EIU Hiring Procedures Administrative, Continuing and Temporary

America draws its strength and vitality from the diversity of its people. Eastern Illinois University is enriched by building a pluralistic campus that celebrates and draws upon the talents of all its students, faculty, and staff.

Eastern Illinois University provides equality of opportunity in education and employment for all students and employees. Discrimination is precluded by University policy and federal and state statues. It is strictly prohibited.

Following are guidelines that outline the recruitment and employment process for faculty positions.

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Getting Started

Send the Form A to the appropriate supervisor and the Vice President if necessary. Although the Form B cannot be signed by the OCR until approved by the Hiring Agent, it will expedite the process if you submit it with the Form A. If there are questions, they can be addressed while the Form A is being reviewed.

Before a search for a position can begin, the appropriate paperwork must be completed. Form A, which authorizes the search, must be approved by the appropriate line supervisors and the Vice President or President when applicable. Form B, the recruitment plan, is developed by the Hiring Agent and approved the Civil Rights Director.

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Recruitment

According to the employment policy, the Hiring Agent and the Civil Rights Director must discuss the composition of the screening committee and recruitment and retention efforts for persons from underrepresented groups. The Hiring Agent is responsible for developing a recruitment plan that encourages the formation of a large, diverse, highly qualified applicant pool. Normally, a Vice President or the President is not required to sign the form B unless the position reports to that person.

The Recruitment Plan (Form B) should address the following items:

Position Description

The position description should describe those duties regarded as essential to the specific position being advertised and also those duties expected of all other comparable administrators in the department. Attach the vacancy announcement to the Form B. This announcement should be the basis for all advertising.

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Recruitment and Advertising Process

The Hiring Agent shall list the specific recruitment sources to be used, including national, highly visibly publications, professional newsletters, electronic postings, and other relevant sites. The Hiring Agent, with the approval of the Civil Rights Director, shall identify additional specialized strategies to recruit applications from underrepresented persons for the position, including, but not limited to, directly recruiting potential applicants. The Hiring Agent is responsible for ensuring that the position announcement appears in the University Newsletter.

If, after the Recruitment Plan has been approved, the Hiring Agent or Screening Committee Chairperson deviates from the approved plan, the Civil Rights Director shall approve any change.

The vacancy announcement and advertisement must state what is a complete applicant file, and the review or closing date for application. The vacancy announcement shall carry the following statement: "Eastern Illinois University is an equal opportunity/equal access/affirmative action employer committed to achieving a diverse community.” Advertisements with limited space may close with the following: "EEO/AA."

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Screening Committee

The screening committee plays a very important role in the hiring process. The primary goal of recruiting and hiring highly qualified applicants is better achieved by bringing together individuals who understand the requirements of the position and are committed to the goals of the department. The procedures regarding screening committees are as follows:

The Hiring Agent must list the members of the screening committee and designate the Hiring Agent of the screening committee in the Recruitment Plan. The Committee Chairperson cannot be a direct report of the position that is being filled. The Civil Rights Director, or designee, may serve as an ex-officio member of the screening committee. If, after the Plan is approved, any change occurs in the committee composition, the Hiring Agent shall notify the Civil Rights Office at the time of the change. Screening Committees should be limited to seven members unless approved otherwise.

The Hiring Agent shall describe in the Recruitment Plan the scope and function of the screening committee in reviewing applications, recommending potential candidates, interviewing, and providing commentary on the final candidates to the Hiring Agent. The chairperson of the committee shall endeavor to achieve a diverse composition.

The committee shall be convened and meet regularly.

The plan shall include a tentative timetable of important dates in the screening process.

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Employment Process

After approval of Form A and the Form B/Recruitment Plan, the Hiring Agent or designee shall announce the vacancy and carry out the Recruitment Plan.

The Hiring Agent is responsible for the employment decision. The Hiring Agent is responsible for providing guidance and support to the designated Screening Committee Hiring Agent regarding the entire employment process. At the beginning of the screening process, the Hiring Agent shall explain to the screening committee its duties as outlined in the Recruitment Plan.

Confidentiality

The chairperson of the committee is responsible for ensuring that all application materials are secured. Only persons serving on the screening committee, the Civil Rights Director, and the appropriate Vice President shall have access to applicants' letters of reference or transcripts. All screening committee deliberations are confidential and may only be shared with those directly involved in the employment decision.

Application Process

All letters of interest and credentials shall be directed to the designated screening committee chairperson, as indicated in the Recruitment Plan. The chairperson, or designee, shall acknowledge all letters of interest in writing.

The Chairperson is responsible for obtaining a complete applicant file as described in the vacancy announcement.

The Chairperson is responsible for ensuring that all applicants are sent an EEO card and information about the department, the University, and the community. EEO Cards are available from the Office of Civil Rights or applicants may fill out an online version at http://www.eiu.edu/~civil/eeocard.htm

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Candidate Selection Process

No candidates may be invited for interviews until the Form C is approved by the Hiring Agent, the Civil Rights Director, and the Vice President, if designated in the Recruitment Plan. The Screening Committee shall function according to the charge outlined in the Recruitment Plan and expressed at the organizational meeting.

For example, the hiring agent may request that the committee submit a list of strengths and weaknesses of the candidates as opposed to listing them in rank order.

The Hiring Agent prepares the Form C and submits it with files to the appropriate supervisor and then to the Office of Civil Rights for review and approval. Unless indicated otherwise in the Recruitment Plan, the Civil Rights Office will return the Form C and files back to the Screening Committee Chairperson.

No invitation can be extended to the candidates until Form C has been signed and returned to the Chairperson/Unit. The Hiring Agent or the Screening Committee Chairperson is responsible for inviting candidates to campus for interviews. Appropriate actions will be taken by the Hiring Agent and the Civil Rights Director to ensure that the Recruitment Plan has been followed. Additionally, if the candidate pool is of insufficient quality, size, or diversity, the decision may be made to reopen the screening process, to fill the position temporarily, or to cancel the screening process.

When the Form C has been signed by all applicable parties, the candidate invitation letter should explain the University's policy on reimbursement of interview expenses, and the letter may specify a salary range, rank/title, and information concerning the type of position. Salary and rank/title must be approved by the appropriate supervisor and the Vice President.

Telephone invitations may be used if time is critical, but the call must include all pertinent information mentioned above and be confirmed in writing. (return to top of page)

Interview Process

In order to insure that the appropriate affected constituencies are included in the interview process, the Hiring Agent will establish the interview schedule.

The Hiring Agent or designated Screening Committee Hiring Agent must ensure that the candidates' evaluation forms are distributed at each interview session. Other signed memoranda or communications may also be considered by the committee.

The Hiring Agent, or the designated Screening Committee Hiring Agent, following the guidelines of the Recruitment Plan, is responsible for preparing a composite summary of the evaluations of the interview sessions, summary comments from the screening committee, and reference information. This material and all files are forwarded to the Dean with the Form C and the applicant files. The Supervisor shall be responsible for submitting the request for reimbursement of interview expenses of candidates to the Vice President's Office. Additionally, the university does not tolerate discrimination. Please review the attached list of illegal or inappropriate questions.

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References

Checking references is a valuable tool in the employment process. The employment policy provides that the Hiring Agent is responsible for ensuring that the final candidates' references have been appropriately checked, and that the credentials are appropriate for the advertised vacant position. The screening committee may also wish to contact references at other times during the screening process. This is permissible, but please keep in mind that all candidates must be treated as equally as possible. If you are calling off the list provided by the candidates, it is recommend that you notify the candidate first.

It is strongly recommend that reference checks be conducted in teams whenever possible. This practice helps ensure that accurate notes are taken during these conversations. The same core questions should be posed to each candidate's references. Specific questions germane to each candidate may also be pursued. Please review the Illegal or Inappropriate Topics List before speaking with references.

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OFFER OF EMPLOYMENT

No offer of employment may be made until the appropriate Vice President or President and the Civil Rights Director have signed the form D.

After consultation with the department screening committee, the Hiring Agent shall submit the Form D and the candidate's complete application (including a letter of interest, a current vita, letters of recommendation or reports from telephone references, and transcripts), composite summaries of the interview session comments, and summaries of the screening committee's comments to the Office of Civil Rights for approval.

After reviewing this packet of material and clarifying any issues, the Office of Civil Rights shall forward the Form D and accompanying materials to the supervisor for approval.

The President, upon approval of the recommendation, shall send an offer of appointment with a return date specified. The offer shall also explain that the new employee shall complete an Employment Eligibility Form (I-9) within the first three days of reporting to the University.

The Human Resources Office shall be responsible for collecting the Educational Loan Default Certification and the Statement of Child Support Obligation as required by statue.

The President's Office shall notify appropriate campus offices of acceptance or rejection of the offer.

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COMPLETING THE EMPLOYMENT PROCESS

The Hiring Agent or designated Screening Committee Hiring Agent shall notify all unsuccessful candidates.

The Hiring Agent shall submit the request for reimbursement of interview expenses of candidates to the Dean/Director's Office.

The Hiring Agent shall retain in a secured site for a two-year period all applicant files, screening committee summary comments, and Hiring Agent notes. The materials of all the newly employed faculty members, or academic support professionals, shall be forwarded to the Vice President's office, as indicated above, with the offer of appointment.

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ACTING (Temporary) ADMINISTRATORS and REASSIGNED/EXPANDED ADMINISTRATIVE DUTIES

If a Hiring Agent is contemplating filling an administrative position with a temporary appointment, a rationale shall be prepared which explains the reasons for filling the vacancy with a temporary appointment, describes how the affected constituencies will be consulted regarding the person to be named in the position, and states when the national search is projected to begin to fill the vacancy. An appropriate length of time shall be set aside for constituents to forward comments to the Hiring Agent or Senior Line Supervisor. This rationale must be approved by the Civil Rights Director and the appropriate Vice President before the Hiring Agent may proceed with actions to name an acting administrator.

If a Hiring Agent is contemplating reassigning an administrative position or expanding the duties and scope of an administrative position, a rationale shall be prepared which explains the reasons for this action and describes how the affected constituencies will be consulted regarding these changes. An appropriate length of time shall be set aside for constituents to forward comments to the Hiring Agent or Senior Line Supervisor.

The rationale must be approved by the Civil Rights Director and the appropriate Vice President before the Hiring Agent may proceed with actions to reassign the administrative position or expand the duties of an administrative position.

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