SGSC Senior Administrator Search

These procedures apply to Senior Administrator positions, which include but are not limited to:
• Provosts
• Vice Provosts
• Vice Presidents
• Deans
• Athletic Director

While search processes can be flexible, following these procedures will ensure that the search is structured and well documented.

If an acting or interim will be appointed, the hiring manager will submit a request to HR or ensure that the search is structured and well documented.

These guidelines apply to all senior level administrator searches and direct appointments.

Searches or direct appointments of positions that are direct reports to the President will also be submitted to the USG Vice Chancellor of Human Resources, as outlined within these guidelines.

A. Creation of a Job Posting

Thorough documentation ensures consistency in evaluation and enables effective communication with all stakeholders. Each process element below is designed to support a successful search. The job posting is aligned with the job description.

Minimum Requirements:
1. The Chief Human Resources Officer (“CHRO”)¹ will review and approve all senior administrator job postings prior to posting, advertising, or otherwise communicating the employment opportunity.

I. Job description and the proposed salary ranged for direct reports to the President will be submitted to the USG Vice Chancellor of HR for review and approval, utilizing the USG submission form process, prior to the launch of the search.

II. Organizational restructures for direct reports to the President, Board Policy 2.7 will be followed. This policy requires that any changes involving the addition, deletion or substantive name change of a unit reporting directly to the President shall be submitted to the Chancellor for review and approval prior to the change. Approval for restructures are subject to the requirements of these procedures for the search or direct appointments.

2. Job Postings will not contain ideological tests, affirmations, oaths, or diversity statements.

3. Job Postings will include the USG Statement of Core Values.

Job postings for direct reports to the President will be submitted to the USG Vice Chancellor of HR for approval. All job postings and any other required documentation to initiate a search will be submitted to the Institution CHRO for review and approval before any aspect of the recruitment effort begins.

 ¹All CHRO responsibilities under these guidelines may be assigned to a designee in writing by the CHRO for any individual search under extenuating circumstances.

B. Search Committee Formation

Search committee composition is crucial to the success of the recruitment process. Committees should represent varied perspectives and expertise while maintaining appropriate size and efficiency.

Minimum Requirements:

1. Submit proposed committee composition to the CHRO for review, identifying the committee chair.
2. Strive to include representation across:

• Departments
• Roles
• Demographics
• External constituents or stakeholders

3. Establish search committee charge (if applicable).
4. Ensure each committee member has received employee recruitment

C. Determine if a Search Firm will be Utilized/Search Firm Utilization

When circumstances warrant external expertise, search firms can be valuable partners. However, search firms will be carefully managed by the Institution CHRO to ensure USG and institutional policies, processes, and requirements are followed. Please note, use of a search firm for the President’s direct reports will be submitted to the USG Vice Chancellor of HR, using the submission process noted above, for review before engaging with the search firm.

Minimum Requirements:

1. The Institution will establish procedures for the use and funding of search firms which include the CHRO’s review and approval as part of the procedures. (CHRO approval may be waived by the President for his or her direct reports).
2. The CHRO will be involved in the search firm engagement and contracting to ensure all Board, USG HRAP, and institutional policies are followed.
3. The CHRO will partner with the Hiring Manager to establish clear communication protocols between:

• Search firm
• Search committee
• CHRO's office
• Any institutional senior administrators as deemed reasonable or appropriate.

4. The search firm will include the USG Statement of Core Values in the job position advertisement and should include the institution’s mission statement and core values.
5. The search firm may not require applicants to submit to ideological tests, affirmations, oaths, or diversity statements as part of the application process.

D. Announcing the Search

Broad advertisement of the position to qualified candidates is an important part of any recruitment effort. An announcement will be made to campus community to ensure broad awareness and visibility.

Minimum Requirements:

• Both internal and external searches will be advertised in a place reasonably accessible for a minimum of 10 business days.
• Ensure broad awareness and visibility. The Institution CHRO will approve an announcement that will be shared with institutional leadership (including but not limited to, the President’s cabinet, Deans, Chairs, and Department leaders, and with faculty senate and staff council). The announcement will include information on the timeline for the search and information on how to apply. It is expected that all employees in leadership will provide the announcement to the employees under their supervision.

E. Conducting the Search

Minimum Requirements:

• Both internal and external searches will be posted via the Applicant Tracking System (Careers), for a minimum of 10 business days.
• All other advertising efforts for recruiting should be documented, including listservs, role specific associations, conferences, etc.
• Whether conducted by the Institutional HR office or a search firm, the position should be broadly advertised. All advertising efforts for recruiting should be documented, including recruitment sites, publications, listservs, role specific associations, conferences, etc. For searches conducted by the Institution, applicants will apply via the institutional Applicant Tracking System (ATS). This applies to both internal and external applicants. For searches conducted through a search firm, the search firm may set up an external process for accepting applications. Once the search has been completed and a finalist is selected, the finalist should submit an abbreviated application through the institutional Applicant Tracking System for record keeping purposes and to initiate the normal onboarding process (unless other arrangements are made through coordination with the CHRO).
• The position description will be used to develop the candidate evaluation criteria.
• Once employees are selected for an interview, the predetermined set of screening and interview questions should be developed to evaluate the candidate’s knowledge, skills, and competencies required for success in the role. Questions should be submitted to the CHRO for approval prior to the start of the interview process.
  • Please see the USG Human Resources Administrative Manual Policy on Employee Recruitment Appendices I (Appropriate Screening Questions) & II (Appropriate Competency Based Employment Questions) (https://www.usg.edu/hr/assets/hr/hrap_manual/HRAP_Employee_Recruitment.pdf) for appropriate screening and competency-based employment questions.
• Questions will be free of ideological tests, affirmations, oaths, and diversity statements.

Interview documentation will focus solely on candidates' job-related qualifications, including their skills, professional experience, behavioral responses, and relevant knowledge. Do not include observations about physical appearance, personal characteristics, or any protected class attributes, which could potentially be perceived as discriminatory.

Minimum Requirements:

• Reference checks will be conducted prior to an employment offer being extended.
• At a minimum reference check will include:
  • Confirmation of current or previous relevant employment history and information related to performance, if provided.
  • In searches for Provost, Vice Provosts and Deans, the supervisor, search committee, or their designee will conduct a review of the applicant’s last three years of publications and other academic qualifications before a final offer may be extended. In searches for other academic affairs leadership roles, a thorough review of the applicant’s publications and other academic qualifications is recommended.
  • If the candidate is currently or was formerly employed by USG or one of its institutions, a reference check with the current or former supervisor will be conducted, including rehire eligibility status. If the candidate is currently employed at another USG institution, the Hiring Manager will work with Human Resources to ensure outreach between the USG Presidents occurs prior to making a verbal offer of employment
• The President or Hiring Manager will consult with the Chancellor or the Chancellor’s designee prior to hiring for key leadership roles to include but not limited to, Chief Business Officer, Chief Academic Officer, Title IX Coordinator, Chief of Police, and Internal Auditor (BOR policy 2.6.3) and any roles reporting to the President. The consultation may include:
  • Discussion of the search process, the candidates, and the recommended finalist(s).
  • Review of the CV or resume of the finalist(s) candidates and/or finalist candidate interviews may be requested.
  • Discussion and approval of the offer and any additional compensation components.
• When hiring for the Chief Academic Officer, the President will consult with the USG Chief Academic Officer prior to hiring (BOR policy 3.2.1.2 - Administrative Officers).
  • The offer of tenure will comply with BOR policy 8.3.7.4 in which the award of tenure upon appointment shall not vest until the completion of any applicable probationary period. The consultation may include:
  • Discussion of the search process, the candidates, and the recommended finalist(s). Review of the CV or resume of the finalist(s) candidates and/or finalist candidate interviews may be requested.
• Discussion of the offer and any additional compensation components.
  • Once reference checks and required USG outreach has been completed, the Hiring Manager will coordinate with the Institution CHRO before the Hiring Manager (or HR) extends a verbal job offer to the final candidate.
  • Salaries which met the Advanced Salary Increase provisions of the USG Salary Increase Administration HRAP will be submitted in accordance with the guidelines and process associated with that policy.
  • After obtaining proper approvals, Human Resources/Academic Affairs will extend the official employment offer to the finalist.

If no acceptable candidate is found, or if all acceptable candidates decline or withdraw from the search, the Hiring Manager has two options:

a. Extend the search or,
b. Request the search be designated as failed.

• If a search fails, the Hiring Manager may work with Human Resources to review the job posting and/or classification for reposting. All job changes will be compliant with the established classification structure as administered by Human Resources.
• When revising job responsibilities or minimum job requirements, the changes should be for the purpose of widening the qualified applicant population and may not be for the benefit of a single candidate.

At the completion of the search, the search committee chair or Hiring Manager should gather the search materials and submit them to Human Resources for records retention, in compliance with the USG Employee Recruitment Policy.

Minimum Required Documentation:

• Candidate packets from all applicants (i.e., letters of application or application forms, curriculum vitae or resumes, academic transcripts, samples of writing or publications, and reference letters
• Job posting
• Position advertisements
• Approval documentation to initiate the position search
• Evaluation rubrics and scoring sheets for applicants
•  Interview questions (including those for telephone and face-to-face interviews) and interview notes
• Reference check notes

Direct appointments may be used instead of the competitive recruitment described above.

Circumstances might include:

• Appointing an internal candidate with relevant knowledge, skills and experience who uniquely meets the requirements and criteria for the role as specified in the position description.
• Appointing an external candidate with significant leading status or international recognition in their field or a rare, exceptional skillset; or
• Appointing a candidate who was a previous applicant for the same or similar position within the past 12 months.

As with the competitive recruitment process, there are several approval, procedural and documentation related requirements associated with Direct Appointments which will be followed. If considering a direct appointment, the Hiring Manager will discuss with the CHRO before proceeding. You may also view our institutional direct appointment policy online at https://www.sgsc.edu/about/direct-appointment-policy.

The USG approval submission process will be used for Direct Appointments. In addition, the following Board policies apply: 2.6.3 Personnel Policies, 3.2.1.2 Administrative Officers and 8.3.7.4 Award of Tenure.

SGSC Senior Administrator Search Procedure

Personnel Policies

Administrative Officers

Award of Tenure

Direct Appointment Policy