5.1 Hiring

(Approved 11-4-2002; Revised 11-4-2013)

Except as provided in Policy 5.11.3, the Board of Trustees appoints the employees of the College, defines and assigns their duties, and fixes their compensation. Issuance of all employment contracts shall be approved by a majority vote of the Board of Trustees.

Procedures (Revised 8-14-2006, 11-4-2013)

5.1.1 Personnel Requisition, Posting, Recruitment (Revised 6-13-2022)

Personnel Requisition – Prior to the posting of and recruitment for any position, the hiring supervisor shall submit a completed personnel requisition and written job description to the appropriate administrator. The personnel requisition requires the approval of the Director of Human Resources, appropriate administrator, Chief Financial Officer, and College President.

Position Announcement – Human Resources will prepare a position announcement upon approval of the personnel requisition. Human Resources will collaborate with the hiring supervisor to prepare the position announcement. The hiring supervisor shall approve the final position announcement prior to posting.

Posting – Position openings will be posted on the College web page and distributed by e-mail to the campus except as otherwise mentioned in this Policy. Full-time job openings will be posted for a minimum of ten (10) calendar days. A position may be posted only internally with the approval of the appropriate Vice President, Human Resources Director, and the College President.

Recruitment/Advertising — Human Resources will provide the hiring supervisor with the approved recruitment sources for job advertisements. The hiring supervisor may provide additional recruitment sources relevant to the position and/or field. All online and/or print advertisements will be approved and placed by the Office of Human Resources.

Application Materials — Applicants will be responsible for submitting an application and related materials through the online application portal. All application materials will remain confidential. Information about finalists will be shared, as appropriate, at the time finalists for a position are announced. Applications will be retained by the Office of Human Resources for a minimum of one (1) year for all positions.

5.1.2 Search and Screening (Revised 6-13-2022)

A search committee will be established for all full-time positions and regular part-time positions. A committee may be used for other positions as appropriate. The supervisor will serve as the search committee chairperson. Responsibility for the integrity of the search process will belong to the chair of the search committee, the appropriate administrator, and the Director of Human Resources. The College President may approve an appointment without a search if it is in the best interest of the College.

The position supervisor and appropriate administrator will be responsible for the appointment of members of the search committee and will direct them to follow procedures, document decisions, and seek technical assistance when needed. The committee should include employees who will work closely with the new hire and should include representatives from the various employee classifications. The committee should contain a minimum of two (2) members in addition to the chair. Employees may not participate in the selection and/or hiring of an individual who is related to the employee within the fourth degree of consanguinity or affinity. The Director of Human Resources will review the list of search committee members to ensure appropriate representation. A member of the Human Resources staff will serve on the search committee to monitor EEO compliance.

The screening of applicants will be done by the search committee and the Office of Human Resources. Applicants not meeting the minimum requirements will not be considered for the position.

Before reviewing individual candidates’ files, the search committee shall determine the method of applicant evaluation. The evaluation criteria are established prior to identification of any candidates and are based on information contained in the job description, position announcement, and the assessment of criteria derived from the committee’s discussion.

The search committee shall identify applicants to be interviewed; develop interview questions; and determine any other evaluative processes such as demonstrations, testing, or other appropriate means of determining an applicant’s ability to perform the requirements of the position.

In no instance should the hiring supervisor or any search committee member give information about applicants to any applicant or any individual other than a member of the search committee. Committee members will sign an acknowledgment form of this procedure. A breach of confidentiality will disqualify the member from further service on any future search committee and may result in disciplinary action.

5.1.3 Interviews (Revised 6-19-2014, 6-13-2022)

A list of questions must be submitted to the Director of Human Resources before the interviews take place. Interviews will be scheduled by the Office of Human Resources.

The search committee shall interview selected applicants. The College President and/or Vice Presidents may also interview applicants.

Interviews may occur on campus or via distance technology. The committee may elect to conduct an initial series of interviews via phone or distance technology then schedule further interviews to be conducted on campus.

With the approval of the College President or designee, applicants selected for interviews may be reimbursed for expenses not to exceed the amount established by Board Policy when traveling 100 miles or more for the interview. Allowable expenses will include lodging and transportation (i.e., air travel, rental car, fuel) or as designated by the College.

Information regarding salary, benefits, and the procedure for offers of employment shall be provided to applicants by Human Resources.

5.1.4 Reference Checks (Adopted 11-4-2013)

The committee chair or appropriate administrator shall contact a minimum of two (2) professional references provided by the applicant and verify employment history. The College may contact references other than the references provided by the candidate. Information from references may be shared with the search committee.

5.1.5 Recommendation (Revised 6-13-2022)

Following appraisal of the applicants, the committee will select the candidate(s) for further consideration.

The committee chair will make a recommendation to the appropriate administrator and inform the Director of Human Resources once the recommendation is approved.

The Director of Human Resources will notify the College President of the recommendation to hire and develop a wage/salary recommendation. As provided by Board Procedure 1.31.1, the College President will make the final decision as to whether a job offer will be extended and at what wage/salary. The offer of employment for faculty, administrators, and professional staff is contingent upon the Board’s approval.

5.1.6 Failure to Recommend Candidate (Revised 6-13-2022)

In cases where the search fails to attract a sufficient pool of qualified applicants or the committee does not recommend a candidate(s) for further consideration, the College may 1) close the search without hiring, 2) reopen the search, or 3) review the position classification.

5.1.7 Job Offer (Adopted 11-4-2013)

Unless otherwise designated by the President, the Director of Human Resources will extend the job offer to the applicant and confirm the employment conditions, start date, and benefits contingent upon satisfactory drug tests, if required per Procedure 5.1.8, and background check. Human Resources will contact the hiring supervisor upon acceptance by the candidate.

5.1.8 Verification of Employment Eligibility – Pre-employment Drug Screening (Adopted 11-4-2013; Revised 6-13-2022)

Applicants for identified jobs where safety is critical must successfully complete a pre-employment drug test as a condition of employment. The pre-employment drug test is done after the job offer has been extended and accepted. Any applicant who refuses or who has a verified positive test will be denied employment (see Policy 5.16 Drug and Alcohol-Free Workplace).

5.1.9 Verification of Employment Eligibility – Pre-employment Background Checks (Adopted 11-4-2013; Revised 4-14-2014, 6-13-2022)

As a condition of employment, all full-time and part-time job applicants at East Central College must successfully complete a pre-employment criminal background check as per Policy 5.2. In some cases, a driver’s license check and/or additional screening may be required.

5.1.10 Verification of Employment Eligibility – Federal Employment Eligibility (Adopted 11-4-2013)

The College employs only those individuals who are authorized to work in the United States. Employment eligibility is documented using the Federal Employment Eligibility Verification Form I-9 and is verified for all employees. In addition, the College participates in the E-Verify mandatory employment verification program as required by federal and state regulations.

5.1.11 Approval to Hire (Adopted 11-4-2013)

All administrators, professional staff, and faculty offers of employment are contingent upon the approval of the President and Board.

All full-time support staff offers of employment are contingent upon the President’s approval.

Interviewed applicants who were not selected to fill the position will be notified by the Office of Human Resources.

5.1.12 Part-time Positions (Adopted 11-4-2013; Revised 6-13-2022)

The hiring of part-time positions requires a job posting but may not require Board approval. The position supervisor will work with Human Resources when hiring for an open part-time position. All offers of employment require administrative approval.

Unless otherwise approved by the College President or required by law, part-time personnel are only eligible for selected employment benefits.

5.1.13 Interim Appointments and/or Temporary Positions (Adopted 11-4-2013)

The hiring of temporary positions/interim appointments may not require a job posting and/or a search committee. The position supervisor will work with Human Resources when hiring for an interim or temporary position. All offers for employment require administrative approval and may require Board approval.

Unless otherwise approved by the College President or required by law, temporary personnel are not eligible for employment benefits.

5.1.14 Internal Appointments (Adopted 11-4-2013; Revised 6-13-2022)

At times, the College may conduct an internal search. The position may not be posted on the webpage but will be announced internally. The hiring may not require a search committee. All offers for employment require the same approval regardless of whether the search is internal or external. The position supervisor, in conjunction with Human Resources, is responsible for conducting the hiring for the position.

5.1.15 Adjunct Faculty

The dean or designee is responsible for recommending the employment of adjunct faculty to the Chief Academic Officer. An Adjunct Instructor Approval Form must be completed on all new adjunct faculty and be maintained on file in the Office of Human Resources along with the appropriate application materials. The form must be signed by the dean and approved by the Chief Academic Officer before the adjunct faculty member can be listed as the instructor of record for any course. The dean must submit a list of recommended adjunct faculty to hire prior to the start of each semester; this list shall be amended as necessary to ensure all course offerings are staffed. Adjunct faculty must meet the same teaching qualifications as full-time faculty and be approved by the Board.

5.1.16 Employment of Relatives

An employee of the College shall not initiate, participate in, or influence College decisions involving a direct benefit to family relatives including but not limited to matters of initial employment, promotion, compensation, leave of absence, performance evaluation, discipline, and termination.

An employee of the College shall not supervise, be supervised by, coordinate the work of, or have work coordinated by a relative who is also employed by the College. Relatives may not be supervised by the same direct supervisor.

For the purposes of this Policy, a relative is defined as any individual related by blood, marriage, or legal custody and shall include, but not be limited to, spouse, child, foster child, step-child, parent, foster parent, current parent-in-law, grandparent, current grandparent-in-law, grandchild, daughter-in-law, son-in-law, step-parent, brother, sister, brother-in-law, sister-in-law, niece, nephew, aunt, uncle, cousin, and similar relatives of the employee’s spouse and any individual living in an employee’s household.