Below you will find policy and procedures for filling a vacancy for Chairs, Academic Deans, and the Vice President for Academic Affairs. For further information, please refer to the Faculty Handbook.
There may be deviations from these procedures where necessary to conform to the requirements of the accrediting agency having jurisdiction over any college or school.
Chairs
When vacancy (whether simultaneously with job opening or when a chair steps down and remains in the department as faculty), the college/school dean will notify the department concerning a vacancy/impending vacancy. Vacancies will be filled as expeditiously as is feasible.
If for any reason a chair's position is left vacant pending the appointment of a new chair, the dean of the school/college will, after seeking the advice of the department and with the concurrence of administrative superiors, appoint an interim chair to serve during the interim.
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Chair Vacancy Occurring Simultaneously with a Job Opening
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Individuals who wish to be considered for the vacancy will not serve on the committee.
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The search committee will be composed of at least eight members. If the dean and department wish to establish a committee larger than the minimum of eight, this may be done as long as at least 60% of the voting members are chosen by the departmental faculty following the below cited criteria.
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The dean of the school or college in which the department is located will ask the departmental faculty to elect five of their own tenured members from the department.
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The dean will name as chair of the search committee a committee member who is tenured and not a member of the department.
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If there are less than five tenured faculty in the department, the departmental faculty will choose the remaining members from full-time members of the department. If there are less than five full-time faculty of any designation within the department, then the additional requisite committee members will be chosen by the departmental faculty from full-time faculty from outside the department.
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The department has the option of selecting one undergraduate or graduate student majoring in the department as one of the five designees.
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The dean will appoint three additional members of the search committee.
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If the members chosen by the departmental faculty happen not to be sufficiently diverse in any way, the dean will use his/her appointments to ensure diversity of the search committee.
The dean will meet with the search committee and full-time departmental faculty to discuss mutual expectations and needs regarding the department chair.
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The search committee will seek input from all the faculty in the department and from others as desired, screen candidates for the position, and submit to the dean the names of two or more candidates who they think are best fitted for further consideration.
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Interviews, if held, will include, at a minimum, meetings with the dean, the search committee, and full-time departmental faculty.
With dean's approval, the committee may submit the name of only one candidate.
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Candidates may or may not be ETSU faculty.
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After the interview process and other due diligence, if the dean finds one or more nominations from the search committee acceptable, the dean will consult with the faculty concerning the preferred candidate(s) and determine that these are acceptable to the majority of the departmental faculty.
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One acceptable candidate will then be recommended by the dean to the appropriate vice president who, if in agreement, will recommend a nominee to the president. If the dean's nominee is disapproved, the dean may submit other nominations made by the committee. If none of the committee's nominees is acceptable to the dean, or if all of the dean's nominees are disapproved, the dean may request that the committee submit additional names for consideration (and for review and approval by the majority of the department) or may terminate the search and institute procedures for a new search.
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The dean will advise the department once a nominee has been approved by the President.
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Vacancy Occurring Without a Job Opening
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Prior to the selection of a search committee the dean will obtain from the President, via the appropriate vice president, a statement as to whether or not an additional position can be created within the department.
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If a new position is created, the dean will appoint a committee according to the guidelines for Chairs Vacancy Occurring Simultaneously with a Job Opening.
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If a new position is not created, the dean will appoint a committee according to the same guidelines with the added restriction that the search must be confined to the present members of the faculty.
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Academic Deans
When a vacancy of a position of an academic dean exists, or when it is known that such a vacancy will exist within the next twelve months, the appropriate vice president will inform the faculty of the affected college or school. Vacancies will be filled as expeditiously as is feasible.
If a deanship is left vacant pending the selection of a new dean, the appropriate vice president, after consultation with department chairs and such others as are deemed appropriate will, with the concurrence of the President, appoint an acting dean to serve during the interim.
There may be deviations from these procedures where necessary to conform to the requirements of the accrediting agency having jurisdiction over any college or school.
- A search committee will be appointed or otherwise secured by the vice president,
who will also appoint the committee chair.
- This committee will include faculty members and a student or students from the affected college or school, together with other individuals who must never constitute a majority of the committee.
- Individuals who wish to be considered for the vacancy will not serve on the committee.
- The search committee will seek the advice of the faculty in the affected college or school and others as desired; will screen candidates for the position; and will submit to the vice president the names of two or more candidates whom they think to be best fitted for the position.
- The vice president may accept or reject any or all names submitted.
- If rejected, the committee may be instructed to furnish additional names until an acceptable list is submitted.
- If one or more nominees is considered to be satisfactory, the committee will be consulted regarding these preferences.
- The preferred candidate will then be recommended to the President.
- If the nominee is disapproved, further nominations from the search committee may be submitted. In the event all nominations are disapproved the vice president may request that the committee submit additional names until a satisfactory nominee has been submitted.
Vice President for Academic Affairs
When a vacancy of the position of the Vice President for Academic Affairs exists, or when it is known that such a vacancy will exist within the next twelve months, the President will inform the faculty of the affected units of the vacancy. Vacancies will be filled as expeditiously as is feasible. If the position is left vacant pending the selection of a new vice president for academic or health affairs, the President will appoint an acting vice president to serve during the interim.
- Individuals who wish to be considered for the vacant position will not serve on the committee.
- A search committee will be appointed or otherwise secured by the President, who will
also appoint the committee chair.
- This committee will include faculty members and a student or students from the affected colleges and schools, together with other individuals who must never constitute a majority of the committee.
- The search committee will seek the advice of the faculty and others as desired; will screen candidates for the position; and will submit to the President the names of one or more candidates whom its members think best fitted for the position.
- The President may accept or reject any or all names submitted.
- If rejected, the committee may be instructed to furnish additional names until an acceptable list is submitted, or other means may be used to fill the position.
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