Procedures for Conducting Affirmative Action Searches for Full-time Administrative Faculty (SUOAF)

The following procedures are designed to ensure a smooth search process and to provide clear documentation of efforts undertaken by all who serve Eastern Connecticut State University to support its affirmative action policy and goals. Any additional questions and concerns can be addressed to the Office of Equity and Diversity at 860-465-5112.

I. Initiating a Search

1. Upon consultation with the President, the appropriate Vice President or Dean will notify the Chief Human Resources Officer and the Vice President for Equity and Diversity that an administrative hiring search is to be initiated. The notification will include a position description and starting date.
2. Position Approval: A PAR form is required for all positions. Please check the Human Resources website which also links to the Equity and Diversity website for forms. PAR Form
3. The Chief Human Resources Officer shall notify all campuses of a vacancy if the position is in the SUOAF bargaining unit. Members shall have ten (10) working days to submit their credentials to the designated campus official. After consideration of these candidates, the search may proceed if no one is appointed at this step. The designated official shall inform all candidates of the decision to proceed with a search.
4. For all administrative faculty positions, the current SUOAF President shall appoint one committee member if it is a bargaining unit position.
5. The search chair will prepare a search plan that contains the position announcement, a timeline for the search (a negotiable closing date may be indicated), job advertisement copy, intended recruitment sources, and the name and address of the individual to whom all search correspondence should be sent. The plan should be submitted to the appropriate Dean or Vice President, the Vice President for Equity and Diversity and then to the President for approval. The Chief Human Resources Officer is responsible for placing the job advertisement.

II. Preliminary Search Committee Work

1. The Vice President for Equity and Diversity will meet with the search committee to review affirmative action guidelines and university recruitment policies.
2. The search committee will seek a diverse pool of candidates. The committee members are responsible for pursuing the recruitment strategies outlined in the search plan, including the personal recruitment of candidates. These efforts will be documented in the affirmative action recruitment log form.
3. Search committee members should review and become familiar with the position description.
4. Search committee should develop an evaluation rubric that will be used to evaluate all applications that are received for the position.
5. Initial screening of applications will be conducted by the search committee. The search chair will be responsible for: acknowledging all applications, sending out affirmative action response cards, data collection/links ensuring that application documents are complete, uploading application to SharePoint, and maintaining a master list of the names and addresses of all applicants.
   Complete records are to be kept of all activities related to the search for filing with the search report, including recruitment lists, letters, and telephone calls.
6. Search Committee members should review and evaluate all applications using the approved rubric.
7. After reviewing all applications, the search committee may recommend three to five candidates to be interviewed. The search chair will submit the applications, along with justifications, of the candidates recommended for interviewing to the Vice President for Equity and Diversity.
8. If approval to interview is denied at this point, the committee will be directed to work further with the candidate pool or reopen the search.

III. The Interview Process

1. If the appropriate management official gives approval to proceed with interviewing, candidates will be invited to campus. The interview process may include meetings with students, faculty and administrators as appropriate.
2. The search chair will arrange reimbursement of any candidate's travel expense or other interview-related expenses up to the amount approved by the Vice President or Dean. Allowable expenses include transportation, overnight accommodations if necessary, and meals for candidates for each day a candidate is on campus. All expenses must conform to state expenditure limits.
3. The search committee should provide candidates with as much detailed information about the institution and position as is practicable prior to the interview.
4. The search committee should prepare a list of interview questions as a guideline.

IV. The Hiring Process and Final Steps

1. Upon completion of interviews, the search chair will submit a search report which recommends three or more unranked candidates to the appropriate management official, Vice President, Vice President for Equity and Diversity and the President for approval.
   Detailed information on all interviewed candidates should be provided, with a brief description of the strengths of each.
   If none of the finalists are deemed appropriate, the Vice President or Dean will confer with the search chair about whether to reconsider applicants in the pool, expand the candidate pool or initiate a new search.
2. Once a candidate has been selected to receive an offer, the Vice President or Dean should complete a Request to Hire/Salary Analysis form and submit it to the Vice President for Equity and Diversity, who will subsequently pass it along to Human Resources for processing.
3. Once Salary Analysis is approved, the Vice President or Dean then contacts the candidate and conducts any necessary negotiations.
4. After an offer has been made, the search chair will be responsible for completing the hiring process and informing all other candidates that the position has been filled.

Search Procedures - Administrative Faculty, Revised 09/21/2023.

Administrative Faculty search check list