In order to assure compliance with budgetary restrictions, state and federal employment laws and affirmative action, the University has established procedures for the filling of vacant positions.
Regular positions are posted for a specified length of time on the University web site at www.usi.edu/jobs. Consideration will be given to those applicants meeting the position’s minimum qualifications. The University encourages internal promotion to fill open positions. Employees who wish to apply for internal positions must advise the Human Resources Department or the search committee chair of their interest and qualifications in writing by the indicated application deadline date. New hires must successfully complete the requirements established by the Bureau of Citizenship and Immigration Services, as contained in the Immigration Reform and Control Act, as well as complete the necessary payroll/tax forms in order to begin employment. Only under exceptional circumstances may a waiver of the posting requirement be granted.
- Selection of Faculty and Administrative Appointments
Faculty positions must remain vacant for at least 30 days, while administrative positions must remain vacant for at least 21 days in order to permit interested persons time to apply. Faculty and administrative positions will be posted on the University web site at www.usi.edu/jobs. The college/department and Human Resources will select publications in which position advertisements are to appear. Local advertising expense will be paid by the Human Resources Department; state and national advertising costs will be paid by the college/department. Offers of employment will not be made until the appropriate vice president and the affirmative action director review and approve salary and employment recommendations, including credential verification, to ensure the appropriateness of the selection and affirmative action compliance. The fiscal agent for the college/department must approve the position and a payroll notification must be completed and forwarded to Human Resources.
No supervisor or administrator may make an offer contrary to the University policies related to employment, compensation, or benefits, nor imply or state that a contract has been created between the University and the prospective employee. Only the president, or his designee, is authorized by the Board of Trustees to offer actual appointments. A standard written offer of employment is prepared by the Human Resources Department, to be signed, dated, and returned to the Human Resources office by the prospective employee. A benefits orientation for the new employee will be arranged on or near the first day of employment.
Faculty appointments will be filled according to the guidelines set forth in Item III of the Faculty Handbook, SELECTION AND APPOINTMENT PROCEDURES.
An administrative search committee is initiated by the departmental director or supervisor who will typically assume the primary responsibility as search committee chair. The departmental director or supervisor must complete an Employment Requisition form and a job description for approval by the appropriate department head, the budget director, and the appropriate vice president.
The Employment Requisition form, job description, and advertising information including web-based advertising must be reviewed by Human Resources to assure compliance with all employment laws, university affirmative action plans, and university hiring policies. It is the responsibility of the college/department to secure the necessary approvals in order for recruitment activity to be initiated. Each position should be evaluated to determine appropriate recruitment strategies. Contacts at professional meetings and direct mailing also may be used. The object is to secure as large a number of qualified candidates as possible.
Once the recruiting process has commenced, no changes should be made to the job description, unless approved by the Human Resources department. All recruitment advertising, regardless of its medium, must include the Equal Opportunity/Affirmative Action statement.
A search committee of at least three members appointed by the search committee chair will evaluate applications for the open position. In the case of hiring a vice president, associate vice president, athletic administrator, or in other unusual circumstances, the search committee will be appointed by the president. The functions of the search committee are to evaluate applicants, to recommend to the department head those applicants to be invited to campus for interviews, to check references of those candidates to be invited to campus, to participate in the interview process, and to forward the committee’s evaluations of the applicants to the appropriate vice president.
The search committee, in consultation with the department head, the appropriate vice president, and the University Travel Office, coordinates arrangements for the candidate’s travel and schedule of events. The appropriate vice president must approve all travel arrangements.
Prior to contacting the candidate’s references, the search committee should receive a completed USI employment application and compose a list of job related questions to be asked of all references. Prior to the telephone interviews and scheduled campus visits, the search committee also should compose a list of job related questions to be asked of all candidates. The Human Resources Department will provide reference and interview training and question development support to all administrative search committees to ensure compliance with appropriate laws and acceptable hiring practices.
The search committee should schedule interviews for the candidates with all appropriate campus personnel. After candidates have been interviewed, the search committee may forward to the appropriate department head a narrative outlining strengths and weaknesses of each candidate or a recommendation to hire (this process is determined in advance by the president, appropriate vice president, and/or the department head).
After reviewing the search committee’s narrative comments or recommendation to hire, the department head will meet and consult with the search committee chair and the search committee and will then make a hiring recommendation to the appropriate vice president.
The appropriate vice president will make recommendations for appointments to the president of the University. The recommendation will typically include:
- A memorandum recommending appointment from the department head and the search committee chair setting forth the recommendation, reasons for selection, proposed salary, and a completed affirmative action form.
- The completed University employment application form. This form can be completed by the candidate when on campus.
- Official transcripts of the highest degree achieved.
- At least three references or letters of recommendation.
- Other pertinent information such as proof of certifications, licensures, and other applicable accreditation documents.
Once an offer has been made and accepted, all application and recruitment materials, including the Affirmative Action Recruitment and Search Reports and interview and reference check summaries generated in the search, should be returned to the Human Resources Department.
Upon completion of the Employment Requisition form (available from the Human Resources Department), the college/department should submit the requisition and current position description or position description questionnaire (for new positions) to Human Resources. It is the responsibility of the college/department to secure the necessary approvals in order for recruitment activity to be initiated. Upon receipt of these documents, a recruitment strategy plan will be coordinated between the college/department and Human Resources.
Vacant positions will be advertised on the University web site at www.usi.edu/jobs and notices will be placed throughout the University and locally, if necessary. The Human Resources Department will coordinate with the college/department head in recommending publications for placement of advertisements of positions. Positions must remain vacant for at least three days following the notice on the University web site.
The college/department head will recommend selection of an applicant to the designated Human Resources representative who will review and approve the salary and employment recommendations, including credential verification, to ensure the appropriateness of the selection and affirmative action compliance. If the recommended applicant is a qualified candidate, the Human Resources representative will contact the applicant to make an offer of employment. If the offer of employment is accepted, a written offer of employment will be provided to the prospective employee. Human Resources is the only department authorized to make a job offer to an applicant for a support position. A benefits orientation for the new employee will be arranged on or near the first day of employment.
Contact the Human Resources Department for more specific information regarding the selection processes.