Policy Title

When the University conducts a local, regional, national, or internal search in order to fill a position, any of the University's current employees who meet the published qualifications are encouraged to apply for it. However, internal candidates must follow the guidelines listed below in order to maintain the integrity of the search process:

· Individuals who accept appointment to a search committee and participate in any of its deliberations may not enter that process later as a candidate.

· If the search fails to find a suitable candidate, a member of the search committee may accept a temporary appointment to the position on an acting basis.

· If, after an unsuccessful search, a second search is started, a member of the first search committee may stand as a candidate, as long as he or she does not become a member of the second search committee.

· Internal candidates should not participate in the evaluation of other candidates; however, an internal candidate who is asked by another candidate to submit a recommendation may do so. The internal candidate who has been asked to write the recommendation should disclose her or his own candidacy to the other candidate and allow the other candidate to withdraw the request. Any such references or recommendations submitted should include notice of this disclosure and of the writer's own status in the search.

· An internal candidate should not participate in any meeting, presentation, or other event at which another candidate is being evaluated. This is not to say that an internal candidate may not attend a meeting of his or her own discipline or profession if interviews will be conducted there. Rather, the candidate should not attend those sessions at which other candidates may be performing or being interviewed.

· When an internal candidate is officially informed that she or he will not be considered further as a candidate within the search process, she or he may begin to participate as a non-candidate within the general search process.

· This policy should not be used to disenfranchise units from participating in the search process. If a candidate would have represented a unit in the search process but is unable to do so because of his or her candidacy, then an alternate participant should be chosen to represent the unit.