Scope

1. This policy applies to the appointments of vice-provosts, deans of all schools and colleges on the Bloomington campus, and heads of other academic units and administrative offices that report to the Provost and directly affect the academic mission of the campus.
2. This policy applies to the appointment of deans of core (multi-campus) schools who report to the Provost, unless superseded by university policies covering such searches.
3. Any question regarding which officers fall under this policy shall be resolved by consultation between the Provost and the Executive Committee of the BFC.

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Policy Statement

1. It is in the mutual interests of the faculty and Provost to appoint the best candidates to administrative offices. Consultation among the Provost, faculty, and other constituencies is therefore the most desirable way to select major campus administrators. The search and screen procedures set out in this document, in which primary responsibility for conducting the search is vested in a diverse committee is presumptively the most useful method of consultation.
2. These procedures should be interpreted and applied in a way that is consistent with the principles of shared governance.
3. All university and campus policies on diversity apply both to the selection of a search and screen committee and to its search process.
4. Primary faculty responsibility for consultation about searches is vested in the Executive Committee which meets regularly with the Provost, can refer matters to any relevant standing committee, and can act promptly to facilitate the search and screen process.

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Procedures

1. Initiating a search. When the Provost becomes aware that an administrative vacancy covered by this policy will occur, the Provost shall inform the Executive Committee of the need to create a search and screen committee. The Provost shall set a timeline for the search that allows ample time for the process while minimizing the time the office is vacant and requires an interim appointment.
2. Creating a search and screen committee. The Provost has ultimate responsibility for choosing members of the search and screen committee. In doing so, the Provost shall consult with and solicit names from the Executive Committee, the policy committees of affected units, student and professional staff representatives, and any other constituency which falls within the jurisdiction of the administrative office.
   1. When the position to be filled bears directly on the teaching and research mission of the campus, a majority of the members of the search and screen committee shall be from the Bloomington faculty. In all other situations, including the appointment of deans of core schools who report to the Provost, the Bloomington faculty shall constitute a substantial portion of the committee.
   2. When the position affects specific academic units, the number of faculty on the committee should be in rough proportion to the degree to which the units fall under the jurisdiction of the administrative position being filled.
   3. When the position to be filled is dean of an academic unit, faculty of that unit should comprise a majority of the search committee. The Provost shall take into consideration any accreditation requirements concerning involvement of faculty from that unit.
   4. The Executive Committee shall have primary responsibility for identifying faculty members to serve on the committee. In doing so, it shall seek suggestions from the Nomination Committee and any standing committees that have responsibility for policies that affect the administrative officer being appointed. It may delegate this task to a standing or ad-hoc committee.
   5. The final membership of a search and screen committee should be agreed upon by the Provost and the Executive Committee, and no person should be on the committee who is opposed by either.
3. The Provost shall arrange for adequate staff and financial support for the activities of the search and screen committee.
4. Search and screen procedures. A search and screen committee shall establish its own operating procedures but must in all searches do four things:
   1. Consult with the Affirmative Action Officer or equivalent to insure that its recruiting procedures are in compliance with the University’s affirmative action directives and diversity goals.
   2. Adequately advertise the vacancy to the faculty as a whole so that faculty members have a reasonable opportunity to apply.
   3. Place significant value on whether candidates have relevant academic experience in a university setting or equivalent experience in an allied artistic field, and a commitment to shared governance.
   4. Include a public event or other reasonable opportunity for faculty from affected units to meet with the finalists and allow sufficient time for faculty members to provide feedback to the committee.
5. The search and screen committee shall make its recommendations in writing to the Provost. If the Provost is unable or unwilling to appoint any of the recommended nominees, the Provost shall inform the search committee and the Executive Committee and provide a statement of the reasons why. The Provost shall then consult with the Executive Committee about whether to request that the search committee continue the process and make further recommendations or to form a new search and screen committee.

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History

Version prior to 9/6/2016

Bloomington Faculty Council: 03/18/75, 09/23/75, 10/21/86, 02/07/95, 12/01/09, 04/20/10, 9/06/16

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