This policy does not apply to searches for other second- and third-echelon administrators. For such searches, this procedure may be used in whole or part at the discretion of the President.

1.0 Initiation
1.1 The Initiator of a search will be the President, or the Provost if designated by the President.

2.0 Formation of the Search Committee
2.1 The Search Committee will consist of fifteen members:

	Constituency				Elector			Number of Representatives
	Faculty					University Senate			4

	Professional Staff			University Senate			1

	Department Chairs			President or Provost			1

	Deans					President or Provost			1

	Staff					Staff Council				2

	Graduate Students			GSC					1

	Undergraduate Students			USG					1

	At-large				President or Provost			3

	University Senate President		---					1

	

										15  TOTAL

2.3 Professional Staff Representative: The Search Initiator will ask the Senate to elect one representative to the Search Committee from the professional staff. Nominees, including self-nominees, should be solicited from the entire Senate constituency of professional staff with an open call for nominations. The election should be conducted so that the representative is elected by a majority vote of a quorum of the Senate.

2.4 Student Representatives: The Initiator will ask the Undergraduate Student Government and the Graduate Student Council each to elect one Committee representative and one alternate.

2.5 Staff Representative: The Initiator will ask the Staff Council to select two staff members to serve on the Search Committee.

2.6 Department Chair Representative: The Initiator will select one department Chair to serve on the Committee.

2.7 Dean Representative: The Initiator will select one of the school Deans or college Deans to serve on the Committee.

2.8 At-large Representatives: The Initiator will select three other individuals to serve on the Committee.

2.9 The Initiator will ask Human Resources to designate a representative to serve without vote.

2.10 A list of the names of Committee members will be posted electronically, and will be submitted for publication in Tech Topics and The Lode.

3.0 Meetings
3.1 The first meeting of the Committee may be called as soon as at least a three-fourths majority of Committee members have been named.

3.2 The Initiator (President or Provost) will call the first meeting of the Committee, and will deliver the charge to the Committee. The Initiator will relate the guidelines for the search process including staffing and the budget for advertising and interviewing.

3.3 The Initiator will supervise the election of a chair and associate chair by written ballot, in closed session, at the first meeting. During the first meeting the Committee and the Initiator will specify the responsibilities of these individuals.

3.4 The Initiator and the Committee will agree on a target date for selection of the candidate and on other time lines of the search.

3.5 The Affirmative Action Officer and the Human Resources representative or other designated persons will provide an orientation for the Search Committee at the outset of the search, and will be available thereafter for any needed consultation. The Committee should discuss the legal issues involved in record keeping and be informed of their legal responsibilities and liabilities. As of the writing of this procedure, notes must be kept for three years.

3.6 The representative from Human Resources will assist the Committee with its tasks of organizing paperwork, documenting activities, advertising the position, and following guidelines for the search and screening processes.

3.7 Searches will proceed under the principle of openness. Committee meetings will be open to members of the University community unless a closed meeting is necessary to maintain confidentiality.

3.8 The Search Committee should expedite the search process by forming working subcommittees for appropriate tasks.

4.0 Goals
4.1 In order to select appropriate candidates, the Search Committee must consider the goals, the mission, and the vision that have been published for the University and the unit(s) to be administered.

5.0 Position description and list of qualifications and attributes
5.1 The Search Committee, with input from the Initiator, from Human Resources, from appropriate administrators, and from the Affirmative Action Office, will draft a position description (e.g., qualifications, duties, expected achievements, etc.) that is consonant with published goals.

5.2 Before soliciting candidates, and in consultation with the Initiator, the Committee will establish the essential qualifications and desired attributes (inter-personal skills, management style, etc.) of candidates, and will group (weight) the attributes by major and minor importance.

5.3 The draft position description and list of qualifications and attributes will be sent via email or otherwise to all faculty and staff, and will be posted electronically. Faculty, staff, and students will be invited to send comments to the Committee. The Committee will hold an open meeting of faculty, staff, and students to discuss the position description and the list of qualifications and attributes.

5.4 The Committee will consider the comments, and then write a final description and list of qualifications and attributes. The final version will be posted electronically and submitted for publication in Tech Topics and The Lode. It will also be sent to all applicants.

6.0 Mechanism for identifying candidates
6.1 At the discretion of the President, the search may be conducted using the services of a search firm or consultants. The Search Committee will direct the efforts of the firm or consultants.

6.2 To ensure a diverse, well-qualified applicant pool that meets EEO requirements, the Committee should solicit applicants according to procedure established by the Affirmative Action Office and work with the Affirmative Action Officer.

6.3 In the case of an open search, the position will be advertised in appropriate professional journals and publications. Faculty and staff should be invited to nominate both internal and external candidates. Faculty should be encouraged to contact colleagues and to send them position advertisements.

6.4 The Committee will screen applicants according to its published criteria. If an applicant appears to be a strong contender for the position, the Committee will check applicant information (e.g., degrees, positions held) and references. When reference letters are requested by the Committee, the referees will be informed that their letters will be available to the University community (see 8.2 below).

6.5 Within time and budgetary constraints, the Committee may schedule and hold screening interviews with a select pool of candidates (usually less than 10). The identity of those interviewed will be held in confidence.

6.6 As the search progresses, deviations from the budgetary guidelines must be approved by the Initiator.

7.0 Semifinalist candidates
7.1 The Committee, after reviewing vitae, reference letters, other relevant material, the results of any screening interviews, and the advice of the Affirmative Action Officer, will produce a short list of candidates. These candidates will be invited for on-campus interviews; they become semifinalists on acceptance of an interview.

7.2 For semifinalists the Committee will obtain independent assessments from referees not listed by these candidates. The Committee should solicit faculty and staff help for identifying appropriate referees.

8.0 Interview process
8.1 A short vita of each semifinalist candidate will be sent via email or otherwise to all faculty and staff of the University at least two work days prior to the campus visit. A full resume will be made available in the Human Resources Office for examination by all faculty, staff, and students of the University.

8.2 Any reference letters for semifinalists will be made accessible in the Office of Human Resources for reading by faculty, staff, and students. These letters may not be copied, and their content may not be made public in any way. Each candidate and referee must be informed of the accessibility of the letters.

8.3 The interview process will include, among other assessments, the response to a hypothetical job situation that reveals how the candidate approaches problem-solving, decision-making, and ethics.

8.4 For on-campus interviews, the Committee will arrange and publicize a variety of opportunities, including at least two open forums, for faculty, staff, and students to meet and talk with each candidate.

8.5 The Search Committee will make appointments for the candidate to meet the Provost, the President, the Department Chairs, the Deans of Colleges and Schools, the Human Resources Director, and other appropriate personnel.

8.6 The Committee will invite to a separate meeting with the candidate, all faculty of the department in which the candidate would be tenured.

8.7 The Committee will inquire whether the Board of Control wishes to interview any semifinalist.

8.8 Faculty, staff, and students will be invited to provide oral and written feedback to the Committee on the entire slate of semifinalist candidates, based on the published position description, qualifications and attributes. The Committee will share these comments with the Initiator.

9.0 Selecting the final candidate(s)
9.1 Selection of the final candidate(s) will begin only after the on-campus interview process for all semifinalist candidates is complete.

9.2 After considering the feedback from the University community, the Committee will develop in closed session a list of at most three acceptable individuals from the list of semifinalists.

9.3 The Initiator (President or Provost) will also develop a list of acceptable individuals from the list of semifinalists.

9.4 The Committee and the Initiator will meet and agree on mutually acceptable finalist candidate(s). If no agreement can be reached, the search will be reopened.

10.0 Negotiating salary and tenure
10.1 The Provost or President will negotiate with the chosen finalist candidate(s). Should negotiations with the candidate(s) be unsuccessful, the Committee and President or Provost will meet to reach a consensual decision on the selection of the next acceptable finalist(s) from list of semifinalists. The search will be reopened if no acceptable candidate is found.

10.2 The President or Provost will negotiate tenure with the Chairs and Deans of appropriate academic units, and will make any recommendation of tenure to the Board of Control.

10.3 An explicit part of the negotiation will be salary as a tenured faculty member should the candidate resign from the administrative position.

10.4 Other professional benefits will be negotiated between the candidate and the appropriate administrative officer(s). The Search Committee will be informed of the final accepted offer.

11.0 Closure
The Search Committee should inform the Senate of any changes it deems necessary in the search procedure.

Adopted by Senate: May 8, 2002
Approved by President: May 24, 2002
Amended with Proposal 2-07
Became Senate Procedures 801.1.1