Consultation in the Selection of Certain Key Administrative Officials - UTDPP1072

Policy Statement

The following procedures for faculty consultation in the selection of certain key administrative officials for the University shall be followed except in circumstances, when, in the opinion of the President, the best interests of the University can be more effectively served by some other method of consultation.

1. The composition of committees shall be as follows: The following are guidelines for the composition of the ad hoc consultative committees named below.
   1. Chief Academic Officer: A majority of the ad hoc consultative committee to recommend candidates to the President for the position of Chief Academic Officer shall be members of the General Faculty. There should also be students and members of the general community. For the faculty members, the President should solicit the advice of the Academic Senate and those appointed should represent a broad range of faculty interests and concerns. For student members, the President should solicit the advice of the Student Government. Other appropriate members may include School Deans, the Dean of Libraries, and other students, members of the general community, administrative officials or faculty members appointed by the President.
   2. Dean of Graduate Studies: A majority of the members of the ad hoc consultative committee to recommend candidates to the President for the position of Dean of Graduate Studies shall be members of the General Faculty, including a substantial representation of serving or past Associate Deans for Graduate Studies. Membership should also include at least two graduate students appointed by the President from a panel of not less than five or more than ten selected in a manner to be determined by the Student Government. Additional members may include past or serving Deans of Schools and other students, members of the general community, administrative officials or faculty members appointed by the President.
   3. Dean of Undergraduate Education: A majority of the members of the ad hoc consultative committee to recommend candidates to the President for the position of Dean of Undergraduate Education shall be members of the General Faculty, including a substantial representation of serving or past Associate Deans for Undergraduate Education. Membership should also include at least two undergraduate students appointed by the President from a panel of not less than five or more than ten selected in a manner to be determined by the Student Government. Additional members may include past or serving Deans of Schools and other students, members of the general community, administrative officials or faculty members appointed by the President.
   4. Deans of Schools: A majority of the ad hoc consultative committee shall be members of the faculty of that school. Two shall be members of the General Faculty appointed by the President from other schools. Up to two members of the faculty from the school may be non-tenured. The committee shall also have student members appointed by the President from a panel of not less than five, nor more than ten, names selected by the Student Government from among the students in that school, at least one of whom must be an undergraduate and at least one of whom must be a graduate student. Additional members may include past or serving Deans of Schools, and other students, members of the general community, administrative officials or faculty members appointed by the President.
2. The general procedures of the committees shall be as follows:
   1. The President shall appoint the chair of the ad hoc consultative committee. The committee may appoint a vice-chair.
   2. The committee shall be constituted promptly, as soon as it is clear that the position will be vacant or as early as is practical.
   3. The student members of the committee will act as conveners for at least one meeting between each candidate invited to the campus and all interested students, with no faculty or administrators present. The conveners will report the views of the students to the rest of the consultative committee.
   4. A member of the consultative committee who becomes a candidate for the position shall resign from the committee.
   5. Suggestions regarding persons to be recommended as candidates to the President by the ad hoc consultative committee may be made to and sought by the consultative committee from any source either within or outside of the University.
   6. The number of candidates to be recommended by the consultative committee and whether they should be ranked or unranked shall be specified by the President at the time that the search is constituted, provided that the number of candidates to be recommended shall not be greater than three.
   7. If the President declines to accept all nominees, or if all nominees decline to accept the position, the President may either request the committee to make additional nominations or invoke such different procedure for selecting the appointee as the President deems appropriate.