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Sec. 1 Purpose
This policy establishes guidelines and procedures for promoting diverse candidate interview pools for leadership positions within the U.T. System Administration and U.T. institutions while complying with applicable laws.
Sec. 2 Interviews for Executive Administrator Positions
To fill a new or vacant Executive Administrator position, a hiring institution is required to:
2.1 Prepare a written position description and offer an interview to more than one candidate;
2.2 Offer interviews only to candidates who meet the minimum qualifications for the position and have bona fide skills and experience reasonably related to satisfactory performance in the position;
2.3 Conduct a search process that delivers a pool for interview by the final decisionmaker that includes female, male and underrepresented group candidates.
Sec. 3 Interviews for Other Senior Administrator Positions
When filling a new or vacant Other Senior Administrator position, a hiring institution is encouraged to comply with section 2 of this policy.
Sec. 4 Identification is Voluntary
When a candidate applies for an Executive Administrator position, the hiring institution must allow him or her to voluntarily indicate his or her (a) gender and (b) membership in an underrepresented group.
Sec. 5 Hiring Decisions
All ultimate hiring decisions must comply with applicable federal and state laws and regulations, Regents’ Rules, and institutional policies.
Sec. 6 Exceptions
The requirements in Section 2 do not apply to:
6.1 Interim or acting appointments;
6.2 Situations in which the hiring institution has exhausted reasonable recruitment efforts but is unable to deliver a pool for interview by the final decisionmaker that includes female, male and underrepresented group candidates.
a) Before a hiring institution invokes section 6.2 and delivers a pool for interview by the final decisionmaker, it must request and receive written approval from the Chancellor or designee (if the hiring institution is U. T. System Administration) or its president and the appropriate executive vice chancellor (if it is a U. T. institution).
6.3 Rare or compelling situations, such as the withdrawal of a candidate whose continued candidacy would have allowed the hiring institution to deliver a compliant pool for final interview; an emergency hire; a spousal hire; or when a candidate meets the highest qualification standards and there is an opportunity to (i) hire an internationally-renowned individual, (ii) retain an outstanding administrator, or (iii) further the goals of equal opportunity and fairness.
a) Before a hiring institution invokes section 6.3, it must request and receive the written approval of the Chancellor or designee (if the hiring institution is U. T. System Administration) or its president and the appropriate executive vice chancellor (if it is a U. T. institution).
6.4 When a competitive recruitment is not in the best interest of the hiring institution.
a) Before a hiring institution invokes section 6.4, it must request and receive the written approval of the Chancellor or designee (if the hiring institution is U. T. System Administration) or its president and the appropriate executive vice chancellor (if it is a U. T. institution). The request may be made and the required approval received at any time prior to delivery of an offer of employment.
Sec. 7 No Legal Entitlement to Interview or Selection
This policy does not entitle any specific candidate to be interviewed for or hired into a position, and it does not confer any rights under law.
Sec. 8 Compliance Review
Unless the Chancellor directs less-frequent reviews after the first three years of implementation, the appropriate Executive Vice Chancellor, in coordination with the Chancellor’s office, will annually review hiring institutions’ compliance with this policy.
Definitions
Executive Administrator –
For U. T. System Administration: a deputy chancellor, executive vice chancellor, vice chancellor or associate vice chancellor.
For U. T. institutions: each position that performs executive duties and reports directly to the president, each dean, each athletic director, and each other position the president designates as an Executive Administrator under this policy. Any position specifically included in the definition of “Other Senior Administrator” is not an Executive Administrator, whether or not the position reports to the President.
Other Senior Administrator –
For U. T. System Administration: an assistant vice chancellor, director or executive director, and other similar administrator.
For U. T. institutions: an associate vice president, assistant vice president, associate dean, assistant dean, department chair, division chief, section chief, head coach, or another similar administrator, and each other position the president designates as an Other Senior Administrator under this policy.
Executive Duties – directs a unit within the institution with three (3) or more employees and makes decisions or otherwise directs material decision-making for the institution or a unit within the institution.
Hiring institution – the U. T. institution, including U. T. System Administration, that is attempting to fill a new or vacant Executive Administrator or Other Senior Administrator position.
Underrepresented group candidates –
A candidate who is member of one or more of the following groups: Hispanic or Latino; Black or African American; Asian; Native Hawaiian or Other Pacific Islander; or American Indian or Alaska Native
