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Report of Faculty Senate Committee
on Faculty Involvement in Filling of Administrative Positions

The basis for faculty involvement in administrative appointments is described in the following statements:

1. The rights and responsibilities of the Senate in advising on administrative appointments is stated in the Resolution establishing the Senate as approved by the Board of Trustees on June 15, 1972.

"Said Faculty Senate in consultation with academic officials may also consider, advise, and recommend to the Chancellor or, if appropriate, through the Chancellor to the President, policies and procedures in other matters which concern the general welfare of the faculty of The University of Tennessee, Knoxville, such as, but not exclusively limited to, criteria from faculty appointment, dismissal, promotions, tenure, and retirement; criteria for the selection of the Chancellor, Vice Chancellors, and other campus administrative officers; criteria, in conjunction with other Faculty Senates or corresponding bodies of the other campuses of The University of Tennessee, for the selection of the President of the University System, and other System executive officers; priorities for the University budget; priorities for the University development plan; and changes in physical facilities. The Faculty Senate may consider, advise, and recommend on proposed policies regarding student life, rights, and responsibilities."

2. Current Faculty Senate By-laws specify the role of the Executive Committee of the Senate in filling of administrative posts.

"When campus or system administrative appointments are to be filled and where it is appropriate for faculty to be of assistance in the recruitment and screening of candidates, the Executive Committee shall assist in the selection of the faculty members of such screening committees and lend its counsel to the development of procedures for recruitment and screening of such candidates."

The purpose of this report is to more specifically describe how the faculty would be consulted on these matters. Both the degree and method of involvement obviously should vary depending both on the position and the circumstances preceding the appointment. The degree of faculty interest in filling of administrative positions could be described in terms of three levels.

a) Involvement. Involvement is before the fact. The persons or groups which are to be involved help develop and define guidelines for selection, advise on criteria or characteristics desired in person filling the position and seek or suggest names for consideration. Screening and Search committees work at this level.

b) Advisement or consultation. This is also before the fact. Those involved in advising have choices between/among alternatives (which have been developed by others) but play a more passive role in developing criteria and seeking of candidates. They serve as a reaction committee to those who make decisions about administrative appointments.

c) Communication. In this situation faculty are informed about an appointment after the fact. The decision is already made and the situation is simply one of communicating, but hopefully appropriate faculty or groups could be informed prior to release to the press.

1. At the systems level representatives of the Faculty Senate should be involved and/or consulted in the appointments for the following positions:

President
Executive Vice President
Vice President for Academic Affairs
Vice President for Health Affairs
Vice President for Continuing Education
Vice President for Business and Finance
Vice President for Agriculture
Vice President for Urban and Public Affairs
Vice President for Administration
Any newly created position of similar rank or responsibility

Involvement and consultation relative to appointments of systems administrators would obviously be in conjunction with representative faculty from other campuses and with other constituencies of the University of Tennessee. Normally, the UTK faculty would expect significant involvement in the appointment of the President, the Executive Vice President and the Vice President for Academic Affairs, while advisement and consultation would be more appropriate for other system administrator appointments. The Faculty Counselors to the President, which include faculty representation from all University of Tennessee campuses, could serve a useful role in consultation about anticipated changes in systems officers and/or system organization.

2. At the campus level representatives of the Faculty Senate should be involved and consulted in the appointment for the following positions:

Chancellor
Vice Chancellor for Academic Affairs
Vice Chancellor for Administration
Vice Chancellor for Graduate Studies and Research
Vice Chancellor for Student Affairs
Dean of Graduate Studies
Dean of Research
Dean of Continuing Education
Dean of Admissions and Records
Ombudsman
Assistant and Associate Vice Chancellors
Any newly created position of similar rank or responsibility

Normally the UTK faculty would expect significant involvement in the appointment of the Chancellor and all Vice Chancellor positions. Advisement and consultation would be appropriate in the selection of other administrators listed above. Obviously the selection of administrative assistants and others who work directly with an administrator should be left to the administrator, but a suitable procedure for communicating these decisions to the faculty should be followed.

3. It is not appropriate to expect that representatives of the Faculty Senate should be consulted or directly involved in the selection process of deans of colleges, department heads and persons of similar administrative level. It is in the interest of the Faculty Senate to insure that defined procedures be established to select deans of colleges, department heads, and other administrators below the campus level and that such procedures involve faculty of that unit. Failure to involve faculty in the development of these procedures and in the selection process of administrators at the college and department level should be brought to the attention of the Senate Committee on Faculty Affairs for appropriate consideration and possible action.

The suggested procedure and guideline for involvement of Faculty Senate representatives in administrative appointments is as follows:

1. The intentions to fill administrative positions specified above (either existing or new position) and other pertinent information such as criteria, process for selection, possible nominees, etc. should be communicated to the Senate Executive Committee directly or through the President of the Faculty Senate. For systems positions such announcements would be made by the UT President or his/her designee. For campus positions the announcement would be made by the UTK Chancellor or his/her designee.

2. Such announcements should be made well in advance of anticipated date of such appointment to give ample time for considered faculty response.

3. The President or the Chancellor (or their designated representatives) would work with the Executive Committee of the Faculty Senate to determine the most appropriate means of obtaining faculty involvement in the filling of administrative positions and of identifying advisory committees. A particular case may be referred to the Executive Committee, a specially appointed ad hoc committee, or an appropriate standing committee of the Senate such as the Undergraduate Council, Graduate Council, Student Affairs Committee, etc. In some cases it may be appropriate for the President or Chancellor to designate a subcommittee of a standing committee of the Senate to act as an advisory search committee. After consultation with appropriate parties the Chancellor shall recommend candidates for campus positions to the President. The actual selection of a candidate for a position to recommend to the Board of Trustees is the responsibility of the UT President.

4. The faculty committee so designated would work with the administration to consider procedures, criteria and recommendations for a particular administrative appointment. Whenever possible and/or appropriate the announcement to the Senate Executive Committee should be accompanied with a job description of the position to be filled which would specify the duties, responsibilities, and qualifications required for the vacant position. When such a statement is not available, it may be appropriate for a representative faculty group to participate in the development of such a statement.

5. The designated faculty group would also normally be the means by which faculty suggestions would be communicated back to the appropriate administrative unit. Depending on the position and circumstances, the faculty group may seek broader faculty participation (beyond the designated committee members).

The response of the faculty committee may include some or all of the following:

a) Recommended modifications or additions to the statement of job description and any appropriate comments with respect to the criteria for selection.

b) The reaction to suggested candidates together with any additional candidates they wish to propose.

c) The nomination of persons to fill a particular position.

d) Recommendations that faculty representatives be involved in actual interview of candidates for the position.

e) Recommendations that an appropriate Screening or Search Committee be appointed. It would be expected that faculty members would be included on search or screening committees along with representatives from other appropriate groups.

1. Faculty involvement should provide for representation of the interests of groups to be administered.

2. It is generally desirable to maintain as much openness and frankness about criteria for selection and the selection process as possible, but public statements about individual candidates should be made with caution and discretion.

3. For filling high administrative posts serious consideration should be given both to persons outside the University as well as persons on campus or in the system. Obtaining the best qualified person for the position should be of prime importance.

4. If circumstances require the filling of an administrative vacancy on short notice, if feasible, the appointment should be made on an interim basis. This would then allow the normal process of faculty involvement to be used to select a person to fill the position on a permanent basis.

If the need for quick action or desirability of restricted confidentiality about candidates or appointments preclude normal faculty involvement procedures, the Faculty Senate officers and/or the Executive Committee could serve as the consultation and advisement group.

5. All positions should be filled in full compliance with the Affirmative Action Plan.