MU-Governance Manual: Procedure for Making New Appointments

Purpose
To prescribe the method by which the list of presidential candidates is derived, and by which the appointment is made by the Board, pursuant to Act 188 of 1982, Sections 2005-A(4) and 2006-A(2).
Search Procedure
1. Staff Liaison
  Upon notice of a vacancy in a university presidency, the chancellor shall appoint a staff liaison to the council of trustees, who will assist the council and chancellor in conducting the search in accord with pertinent laws, policies, and principles, including not only Act 188, but Board expectations of the president, affirmative action, compensation practices, and sound search practices.
2. Presidential Search Committee
  1. Upon notice from the chancellor, the chairperson of the university council of trustees shall form a committee, with the advice and consent of the council, to be known as the Presidential Search Committee.
  2. Membership
    1. Three (3) Trustees, elected by the council
    2. One (1) executive from the university, selected by the council after consultation with those executives; the executive selected shall not report directly to the president
    3. Two (2) faculty members, nominated by faculty election
    4. One (1) non-instructional person
    5. One (1) student (not a trustee) selected by the student government
    6. One (1) alumna/us (not a trustee) selected by the trustee chairperson
    7. OPTIONAL: Up to three others within the university, selected by the council to assure appropriate involvement by constituency, gender, race, generation, etc.
    8. One (1) current or former president/chancellor from a comparable university, from a list designated by the chancellor (non-voting)
  3. Chair
    The chairperson of the trustees shall appoint the chair of the Presidential Search Committee, who shall be one of the three university trustees serving on the committee.
  4. Committee Authorization
    The council chairperson shall submit to the chancellor sufficient information about the proposed committee to assure compliance with section 2a above, and with social equity/affirmative action principles, and shall oversee any necessary committee modifications. The chancellor shall then authorize the committee to proceed.
3. Consulting Expertise
  The Presidential Search Committee shall engage a consulting firm, from a presidential search consulting firm list maintained by the Chancellor, to (a) undertake a University leadership needs assessment, and (b) assist the Committee and the Chancellor in conduct of the search process.
4. Committee Responsibilities
  1. Search and Screen
    The Committee shall invite applications, conduct preliminary screening, invite leading applicants for interviews, and report its findings and recommendations to the trustees.
  2. Confidentiality
    All applications and deliberations about individual applications shall remain wholly confidential, and the chair may at his or her discretion expel from the committee any member who violates professional standards or codes of confidentiality.
  3. Attendance at Meetings
    Regular attendance at and participation in committee meetings by all committee members is essential to the work of presidential search. Therefore, any committee member who is absent from three (3) meetings of the committee may be excused from the committee by the chair. A member excused by the chair will not be replaced, except that the chair, after consultation with the council chair and student government officials, may replace a student member who is excused.
  4. Communications
    The Committee Chair may issue intermittent communiques to the university trustees and community about its progress, notifying them about such things as committee membership, meeting dates, deadlines, number of applicants, interview dates, etc.
  5. Records
    The Committee shall keep and approve minutes of its meetings, and files regarding all nominees and applicants, and the council shall retain such files for at least seven years after conclusion of the search.
  6. Designation of Candidates
    The committee shall present to the trustees the names and dossiers of three to five candidates for the presidency, from which the trustees shall forward their recommendations.
5. Presidential Involvement
  The retiring and/or interim and/or acting president shall have no direct involvement in the activities of the presidential search, except upon request of a visiting applicant. An interim and/or acting president may not stand as a candidate for the presidency.
6. Trustee Recommendations
  1. The trustees shall submit to the chancellor the names and dossiers of three or four candidates.
  2. The trustees may confidentially share other information and evaluative material with the chancellor, which may be deemed helpful to the chancellor and Board.
  3. The trustees shall accompany their recommendations with a certified copy of the minutes of the trustee meeting at which the recommendations were approved.
Selection Procedure: Board of Governors
1. The chancellor shall submit the report of the trustees to the chair of the Board of Governors and shall advise the Board.
2. The Executive Committee of the Board, or a three person Board committee appointed by the Executive Committee, shall interview the recommended candidates and render its recommendation to the full Board, unless previously authorized by the Board to act on its behalf.
3. The chancellor shall notify the trustees and the final candidates of the Board's selection; a public announcement will be made by the chancellor.

millersville University | Governance Manual | Section 1 TOC | Top of this Page

Interim President or Acting President

The procedure for selecting an individual for the above position is stipulated by the Board of Governors as follows:

When the office of the president at an institution becomes vacant prior to the time that a regular successor has been appointed and has assumed office, the Chancellor shall, after consultation with representatives of the trustees, faculty, and students, recommend the name of a candidate to the Board of Governors for appointment to the position of interim president. An interim president shall serve until a regular successor has been appointed and has assumed office or the interim president has otherwise been properly relieved of the duties of the office of the president by the Governor.

millersville University | Governance Manual | Section 1 TOC | Top of this Page

Vice Presidents

Provost and Vice President for Academic Affairs
Four members of the University staff appointed by the president, five faculty members elected by the faculty, one student elected by the Student Senate and one professional staff member represented by the State College and University Professional Association (SCUPA) appointed by the president after consultation with the local SCUPA-MU representative will meet to screen the candidates. The chairperson shall be appointed by the president from the membership of the committee. The committee shall recommend at least three candidates to the president for consideration. The appointment shall be made by the president.
Vice President for Student Affairs
Four members of the University staff appointed by the president, four faculty members elected by the faculty, three students elected by the Student Senate and one professional staff member represented by the State College and University Professional Association (SCUPA) appointed by the president after consultation with the local SCUPA-MU representative shall meet to screen the candidates. The chairperson shall be appointed by the president from the membership of the committee. The committee shall recommend at least three candidates to the president for consideration. The appointment shall be made by the president.
Vice President for Finance and Administration
Four members of the University staff appointed by the president, four faculty members elected by the faculty, and one student elected by the Student Senate shall meet to screen the candidates. The chairperson shall be appointed by the president from the membership of the committee. The committee shall recommend at least three candidates to the president for consideration. The appointment shall be made by the president.
Vice President for University Advancement
Four members of the University staff appointed by the president, four faculty members elected by the faculty, one alumni representative, and one student elected by the Student Senate shall meet to screen the candidates. The chairperson shall be appointed by the president from the membership of the committee. The committee shall recommend at least three candidates to the president for consideration. The appointment shall be made by the president.
Vice President for Information Technology
Five persons selected by the president, four faculty members elected by the faculty, and one student appointed by Student Senate. In addition to the above, one AFSCME representative appointed by the president after consultation with the local AFSCME president, one Computing and Information Technologies staff member appointed by the president after consultation with the vice president for finance and administration, and one Academic Computing staff member or one faculty member representing Academic Computing interests appointed by the president after consultation with the provost. The committee shall recommend at least three candidates to the president for consideration. The appointment shall be made by the president.

millersville University | Governance Manual | Section 1 TOC | Top of this Page

School Deans

An elected representative of each department of a school, a dean from one of the other schools and two other persons appointed by the president, and one student, majoring in one of the departments of that school, elected by the Student Senate shall meet to screen the candidates. The chairperson shall be appointed by the provost. The committee shall recommend at least three candidates to the provost for consideration. The appointment shall be made by the president.

Director of Library Services

Four faculty members, one from each of the academic units, elected by the faculty, one school dean and two other persons appointed by the president, two members elected by and from the Library Department, and one student elected by the Student Senate shall meet with a chairperson appointed by the provost to screen the candidates. The committee shall recommend at least three candidates to the provost for consideration. The appointment shall be made by the president.

Director of Admissions

Two members of the university staff appointed by the president, two faculty members elected by the faculty, and one student elected by the Student Senate shall meet with a chairperson, appointed by the provost, to screen the candidates. The committee shall recommend al least three candidates to the president for consideration. The appointment shall be made by the president.

millersville University | Governance Manual | Section 1 TOC | Top of this Page

Coaches

Search committees for full-time coaches of men's and women's intercollegiate athletic teams (both head and assistant coaches) will consist of: two members of the faculty selected by the Faculty-Student Athletic Committee; one student selected by the Student Athletic Advisory Council; the athletic director for the program where the vacancy occurs; and one staff member appointed by the vice president for student affairs. The vice president for student affairs will appoint the chair and may appoint additional faculty (upon consultation with the president of APSCUF) and staff to the committee as needed. The president of the University may appoint alumni and community representatives to the committee as needed.

Search committees for part-time head coaches will consist of: one member of the faculty selected by the Faculty-Student Athletic Committee; the athletic director for the program where the vacancy occurs, or his/her designee; and one student appointed by the Student Athletic Advisory Council. The vice president for student affairs will appoint the chair and may appoint additional faculty (upon consultation with the president of APSCUF) and staff to the committee as needed. The president of the University may on occasion appoint alumni and community representatives to the committee as needed.

Search committees for part-time assistant coaches will consist of: the athletic director for the program where the vacancy occurs, or his/her designee, and the head coach of the team which has the vacancy.

All coach search committees will submit their recommendations for candidate appointments to the vice president for student affairs.

millersville University | Governance Manual | Section 1 TOC | Top of this Page

Presidential Appointments

The ultimate decision in appointments rests with the president. It is expected that normally the appointment will be made from among the candidates recommended by the search committee. Before appointing an individual not recommended by the committee, the president shall consult with the committee in an effort to seek agreement. If agreement cannot be reached, the president shall make an appointment and will report to the school or the faculty the basis for the selection.

Management Staff

All other management staff shall be appointed by the president.

Exceptions to Above Selection Procedures

Acting appointments to deanships and other management positions may be made by the president of the University for periods of one year or less.

millersville University | Governance Manual | Section 1 TOC | Top of this Page