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Recruitment and Selection of Faculty and Academic Professional and Administrative Employees

Effective: February 1994
Last Updated: April 2008

Responsible University Officer:

Vice President for Human Resources

Policy Owner:

Director, Human Resources Policy Development

Policy Contact:

See Contacts Section.

Policy Statement

It is essential for hiring authorities to think carefully about organizational needs as staffing decisions are made. This policy along with its guidelines and processes provide hiring authorities with as much flexibility as possible when recruiting and hiring faculty and academic professional and administrative employees. At the same time the policy provides guidance in support of sound equal opportunity and affirmative action practice, compliance with state and federal regulation, and overall effective human resource management and practice.

Provisions and Terms

Scope

This policy governs the recruitment and selection of faculty and academic professional and administrative (P&A) employees, including postdoctoral hiring. Excluded from coverage under this policy are civil service and union-represented staff and graduate assistant and student employees.

Staffing Strategies

One of the following three staffing strategies must be used when filling new or vacant academic positions at 50 percent time or greater. They define the sphere in which candidate recruitment activities occur and who may be considered as candidates in the search. The choice between the options is typically based on policy, the characteristics of the position, the unit in which the position resides, and the job market.

The three options include:

National search;
Limited search which includes recruitment outside the University within the local (e.g.; Twin cities, Morris) or regional area, and internal to the University to include recruitment among current employees University-wide or within the work unit only; and
No-search.

If the appointment will be for less than 50 percent time, or is an acting/interim position, these staffing strategies do not apply. Appropriate equal opportunity and affirmative action efforts are still required and use of a form of limited search should be considered.

The use of search firms for appointments other than senior administrators is strongly discouraged because of the expense involved. Before proceeding with plans to use a search firm, consult with the Director of Equal Opportunity and Affirmative Action and the Vice President of Human Resources.

Hiring with a Search

Typically all faculty and P&A employee hires require a search.

National Search

Unless exceptional circumstances under which a no-search option is permitted, a national search is required when hiring:

Tenured and tenure-track faculty;
Probationary and continuous academic professional staff; and
Senior administrators to include the President (9301), Senior Vice President (9327), Vice President (9302), Provost (9326), Chancellor (9305), Dean (9311), University Librarian (9314), and General Counsel (9316).

A scarcity of qualified, diverse applicants or other considerations may warrant national recruiting for other academic appointments at the University as well, but is not required.

Limited Search

There are three types of limited searches, each type directing the area of advertising. They include seeking candidates from (1) local or regional area, (2) University community only; or (3) campus, college, or administrative unit only.

Hiring without a Search

On limited occasions and with the appropriate documentation and approvals, a faculty or P&A employee hire may be made without a search. The following are no-search options of this nature:

Spousal/Partner hires
Exceptional hires
Current University employee hired into a new or vacant position

Other no-search options may be used when the situation warrants such action. These types of no-search options include hiring:

Individuals who have been awarded a grant through competition, e.g., a principal investigator (PI) and the academic professionals working with the PI;
Individuals hired for one semester (or equivalent time period) without a search, either full- or part-time. [This option may be used only once for any one individual without the individual being hired into a subsequent appointment through a search process];
Visiting professors hired from another institution or government/private agency who are on a leave of absence to accept a temporary appointment at the University;
Graduate assistants who have completed their degree in the middle of their assistantship appointment and who then are required to move into a non-assistantship classification; and
Individuals who have officially retired from the University.

Reason for Policy

This policy implements the Board of Regents Policy: Employee Recruitment and Retention. The University in its recruitment efforts engages in non-discriminatory practices that foster a diverse faculty and P&A workforce whose knowledge, skills, abilities, and service orientation support the University's standards of excellence.

Procedures

Forms/Instructions

There are no Forms/Instructions associated with this policy.

Additional Contacts

Subject	Contact	Phone	Fax/E-mail
General Information or Procedural Assistance	Primary: Responsible administrator/supervisor Secondary: Local campus, college, or administrative unit HR administrator Other (as needed): Office of Human Resources specialist or consultant	Office of Human Resources Specialist and Consultant List	Office of Human Resources Specialist and Consultant List
Information or Procedural Assistance in Hiring Foreign Nationals	International Student & Scholar Services	612-626-7100	612-626-7361 isss@tc.umn.edu
Hiring Assistance - Special Situations	Office of the General Counsel	612-624-4100	612-626-9624 ogc@mail.ogc.umn.edu
Document Processing	HRMS Key Contact Office of Human Resources Call Center	HRMS Key Contact List (pdf) 612-625-2016	HRMS Key Contact List (pdf)

Definitions

There are no Definitions associated with this policy.

Responsibilities

Administrator: Review and approve actions as appropriate to the type of academic employee and the nature of the hire.
Equal Opportunity and Affirmative Action Liaison: Provide consultation as appropriate and required.
Human Resources Unit Staff: Provide consultation and approvals as appropriate and required.
Responsible administrator/Supervisor: Carry out recruitment strategies, selection, and appointments according to University policy and procedures as applicable to the type of academic employee and nature of the hire.
Senior Administrators: Provide approvals as appropriate and required.

Appendices

Appendix A: Recruiting a Diverse, Qualified Pool of Applicants
Appendix B: Equal Opportunity and Disability Accommodations
Appendix C: Hiring an Academic Employee without a Search
Appendix D: Getting the Most From the Search Committee Process
Appendix E: Interviewing
Appendix F: Building a Positive Relationship with a Future Colleague
Appendix G: Documentation for Recruiting and Appointing Academic Personnel
Appendix H: Citizenship, Residency and Visa Requirements
Appendix I: Hiring Back
Appendix J: Questions and Answers

Frequently Asked Questions

Refer to Appendix J for Frequently Asked Questions.

Related Information

Board of Regents Policy: Employee Recruitment and Retention
Board of Regents Policy: Faculty Tenure
Administrative Policy: Appointments of Academic Professional and Administrative Employees
Equal Opportunity & Affirmative Action Web site

History

Amended:: April 2008 - Search guidelines policies and procedures formatted into the new University-wide administrative policy standard. Language contained in this Administrative Policy: Recruitment and Selection of Faculty and Academic Professional and Administrative Employees incorporates policy, procedures, and other relevant information previously contained in the Guidelines for Recruiting and Appointing Academic Personnel and the following Administrative Policies: (1) Hiring All But Dissertation (ABD) Applicants, (2) Hiring Foreign Nationals, and (3) Verifying Highest Degree. Documented practice of hiring University of Minnesota retirees under the no-search hiring option.
Amended:: October 2000
Amended:: July 1998 - The entire document underwent revisions. The title was changed to Recruiting and Appointing Academic Personnel from "Guidelines for Academic Searches."
Adopted:: February 1994

Effective: February 1994

To obtain a copy of a historical policy, e-mail the U Policy Librarian at policy@umn.edu or call 612-624-4372.

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