FACULTY RECRUITMENT GUIDELINES. Office of the Provost Office of Institutional Diversity

Transcription

1 FACULTY RECRUITMENT GUIDELINES Office of the Provost Office of Institutional Diversity

2 Table of Contents Page Statement of Purpose.. 1 Special Opportunity Hires. 2 Faculty Positions: Requests & Responsibilities Recruitment Process - Tenured/Tenure-Track... 3 Search Process C(1) Participants in Search Process... 4 C(2) Contact with Potential Candidates at Conferences C(3) Recruitment Plan 5 C(4) Advertisements.. 5 Applicant Pool Procedures... 6 Short List.. 8 Candidate Interviews Offers 10 Recruitment Package File Retention. 11 Faculty Appointments. 12 Recruitment Process - Non-Tenure Track (NTT) Recruitment Process - Visiting/Adjunct/Research Professors 13 Recruitment Process - Teaching Assistant 15 Recruitment Process - Graduate Assistant Instructor Role of the Affirmative Action Advocate i

3 Statement of Purpose As The University of Texas at San Antonio (UTSA) evolves into a research university, it is committed to building a highly qualified and diverse faculty in support of academic excellence. Your service as a Search Committee member or as an Affirmative Action Advocate (AAA) is instrumental to this commitment. This Faculty Recruitment Manual, developed jointly by the Office of Institutional Diversity and the Office of the Provost, provides guidance to ensure a fair and effective process is followed as you recruit colleagues to serve our diverse student population. Adhering to the recruitment guidelines outlined in this Manual affords protection to you, the candidates, and UTSA. The Office of Institutional Diversity and the Office of the Provost work together to assist you during faculty searches by providing training, responding to questions related to the manual, and serving as resources on other issues that may arise during the process. Recruiting new faculty can be a long and involved process, one that is successful as a result of your time, efforts, patience and attention. EEO guidelines as well as University processes and procedures must be followed during every faculty search. Failure to follow the processes outlined in this Manual may result in the closing of a search. This delays hiring of new faculty and creates additional costs for your college and department. In addition, such failure could put both you and the University vulnerable to legal challenges. Fellow faculty members, students, and members of the administration value the time and effort you contribute as committee members and advocates in bringing the best-qualified and talented faculty to UTSA. We all stand to reap the benefits your new colleagues will bring to our campus as we strive to reach the University s goals.

4 Special Opportunity Hires The President or his designee may authorize recruitment of individuals from outside the established University search process where there is an opportunity to hire a scholar who has an outstanding record of academic achievements, and who is capable of making a unique and exceptional contribution to the University s mission. Department Chairs can nominate an individual for a special opportunity hire through the Dean, and faculty members can nominate by notifying their respective Department Chair. Special opportunity hires cannot be used to fill advertised faculty positions. The President or his designee s decision that such an opportunity exists will eliminate the requirement to conduct a full-fledged national search process. The College which has been identified by the President or his designee as eligible for a special opportunity hire will conduct the negotiations. Confidentiality is essential to this process. The Dean will conduct the negotiations in consultation with the relevant Department Chair and the senior faculty of that Department. Department Faculty Review Committees will review the credentials of each individual, as appropriate, and make a recommendation to the Dean, through the Department Chair, in accordance with established guidelines in the HOP prior to final negotiations. 2

5 OFFICE OF THE PROVOST: GUIDELINES FOR FACULTY RECRUITMENT CONTACT BENNIE KECKLER A. FACULTY POSITIONS: REQUESTS & RESPONSIBILITIES The Deans will establish and manage the recruitment budget for their respective College in order to achieve faculty recruitment objectives. Deans will prepare a prioritized list for positions they want to fill. Once the Provost authorizes a position, the Deans will delegate the recruitment process for all approved positions to the appropriate Department Chairs. Department Chairs will delegate the recruitment process for all approved positions to the appropriate search committee members. A copy of the priorities list will be sent to the Vice Provost for Academic and Faculty Support. Deans and Department Chairs are responsible for monitoring actions of Search Committees in their colleges to ensure that established guidelines are followed: B. FACULTY RECRUITMENT PROCESS (Tenured/Tenure-Track) It is a University goal to identify, recruit and retain highly qualified, talented, and diverse faculty for positions in all academic fields, including. The Office of Institutional Diversity (OID) functions as the EEO Office responsible for monitoring and coordinating the faculty recruitment process to ensure compliance with search procedures, university policies, and legal and regulatory requirements. Deans, Department Chairs, and Search Committees are responsible for ensuring that equal opportunity is afforded to all candidates to further the University s goal of identifying and recruiting diverse, qualified and talented faculty. Actions must be in accordance with the recruitment plans developed by Search Committees and approved by OID. In order to present a diverse applicant pool to OID for approval, Search Committees are responsible for actively engaging in efforts that include: Communicating the availability of positions to a broad and diverse range of qualified candidates. Developing strategies to attract qualified women and members of underrepresented groups. Making personal contact with potential candidates who are female and/or members of underrepresented groups. 3

6 OFFICE OF INSTITUTIONAL DIVERSITY: GUIDELINES FOR FACULTY RECRUITMENT CONTACT LEONARD FLAUM C. Search Process C (1) Participants in Search Process Search Committees Deans appoint diverse faculty Search Committees based upon recommendations submitted by the Department Chair. Department Chairs have the option to select a member to act as Chair of the Search Committee. Search Committee members will be Tenure or Tenure-Track faculty, unless otherwise determined by the Dean. Search Committees may include faculty or subject matter experts from other institutions if approved by the Dean. Once approved, each committee member must attend Faculty Recruitment Training (FRT). Affirmative Action Advocates Deans appoint an Affirmative Action Advocate (AAA) from a list of active and trained advocates selected by the Dean. The list of AAAs from each college should be updated and provided to OID before each recruiting cycle. The Advocate should be a faculty member of a different department from within the college, unless otherwise determined by the Provost or Dean. Advocates must be tenured faculty. (see page 18 for AAA duties and responsibilities) Deans / Department Chairs / OID Deans and Department Chairs are responsible for ensuring that Search Committee Members and Advocates receive the necessary training. OID will make every effort to train Deans, Department Chairs, Search Committee Members, Advocates, and Administrative Services Officers (ASO) and Departmental Administrative support staff. OID training will focus on appropriate procedures in the search process and acceptable guidelines for screening and recommending applicants. 4

7 C (2) Contact with Potential Candidates at Conferences Preliminary contact with potential candidates may occur through recruitment efforts at academic and professional conferences. The purpose of meeting with candidates is to determine their credentials and talk about their research and teaching experience as well as to tell them about the University and the relevant department. Guidelines for meeting with candidates at conferences are as follows: o Contact should be limited to faculty members who have received prior training by OID. o Sessions with candidates may be prearranged through the association that is hosting the conference. o Use consistency with respect to questions asked of all candidates by developing some core questions. Questions asked of candidates at a conference should also be asked of candidates who were not screened at a conference and who are subsequently identified on the short list. o Candidates who are screened at conferences must submit an application as well as provide all other documentation required of candidates who did not attend a conference. o If a candidate who was screened at a conference is deemed qualified to be included on the short list by the search committee, the candidate must be brought to campus for the interview process, as described in the guidelines. o Do not schedule an on-campus interview with a candidate until after the short list has been approved by the Dean, as outlined in the Faculty Recruitment Guidelines. C (3) Recruitment Plan The College must develop a document which outlines the Search Committee s strategy for recruitment efforts in the search process. This Recruitment Plan is then attached to the advertisement and outlines the search process that the committee will implement and where the position will be advertised. The objective of the recruitment plan is to identify the Search Committee s administrative process for conducting the search and the recruiting efforts the committee will employ to obtain a broad and diverse pool of candidates. OID can assist the committee by providing names of organizations and publications that target women and members of underrepresented groups. C (4) Advertisements Advertisements for positions must be written by the Search Committee, reviewed and approved by the Department Chair and Dean before it can be submitted to OID for review prior to publication. OID will ensure the position described in the 5

8 advertisement meets compliance and University standards. Positions must be identified according to college, title of the position, qualification requirements and duties. The position advertisement will contain the following required elements: The name of the position/rank. The deadlines or closing dates, if applicable for the position. The Required Qualifications and Preferred Qualifications with descriptions of the knowledge, skills, and abilities for the position. (A generalized comment is preferable to citing a specific number of years.) A detailed description of information candidates must submit. Advertisements can include a stand-alone paragraph for each rank Advertisements for open rank positions must describe criteria for applying for each professorial rank A statement on how ABD s are to be handled and the required date of the doctorate, if ABD s will be accepted as applicants. The following statements must be included: Pending budget approval Applicants who are selected for interviews must be able to show proof that they are eligible and qualified to work in the United States. UTSA is an Affirmative Action/Equal Opportunity Employer. Women, minorities, veterans, and individuals with disabilities are encouraged to apply. Upon final approval by OID, the advertisement will be assigned a recruitment number and the request will be returned to the department through the Dean to proceed with publication. Positions must be filled as advertised; therefore, be flexible with arbitrary measures such as years of service. NOTE: IT IS IMPORTANT THAT YOU RETAIN THE ORIGINAL ADVERTISEMENT FROM A PROFESSIONAL NATIONAL JOURNAL IN THE EVENT THE HIRE IS A FOREIGN NATIONAL. THE ADVERTISEMENT MUST INCLUDE THE NAME AND DATE OF PUBLICATION, AND MUST STATE THE JOB TITLE, DUTIES AND REQUIREMENTS. THIS IS REQUIRED AS PART OF THE DOCUMENTATION FOR PERMANENT RESIDENCY FILINGS. IF YOU HAVE ANY QUESTIONS REGARDING SPECIAL HANDLING PROCEDURES, CONTACT INTERNATIONAL PROGRAMS AT EXT D. APPLICANT POOL PROCEDURES (Either the Search Committee or the administrative staff of the academic departments may handle the following administrative requirements) 1. Department Chairs should ensure that a Checklist is created to track administration of the search process. The checklist should provide detailed instructions for administrative staff to follow throughout the search process. 6

9 2. Each application must be date-stamped on the date it is received and applicants must be notified in writing of receipt of their application and support materials. The Department will also an Applicant Confidential Data Form to the applicant upon receipt of their application. If the applicant does not provide an e- mail address, contact OID for a mail-back copy of the data form. The Applicant Confidential Data Form should be returned via to OID at diversity.office@utsa.edu. Applicants should be encouraged to complete and return the forms for data analysis and statistical reporting. 3. Applicants who do not provide all required documentation must be contacted immediately to request the missing documentation. Application packets may not be reviewed by the search committee until the applicant submits all required documentation specified in the advertisement. All contacts with the applicant must be documented. Dated is acceptable. 4. All applicants whose files are complete must receive full and consistent consideration by the search committee. If a position has a rolling deadline, the committee must continue to review all completed applications received until the position is filled. 5. The Faculty Applicant Pool form must be completed (listing the names of all applicants who have applied by that date). The form must be signed by the search chair or an appointed representative and the Dean who submits it to OID for certification. OID will return the certified applicant pool form to the Dean. Candidates must be placed in the pool(s) for which they have specifically applied. The search committee may contact the candidate to determine an interest for consideration for other positions for which they qualify and did not so indicate. Documentation of this contact is required. The Committee may begin reviewing applicant files if they are complete. The committee does not have to wait for OID to certify the applicant pool to review applicant files. 6. OID will enter ethnicity and gender data on the Faculty Applicant Pool form from information provided by applicants on Applicant Confidential Data Forms and a review of the Applicant Pool form. OID will use national availability statistics to determine whether to certify or not certify the pool. After OID reviews the Faculty Applicant Pool form it will be returned to the Dean s office. If the pool is not certified, OID will retain the form and communicate recommendations to the Dean and Search Committee Chair for further action. Upon OID s receipt of written documentation from the Search Committee Chair regarding results based on OID s recommendations, OID will make a determination regarding certifying the pool. 7. Telephone screening interviews can be used to screen applicants before creating the short list. The search committee must ask similar questions of each candidate interviewed by telephone. OID strongly recommends that more than one member of the Search Committee be present for the interview. 8. The Search Chair must ensure that amended applicant pool forms are submitted when information on the applicant pool form has changed. As a general guideline, 7

10 amended pools should not be submitted to OID unless there are ten or more names or two weeks after submission of previous pool. Disciplines that expect to receive fewer applications may wish to submit more often. Amended pools should be dated and identified as an amended pool. All candidates selected for inclusion on the short list must be listed on an OID-certified applicant pool prior to submission of the short list. 9. All Committee deliberations are confidential and discussions about applicant qualifications should not be had with individuals who are not members of the Search Committee. Failure to maintain confidentiality could result in the closure of a search. After deliberations, the Search Committee may summarize qualifications to the general faculty in the department. After the short list is approved; faculty in the department can access the files of the candidates included on the short list. E. SHORT LIST 1. Search Committees will use checklists and make written assessments of candidates. Screening and advancing candidates will be based on job-related criteria without regard to subjective judgments or impressions. 2. Search Committees will develop a short list of the best-qualified applicants and make recommendations by memorandum for the Dean s approval, through the Department Chair. The committee must list strengths and weaknesses for each candidate, and include vitas and credential files. The Department Chair will forward to the Dean with a supporting memorandum. The Department Chair can add candidates to the short list, but he/she cannot remove candidates selected by the Search Committee. The Dean will approve the short list. The Dean will then approve the recommendation of the committee or determine which candidates will be brought in for interviews and return it to the Search Committee so they may proceed with the hiring process. No interviews can be conducted prior to this approval. (Do not rank candidates on the short list submitted to the Dean. Ranking candidates on the short list can result in the termination of a search.) 3. The Dean is the final approval authority for the short list and determining interview selections. 4. A minimum of two candidates must be included on the final short list unless the Dean approves an exception. F. CANDIDATE INTERVIEWS The purpose of the campus interview is to seek job-related information for a fair evaluation of all candidates. Department Chairs are responsible for ensuring notes of interviews and relevant documents are kept in the recruitment file. Interviews of potential candidates at conventions or professional conferences are considered part of the screening process and subject to guidelines in this manual. 8

11 1. Interviews cannot begin until the short list has been approved by the Dean. 2. Prior to the interviews, Search Committee members will develop and approve questions that will be asked of all candidates. Questions are to be asked in a consistent manner. Participation of all committee members is encouraged at each interview to enable a fair comparison and vote for all candidates interviewed. 3. Telephone and web-cast interviews can be conducted with prior approval of the Department Chair. The Search Committee must ask similar questions of each candidate interviewed as those posed to candidates during on-campus interviews. OID recommends all members of the Search Committee be present for the interview. 4. All candidates should be offered the opportunity to meet with faculty members not on the Search Committee, students, and with women or members of underrepresented groups. 5. The Department Chair should discuss job requirements as well as criteria for promotion and tenure at UTSA with the candidates. 6. During the interview process, candidates should be provided with the same services and information. (Any approved expenses incurred for such purposes shall be reimbursed as part of the costs of the search, given budget constraints.) 7. The Vice Provost for Academic and Faculty Support will interview candidates being offered positions at the Associate Professor level. The Provost will interview all candidates offered Full and Endowed positions. The Department Faculty Review Advisory Committee must review candidate files, vote and submit a recommendation to the Dean for these candidates. Full professors should be the only ones to evaluate candidates for full professor with tenure. This evaluation must take place once a candidate has been identified for hire and prior to the preliminary job offer. 8. University Review Committee (URC): At the request of the UT System Office, UTSA established a University level committee to review all recommendations for faculty positions. This committee will make recommendations to the Provost as to whether or not applicants possess credentials commensurate with the goal of moving UTSA to tier one status. The Dean will inform the Vice Provost for Academic and Faculty Support of the need to convene a URC once a search committee has made a recommendation to the Dean through the Department Chair. The URC will evaluate potential senior and junior faculty appointments using guidelines established by the Vice Provost for Academic and Faculty Support. The URC for each hire will consist of the Search Committee Chair, a senior faculty member in the college making the offer, and a senior faculty member outside of the college making the offer. The URC will review the vita and strength and weaknesses of the prospective hire. The review process will be accomplished via to expedite the process. The Vice Provost for Academic and Faculty Support will inform the Dean and the Provost of the Committee s recommendation. 9

12 G. OFFERS 1. Preliminary offers will be made by the Dean to the best qualified candidate and must include information such as start-up funds, teaching responsibilities, moving expenses, etc. The Office of the Provost must approve all preliminary letters of offer. Failure to obtain the Provost s approval of the preliminary letter of offer may result in the termination of the search. The Dean retains a copy of offer letters with account numbers for all expenditures to ensure expenses do not exceed amounts allocated for recruitment. 2. In the recruitment of faculty who are not U.S. citizens, the College should contact the International Programs office prior to preparing the job offer to obtain guidance regarding procedures for hiring international candidates. 3. The hiring department is responsible for insuring all required forms and associated paperwork for hiring an international candidate are completed and forwarded to appropriate authorities. (UTSA Human Resources Office or International Programs Office.) 4. Departments are encouraged to assist in locating employment for spouses by providing information about positions at UTSA and in the community. 5. Salaries should be commensurate with qualifications and experience. 6. The Provost must approve all final offers for faculty positions. 7. Before converting NTT faculty to TT faculty, a memo must be sent to the Provost listing the justification, salary and source of funds. Materials for the Recruitment Package are the same as for new TT faculty, except for the prior correspondence and applicant pool. The Provost has set an internal deadline of May 31, 2008 for all offers to be finalized and signed by the candidates. The Provost and OID must be notified when a search is terminated and provided with a brief explanation of the rationale for this action. H. RECRUITMENT PACKAGE Recruitment packages of original documents are submitted by the Department through the Dean to the Provost for review prior to requesting a Letter of Appointment from the President to the candidate. All materials for the recruitment packages should be assembled by mid-june, 2008, and sent to the Provost. If this deadline cannot be met, contact Bennie 4967 for guidance. 10

13 I. FILE RETENTION The Department and Dean should keep the entire search file for a minimum of three (3) years. In the event that a selection is challenged, the Department, Dean and Provost offices will be notified and advised to retain the files for a longer period of time. 11

14 OFFICE OF THE PROVOST: FACULTY APPOINTMENTS CONTACT BENNIE KECKLER A. TENURE TRACK FACULTY APPOINTMENTS (Handbook of Operating Procedures, Section 2.2A.) The Provost forwards the recruitment package, with the final Letter of Appointment, to the Office of the President for signature. Letters of Appointment and original documents will be mailed to the candidate by the Provost s Office with copies forwarded to the Dean and Department Chair. Failure of a candidate to execute and return the Letter of Appointment within the specified period renders it null and void unless otherwise approved by the Provost s Office. The Department Chair is responsible for assuring that the candidate has received the offer letter and contract and understands the need for returning by the specified date. The candidate is expected to return the contract with a confirmation letter if the position at UTSA will not be accepted. B. NON-TENURE TRACK FACULTY APPOINTMENTS (Handbook of Operating Procedures, Section 2.2.B.) Appointments to non-tenure track faculty titles shall be for a period of time not to exceed one academic year, except in the case of Lecturer or Senior Lecturer when, in individual cases, appointment may be for a period of time not to exceed three (3) academic years. All such appointments shall terminate at the expiration of the stated period of appointment without the notification of non-renewal of appointment required in Subsection 6.7, Chapter III, Part One of the UT System Board of Regents Rules and Regulations. Reappointment documents (Letters of Appointment and revised vitae) are routed by the Department through the Dean to the Provost for processing, if applicable. C. EXTERNAL JOINT APPOINTMENTS (Handbook of Operating Procedures, Section 2.9.A.) Individuals outside The University of Texas at San Antonio (UTSA) should be recommended for non-tenure joint appointments (with professional or adjunct titles and salary status), through internal channels, on UTSA appointment forms and accompanied by appropriate documentation of qualifications. Adjunct titles will not be used between The University of Texas at San Antonio and The University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio. Ranks used will be the same as on the home campus. The President of UTSA delegates approval authority for external joint appointments to the Provost and Executive Vice President. Deans should indicate responsibilities of the recommended individual, Department and College needs to be filled and the value the prospective appointee will have to the University as support documentation. A Letter of Appointment for the Provost s 12

15 signature should also be included with materials sent forward. The letter should specify the appointment is without tenure, state the amount of salary or without salary and percentage of total workload. It should include that the appointment is concurrent with the term of appointment on the faculty member s home campus and cannot be extended. D. ADJOINT PROFESSOR, ADJOINT ASSOCIATE PROFESSOR AND ADJOINT ASSISTANT PROFESSOR (Handbook of Operating Procedures, Section 2.2) These titles may be used to designate faculty who serve UTSA in cooperative or joint programs pursuant to a memorandum of understanding, cooperative research and development agreement, or similar partnership instrument. Persons holding these titles will be employees of and compensated by the partnership organization. They will not be deemed employees of UTSA. They will, however, have the same obligations, responsibilities, and authority as regular faculty employed directly by UTSA when performing faculty functions pursuant to the agreement. Appointments will usually be part-time for the purpose of supervising theses and dissertations or for teaching highly specialized courses. The term of the appointment shall be specified in the agreement with the partner organization. E. RESEARCH PROFESSORS Assistant, Associate and Professor(s) of Research titles-all documents on checklist must be collected if candidate is teaching; only these documents are required if candidate is not teaching and only conducting research: Letter from Department Chair through Dean to the Provost justifying position, list of duties, with or without salary, and source of funds; Letter of Appointment, current vita, two letters of reference, and Faculty Qualifications Form. F. APPOINTMENT OF TEACHING ASSISTANTS (Handbook of Operating Procedures, Section 2.2) Teaching Assistants are auxiliary members of the instructional staff of The University of Texas at San Antonio and are employed in that capacity to meet instructional needs of the University at the undergraduate level. The faculty establishes the format for and content of their instructional service. All duties and services of Teaching Assistants are to be carried out under established supervision and direction of Department faculty. G. APPOINTMENT OF GRADUATE STUDENTS AS ASSISTANT INSTRUCTORS (Handbook of Operating Procedures, Section 2.2) 13

16 A graduate student at The University of Texas at San Antonio may be eligible for appointment to the title of Assistant Instructor subject to the following criteria. 1. Qualifications. To be eligible for appointment as an Assistant Instructor, an individual must have been unconditionally admitted to candidacy for the relevant doctoral degree and must have completed all of the doctoral degree course work except for the dissertation. He or she must be certified by the Dean as making satisfactory progress toward the degree and must be registered for the dissertation course. However, he or she cannot have been registered for the dissertation course for more than four semesters, unless the Provost approves an exception. 2. Appointment. Assistant Instructor appointments shall be made, in general, for the nine-month academic year. No individual may be appointed as an Assistant Instructor for more than four long-term academic semesters unless exception is recommended by the Department Chair and Dean and approved by the Provost. The total combined period of service as a Teaching Assistant and as an Assistant Instructor shall not exceed nine long-term academic semesters. H. RECRUITMENT PROCESS - Non-Tenure Track (with the exception of Visiting, Adjunct, Adjoint, and Professor(s) of Research Titles) 1. Appropriate appointment documents are prepared by the Department and forwarded to the Dean for approval. The checklist that follows this section consists of two packets and is to be utilized in processing the required documents. 2. Packet I is forwarded to the Dean s Office and Packet II is forwarded to the Human Resources Office simultaneously. 3. Contact Bennie Keckler (x-4967) for format sample of preliminary offer letter and Letter of Appointment. 4. After approval, the Dean will return the file to the Department. 5. Department will date and mail the Letter of Appointment to the non-tenured faculty member, but will not process the appointment on DEFINE until the classes for which the individual was hired have made. 6. Department Chair will be responsible for assuring that the new faculty member has been scheduled for an orientation meeting with Human Resources. 7. Original signed Letter of Appointment must be kept on file in the Department Office and a copy forwarded to the Dean. 8. Reappointment documents include Letter of Appointment and revised vitae. I. RECRUITMENT PROCESS - Visiting/Adjunct (Visiting Professors, Visiting Associate Professors, Visiting Assistant Professors) (Adjunct Professors, Adjunct Associate Professors, Adjunct Assistant Professors) 14

17 (Assistant Professor of Research, Associate Professor of Research, Professor of Research) Recruitment packages of original documents are submitted by the Department through the Dean to the Provost for review prior to requesting a Letter of Appointment be signed by the President and mailed to the candidate. The checklist on page 16 is to be utilized to complete the recruitment package. J. RECRUITMENT PROCESS - Teaching Assistant Service as a Teaching Assistant does not imply acquisition of tenure or membership as faculty. Teaching Assistants should be accorded recognition for their important role in undergraduate instruction. Departments should encourage their participation in deliberations of content of courses in which they teach. 1. Selection and Appointment. Departments should employ a faculty committee to screen, rank and recommend concerning the appointment or reappointment of Teaching Assistants. The committee should use evaluative criteria that are valid in the discipline or academic area. In cases of prospective new appointments, the Department Chair should engage in preliminary inquiry, conduct correspondence, and receive the application for employment form. When approved by the Dean, an offer of appointment should be prepared. 2. Forms. Forms required for the initial appointment include the Memorandum of Appointment, Application, and official transcript of highest degree. The Memorandum of Appointment is required for the reappointment of Teaching Assistants. 3. Documentation. In order for Teaching Assistants to be certified before they enter the classroom, the necessary documentation should be completed no later than during the regular registration period. It is the responsibility of the Department Chair to verify that Teaching Assistants meet the required qualifications and terms of appointment (Handbook of Operating Procedures, Section 2.2). No person may be appointed as a Teaching Assistant until he or she has been admitted unconditionally to a graduate degree program and is in good academic standing. A Teaching Assistant must be registered for at least six semester hours of graduate course work during the Fall or Spring semesters and for no less than three semester hours of graduate course work during summer sessions. 4. Terms of Appointment. This title requires enrollment as a student and is limited to total employment of 20 hours per week (50% time). This is a nonclassified student title and such employees will be eligible for premium sharing and employee group insurance coverages (Handbook of Operating Procedures, Section 4.9). A Teaching Assistant teaching one course shall be processed as a quarter-time appointment (10 hours per week). 15

18 Experienced Teaching Assistants and those who have formal responsibility for lecture classes should be appointed in the upper range of the appropriate salary scale. In addition, a Teaching Assistant may be eligible for tuition and fee benefits (Handbook of Operating Procedures, Section 5.5). Teaching Assistants may be employed in the summer sessions, subject to the same policies, criteria and qualifications as are applicable in the Fall and Spring semesters. Summer session appointments shall correspond to the official schedule of the course that they are to teach. Appointment forms must indicate percent of appointment in accordance with the percentage of the full-time equivalent base. 5. Reappointment. Departments shall consider reappointment of Teaching Assistants in accordance with the instructional needs of the Department. A Teaching Assistant may be considered for reappointment if: In the opinion of the Department Chair of the employing Department, he or she provided satisfactory prior service, and He or she meets the scholastic requirements for eligibility set forth in the Graduate Catalog and is verified by the Department Chair as being in good academic standing as making satisfactory progress toward an advanced degree. To be eligible for appointment as a TA during the Fall or Spring semesters, a student pursuing a Master s degree must be enrolled in no less than 6 semester credit hours. To be eligible for appointment as a TA during the Summer semester, a student pursing a Master s degree must be enrolled in no less than 3 semester credit hours. In addition, the student must be making satisfactory academic progress in their program of study. 6. Duties. The primary duty of a Teaching Assistant is to provide instructional service. Such service shall include formal instruction of an undergraduate class (normally only in the lower division), laboratory, discussion or review sections or their academic equivalent (in some Colleges, this would include supervision of scheduled practice sessions, drill sessions, rehearsals and similar instructional service) as may be listed in the Schedule of Classes. In addition to this minimal assignment, a Teaching Assistant should be expected to perform additional academic services such as evaluation of student work, holding of office hours, student conferences and other common academic duties as may be commensurate with the terms of appointment. 7. Supervision and Instruction. All Teaching Assistants shall be under direct and assigned supervision of designated regular faculty and shall regularly report on the conduct and performance of their duties to the supervising faculty. The supervising faculty shall, at the end of each semester, file a written evaluation of the performance of the Teaching Assistants under their direction with the Chair of the employing Department. The evaluation shall become a permanent part of the Teaching Assistant s biographical file. 16

19 All Teaching Assistants shall, in the course of their first academic year of appointment and normally in the first semester of that appointment, receive from the supervising faculty within a given Department of a College or within a grouping of related disciplines, instruction without credit on college teaching methodology. The Dean of the College, in consultation with the Department Chairs, shall establish the general content and format of the instruction in question. 8. Rights, Privileges and Responsibilities. The Human Resources Committee of the University Assembly serves in an advisory capacity for institutional policy regarding Teaching Assistants. Teaching Assistants are subject to the Rules and Regulations of the UT System Board of Regents, the University, and the College in which they hold employment. In the performance of their duties, they must abide by and adhere to the academic and instructional criteria and policies established by the faculty for the courses in which they render service. They are governed by the same standards of conduct in the performance of their academic duties as are members of the faulty and shall respect the rights and opinions of students in the classroom as well as uphold or surpass the academic standards of the University. Deans are expected to protect the academic freedom of Teaching Assistants through careful investigation and review of any complaints that might arise. 9. Dismissal. Policies and criteria for dismissal of University employees are stipulated in the UT System Board of Regents Rules and Regulations, Part One, Chapter III, Section 6. K. RECRUITMENT PROCESS - Graduate Assistant Instructor (Handbook of Operating Procedures, Section 2.2) All appointment forms must be recommended by Department Chair and approved by the Dean. Forms required for initial appointment include Memorandum of Appointment, Application, and official transcript of highest degree. It is the responsibility of the Department Chair to verify that Assistant Instructors meet the required qualifications and terms of appointment. Duties. The primary duty of an Assistant Instructor is to provide instructional service. Such service shall include formal instruction of an undergraduate class, laboratory, discussion or review sections of their academic equivalent as may be listed in the Schedule of Classes. 17

20 ROLE OF THE AFFIRMATIVE ACTION ADVOCATE Role of Advocate in Ensuring Integrity of Search Process The Provost has set the following standards regarding the role of Affirmative Action Advocates. Advocates must: Receive additional training and ongoing support from OID. Attend all Search Committee meetings, candidate interviews and sessions involving official committee deliberations regarding candidates. Provide oversight of process as outlined in this manual. Ensure fair and equal treatment for all candidates throughout the process. Identify problems and discuss concerns with OID, Deans and Chairs. Recommend stopping a search if it is determined the guidelines have not been followed or that the process has been violated. Advocates serve a vital role in the search process and should be active participants as members of a Search Committee. Advocates are not voting members of the Search Committee, but they can review and participate in all committee functions. Advocate Substitutions During an Active Search Search Committee Chairs must assume responsibilities as the Advocate in the event the Advocate is a no-show for a scheduled meeting or interview or is otherwise unavailable to fulfill their responsibilities. Search Committee Chair should immediately contact the Department Chair, Dean, and Office of Institutional Diversity if questions or concerns arise regarding the advocate s commitment or ability to meet their duties in the search process. A search is subject to cancellation for failure to include an Advocate in the process. 18