Policies and Procedures

I.  The following procedures shall be followed in the hiring process. The procedures are designed to help direct the process for searching and selecting full-time andregular part-time personnel, except the College President. The hiring process for the College President shall be conducted at the Board of Trustees’ discretion, using procedures developed by the Board. All hiring processes shall treat all candidates fairly and equally. Further, all processes shall be consistently applied.

A.  Upon receiving a letter of resignation or retirement, the department shall notify the HR and President’s offices. Notices of resignation and retirement from full- time employees shall be presented to the Board. A transition plan will be developed until a replacement position is filled. Further, all vacancies will be considered for elimination, restructuring, and/or amendment of duties by the Vice Presidents, Director of HR and President, prior to any advertising.

B.  New full-time positions must be approved by the President and Board of Trustees prior to any advertising or announcement

C.  Initiation of the Hiring Process

The hiring manager of the position to be filled will initiate the hiring process by completing an Employee Requisition From (available in the Document Center) and obtaining the appropriate administrative signatures, including the Dean, Vice President, and President. Once the Personnel Request form is completed, it should be forwarded, along with the job description (as outlined in #2 below), to HR for processing.

1. The hiring manager is defined as an employee who is responsible for filling open positions within their department and often serves as the new hire’s supervisor. Hiring manager’s work in coordination with the HR department and the committee throughout the hiring process in the selection of the applicants.

D.  Job Description

1. For every new or replacement position vacancy, a job description will be prepared and/or updated prior to any advertising or announcement. Job descriptions must be approved by HR and President prior to advertising. A template job description can be found in the Document Center. Function – describes the main purpose of the position
2. Qualifications – what is required and/or preferred to be successful at this position
3. Essential Functions – Describe what position’s daily tasks will be
4. Other Functions – Describe what irregular tasks may be
5. Supervisory Responsibility – describe who would report to the position
6. Supervisory Controls – describe how position is expected to work (ie: Carry out assigned duties independently and with minimum supervision. Consolation with supervisor if necessary.

E.  Advertising/Announcement of Positions

Each respective Vice President and the HR director will jointly determine the form of advertising and ways in which such position vacancy will be announced. Advice and direction will be provided for various positions by the President and Board of Trustees.

All new and replacement vacancies will be announced by one or more of the following means:

1. Locally—advertising and announcement of position vacancies will be in local newspapers covering the area.
2. Regional/National—advertising and announcement of position vacancies will be regionally and through national publications.
3. Internet Services—all position vacancies will be listed on various job nets for which the College subscribes.
4. On campus—all position vacancies will be posted at various sites throughout the campus, on the College web site, and other internal publications.
5. Union Contracts—position vacancies will be posted in accordance with any agreed to contract language.
6. Other Means—position vacancies will be posted at other appropriate sites such as social media, trade publications, other colleges or agencies, etc.

G.  Job Description Changes in a Currently Occupied Position

The advertising and selection process may be waived in a situation where a job description is being changed and such position is currently occupied. In this situation, the person affected may assume the position as outlined in the revised job description.

H.  Transfers

The College reserves the right to waive the advertising and selection process and transfer a current employee into another open position. The employee must meet the minimum qualifications for the open position. The decision to transfer an employee in this manner shall be made by the HR Director and the appropriate Vice Presidents and approved by the President and the Board of Trustees where applicable. All such transfers will be subject to applicable collective bargaining agreements.

I.  Applicant Materials

All applicants will be required to submit a cover letter, resume, employment application, and an unofficial copy of transcripts (where applicable). Other qualifying credentials will be requested as appropriate for each search. Certified (official) transcripts should be sent directly to the HR office from each issuing institution for the recommended candidate, ideally prior to action.

J.  Search Committees

A special search committee will be formed for each full-time or regular part-time vacancy. The composition and role of each committee is as follows:

1. Each committee shall have a representative of the area in which the vacancy exists. Also, it is preferred that each committee include administrative/professional staff, faculty, and support staff. The committee should include four – seven members. For Director level and above positions the ideal number for the committee is seven – ten. A member of HR will also partake in the interview and be included in the number of committee members, but as an ex-officio member of the committee for positions lower than a director level.
2. For a President’s Cabinet level position, the President will partake in all interviews.
3. Each committee member will have access to the applicant tracking system to review applicant credentials in accordance with the position criteria that is listed in the job description.
4. The committee then determines finalists to be interviewed, conduct interviews, and determine a recommendation.
5. All applicant materials, including letters of recommendation on behalf of a candidate, shall be reviewed by the committee during the search/screening process.
6. Each committee member will complete an evaluation form using a point system in evaluating the credentials to the criteria.
7. The hiring manager will be responsible for working with HR on interview questions, collecting all the ranking sheets, preparing the recommendation, and getting ranking sheets and recommendation to HR.
8. Confidentiality – the role of the search committee member is an essential one for the College and requires strict confidentiality when involved in the hiring process. All materials shared within the search committee are considered confidential and all discussions that occur within the search committee are confidential and should not be shared with outside employees (unless outside employee is listed as a reference)

K.  Recommendation

Those candidates being interviewed must all meet or exceed the criteria listed, unless circumstances warrant a waiver of the criteria. The committee shall form a recommendation that is based on experience, education, interview results, and in general, who is the overall best individual for the position. Thus, the interview process will determine attitude, verify abilities, confirm philosophy, determine human relations, teamwork, communication, and problem-solving skills, self- starter abilities, and other position specific criteria. It will assist the committee to determine who is the best qualified candidate for the position. The recommendation will prompt HR to make the offer to the candidate, and should include the suggested salary and start date. .

The hiring manager shall prepare the formal recommendation outlining the reasons/rationale for the committee’s recommendation and submit it to the Human Resources office. Human Resources will forward the recommendation, along with the successful candidate’s cover letter and resume, to the President for review and final approval.

L.  Role of HR Department

An HR representative shall be responsible for overseeing the process to include assuring all candidates are considered fairly and evenly, to make sure EEO and other legal requirements are adhered to, and to ensure all College procedures and policies are followed. The HR representative is an ex-officio member of the committee and is to be neutral relative for all positions lower than a director level. The HR representative will also act as a resource person regarding the College and fringe benefits.

M.  Role of President and Board of Trustees

The President may interview the committee’s recommendation at his discretion. If the President approves the committee’s recommendation, it will be submitted to the Board of Trustees for consideration where required. In addition to the recommended candidate, the names and credentials of all other finalists will be submitted to the Board. Full-time recommendations require the approval of the Board. Members of the Trustees will serve on the search and screening committee for Dean and Vice President positions and any other positions where it is deemed appropriate. Additionally, the full Board may interview candidates for Vice President and Dean positions.

N.  Role of the Vice President/Dean/Hiring Manager

The hiring manager and the Dean or the Vice President of the position vacancy shall participate with the selection committee process as an equal member of the committee. Thus, the supervisor(s) will be a part of the development of a consensus recommendation. It is the hiring manager’s responsibility to work with HR as a liaison for the hiring committee.

O.  Salary

Recommended salary placement will be determined by the appropriate Vice President and the Director of Human Resources, in compliance with applicable collective bargaining agreements and college policies. Before any offer is made to a candidate, the salary must be approved by the President. The salary should be stated within the recommendation for hire. Such offers for full-time employees are contingent on Board approval.

II.  Approved Personnel Meeting with the Board of Trustees

New employees will appear at the monthly Board meeting following the meeting in which a candidate was approved by the Trustees. This will allow the Trustees to meet the person they had approved the previous month.

Approval History: 4/18/2002; Revised 02/23/2022