Approved November 1988

These guidelines supplement Sections 2.0, 2.8, 2.9, 2.10 and 2.11 of the Bylaws of the Board of Regents (1979), Sections 2.4.3, 2.4.3.1 and 2.4.3.2 of the By-laws of the University of Nebraska - Lincoln (1976) and Section 1.6 of the University of Nebraska - Lincoln Affirmative Action Guidelines to provide additional procedural details related to the filling of the following positions: Directors, Associate Deans, Assistant Deans and Unit Administrators. Positions included in these guidelines do not include the rank of Dean (covered in the Board of Regents Bylaws) nor faculty positions. Search Committees for faculty positions are structured through individual department guidelines.

1. Directors, Associate Deans and Assistant Deans

2. Unit Administrators

   1. Committee Formation

      1. The IANR Vice Chancellor will, after consultation with the Deans and Directors appoint a Search Committee [SC] of a size considered necessary to provide appropriate representation and in compliance with Equal Employment Opportunity and Affirmative Action (EEO-AA) guidelines. The names of the committee members will be announced to the faculty of the unit.

      2. The SC will include at least 50 percent membership from the faculty and staff of the specific unit served by the position. These members will be appointed from an unranked list of nominees of at least twice the number of anticipated representatives from the unit to be appointed to the SC. The list will be provided to the Vice Chancellor by the unit's Peer Review Committee.

      3. The SC will normally include representation of lay clientele, student majors (if department involved), and an IANR administrator (non-voting), in addition to the faculty and staff.

      4. The SC will be first convened by its IANR administrator member and will then elect its chairperson and secretary. The Vice Chancellor will meet with the SC at this first meeting to discuss any specific circumstances related to the search.

      5. The SC will seek early procedural counsel from the EEO-AA Officer (or designee) of the University who will also provide assistance in arranging for publicizing the position.

   2. Search Procedures

      1. The SC will, after completing items A-4 and A-5, review a draft of a Position Description and a Position Announcement developed by the Deans and Vice Chancellor to be used in solicitation of candidates. The SC may submit suggestions for changes in these documents to the Vice Chancellor. Final approval of the Position Description and the Position Announcement will rest with the Vice Chancellor.

      2. The SC will solicit and receive files including correspondence, resumes, reference letters and summary notes of telephone or other oral discussion with references. These files will be confidential within the committee during the search process.

      3. During the search process, opportunity will be provided for faculty input to one SC member who will relay all such input to the committee. Except for the candidates who request that their names be held confidential, the names of all candidates who will be considered by the SC will be made available to the faculty of the unit and the Department of proposed tenure.

      4. There must be confidentiality within the committee relative to the candidates' information and evaluations. Individual candidate's specific desires for confidentiality must be honored.

      5. A closing date for receiving nominations and applications will be established and announced. The closing date will preferably be 60 days but not to exceed 90 days after the committee first convenes.

      6. The SC will normally recommend to the Vice Chancellor an unranked list of three to five candidates, any of whom would be regarded as acceptable. This report will be confidential to the SC and IANR Administration

      7. The SC will report its unranked recommendations to the Vice Chancellor no later than 60 days after the closing date in Item B-5.

      8. The Vice Chancellor, following consultation with the Deans and the SC, will contact candidates to be interviewed. Normally, three or fewer candidates will be interviewed. Only in extraordinary circumstances will more than three candidates be interviewed.

      9. Once a determination has been made as to which candidates will be interviewed, the files of those candidates will be available to the faculty of the unit for confidential review and response to the SC.

   3. Interviews

      1. The Vice Chancellor will handle the interview arrangements.

      2. The interview procedure will include participation by the SC, the faculty, the unit peer review committee, appropriate administrators and clientele.

      3. Following all interviews, comments will be received by the Vice Chancellor from all groups involved in the interview process.

   4. Rank and Tenure Recommendations

      1. Departmental recommendations regarding the granting of (1) academic rank or (2) tenure or both will be solicited from the Peer Review Committee of the department of proposed rank or tenure through the normal process of that department prior to an offer being extended.

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