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St. Cloud State University

St. Cloud State University

Hiring Procedures > Unclassified > Faculty & Coaches

Faculty (Full-time, Tenure-track)

  1. Position Authorization

    2. INITIATING SEARCH FOR TENURE-TRACK FACULTY

    1. Request to Hire, Faculty Position form for Academic Affairs position and budget justification completed by Department.
      1. Form goes to Dean for approval
      2. Upon approval, Dean sends to Provost for approval
      3. Upon approval, form sent to Office of Affirmative Action (OAA)
      4. OAA provides Search Packet and approval to the Dean
      5. Dean forwards Search Packet to department or search chair.
      6. Prior to beginning a search for a full-time faculty position (including emergency hires), the dean will provide written notification to all faculty in the college and the Faculty Association (FA) that a search is to be conducted.
  2. Search Committee Assembly
    1. All faculty searches will be conducted by search committees selected consistent with the IFO/MnSCU Master Agreement and existing university and MnSCU policy. Upon formation of a search committee, the dean will notify the faculty of the college and the FA of the formation and membership of the search committee.
    2. Affirmative Action Requirements for All Search Committees:
      1. Each committee must be diverse and should include a representative from the underutilized class in the department/unit where applicable.
      2. If it is not possible to constitute a committee within the unit which meets this minimum, a representative from outside the unit or administrative unit where the vacancy occurs may be asked to serve as a member of the committee.
  3. Recruitment Plan / Notice of Vacancy / Advertising

    4. The following forms to be completed and forwarded to Dean for approval who then forwards to OAA:

    1. Affirmative Action Recruitment Plan
      1. Search committee & search chair names
      2. Advertising plan and AA recruitment strategies
      3. Search timeline, including close or first review date
      4. Window of application for national searches open minimum of 30 days
    2. Notice of Vacancy (NOV)

      3. Important items to remember when preparing your Ad or NOV:

      1. Every Notice of Vacancy and Ad that is placed by SCSU must contain the following statements:
        1. The successful candidate will have demonstrated ability to teach and work with persons from culturally diverse backgrounds. (in Qualifications section)
        2. Submit a letter of interest, resume/vitae, transcripts (copies acceptable for initial screening) and three letters of professional reference (may substitute “names, addresses, telephone numbers of three professional references”). (include in the Application Information section)
        3. SCSU is committed to excellence and actively supports cultural diversity. To promote this endeavor, we invite individuals who contribute to such diversity to apply, including minorities, women, GLBT, or persons with disabilities. SCSU is a member of Minnesota State Colleges and Universities System. (at the end of the NOV)
      2. For Faculty TENURE-TRACK SEARCHES ONLY, be sure to include the following near the end of the "Responsibilities" section:
        "In order to be considered for tenure, the successful candidate will demonstrate the ability to: teach and/or perform assignment effectively in other current assignments, produce a record of scholarly or creative achievement or research, continue preparation and study, contribute to student growth and development and provide service to the university and community.” (IFO Article 22, Section B)
      3. OAA reviews for completeness, diversity of committee, clarity and timeliness;
      4. OAA hand delivers above documents to Provost for approval and authorization;
      5. Upon approval, OAA notifies Dean and Search Chair of approval;
      6. Order 27 copies of NOV printed on NOV letterhead from Printing Services for campus bulletin board posting. Send to OAA in AS208 for distribution.
      7. OAA posts the position on AA websites and also places the one ad paid for by Academic Affairs.
  4. Search Committee Tasks and Ground Rules
    1. FIRST COMMITTEE TASKS
      1. Search Chair arranges to meet with AA Director.
      2. Schedule initial committee meeting.
        1. Review NOV terminology for full understanding of terms responsibilities, qualifications and experience; be clear as to what is required, what is preferred;
        2. Draft NOV terminology into Screening Criteria form
        3. Draft Interview Questions - Include an interview question that asks if candidate will be eligible to work in USA.
        4. Forward all of the above to OAA prior to review of any applications.
      3. Arrange for applicant files to be secured; with space for reviewing.
      4. Set up committee meeting schedule.
    2. ESTABLISH COMMITTEE GROUND RULES
      1. Committee as a whole is the agent of university, not individuals;
      2. Decide standard way to achieve consensus;
      3. Decide how to break stalemate;
      4. Decide when and how to inform unit of progress;
      5. Committee Chair is sole spokesperson of Committee;
      6. Maintain confidentiality of deliberations, records and applicant information as per Minnesota State Data Practices Act. Click on this link to a short video from MnSCU regarding the law and confidentiality issues in searches. Please forward it to all search committee members and have them review it. This will provide some basic concepts and fundamental law. Questions should be routed to the Search Chair, who will then route them to the Director of Affirmative Action (x8-5123). A search committee (as a whole, not individually) acts as an agent of the university and is obligated to follow law and policy applying to personnel matters in carrying out the President's authority to hire, which is delegated, in writing, to the Provost.
  5. Application Review
    1. Acknowledge all applications; include Supplemental Personnel Data Form.
    2. Maintain complete confidentiality; credential discussion only among committee members, AA or dean.
    3. For probationary positions, prior consideration of applicants under IFO contract Article 21 and 31 must be given before other applicants are reviewed.
    4. Use the screening criteria form for each applicant review.
    5. Committee’s collective assessment of each applicant recorded on the screening criteria form and kept in the search file.
    6. Phone interviews are an option for pre-screening and may be done to narrow an applicant pool. Two committee members should be present during phone interviews.
    7. Applicant Flow Analysis lists every applicant and committee’s assessment.
    8. Draft Memo of Strengths and Weaknesses of Best Qualified candidates for interview (A-List), and Well Qualified candidates for back-up (B-List).
    9. Forward Memo and Applicant Flow Analysis to Dean for approval.
    10. Upon approval, Dean forwards the Memo and Flow Analysis to OAA.
    11. Upon approval, OAA notifies Search Chair at which time interviews can be arranged.
    12. If an applicant is not a US citizen or U.S. permanent resident, include Human Resources in the interview schedule (15 minutes). Call 308-3076 to arrange. See Foreign National section for more detailed information.
    13. Notify unsuccessful applicants.
  6. Interviews
    1. Treat candidate with the courtesy of a guest.
    2. Personal questions are not appropriate; this is an assessment of professional qualifications.
    3. Arrange for candidates to be picked up and dropped off at airports.
    4. Have candidates accompanied around campus.
    5. For a national search, 3 interviews is the norm.
    6. This is recruitment; put the department’s best foot forward.
    7. Seeking work-related travel/interview alternatives? Web/video/phone conferencing bring creative solutions.  St. Cloud State University provides and supports several meeting alternatives that can alleviate time and travel costs. To learn more about the SCSU-supported technologies or for assistance in using them, contact ITV/Video/WebConferencing (320) 308-4096. In addition to these SCSU-supported options, there are several other free options available on the Web. For information on downloading and installing these types of software, please contact the HelpDesk at mailto:helpdesk@stcloudstate.edu or 308-2077.
    8. Committee should meet ASAP to compare notes and discuss results of interviews.
    9. Committee should discuss and record strengths and weaknesses for each interviewee.
    10. Provide reasons for committee's recommendation (unranked) to Dean/SA.
    11. Upon approval, Dean forwards copy to OAA.
    12. Search Committee's work is now complete. Dean/SA proceed to Step VII.
    13. If an applicant is not a US citizen or U.S. permanent resident, include Human Resources in the interview schedule (15 minutes). Call 308-3076 to arrange. See Foreign National section for more detailed information.
    14. Candidate travel reimbursement for up to 3 candidates is covered by the Office of Academic Affairs Recruitment Funds. See Guidelines for Use of Recruitment Funds for Faculty Searches.
  7. Salary Calculation/Offer
    1. The Prior Work Experience Collection Form needs to be completed for all new FTNP and probationary faculty hires. The Guidelines for Calculation of Creditable Experience will provide direction to the faculty member when they are completing the Prior Work Experience Collection form.
    2. The Prior Work Experience Collection Form should be completed by the faculty member prior to the campus visit/interview and sent to the dean who evaluates prior experience and signs the form. The dean will forward the form to Academic Affairs as signatures from Academic Affairs and Human Resources are required verifying the years of experience. Once this process is completed by Academic Affairs and Human Resources, the form will be returned to the dean and a base salary will be confirmed for the new faculty member.
    3. The Prior Work Experience Collection Form should be included in the packet of information along with the Unclassified Employment Request Form, transcripts, references and notice of vacancy.
    4. Have the candidate complete the Unclassified Personnel Application form.
  8. Hire / Payroll Deadlines / Search Close

    9. The Employment Request Form is used to hire an employee. It initiates the process whereby an Appointment Form is generated for the employee to sign, and places the employee on payroll.

    1. Complete the Faculty Employment Request Form and submit to HR with transcripts, reference letters, Unclassified Personnel Application Form and the notice of vacancy. For a new employee, the complete packet should be sent forward – do not send materials through separately. Affirmative Action and Academic Affairs need to see the complete file before signing off. A doctoral transcript needs to be an original.
    2. In order for an employee to be paid in a timely manner, the Employment Request Form must be processed through HR immediately. Any delay can have significant impact on when the employee receives their first paycheck. It also impacts the employee’s ability to access e-mail and obtain a campus card.
      No employee may work without an appointment letter, an Employment Request Form and completed I-9 form which have been processed through Human Resources.
    3. Fill out the entire form – for adjunct appointment, rank does not need to be assigned. If the person is adjunct and teaching the entire semester please enter the semester dates. If the employee is not teaching the entire semester, then put in the dates of the class. For probationary, fill in the final year dates, which is 5 years, unless special arrangements have been made. If left blank, verify with chairperson that it’s a 5 year probationary period and enter that information.
    4. Special considerations – work authorization statements, completion of Ph.D. requirement, tenure review in anything less or more than 5 years.
    5. Source of funding – Include the account number to be charged
    6. Identification – if replacement, include the name of the person the new employee is replacing. If adjunct, per the IFO collective bargaining agreement, specify why an adjunct is being hired:
      1. To meet temporary staffing needs due to enrollment increases for which normal full funding is not provided.
      2. To meet temporary staffing needs when faculty are reassigned to other duties or who are on sabbatical or on other leaves of absence.
      3. To teach courses requiring special expertise and/or to meet special programmatic needs of departments where such expertise and needs cannot otherwise be provided by the faculty within the department.
    7. Enter the number, in the “Replacement For” line, that corresponds to the reason for hiring an adjunct.
    8. If the person being hired is not a U.S. citizen or U.S. permanent resident, contact Human Resources at 308-3076 so a work authorization can be processed right away, if necessary.
    9. HR forwards form to OAA for approval; search completed and file closed.
    10. OAA forwards to Provost for signature; returns form to HR.
    11. Upon conclusion of the search, the dean shall notify the college faculty and the FA of the outcome of the search.
    12. Dean sends copy of completed employment request form to Search Chair;
    13. Search Chair notifies remaining unsuccessful candidates.
    14. Committee search materials archived within department for three years.

Coaches & Assistant Coaches (Faculty, 4-yr or 2-yr fixed-term, respectively)

    1. Request to Hire, Faculty Position signed by Athletic Director and President.
    2. All other steps for a Coach or Assistant Coach search follow the Faculty search guidelines as above.
    3. Other special notes and requirement for Coach/Assistant Coach searches follow.

      The Athletics unit includes both the men's and women's sports within the athletics unit. Under the current "Affirmative Action Plan for Employment Practices" anytime a vacancy occurs in the athletics unit, a search committee would be formulated by the unit as a whole. The following guidelines supplement and do not supplant either the "Affirmative Action Plan for Employment Practices" or the collective bargaining agreement between the Inter Faculty Organization and the Minnesota State Colleges and Universities System.

      Three levels of sports are set forth in the 2005-2007 IFO collective bargaining agreement:

      1. Level 1 (basketball, football, ice hockey, and volleyball);
      2. Level 2 (soccer, baseball, swimming, gymnastics, wrestling, softball, cross-country skiing or spring track); and
      3. Level 3 (cross-country running, Nordic skiing, golf, tennis, and winter track).

      When additional women's sports are added, a memorandum of agreement between the university and the Faculty Association will be completed addressing level placement.

      Ordinarily, coach search advisory committees will be constituted as follows according to level. All head coach committees will have four members from the athletics unit; assistant coach committees will have three members from the athletics unit. If a sport is primarily for a particular gender, the distribution will be three from department members representing that gender and one from the other. This is for head coach positions. For assistant coach positions, two and one. If a coach is to be assigned either to a mixed gender team or if that person is to coach both a men's and women's team, an equal number of representatives will be selected from members of the male and female sports staff. Note: When in the opinion of the President, a variation in the committee structure will serve the best interests of the University and its Athletic programs, the President shall confer with the athletic director and unit and seek to reach consensus on any such variation.

    1. Head Coaches for Level 1 Sports (Basketball, Football, Ice Hockey, Volleyball):
      1. Athletics (4) - Selected by unit members as described above
      2. Other Department(s) - If joint appointment (e.g., PERSS) (1-2) - Selected by the Department; number dependent upon proportion of time assigned to that unit.

        Optional: Student member - individual should not be from the team to be coached.
        Optional: Community member(s) - in recognition of the community relations functions of coaches.

    2. Head Coaches for Level 2 Sports (Soccer, Baseball, Softball, Swimming, Gymnastics, Wrestling, Cross-Country Skiing, Spring Track):
      1. Athletics (4) - Selected by unit members as described above
      2. Other Department(s) - If joint appointment (e.g., PERSS) (1-2) - Selected by the Department; number dependent upon proportion of time assigned to that unit. Options on student and community member(s) same as in Level 1.
    3. Head Coaches for Level 3 Sports (Cross-Country Running, Nordic Skiing, Golf, Tennis, Winter Track):
      1. Ordinarily appointed as adjuncts or graduate assistants. In other cases, the same structure will be used as for Level 2.
    4. Assistant Coaches- All Levels:
      1. Athletics (3)- Selected by unit members as described above.
      2. Other departments(s)- If joint appointment (e.g., PERSS)(1-2)- Selected by the Department; number dependent upon proportion of time assigned to that unit. Option on student same as in Level 1.
      3. * Level for soccer and Nordic skiing to be determined.

        4. Participation of community members and students in the interview process where appropriate is encouraged.