Operating Policy and Procedure
HSC OP: 60.09, Faculty Recruitment Procedure
PURPOSE: The purpose of this HSC Operating Policy/Procedure (HSC OP) is to ensure a standardized approach in the handling of faculty recruitment, and responsiveness to affirmative action and equal employment practices in the employment of faculty.
REVIEW: This HSC OP will be reviewed by November 1 of every even-numbered year (ENY) by the Deans, the Vice President and Chief Human Resource Officer (VPCHRO), the Managing Director of the Office of Equal Opportunity, and the Institutional Compliance Officer, with recommendations for revision forwarded to the President by December 1.
POLICY/PROCEDURE:
1. Policy
a. Policy Statement
The mission of TTUHSC is to provide excellence in the education of health care professionals to serve the West Texas region, the state of Texas, and the nation through innovations in technology research, and patient care. To realize these goals, it is the policy of TTUHSC to identify, recruit, and select highly qualified and diverse faculty.
b. Objective
The objective of this policy is to standardize and enforce faculty recruitment processes in order to employ an outstanding and diverse workforce. To accomplish this objective, TTUHSC shall conduct thorough searches that include the active recruitment of qualified women, minorities, protected veterans, and individuals with disabilities.
c. Legal Basis
The task of building a truly diverse community requires a comprehensive Affirmative Action Program (AAP), as do federal mandates. TTUHSC has developed an AAP that meets the requirements of Executive Order 11246. As a federal contractor and recipient of federal funds, TTUHSC is subject to the requirements for federal contractors under Executive Order 11246 and OFCCP implementing regulations.
d. Postdoctoral Fellows (Postdocs).
This policy does not apply to hires of Postdocs. Refer to HSC OP 70.29, Employment of Postdoctoral Fellows, and HSC OP 70.11, Appointments to Non-faculty Positions, for guidance on the hiring process for Postdocs.
2. Definitions
a. Diversity
The term diversity includes the traditional categories of race, sex, persons with disabilities, as well as other non-traditional categories. In the latter, diversity could mean hiring individuals with different degrees, college affiliations, and education both from within and outside the University’s workforce.
b. Underrepresented Minority
Underrepresented minority (URM) means those groups that are insufficiently or inadequately represented at TTUHSC relative to their numbers in the relevant applicant pool.
c. Equal Employment Opportunity
In compliance with state and federal law and TTUHSC policy, the University will not discriminate against any applicant for employment because of race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, age, disability, genetic information, or status as a protected veteran.
d. Affirmative Action
As a federal contractor, TTUHSC is mandated to eliminate discrimination in its selection and hiring practices. As such, TTUHSC has adopted this goal, and through its comprehensive AAP, has standardized and enforced its commitment to a faculty recruitment and hiring process that ensures the richness and diversity that characterize the demography of our State. However, TTUHSC may not accomplish this goal by using “quotas” or adopting any process or practice that contradicts or violates the spirit of its EEO policies. As an EEO/AA/Vets/Disability employer, TTUHSC instead will meet its goals by using reasonable efforts to increase the number of qualified URM or otherwise diverse applicants in its hiring pools. From that process, TTUHSC will select the most qualified applicant for the academic position without regard of race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, age, disability, genetic information, or status as a protected veteran.
e. Faculty Search
The search process includes all activities used to hire faculty at TTUHSC; including advertisement of the position, applicant screening, selection, and hire.
f. Search Chair
The Chair acts as the committee’s facilitator and official spokesperson and liaison to the hiring official. The Chair establishes the overall plan for the search and articulates expectations to the search committee. The Chair leads the development of the recruiting plan, manages the search process, and is responsible for ensuring the search follows EEO and TTUHSC policies and procedures.
g. Search Coordinator
If necessary, the Coordinator serves as the administrative support to the search committee and Chair. The Coordinator, in coordination with the Chair, ensures all processes are followed in accordance with TTUHSC administrative guidelines; completes all paperwork associated with the search and manages records retention. The Coordinator takes the minutes of all search committee meetings and advises the committee about recruiting sources and serves as the Human Resources (HR) point of contact. The Coordinator has no voting rights on candidate decisions.
3. Procedure
a. Prior to Initiating Search
1) Within two years prior to opening a search, the chair of the search and search coordinator from each school, must have completed training on TTUHSC recruitment and hiring policy, process and procedures either in a one-on-one session with HR staff or through class instruction.
2) Position descriptions are prepared or revised and advertising reviewed by the hiring authority.
3) If the position already exists, then a requisition for posting the position is submitted via the Careers at Texas Tech websites (www.texastech.edu/careers or http://jobs.ttuhsc.edu/). Federal law requires that ALL faculty positions have a recruitment period sufficient to recruit a diverse applicant pool or to establish that reasonable efforts to do so have been made. This requirement is separate from and in addition to state law requirements that all state positions be posted for a minimum of ten business days, and in most circumstances will require a much longer recruitment period. All applicants must complete a faculty application on the Careers at Texas Tech website.
4) If the position is a new position or a reclassification of a position, a Request for Approval and Review - New Position/Reclassifications form is to be completed and submitted to the Lubbock HR office. The form is available at https://hscweb.ttuhsc.edu/human- resources/documents/Classifications.pdf. The requisition or position number assigned to each vacancy will allow for the applicant pool to be tracked and must appear on all search forms and records. Once all approvals have been received, a requisition is submitted via the BrassRing/Kenexa hiring manager portal. All applicants must complete a faculty application on one of the Careers at Texas Tech websites.
b. Conducting the Search
1) For every open vacancy, the chair of the search committee must follow the Faculty Recruitment Procedure Guidelines (Attachment A) to ensure that all applicants have received fair consideration during the recruitment process.
2) Before screening begins, the search committee constructs a matrix (sample in Attachment B or similar tool to be used to compare each candidate’s qualifications to those stated in the position description. Each of the stipulated qualifications should be represented, and, if the search committee determines that it is necessary and appropriate, the scores applied to each qualification may be weighted. A sample of the matrix and other information for assistance in completing a fair and effective search process is available on the HR website, each individual school’s website, and will be presented in faculty search training sessions.
3) During the screening process, the search committee must carefully review its procedures to ensure that all applicants have received fair consideration.
4) After an initial review of applications and prior to scheduling any interviews, the HSC Faculty Addendum form (Attachment C) must be completed and sent to the local HR office. The fillable HSC Faculty Addendum form is located within the requisition, BrassRing/Kenexa hiring manager portal, Forms Tab.
5) The HR office will forward the HSC Faculty Addendum and other supporting documentation of search efforts to the Equal Opportunity Office to review for compliance with federal and state affirmative action and EEO requirements. If required information is supplied, this review should take no more than five business days.
a) Prior to Hire
(1) It is the responsibility of the department chair and committee, or the office of the Dean, to review the employment application, curriculum vitae, and other professional information submitted to ensure minimum requirements of the position are met.
(2) Before a selection is made, each committee should carefully review its procedures to ensure that all applicants have received fair consideration during the interview process.
A background check is initiated after an offer of employment is accepted. Refer to HSC OP 70.20 for information regarding pre-employment background screening.
b) After the Search
(1) For internal candidates, request for employment is initiated by the hiring department via an Electronic Personnel Action Form (ePAF), and for external candidates, the ePAF is generated by the applicant tracking system. The Faculty Recruitment Procedure Guidelines (Attachment A) must be referenced in relation to each open position.
(2) Once a selection and hire is made, the search chair, with the assistance of the Coordinator, completes the EEO/Affirmative Action Recruitment Summary form (Attachment D), summarizing the search process and forwards the completed form to the local HR office, providing a copy to the Faculty Appointments Committee (as applicable based on the school’s processes).
(3) It is the responsibility of the department chair to which the faculty member is appointed to obtain the official transcripts, curriculum vitae, letters of reference, and other credentialing information from the faculty member. In accordance with the State of Texas Records Retention Schedule, such information shall be retained in the office of the relevant Dean for a minimum of five years after termination of employment of the selected candidate.
For candidates not hired, in accordance with the State of Texas Records Retention Schedule and legal guidelines, applications, resumes, transcripts, letters of reference and similar documents must be retained in the office of the Dean for three years.
These recruitment records will include the position requirements, applicants’ qualifications, screening matrices, the HSC Faculty Addendum and the EEO/Affirmative Action Recruitment Summary forms, voting results, if any, and reasons for the ranking or rejection of potential candidates, etc.
c. Exception to the Search Process
On very limited occasions, an opportunity may arise to hire an extraordinarily talented faculty member (typically one who is a nationally recognized scholar in his or her field), therefore presenting a need to truncate the search process. The opportunity may be evident during a regular search, through professional channels, or from the individual expressing an interest.
In such cases, the request will need to be substantiated by providing convincing information of the candidate’s qualifications and accomplishments. A written request for an exception to the search process, including supporting documentation, is to be routed to the Dean, the VPCHRO, the Equal Opportunity Office, and ultimately to the President for approval before any offer of employment may be extended.
Attachment A: Faculty Recruitment Procedure Guidelines
Attachment B: Sample - Hiring Screening Matrix Template
Attachment C: HSC Faculty Addendum
Attachment D: EEO/Affirmative Action Recruitment Summary Form