action search.

Part-time and Temporary Appointments

Part-time and temporary appointments are extended to persons of satisfactory professional qualifications who perform temporary teaching, research, or administrative support functions as needed. Part-time and temporary personnel are usually selected from a pool of applicants by the employing Department or Division Head. Employment recommendations are then forwarded to the Dean, Provost, and President. Such persons are appointed for a specific academic term.

Part-time and temporary personnel are acquainted with their duties by the appropriate Department or Division Head. Using the University evaluation system in place for unclassified employees, the performance of part-time and temporary personnel is evaluated at the Departmental or Division level using criteria appropriate to specific appointments.

Graduate Assistants

Students appointed with the title of graduate assistant (including research and teaching assistants) must be admitted to a graduate degree program and enrolled full-time (minimum 6 hours) each quarter (Fall, Winter, and Spring) during the appointment period. If appointed during the Summer Quarter, they must be enrolled in at least one class in the Summer Quarter and be enrolled full-time in the preceding Spring Quarter and anticipate full-time enrollment in the subsequent Fall Quarter. These criteria apply to departmental, state-funded, and externally-funded assistantships. Such appointments are not subject to retirement or social security withholdings, and appointees do not participate in University fringe benefit programs.

Graduate Assistantship Guidelines setting forth the University-wide policies pertaining to graduate assistantship administration are available from the Graduate School, College Directors of Graduate Studies, or (Refer to Policy 2310).