Revised July 2006

200.00 RECRUITMENT 

SECTION 200 CONTENTS

210.00  RAF/Approval to Recruit

211.00    Salary Guidelines for Administrators/University Executives

212.00    Salary Guidelines for Faculty

212.10    Salary Floors

212.20    Compensation Guidelines

213.00    Salary Guidelines for Research Professionals

214.00    Salary Guidelines for Contract Professionals

214.10    Salary Guidelines for University Executive, Administrative and Contract Professional (Non-Research) Positions

220.00  Types of Appointments and Titles

221.00    University Executive (BOR Contract) Positions and Titles

221.10    Administrators

222.00    Faculty Positions and Titles

222.10    Tenurable Faculty Titles

222.20    Faculty Director Titles

222.30    Nontenurable Faculty Positions and Titles

222.31    Adjunct Faculty

222.32    Affiliate Faculty

222.33    Visiting Faculty

222.34    Emeritus/Retired Faculty

222.40    Research Faculty Titles

222.50    Other Nontenurable Faculty Titles

223.00    Research Professional Positions, Responsibilities, and Titles

223.10    Principal Investigators

224.00    Contract Professional Positions and Titles

225.00    Coaches

230.00  Position Descriptions

232.00    The Effects of the Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA) on Executive, Faculty, Professional and Research Appointments

232.01    Policy

232.02    Determining Overtime Exemption

232.03    FLSA Criteria for Exemption in the State of Montana

232.10    FLSA Criteria for Executive Exemption

232.20    Criteria for "FLSA Administrative" Exemption

232.30    FLSA Criteria for Professional Exemption

232.40    Additional MSU Criteria for Contract Professional Positions

233.00    Use of the Position Description Template for Executive, Contract Professional, and Research Professional Positions

234.00    Use of the Position Description Questionnaire Template for Faculty Positions

234.10    Essential vs. Marginal Functions

234.20    Required Qualifications

234.30    Prohibited Qualifications

234.31    Height, Weight, Lifting and Driving Requirements

234.32    Years of Experience

234.33    Unreasonable Language Proficiency

240.00  Vacancy Announcements

241.00    The Contents of Vacancy Announcements

241.10    Controlled Fields on the MSU Jobs Web Page

241.20    Signed RAF Required for Posting

242.00    Title, Duties and Responsibilities

243.00    Required and Preferred Qualifications 

244.00    The “Successful Candidate Will” (SCW) Statement

245.00    Start Date

246.00    Salary and Benefits Information

247.00    Public Relations Information

248.00    Application Procedures   

248.10    Letter of Application

248.11    Specify if Electronic Submissions Will Be Accepted

248.12    Signed Letter of Application in Support of Internet or Electronic Submissions

248.20    Resume or Curriculum Vitae

248.30    References or Recommendations

248.40    Requests for Other Materials

248.50    Deadlines

248.51    Fixed Deadline

248.52    Postmark Deadline

248.53    Screening Date

249.00    Compliance Notifications/Cutlines

249.10    Text of the Required Cutline

249.20    Use of Cutline When Vacancy Announcements are Co-Posted on Department or Unit Web Sites

249.30    Posting Print Copies of Electronic Vacancy Announcements

250.00  Recruitment Procedures

251.00    Recruitment Policy

252.00    Filling Positions without a Search (Limited Exceptions to Policy 251.00)

252.10    Conversions from Classified to Contract Professional Status

252.20    Changing the Terms and Conditions of a Position after Hire

252.30    Hiring Appointees to Work on Grants or Contracts without a Search

252.40    Hiring Appointees to Work on Temporary Appointments and Reassignments, without a Search

252.50    Hiring Adjuncts without a Search

252.60    Affirmative Action Hires

252.60    Affirmative Action Hires

253.00    Career Ladders and Progression Line Charts

253.10    Career Ladders

253.11    Characteristics of Career Ladders

253.12    Established Academic Career Ladders

253.13    Established Research Career Ladders

253.20    Progression Line Charts

253.21    Characteristics of the PLC

253.22    Filling a Position without a Search by Activating a Progression Line Chart

254.00    Search Requirements by Type of Position

254.10    University Executives and Academic Deans

254.20    Faculty Positions

254.30    Contract Professional Positions

254.40    Research Professional Positions

255.00    Universal Advertising Requirements

255.10    Requirements for a National Search

255.20    Regional Search

255.30    Statewide Search

255.40    Local Search

255.50    “Pool" Search

255.60    On-Campus Search

255.70    Internal (On-Campus) Search

256.00    Conducting "Pool" Searches

256.10    Procedures

256.20    Benefits to Applicants

257.00    Filling More Than One Position from the Same Search

258.00    Failed or Canceled Searches

258.10    Recourse When Failing to Make a Hire

258.20    Recourse When New Hire Does Not Assume Appointment

260.00  Recruitment Sources

261.00    Expectations

262.00    Required Recruitment Sources

263.00    Posted Notices

264.00    Enhanced Recruitment

264.10    Enhanced Print Advertising

264.20    Enhanced Personal Recruiting

270.00  Advertising

271.00    Recruitment Plan

272.00    Contents of the Ad

272.10    Terms and Conditions of Employment

272.20    Brief Description of Duties

272.30    Application Information

272.40    Deadline

272.50    Notice of Compliance

273.00    Reducing Advertising Costs

274.00    HR/AA Approval of Ads

275.00    Posting on the Internet

210.00 RAF/Approval to Recruit

SECTION 210 CONTENTS

210.00  RAF/Approval to Recruit

211.00    Salary Guidelines for Administrators/University Executives

212.00    Salary Guidelines for Faculty

212.10    Salary Floors

212.20    Compensation Guidelines

213.00    Salary Guidelines for Research Professionals

214.00    Salary Guidelines for Contract Professionals

214.10    Salary Guidelines for University Executive, Administrative and Contract Professional (Non-Research) Positions

210.00 RAF/Approval to Recruit

The Recruitment Authorization Form (RAF) is the form used to obtain administrative permission to conduct a search for a vacant position.

Complete the form by providing the information requested, as explained below:

Search Number.  The search number is assigned to the search by HR/AA staff after they have received the signed RAF.  This search number is indicated on vacancy announcements posted on the Jobs pages and used to report all activities associated with the search.

Position Number.  Position numbers “belong” to the position, not the employee.  If authorization is being sought to fill a position being vacated by a current employee and there are few changes in the duties and responsibilities of the position, use the position number of the current employee.  If the position is a new, leave the space blank because a new position number will be assigned by HR/Payroll and Personnel Services when the employee is hired.  The Affirmative Action office does not assign position numbers to new positions.

Job Title.  Use the most accurate working title possible.  The working title is the title approved by the supervisor and used on a daily basis by the employee.  It may or may not be the same as the Banner title, which is used for reporting purposes.

New Position/Replacement/Previous Employee.  Check if the position is new or replacing a previous employee.  Write the name if the previous employee, if applicable.

Person Completing This Form.  Give the name and phone number of the person who is completing the RAF.  This will be the person contacted to answer questions about the position as the search progresses.

Position Information.   

A “University Executive” is an employee whose contract is approved by the Board of Regents.  [See BOR Policies 711.1 and 711.2]

A “Contract Professional” is a non-faculty, non-classified professional or administrative employee who is not a University executive and who performs work that is autonomous in nature or involves policy making authority.  A Contract Professional employee is employed either on a MUS Employment Contract, which is approved by the Commissioner of Higher Education, or on a Letter of Appointment, which is approved by the President.  [See BOR Policies 711.1 and 711.2]  

“Faculty Rank” means Assistant Professor, Associate Professor, or Professor or these titles applied to the positions described in Faculty Handbook Section 320.00   

 “Labor Distribution.” These fields identify the funding sources for the position and must be filled out. 

“Recruitment Information for Classified Positions.”  If the RAF contains this field, it should be completed only for searches for Classified positions.

“Budget Approval.”  Every administrator, including Principal Investigators, involved in funding any aspect of the position must sign the RAF. 

211.00 Compensation/Salary Guidelines

As explained below, the University has established salary floors or minimum salaries for tenurable faculty, research faculty, and research professionals, and has developed guidelines for compensation of some University executive and contract professional positions.

212.00 Salary Guidelines for Tenurable Faculty Positions

The University has established two sets of guidelines regarding the compensation of tenurable faculty:  minimum salary floors and compensation guidelines based on the Oklahoma State University (OSU) Survey of Faculty Salaries.

212.10 Salary Floors

Salary floors are the minimum AY/FY salary that can be paid to a tenurable faculty member.  These floors vary by rank, but not discipline, and are periodically updated.  Hiring authorities may not pay tenurable faculty less than the applicable floor by rank.

Information about salary floors for tenurable faculty is updated whenever floors salaries are increased and can be found at http://www.montana.edu/opa/facts/SalaryFloors.html.

The salary floors for AY/FY 2007 are: 

• Professor                   $52,395
• Associate Professor     $42,758  
• Assistant Professor      $38,920

212.20 Compensation Guidelines

Hiring authorities seeking to hire tenurable faculty should review the latest OSU Salary data, before establishing the salary for an open position.  OSU data is available by rank and academic discipline and is available at http://www.montana.edu/aircj/facts/OSUdata/OSUSalaries05F.pdf.

213.00 Salary Guidelines for Nontenurable Faculty

As of FY 2007, the University has not established University wide guidelines or floors for non-tenurable faculty.  Departments and colleges are encouraged to establish their own salary guidelines and/or floors for non-tenurable faculty.

214.00 Salary Guidelines for Research Faculty and Research Professionals

For research faculty and research professionals, the University has established salary guidelines based on FLSA overtime exempt wage requirements and on the floor salaries for tenurable faculty, modified for the type of research position.  Hiring authorities must pay researcher faculty and research professionals the floor salaries below, and the FTE cannot be prorated. However, hiring authorities may hire the employee on a weekly basis (say two weeks of every month and pay the FLSA weekly rate of $455 per week or may pay less than the minimum salary but must closely monitor the hours worked to ensure that the employee does not work more than 40 hours per week. 

Hiring authorities are encouraged to exceed these minimum salaries by “indexing” salaries to the discipline and rank based salary data provided in the OSU Salary Survey [http://www.montana.edu/aircj/facts/OSUdata/OSUSalaries05F.pdf]

The following chart shows the floor salaries for research employees:

       Salary Administration Guidelines for Research Professional Employees

214.10 Salary Guidelines for University Executive, Administrative and Contract Professional (Non-Research) Positions

As of FY 2007, the University has not established salary floors for most University Executive and Contract Professional positions.  Hiring authorities should consult CUPA Salary Surveys for data on comparable salaries across other higher educational institutions available at:

http://www.cupahr.org/surveys/files/salary06/2005-06%20AdComp%20positions.pdf;

http://www.montana.edu/opa/CUPA/05-06AdminPosted.pdf;

http://www.cupahr.org/surveys/files/salary06/2005-06%20Midlv%20positions.pdf; and

http://www.montana.edu/opa/CUPA/05-06MidPosted.pdf.

[Main Table of Contents]

[Sections 200-270 Contents]

[Section 210 Contents]

220.00 Types of Appointments and Titles

SECTION 220 CONTENTS

220.00  Types of Appointments and Titles

221.00    University Executive (BOR Contract) Positions and Titles

221.10    Administrators

222.00    Faculty Positions and Titles

222.10    Tenurable Faculty Titles

222.20    Faculty Director Titles

222.30    Nontenurable Faculty Positions and Titles

222.31    Adjunct Faculty

222.32    Affiliate Faculty

222.33    Visiting Faculty

222.34    Emeritus/Retired Faculty

222.40    Research Faculty Titles

222.50    Other Nontenurable Faculty Titles

223.00    Research Professional Positions, Responsibilities, and Titles

223.10    Principal Investigators

224.00    Contract Professional Positions and Titles

225.00    Coaches

220.00 Types of Appointments and Titles

The title of a position is a condition of employment and reflects the duties, responsibilities, status, rights, and obligations of the position.  This section discusses titles as they pertain to Executive, Faculty, and Contract Professional, including Research, positions.  For information about Classified appointments and titles, see the HR/Personnel & Payroll web site at:  http://www.montana.edu/wwwpn/.

221.00 Executive and Administrative Appointments

University Executives are hired on BOR Contracts with titles that indicate the senior level of responsibility of the position, including:

• President
• Vice President
• Provost
• Vice Provost
• Legal Counsel

221.10 Administrators

University administrators are appointed on MUS Employment Contracts or MSU Letters of Appointment with titles that indicate their level of responsibility, including:

• Deans
• Assistant and Associate Deans
• Executive Directors
• Assistant and Associate Vice Presidents

222.00 Faculty Positions and Titles

Faculty titles identify the academic rank and tenurable status of the employee.  The following descriptions of the nature, terms, and conditions of faculty appointments are explanatory only.  The BOR Policy and Procedures Manual and the MSU Faculty Handbook contain all the policies and procedures pertaining to faculty and take precedence over any information presented herein.  For a description of appropriate titles for academic and academic support faculty, see Section 320.00and 330.00of the Faculty Handbook.

222.10 Tenurable Faculty Titles

Tenurable faculty are hired on Board of Regents Contracts.  Approved titles for tenurable faculty at MSU indicate the employee’s academic rank and are:

• Professor
• Associate Professor
• Assistant Professor

222.20 Faculty Director Titles

Faculty Directors are hired on MSU Employment Contracts or Letters of Appointment.  Position titles include:

• Department Head
• Department Chair
• Director of the Schools of Art, Architecture and Music
• Superintendent of the Agricultural Research Centers
• Faculty Director 

Individuals appointed to Faculty Director positions must have academic rank.  If the position is tenurable, the employee usually has "retreat rights" to a full time position in the department where the locus of tenure resides.  If the position is not tenurable, the faculty member has the right to employment specified in the MUS Employment Contract or the MSU Letter of Appointment.

222.30 Nontenurable Faculty Positions and Titles

Nontenurable faculty, who may also be known in the Faculty Handbook, as “Academic Support Faculty” are employees hired to assist in meeting the academic mission of the University and whose appointments are not associated with the process of earning tenure.  Most nontenurable faculty are hired on MSU Letters of Appointment; some may be hired on MUS Employment Contracts. 

Nontenurable titles must designate a “rank” which reflects the level of academic preparation of the appointee.  The academic rank granted a nontenurable faculty member should be based on the appointee’s education and experience and should be comparable to the academic rank of tenurable faculty. 

The title of a nontenurable faculty member indicates the employee’s rank, relationship to the academic mission of the institution or department, and the pay status of the position.  See below and Faculty Handbook, Section 330.00.

Letters of Appointment issued to nontenurable faculty appointees must specify that continuation of the appointment within the contract period is subject to:

• The availability of funds, and
• Sufficient enrollment in the assigned class or classes. 

Letters of Appointment are for a specified appointment term and expire without notice at the end of that term unless renewed prior to expiration.  Nontenurable faculty have credit load requirements, or equivalent assignments, and expectations for continuation of their health benefits over the summer that are spelled out in http://www2.montana.edu/policy/adjunct_policy.htm.

222.31 Adjunct Faculty

Adjunct faculty are employees who are assigned specific teaching related responsibilities within an academic department or unit.  Hiring authorities should familiarize themselves with the Adjunct policy at http://www2.montana.edu/policy/adjunct_policy.html before beginning to search for an adjunct.

Under certain conditions, an adjunct employee may be hired for more than one year.  See http://www2.montana.edu/policy/multiple_year_contracts_for_non.htm#Multiple%20Year%20Contracts%20for%20Non-Tenure%20Track%20Faculty-Pilot%20Program.

Adjunct titles are:

• Adjunct Professor
• Adjunct Associate Professor
• Adjunct Assistant Professor
• Adjunct Instructor

Note that “Lecturer” and “Senior Lecturer” are not approved titles for use at MSU.

222.32 Affiliate Faculty

Affiliate Faculty are employees who are associated with an academic department or unit but are not paid by the University.  Affiliate faculty may be granted other privileges such as use of an MSU ID Card, library privileges, faculty rates on tickets and admissions, departmental copying privileges, and use of departmental stationary.

Titles include:

• Affiliate Professor
• Affiliate Associate Professor
• Affiliate Assistant Professor

222.33 Visiting Faculty

Visiting faculty are employees who have acquired expertise, academic rank or significant recognition as the result of employment elsewhere and who are working at MSU on a short term basis.  Titles include:

• Visiting Professor
• Visiting Associate Professor
• Visiting Assistant Professor
• Professional titles such as Visiting Artist, Visiting Producer, Visiting Director, Visiting Architect

222.34 Emeritus/Retired Faculty

Retired employees may be hired to teach courses at the University.  If the retired employee was tenured, the department may seek Emeritus status for him or her in accordance with Faculty Handbook Sections 350.00 and 360.00 and Board of Regents Policies 702.7 and 712.1.  The retirement system under which an employee retires may set limits on the FTE the retiree may work (e.g., one third time in the TRS system).  Board of Regents policy may also limit the number of years a retired employee may work.

To hire a retired faculty member to perform duties that will be accomplished within the fiscal year, use a Letter of Appointment.

To hire a retired faculty member to perform duties over more than one fiscal year on a Board of Regents Contract, use the form at http://www.montana.edu/wwwpn/Payroll/PostRetirementContract.pdf. 

222.40 Research Faculty Titles

Research faculty titles and appointments mix elements of faculty and research appointments.  Specifically, a research faculty member has both (1) research duties, as defined by the grant or contract on which he or she is working, and (2) faculty responsibilities, as assigned by the academic department.  Research faculty appointments are non-tenurable.  

As a condition of their faculty appointments, research faculty are expected to be engaged in the academic mission of their departments through activities such as mentoring post-doctoral fellows, graduate, and/or undergraduate students; serving on select departmental and college committees; organizing and co-teaching seminars and “journal clubs,” and serving on departmental committees.  Teaching formal course offerings of the department is not a normal expectation of research faculty, and research faculty with such an assignment should be compensated from institutional funds.

If a researcher is to be hired as a research faculty member or advanced into this title, the head of the academic department is responsible for assigning rank and responsibilities to the research faculty member and should sign the RAF and PTF, as appropriate.  Research faculty appointments must be signed by the dean and Provost.

Titles currently used to appoint research faculty are:

• Research Professor
• Associate Research Professor
• Assistant Research Professor

Research faculty may advance through these ranks based on experience and performance.  A research faculty member seeking advancement should, ideally, submit a dossier for review by a department committee and the department head.  Advancement in rank must be approved by the department head and the college dean.

222.50 Other Nontenurable Faculty Titles

Some departments have specialized needs and hire nontenurable faculty to meet those needs.  In many cases, the above titles do not adequately reflect these responsibilities, so the following titles may be used as appropriate:

• Clinical Resource Nurse
• Teacher
• Tutor
• Trainer

Other titles may be approved by the Board of Regents and/or the Faculty Council and University Administration.

223.00 Research Professional Positions, Responsibilities, and Titles

Research titles are used to appoint individuals whose positions are subject to the availability of funds and whose primary responsibilities are to advance the research mission of the University. 

Research employees are usually appointed on Letters of Appointment and are subject to the availability of funds.  In the event that funding is not available or is not sufficient to support the position, the appointment may be terminated before the expiration of the term of the appointment.

Research appointments are for a specified term and expire automatically without notice at the end of the term, unless renewed prior to expiration.  There is no continuing right to reappointment to any nontenurable research appointment, and reappointment is solely at the discretion of the University.

Approved titles for research professionals are described in the Faculty Handbook and include:

• Research Scientist
• Senior Research Scientist
• Research Engineer
• Senior Research Engineer
• Postdoctoral Researcher
• Research Associate

223.10 Principal Investigators

Principal Investigators are individuals who have submitted proposals to conduct externally funded research and/or service according to the policies and procedures of the Office of Sponsored Research [http://www2.montana.edu/policy/principal_inv/]   Tenurable faculty, research faculty, and employees with Research Scientist and Research Engineer titles are authorized to submit proposals as Principal Investigators, as limited by the Principal Investigators' Research Guidelines and University policies.

With the concurrence of the supervisor and/or department head, a postdoctoral researcher may submit a proposal naming him or her self as principal investigator.  Department heads should approve this proposal submission with the understanding that, if the proposal is funded, the researcher will transition from the postdoctoral position to a research faculty, research scientist, or research engineer appointment.

Emeritus faculty and faculty on post-retirement contracts may not serve as sole principal investigators, but they may serve as co-PIs with a tenurable or research faculty member or a research scientist/engineer. 

224.00 Contract Professional Positions and Titles

A contract professional employee is a non-classified, non-faculty, non-executive employee appointed on a MUS Employment Contract approved by the Commissioner of Higher Education or on a MSU Letter of Appointment approved by the President.  The work of contract professional employee is autonomous in nature and/or involves policy-making authority.  In addition, the employee’s work customarily and regularly requires the exercise of discretion and independent judgment over a discrete work area or set of responsibilities.  Such work cannot be assigned or measured in relation to a given period of time, and is salaried (i.e., exempt from overtime).  [See Board of Regents Policies, Section 711.1. (3)]

Professional titles include but are not limited to:

• Director
• Fiscal/Budget Manager
• Administrative Manager
• Communications Specialist
• Human Resources Specialist
• Coordinator
• Program/Project Coordinator
• Specialist
• Officer
• Manager

225.00 Coaching Positions and Contracts

[Intentionally Left Blank]

[Main Table of Contents]

[Sections 200-270 Contents]

[Section 220 Contents]

230.00 Position Descriptions

SECTION 230.00 CONTENTS

230.00  Position Descriptions

232.00    The Effects of the Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA) on Executive, Faculty, Professional and Research Appointments

232.01    Policy

232.02    Determining Overtime Exemption

232.03    FLSA Criteria for Exemption in the State of Montana

232.10    FLSA Criteria for Executive Exemption

232.20    Criteria for "FLSA Administrative" Exemption

232.30    FLSA Criteria for Professional Exemption

232.40    Additional MSU Criteria for Contract Professional Positions

233.00    Use of the Position Description Template for Executive, Contract Professional, and Research Professional Positions

234.00    Use of the Position Description Questionnaire Template for Faculty Positions

234.10    Essential vs. Marginal Functions

234.20    Required Qualifications

234.30    Prohibited Qualifications

234.31    Height, Weight, Lifting and Driving Requirements

234.32    Years of Experience

234.33    Unreasonable Language Proficiency

230.00 Position Descriptions

The position description is the key document in any search process. It describes the duties and responsibilities of the job, forms the basis for the vacancy announcement and advertisements, and eventually becomes a part of the employee's permanent file.

231.00 Importance of the Position Description

The Position Description establishes the position as eligible for or exempt from overtime and, thus, covered or not covered, by the wage rates established by the federal Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA) in August 2004.  This, in turn, determines the nature, status, terms and conditions of the position at MSU.

232.00 The Effects of the Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA) on Executive, Faculty, Professional and Research Appointments

In August, 2004, the federal government amended the Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA) criteria for overtime exemption and established new wage rates that must be paid to overtime exempt employees.  The FLSA criteria used by the State of Montana, which are more beneficial to employees than the 2004 federal criteria, were not changed.  However, the wage rate for overtime exempt employees was increased.  Thus, in Montana, employers are held to the state definitions and criteria for overtime exemption in effect before 2004 (discussed below) and the revised federal wage rates for overtime exempt employees that went into effect in 2004 (also discussed below).

232.01 Policy

By University administrative decision, all executives, all faculty, and all contract professional and research employees must be:

• Union exempt, and
• Meet the Montana overtime exemption criteria, and
• Meet the MSU criteria described in Section 232.40, and
• Be paid, as salaried workers, no less than the FLSA wage rate for overtime exempt positions regardless of FTE or, if paid less then the FLSA minimum salary, then does not work more than 40 hours in a week.

232.02 Determining Overtime Exemption

Determining if a position is exempt from overtime is a complex task that involves:

• The hiring authority submitting a complete description of the position to HR/AA,  if the position is currently a contract professional position or to HR/Personnel if the position is not; and
• HR/Personnel approving the position for overtime exemption according to FLSA criteria; and/or
• HR/Personnel approving the position as exempt from collective bargaining; and 
• HR/AA approving the position as meeting criteria for a University executive, faculty, contract professional or research position.

232.03 FLSA Criteria for Exemption in the State of Montana

MSU follows the criteria for overtime exemption established by the Montana Department of Labor and the wage rate established by the federal Department of Labor. 

232.10 FLSA Criteria for Executive Exemption

At MSU, an employee qualifying for an Executive exemption is one whose position meets the following criteria:

• The employee's primary duty consists of the management of the University or a customarily recognized college, department or subdivision thereof; who:
• Customarily and regularly directs the work of two or more other employees; and
• Has the authority to hire or fire other employees or whose suggestions and recommendations as to the hiring or firing, and as to the advancement, promotion or any other change of status of other employees; and 
• Customarily and regularly exercises discretionary powers; and
• The employee:
  • Does not devote more than 20 percent of his/her hours of work in the workweek to activities which are not directly and closely related to the performance of the work described in 1 through 4 above, or
  • Is in sole charge of an independent establishment or a physically separated branch establishment, and
  • Is compensated on a salary (not hourly) basis at a rate of not less than $455.00 per week, $1,972.00 per month, or$24,000 per year.  [http://www.dol.gov/esa/regs/compliance/whd/fairpay/main.htm]

232.11 Application to BOR Employment Contracts

MSU Executives holding BOR Contracts are exempt from overtime and have titles which designate the level and area of responsibility of the position.  Among the titles which are currently approved by the BOR to receive BOR contracts are:

• President
• Vice President
• Provost
• Vice Provost
• Legal Counsel

232.12 Application to MUS Employment Contracts and Letters of Appointment

MSU Executives holding MUS Employment Contracts are exempt from overtime and have titles which designate the level and area of responsibility of the position.  Among the titles which are currently approved by the BOR to receive BOR contracts are:

• Assistant or Associate Vice Provost
• Dean
• Assistant or Associate Dean
• Executive Director

232.20 Criteria for "FLSA Administrative" Exemption

At MSU, an employee qualifying for an “Administrative” exemption is one whose position meets the following criteria:

The employee's primary duty consists of either:

• The performance of office or non-manual work directly related to management policies or general business operations of the employer or the employer's customers, or
• The performance of functions in the administration of the University, or department or subdivision thereof, in work directly related to the academic instruction or training carried on; and
• The employee customarily and regularly exercises discretion and independent judgment; and

The employee:

• Regularly and directly assists an employee employed in a bona fide executive or administrative capacity, or
• Performs under only general supervision work along specialized or technical lines requiring special training, experience or knowledge, or
• Executes under only general supervision special assignments and tasks; and
  • Does not devote more than 20 percent of his/her hours worked in the workweek to activities not directly and closely related to the performance of the work described in 1 through 3 above, and
  • Is compensated on a salary (not hourly) basis at a rate of not less than $455.00 per week, $1,972.00 per month, or$24,000.00 per year.  [http://www.dol.gov/esa/regs/compliance/whd/fairpay/main.htm]

Among the titles currently in use for "Administrative Positions" are:

• Assistant to the President
• Assistant to the Dean
• Assistant to the Executive Director/Director
• Administrative Manager
• Business/Operations Manager
• Fiscal Manager

232.30 FLSA Criteria for Professional Exemption

At MSU, an employee qualifying for a Professional exemption is one whose position meets the following criteria:

The primary duty consists of:

• Work requiring knowledge of an advanced type in a field of science or learning customarily acquired by an prolonged course of specialized intellectual instruction and study, (a general academic education, an apprenticeship, or training in the performance of routine mental, manual, or physical processes does not qualify), or
• Work that is original and creative in character in a recognized field of artistic endeavor (as opposed to work which can be produced by a person endowed with general manual or intellectual ability and training), and the result of which depends primarily on the invention, imagination, or talent of the employee, or
• Teaching, tutoring, instructing, or lecturing in the activity of imparting knowledge and employed as a teacher at the University; and
• The employee's work requires the consistent exercise of discretion and judgment in its performance; and

The employee's work is:

• Predominately intellectual and varied in character (as opposed to routine mental, manual, mechanical, or physical -work) and
• Of such character that the output produced or the result accomplished cannot be standardized in relation to a given period of time; and
• The employee does not devote more than 20 percent of the hours worked in the workweek to activities which are not an essential part of and necessarily incident to the work described in items 1 through 3 above; and
• Except in the case of faculty, teachers, tutors, trainers, and interns, is compensated on a salary (not hourly) basis at a rate of not less than $455.00 per week, $1,971.67 per month, or$23,660.00.  [http://www.dol.gov/esa/regs/compliance/whd/fairpay/main.htm]

Employees who work as agricultural laborers, interns, and teachers, tutors and trainers are exempt from overtime.

232.40 Additional MSU Criteria for Contract Professional Positions

In addition to meeting the FLSA criteria for overtime exemption  requirements for a “professional” or “administrative” position, the employee in a contract professional’s position should be commonly associated with the management and administration of colleges and universities in the United States as identified in the Position Descriptions section of the CUPA-HR Mid-Level Administrative and Professional Salary Survey [http://www.cupahr.org/surveys/files/salary06/2005-06%20Midlv%20positions.pdf] and must:

• Perform specific, identifiable functions that are autonomous in nature; and
• Execute, under only general supervision, assignments and tasks, that are specialized or advanced in nature and establishing policies or directives for the unit; and

Meet one of the following specific criteria:

• The employee reports to an executive or administrator (president, provost, vice president, vice provost, or executive director) and works directly with the policies, general business operations, or budgets of the institution as a whole or of a significant, customarily recognized subdivision thereof, or
• The employee reports to and directly expedites or implements the work of a University executive, dean, or managing or grants and contracts director in the administration of the University as a whole or of a college, division, department, or other subdivision of the institution, or
• The employee works directly with management policies, general academic or business operations, or the budget of a division, college, or major subdivision of the University, or
• The employee develops curricular, instructional or educational assessment materials, has responsibility for curating a major museum, scientific or artistic collection, or transmits technical or specialized information to the general public through distance learning technologies, workshops and seminars, and other forms of technology transfer, or
• The employee provides direct service to students and/or advises students as to their academic options, program and graduation requirements, career opportunities, conduct expectations, or other requirements and responsibilities., or
• The employee is certified or licensed to provide treatment for students’ mental, physical, and emotional health and well-being, or
• The employee is an artist, actor, musician, accompanist, film or television director, or other Fine Arts professional whose work is original and creative in character, and the result of which depends primarily on the invention, imagination or talent of the employee, or
• The employee conducts independent research under minimum supervision, frequently developing research protocols, supervising the work of others, and reports the results of research in publications and presentations, or
• The employee is a coach or assistant coach of an intercollegiate sport or competitive activity sponsored by the Department of Athletics, or

The employee is responsible for:

• developing information technology (IT) policies, resources and protocols across institutions, across the MUS system, or within the institution as a whole, 
• supervising and administering IT resources, interactions, protocols and data management requirements for colleges or major subdivisions of the institution,
• planning and implementing long term, enterprise-wide hardware, soft ware, fiber optic, and WIFI acquisitions, operations and systems,
• monitoring and maintaining data integrity systems and  ensuring system security, and/or
• designing and instituting IT systems, cooperative agreements, and connectivity protocols that implement research goals, share data and enable scientific research and analysis. 

The employee should have only minimal responsibility for day to day technical operations or solving user initiated problems.  In addition, the employee usually has supervisory responsibilities over other IT staff and/or joint reporting responsibilities to both a senior administrator and the ITC director.

233.00 Use of the Position Description Template for Executive, Contract Professional, and Research Professional Positions

The Position Description Questionnaire (PDQ) template for contract professional positions should be submitted for the following positions before the vacancy announcement is developed:

• University Executive positions;
• Contract professional positions, such as budget fiscal managers, IT managers, administrative managers, program/project coordinators;
• Research professional positions including research faculty and research scientists, and research engineers; and
• Academic support professional positions such as faculty directors, advisors, physicians, and counselors.
• The PDQ need not be submitted for the following positions:
• Assistant coaches,
• Postdoctoral research associates,
• Post doctoral scholars, and
• Research associates.

If you have any questions about whether or not a PDQ is required for a position, contact HR/AA.

All the following questions do not need to be answered.  Complete only those that pertain to the position.

234.00 Use of the Position Description Questionnaire Template for Faculty Positions

The hiring authority should submit a complete Position Description Template for tenurable faculty positions and Adjunct or Visiting positions for which a national search will be conducted.

The position description must specify if the position has "instructional" or "professional practice" expectations.  "Instructional expectations" means that the faculty member is expected to do teaching, research/ creative activity, and service.  "Professional practice expectations" means the faculty member is expected to work in one or two of the three areas but not in all three. [See MSU Faculty Handbook, Section 600.00]

If the tenurable faculty member will be paid from instructional funds and be responsible for teaching, the search committee and hiring authority must evaluate the candidate's teaching abilities and should include seminars or presentations to students in the interview schedule.

This template should be used for faculty director positions including: department heads, department chairs, directors of the Schools of Art and Music, and superintendents of the Agricultural Research Centers as well as directors of the WAMI program, the Undergraduate Scholars Program, and the Director of the Big Sky Institute.  Individuals appointed to these positions must have academic rank.  If the position is tenurable, the employee should have "retreat rights" to a position in the department where the locus of tenure resides?  If the position is not tenurable, the faculty member has no retreat rights.  This information must be specified in the position description.

The hiring authority should use the following template for faculty positions.

234.10 Essential vs. Marginal Functions

The essential functions of a position are the non-marginal duties and responsibilities of the position.  In other words, they are the reason the position exists.

In determining whether an aspect of employment is an essential or marginal function, the first consideration is whether an employee in the position performs the function or merely oversees someone else doing it.  For example, if a research scientist never cleans test tubes, test tube washing is not an essential function of the job. If a person holding a job does perform a particular function, the second consideration is whether removing that function would fundamentally change the job. A function may also be considered essential if:

• There are few or no other employees available to perform that function;
• There are few or no other employees among whom the function can be distributed; or
• The function is highly specialized, and the employee will be or has been hired for his or her special expertise and ability in performing that function.

Marginal functions are those that may be transferred to another individual or need not be performed.  In general, marginal functions should not be identified in the position description.  If they are included, they must be identified as marginal functions.

234.20 Required Qualifications

The required qualifications for a position are those minimum expectations an applicant must meet to be considered eligible for the position.  Required qualifications ensure that any applicant who becomes a legitimate candidate is minimally competent to assume the position.

The University has established the following minimum requirements for Board of Regents executive, contract professional and faculty positions:

• Board of Regents executive positions requires significant academic and/or administrative experience that is directly relevant to the rank, duties, and responsibilities of the position.
• Contract professional positions usually require a minimum of a baccalaureate degree from a regionally accredited college or university.  In limited circumstances and on a case by case basis, a record of significant and/or progressively responsible work experience in a directly relevant position may be used as an equivalent required qualification.
• Research professional positions require a minimum of a Master's degree.  In limited circumstances and on a case by case basis, a record of significant and/or progressively responsible work experience in a directly relevant position or a record of significant educational attainment may be used as an equivalent, required qualification.
• Tenurable faculty positions require a terminal degree in the field as determined by the Role, Scope, Criteria, Standards and Review documents of the faculty member's department and college.

234.30 Prohibited Qualifications

Position descriptions and vacancy announcements may not contain the following requirements:

234.31 Height, Weight, Lifting and Driving Requirements

Position descriptions shall not specify particular physical qualifications such as the ability to lift 200 pounds or to operate heavy equipment unless these are bona fide occupational requirements. In other words, requiring scuba divers to be able to lift their equipment and operate air compressors would be bona fide occupational requirements, while, in most cases, asking the same of a Professor of History would not. 

Since most heavy things can be broken up into smaller amounts or assistance can be found for lifting weighty objects,  position descriptions that contain lifting restrictions should use the following language in the position description and vacancy announcement:.

Candidate must possess the ability, with or without accommodations, to (lift/move/haul/etc) XX pounds…

Some positions do require an employee to travel throughout the state, and state law requires some employees to possess valid driver’s licenses.  Use the following language when expressing these requirements.

Must possess, or be able to possess, a Montana driver’s license or have other means of reliable transportation to travel within the county or state.

234.32 Years of Experience

Because it is potentially discriminatory and because there is no proven correlation between seniority and ability, a years-of-experience requirement may not be used as a required qualification.  (It may be used as a preferred qualification.)

A description of competencies, such as leadership, administrative ability and communication skills must be used instead.  For example, specifying "a record of progressively responsible administrative experience" is better than requiring "five years of administrative experience" because it allows committees to evaluate the nature of an applicant's experience rather than counting the number of months someone has been employed.

234.33 Unreasonable Language Proficiency

Committees and hiring authorities should make no assumptions about the communication skills of any applicant based on his or her nationality or immigration status.  Further, a committee that requires candidates to demonstrate a certain level of English proficiency must be able to demonstrate that the position regularly uses that level of communication skill. Language proficiency requirements must be reviewed and approved by HR/AA.

[Main Table of Contents]

[Sections 200-270 Contents]

[Section 230 Contents]

240.00 Vacancy Announcements

SECTION 240 CONTENTS

240.00  Vacancy Announcements

241.00    The Contents of Vacancy Announcements

241.10    Controlled Fields on the MSU Jobs Web Page

241.20    Signed RAF Required for Posting

242.00    Title, Duties and Responsibilities

243.00    Required and Preferred Qualifications 

244.00    The “Successful Candidate Will” (SCW) Statement

245.00    Start Date

246.00    Salary and Benefits Information

247.00    Public Relations Information

248.00    Application Procedures   

248.10    Letter of Application

248.11    Specify if Electronic Submissions Will Be Accepted

248.12    Signed Letter of Application in Support of Internet or Electronic Submissions

248.20    Resume or Curriculum Vitae

248.30    References or Recommendations

248.40    Requests for Other Materials

248.50    Deadlines

248.51    Fixed Deadline

248.52     Postmark Deadline

248.53     Screening Date

249.00    Compliance Notifications/Cutlines

249.10    Text of the Required Cutline

249.20    Use of Cutline When Vacancy Announcements are Co-Posted on Department or Unit Web Sites

249.30    Posting Print Copies of Electronic Vacancy Announcements

240.00 Vacancy Announcements

The vacancy announcement is based on the position description, but its purposes are different.  The position description describes the duties and responsibilities of the position in detail but does not contain information about the application process itself. 

The purposes of a vacancy announcement are to stimulate interest in the position and in MSU and to tell potential applicants how to apply. 

241.00 The Contents of Vacancy Announcements

The vacancy announcement is the print or document that informs potential applicants that a position is vacant and provides them the information they need to apply for the position.  Except for positions limited to on-campus advertising, it is posted on the MSU jobs page, [http://www.montana.edu/level2/jobs.html] on hard copy and electronic bulletin boards, and, if part of the recruitment plan, included in department mailings to other departments and colleges. 

The vacancy announcement contains:

• The title of the position
• Information about the program, department, University, community, and surrounding area
• A description of the duties and responsibilities
• The required and preferred qualifications 
• If appropriate, a description of the characteristics (e.g., enthusiasm, commitment, ability to work without close supervision) which should be listed in the successful applicant will section
• The starting date for the position
• The salary, salary range, and/or other appointment information (ie. tenure track, AY appointment)
• Public relations information
• Application information
• Required compliance notifications

These are discussed in detail below.

241.10 Controlled Fields on the MSU Jobs Web Page

The fields for announcing position openings for executive, faculty, and contract professional positions are controlled by HR/AA as is the ability to post a vacancy announcement.  Hiring authorities, committee chairs, and search support staff should consult HR/AA [http://www.montana.edu/wwwaffrm/home.htm] to discuss posting a vacancy announcement.

Text of the vacancy announcement should be submitted electronically to dletendre@montana.edu.

241.20 Signed RAF Required for Posting

A vacancy announcement will not be posted on the University’s web site until a signed Recruitment Authorization form is received in the HR/AA office.

242.00 Title, Duties and Responsibilities

This information should be taken directly from the position description questionnaire for the position. This is the appropriate place to describe how the successful position will contribute to the accomplishment of University mission and the goals and initiatives of the unit.  This is also the place to inform applicants of any unusual job expectations such as possessing a valid driver’s license, passing a thorough criminal background check, or being able to travel internationally.

243.00 Required and Preferred Qualifications 

Required and preferred qualifications should be “objective” and able to be evaluated on written materials alone.  They should be taken directly from the position description questionnaire. 

244.00 The “Successful Candidate Will” (SCW) Statement

Subjective qualifications, such as “ability to work in a team environment,” and qualifications that cannot be immediately and easily assessed from written application materials, such as “excellent oral communications skills,” should not be listed as required or preferred qualifications.  Rather, these should be elaborated upon in the “Successful Candidate will…” section of the vacancy announcement.

Skills and abilities listed in the SCW section of the vacancy announcement are essential characteristics and qualities on which candidates will be evaluated in the later stages of the screening process.

Examples:

The successful candidate will demonstrate an awareness of international development issues and the ability to work on a multidisciplinary team.

The successful candidate will have knowledge of the tribes and tribal colleges in Montana, will have excellent interpersonal skills, and will be able to work with people from diverse cultures and backgrounds.

245.00 Start Date

Although the new employee’s actual start date is a negotiable condition of hire, the vacancy announcement should indicate the date the hiring authority would like the appointment to begin.

Examples:

State Date: August 16, 2009.

Start Date: September 15, 2008 or as soon thereafter as possible.

Start Date: when funding is received.

Start Date: (Immediately) upon successful completion of the search.

246.00 Salary and Benefits Information

Salary is one of the first things a prospective applicant looks at when deciding whether to apply for a position.  Including salary in the position description usually assures committees that applicants are interested in the position at the salary rate offered.  However, if the salary of a position is truly negotiable or if the salary range for the position exceeds $10,000, the hiring authority or the committee chair may decide not to indicate a salary amount in the vacancy announcement.  Thus, the hiring authority may decide to state that the salary is "dependent upon (or commensurate with) experience and qualifications."

This section of the vacancy announcement should also list other status information pertaining to the position such as whether the position is AY, FY, or other; if it is full or part time; if the incumbent accrues health benefits or annual leave; whether the position is tenurable or the incumbent will have retreat rights to an academic department.

Examples:

Salary: Negotiable depending on experience and qualifications.  Fiscal Year appointment.

Salary: $32,000-$35,000. Tenurable, Academic Year appointment,

Salary $38,000, dependent upon funding.  Fiscal Year, Nontenurable, 0.8 FTE appointment.

247.00 Public Relations Information

The vacancy announcement should provide promotional information about the University and the area, as well as information about the department.  Information for this section can be found in department and college publications, and in other vacancy announcements advertised on the web.

248.00 Application Procedures

This section of the vacancy announcement tells prospective applicants how and where to apply for the position. It also specifies the types of application materials required, the application deadline or screening date, and the name and address to whom applications should be sent.

A search committee may require applicants to include a letter of application, a resume or vita, and names and addresses of references.  The committee may allow or disallow electronic or internet applications and may require writing samples or portfolios as evidence of the quality of the applicant’s creative work.

248.10 Letter of Application

The typical, unstructured letter of application can be remarkably uninformative.  If the committee wants applicants to address specific items in the position description or to discuss their philosophies regarding an aspect of the job, they should specify this in the section on application procedures.

Examples:

Send letter of application addressing each of the required and preferred qualifications listed above, resume, and . . .

Send letter of application, current resume, names, addresses and phone numbers of three references, and an essay addressing the role of oceanographic research in a land grant University.

Send letter of application, current resume, names, addresses and phone numbers of three references to …A portfolio of recent architectural drawings and photographs of architectural models will be solicited from finalists for the position.

248.11 Specify if Electronic Submissions Will Be Accepted

Each search committee must decide and each vacancy announcement must specify if electronic applications will be accepted, if only hard copy applications will be accepted, or if applicants can submit application materials either by hard copy or electronically.  Generally, electronic applications are most appropriate to searches where:

• Almost all potential applicants conduct business on  the internet on a regular basis or the job duties require such interaction,
• The committee can reasonably expect a large number of foreign national applicants,
• The members of the search committee are dispersed throughout the state, and/or
• Internet communications are an expectation of the job. 

Electronic submissions are less appropriate where:

• High level written communications skills and skills in formatting written documents are expected of incumbents,   
• The committee can reasonable expect a small number of foreign nationals applying, and/or
• The committee wants to limit the number of applicants who are not serious about the position.

In either case, the committee must specify their expectations in the vacancy announcement.

Examples:

Internet and electronic applications will not be accepted (or considered).

Internet or electronic submissions are welcome and should be sent to the address below in .pdf format.  A written, sighed letter acknowledging application must be sent by surface mail to the address below.

248.12 Signed Letter of Application in Support of Internet or Electronic Submissions

The practice of requiring a signed, written letter sent by surface mail and acknowledging an applicant’s submission of an electronic application was instituted in 2002 to prevent identity theft, specifically someone applying in another person’s name or using another person’s credentials. Without a way of determining that an electronic applicant was really an applicant and without hard physical evidence of the identity theft in the form of a signed document, the University could take no action against the perpetrator. 

In addition, the policy has the added benefit of ensuring that electronic applicants are serious about the positions for which they are applying.  Serious applicants are happy to send a brief written and signed letter in hard copy.  But the requirement can be too much trouble for applicants who are sending electronic applications en masse.  When a sheet of paper, a little ink, an envelope and a stamp are too much to ask an applicant to send to confirm an application—they are not, after all, being asked to resend their vitae, references, portfolios or publications—then the applicant is not serious about the position.  The search committee should not waste precious committee time on such applicants.

Finally, the practice helps the University comply with 2006 guidelines of the Office of Federal Contract Compliance Programs (OFCCP) [http://www.dol.gov/esa/ofccp/] which define internet applicants and specify the employer’s data reporting requirements concerning such applicants.  In general, the guidelines permit the University to impose reasonable data and information submission requirements on internet applicants, and, if they do not comply, the employer does not have to report demographic data for non-compliant applicants. Further, if an applicant lies in their electronic submissions, and they do send a letter, they become like the 40 hard copy applicants—we can take action against them, up to and including terminating their appointments.

248.20 Resume or Curriculum Vitae

Search committees usually want applicants to submit a current vita or resume and seldom want to receive standard placement credentials.  The vacancy announcement should specify if placement files will be accepted. 

 Examples:

Send letter of application, a current resume or placement file . . .

Send letter of application, curriculum vitae, and official transcripts of all academic work . . .

Send letter of application, current resume or curriculum vitae, and names addresses and phone numbers of three current professional references to . . . Placement files will not be accepted.

248.30 References or Recommendations

HR/AA recommends that committees abandon the practice of requesting applicants to submit or have submitted written letters of recommendation.  The process of contacting all applicants and referees to send such letters has proven to be time-consuming, cumbersome, and almost impossible to document.  Worse, it often results in overly-general and frequently uninformative letters about the applicant.

Instead, search committees should require applicants to submit names, addresses, phone numbers and email addresses of 3-5 references.  The committee can then solicit specific information from the references of candidates in whom they are specifically interested.

Examples:

Send a letter of application, names, addresses, email addresses and phone numbers of three professional references.

Applicants should send complete contact information for five (5) current professional references who have agreed to provide confidential information about them to the committee. 

Have placement files or credentials with signed letters of reference sent directly from a placement office or out-placement service to the address listed below.

248.40 Requests for Other Materials

As discussed above, if committee members want applicants to submit additional materials such as slides of their paintings, audition tapes, or published articles, they must specify this in the vacancy announcement.

Examples:

Audition tapes will be requested from finalists.

Applicants may be requested to provide audition tapes of their most recent performances.

Finalists will be expected to provide video tapes of their work.

Additional materials may be requested at the finalist stage.

248.50 Deadlines

There are several types of deadlines for the receipt of applications:

248.51 Fixed Deadline

A fixed or absolute deadline informs potential applicants that the committee will not consider any applications received after the specified date. This type of deadline is most useful when search committees anticipate receiving a large number of applications.  Its disadvantage lies in the fact that a search with a fixed deadline must be re-advertised if no hire is made from the original applicant pool.

Examples:

Deadline: Applications must be received by September 22, 2007.

Deadline for receipt of applications: September 22, 2007.  Applications received after this date will not be considered.

248.52 Postmark Deadline

If committee members want to provide applicants a little more flexibility in submitting their application materials, they can specify a postmark deadline as follows:

Examples:

Postmark Deadline: September 22, 2007.

Deadline: September 22, 2007.  Applications postmarked after this date will not be considered.

248.53 Screening Date

If the committee believes there will be a limited number of applications for a position or feels it will be difficult to attract highly qualified applicants, the search should be "open-ended" and advertised as follows:

• Screening begins on September 22, 2005 and continues until a suitable candidate is hired.
• The deadline for receipt of applications must be specified in the vacancy announcement.

249.00 Compliance Notifications/Cutlines

Every MSU vacancy announcement must include the appropriate compliance statements that inform applicants of their rights under state and federal laws and University policy. This language is automatically included in the posting of the vacancy announcement on MSU’s official website.

249.10 Text of the Required Cutline

ADA/EO/AA/Veteran's Preference. In compliance with the Montana Veteran's Employment Preference Act, Title 39, Chapter 29 MCA, MSU provides preference in employment to eligible veterans, disabled veterans, and certain eligible relatives of veterans. The University makes accommodation for any known disability that may interfere with an applicant's ability to compete in the selection and hiring process or an employee's ability to perform the essential functions of the job. To claim veteran's preference or request accommodation, contact Human Resources/Affirmative Action, 210-C Montana Hall, Montana State University, Bozeman, MT 59717-2430 [406-994-2042]. Requests for Veteran's Preference should be received before the screening or closing date.

249.20 Use of Cutline When Vacancy Announcements are Co-Posted on Department or Unit Web Sites

Committees that post vacancy announcements on their department's or unit’s Web page must use the above cutline.

249.30 Posting Print Copies of Electronic Vacancy Announcements

To ensure that people without access to computers receive notice of position openings, HR/AA posts a print copy of the vacancy announcement, available electronically on the MSU Jobs page, on the official bulletin board in Montana Hall.

Departments are encouraged to make hard copies of the electronic vacancy announcement posted on the MSU Jobs page and post these on bulletin boards where potential applicants can see them.  Departments should not alter or abridge the vacancy announcement as posted electronically, but should post it in its entirety.

[Main Table of Contents]

[Sections 200-270 Contents]

[Section 240 Contents]

250.00 Recruitment Procedures

SECTION 250 CONTENTS

250.00  Recruitment Procedures

251.00    Recruitment Policy

252.00    Filling Positions without a Search (Limited Exceptions to Policy 251.00)

252.10    Conversions from Classified to Contract Professional Status

252.20    Changing the Terms and Conditions of a Position after Hire

252.30    Hiring Appointees to Work on Grants or Contracts without a Search

252.40    Hiring Appointees to Work on Temporary Appointments and Reassignments, without a Search

252.50    Hiring Adjuncts without a Search

252.60    Affirmative Action Hires

252.60    Affirmative Action Hires

253.00    Career Ladders and Progression Line Charts

253.10    Career Ladders

253.11    Characteristics of Career Ladders

253.12    Established Academic Career Ladders

253.13    Established Research Career Ladders

253.20    Progression Line Charts

253.21    Characteristics of the PLC

253.22    Filling a Position without a Search by Activating a Progression Line Chart

254.00    Search Requirements by Type of Position

254.10    University Executives and Academic Deans

254.20    Faculty Positions

254.30    Contract Professional Positions

254.40    Research Professional Positions

255.00    Universal Advertising Requirements

255.10    Requirements for a National Search

255.20    Regional Search

255.30    Statewide Search

255.40    Local Search

255.50    “Pool" Search

255.60    On-Campus Search

255.70    Internal (On-Campus) Search

256.00    Conducting "Pool" Searches

256.10    Procedures

256.20    Benefits to Applicants

257.00    Filling More Than One Position from the Same Search

258.00    Failed or Canceled Searches

258.10    Recourse When Failing to Make a Hire

258.20    Recourse When New Hire Does Not Assume Appointment

250.00 Recruitment Procedures

The nature and extent of recruitment necessary to fill a position is based on the type of position, duration of the appointment, recruitment area where individuals who meet the minimum qualifications for the position are available, and other considerations described in the MSU Affirmative Action Plan. This section explains the level of recruitment required for different types of positions, the minimum time a vacancy must remain open, and the type of committee needed to conduct the search.

251.00 Recruitment Policy

Searches shall be conducted to fill permanent executive, administrative, faculty, and contract professional positions at the University, with the limited exceptions explained in Section 252.00.

Searches should be conducted to fill non-permanent positions whenever possible.

252.00 Filling Positions without a Search (Limited Exceptions to Policy 251.00) 

A hiring authority may fill a permanent position without a search, with permission of HR/AA, under the following circumstances.

252.10 Conversions from Classified to Contract Professional Status

Generally, an incumbent’s classified position cannot be changed or converted to a non-classified position nor the status of an incumbent changed from a classified employee to a contract professional employee without a new contract professional being approved and/or a search conducted to fill a new position. 

This means that a position that is currently classified must remain classified.  If a hiring authority believes that a currently classified employee’s duties and responsibilities have increased to the point that the incumbent may be overtime exempt under FLSA rules, the hiring authority may seek to create a new position that meets the criteria for employment as a contract professional and/or move the incumbent into that or another  contract professional position. The policies governing such proposals are described in Section 232.00. 

An incumbent classified employee may be hired into the “converted” position without a search under limited circumstances.  A hiring authority should make such a request, with a written letter of justification, to HR/AA.  The request will be evaluated on a case by case basis.

252.20 Changing the Terms and Conditions of a Position after Hire

Occasionally, a hiring authority will seek to change the status of a position after a hire has been made, usually by trying to change a part-time position to full time or making a temporary or interim position permanent. 

A search does not need to be conducted for the “new” full-time or permanent position if the incumbent was hired as the result of a search that was appropriate to the full-time position.  If the search that hired the incumbent was part time or temporary, the hiring authority will need to do another search to fill the full time or permanent position. 

Examples:

A national search was conducted for a tenure-track Assistant Professor but the appointment was made at the adjunct instructor level pending the employee's completion of the Ph.D.  The appointment may be made tenurable and the title changed to Assistant Professor, without conducting a new search, when the incumbent completes the degree.

A national search was conducted for an Adjunct position.  The vacancy announcement for a new position stated, "Adjunct Assistant Professor, one year appointment with possible conversion to tenure track," and a hire was made.  The hiring authority may convert the position to tenure-track status and appoint the incumbent as an Assistant Professor without conducting another search.

A successful local search was conducted for a part time project coordinator to work for 10 months as the replacement for a permanent employee out on leave.  At the end of the year, the permanent employee decides not to return and the hiring authority seeks to reappoint the incumbent as full time project manager.  Permission to do so would likely be denied because the original search was for a part time, temporary position.  A very different pool of applicants would have been generated had the first search advertised for a full time, permanent position.

252.30 Hiring Appointees to Work on Grants or Contracts without a Search

Requirements to conduct searches for non-permanent, research positions may be waived under the following, limited circumstances: 

• A qualified potential employee who can work on a grant or contract is identified without a search having been conducted.  In this case, the person can be hired for up to one calendar year without a search.  At the end of the year, the person must either be:
• hired as the result of a search,
• written into a grant or contract, or
• terminated from the position.

A hiring authority writes a person into a grant or contract.  In this case, the hiring authority may hire the person in a non-permanent position without conducting a search.  This appointment may be renewed annually for as long as the grant is funded and the employee remains "written in" to that grant or contract.

“Writing employees into a grant or contract” means identifying the individual by name, prospective title, salary, and brief position description. 

252.40 Hiring Appointees to Work on Temporary Appointments and Reassignments, without a Search

Requirements to conduct searches for non-permanent, non-research positions may be waived under the following, limited circumstances:  to meet a temporary staffing need, to fill a permanent position on temporary basis, or to staff a unit during reorganization.  In such cases, the hiring authority may hire anyone who meets the qualifications for the professional appointment for six months without a search. 

If the need for a temporary appointment will extend beyond six months, the hiring authority should conduct an on-campus or internal search to fill the position.  Once such a search has been conducted, the temporary appointment may then be extended until the permanent replacement is able to report for work.

Any qualified person filling a position on an acting or interim basis is eligible to apply for the permanent position, unless arrangements to the contrary have been discussed and explained before the temporary appointment is made.  Applications from temporary appointees must be evaluated on the same criteria as any other application.

252.50 Hiring Adjuncts without a Search

Requirements to conduct searches for non-tenurable faculty may be waived as long as the appointment is for no more than the fiscal year, including summer session, and the individual is not reappointed unless hired as the result of a local, “pool” search.   Once hired from such a search, the non-tenurable faculty member may be issued annual letters of appointment in succession.

252.60 Affirmative Action Hires

Requirements to conduct searches for permanent positions may be waived on a case by case basis in order to redress the under-utilization of protected class members in the University’s permanent professional and faculty workforce.  Only the President has authority to make an affirmative action hire, but he or she should be guided by the results of the following process:

• The hiring authority seeking to effect an AA hire must make the case, to the appropriate vice president and HR/AA, that such a hire will advance the department and the University in achieving its mission, the goals of its 5 year plan, and/or the policies of the Board of Regents in vital ways that likely would not be achieved through a competitive search and that the person considered for the AA hire possesses superior, not merely adequate, qualifications for the position.

HR/AA permission to initiate an affirmative action hiring process may be granted if:

• the department is determined to be underutilizing women and/or minorities as determined by an current utilization analysis, and
• a qualified protected class member has been identified.

If the request to begin an AA hiring process is approved by the vice president and HR/AA, the hiring authority writes the position description and appoints a screening committee to evaluate the qualifications and experience of the candidate.

The committee should be composed of a minimum of three members, of whom at least one should be a woman and/or member of an appropriate underrepresented group.

The hiring authority should not serve on this committee, but should write a brief charge to the screening committee giving any special instructions or considerations they should consider in their work.

HR/AA should orient the screening committee or committee chair to the AA hiring process.

The screening committee reviews the candidate's submitted materials (curriculum vitae and publications) and makes a recommendation as to the advisability of the AA hire to the hiring authority.  The committee may conduct reference checks, phone and on-campus interviews and other screening activities in order to make its recommendation.

The committee submits its recommendation to the hiring authority, who submits it to HR/AA, the appropriate vice president, and the President for approval.  If approved, the hiring authority prepares the Letter of Hire and the PTF.  If not approved, the hiring authority may consider conducting a search to fill the position.

253.00 Career Ladders and Progression Line Charts

Career ladders and progression line charts are internal promotional opportunities available to current and active MSU employees who usually work in departments that have levels of employees and layers of supervision within the same work area.

To ensure the hiring authority complies with all University EEO policies, HR/AA needs to approve career ladders and progression line charts in concept as well as in their implementation in each specific instance.

253.10 Career Ladders

At MSU, the term “Career Ladder” refers to a series of defined levels through which an employee is generally expected to advance as he or she acquires knowledge, experience, or other qualifications on the job. 

253.11  Characteristics of Career Ladders

A Career Ladder is characterized by the following:

• The general duties and responsibilities of the positions are similar from level to level, e.g. advancing from Accountant to Fiscal Officer to Fiscal Manager to Controller.
• The complexity and autonomy of the position increase from level to level. 
• The levels usually represent the University’s typical expectations for an individual employee’s career growth. 
• An individual’s promotion or advancement through a Career Ladder may be reviewed by committees and administrators. 
• Advancement from level to level is not guaranteed.
• The Career Ladder is not necessarily founded on a non-classified, searched position.
• The Career Ladder is not activated by a position vacancy.  Instead, an employee advances through the ladder’s various levels as dictated by policy or by the individual’s application.  In other words, an employee already hired in career ladder position does not need to wait for a vacancy to open up before seeking advancement to the next step on the ladder.

253.12 Established Academic Career Ladders

• A tenurable faculty member is promoted in rank from:

                Assistant Professor, to

                Associate Professor, to

                Professor.

        according to BOR and MSU policies and procedures and the Letter of Hire.

A nontenurable faculty member (adjunct or visiting faculty) can advance in rank according to the policies and procedures of the academic department from:

                Adjunct/Visiting Instructor, to

                Adjunct/Visiting Assistant Professor, to

                Adjunct/Visiting Associate Professor, to

                Adjunct/Visiting Professor.

A nontenurable Research faculty member can also advance in rank according to the policies and procedures of the academic department from:

                Research Assistant Professor, to

                Research Associate Professor, to

                Research Professor.

Approval of the Dean, Provost and HR/AA are required for an individual to advance through any one of these nontenurable academic career ladders.

253.13 Established Research Career Ladders

• A Research Scientist or Research Engineer may advance from: