Search Procedures Committee Meeting Minutes
30 August 2000

Meeting called to order at 9:05am.

All meetings will be open to any Library staff member who wishes to come. After minutes have been approved, they will be posted on a website which Michael will set up so everyone can read them. Process: Carol will email draft of minutes to members, who will approve, disapprove, revise; once agreed upon, minutes will be posted to website.

The Committee's charge from Charles Beard was reviewed. Charge has 3 aspects:

1. Revise search procedures for professional librarians, since current procedures are very much out-of-date;
2. Update the Library's current Human Resources manual to include provision for non- LA positions which currently exist, e.g. Administrative Supervisor II / Circulation Manager (Brian Kooy), EDP Specialist (Valerie League), etc.;
3. Make recommendations for changes to the current HR manual as needed, i.e. adding the option to hire fulltime library support staff members without a formal search committee but with input solicited from all library staff interested in the particular search.

Since the Library currently has a professional opening for which a search must begin ASAP, our Committee will resolve that first, so the search can proceed before turning to our 2nd and 3rd charges. We will be meeting weekly or even bi-weekly in order to get #1 done rapidly, then our meeting schedule will slow down somewhat as we work on the other 2 issues, which are perceived to be more complex and controversial.

Procedure for revising search policy for professionals will be:

• review the current policy (from 1988), to correct, clarify, and bring into greater conformance with current UWG procedures for hiring of faculty.

In order to do this, we will need to:

1. find out if updated UWG policies exist and obtain them. Susan has already consulted with a member of the recent Search Committee for VP/Student Services in order to find out what procedures they followed. She will call Grant Cochrane to get most recent information for our Committee to work from, and ask specific questions raised in our meeting today.
2. To the same end, Michael will contact the VPAA's office.

Suggestions for policy revision made during today's meeting:

1. avoid naming specific individuals, as that will cause new policy to become out-of-date more quickly;
2. Is there still an Affirmative Action Officer on campus? If so, who? Do we need to have such a person as an actual member of Search Committee (required by 1988 policy), or just be sure to meet with a representative of HR as a new search begins?
3. Keep: Department head as Search Committee Chair
4. Keep: Committee writes job description (if necessary: we usually have one already)
5. Keep: Post job to Clearinghouse (probably still required, but this needs to be clarified: for example, do we still need to write letters? Can position be posted via the Web?)
6. Revise: requirement that official transcripts be sent with application. Unofficial transcripts should be o.k., with understanding that official transcript IS required prior to actual appointment.
7. Item #4 in policy makes no mention of distributing job openings via listservs. Furthermore, we no longer generally send announcements to Library Schools, because we are usually looking for experience; furthermore, there is a LIBJOBS listserv to which job-hunting MLS students can subscribe.
8. Revise: requirement for an Application deadline: suggest instead that we use language similar to what we've recently done, such as "review of applications will begin on [date] and will continue until position is filled."
9. Revise: current policy requires that copies of all ads be sent to Mrs. Michael: do we still need to send copies of ads to HR? Do they even want? However, openings *should* be posted to HR website, as other faculty jobs are.
10. Item #5, "prepare folders": isn't Office Manager doing this now? or only for searches chaired by Associate Director?
11. Item #6, re: form letters to applicants: sample form letter should be included in Manual for convenience of future Search Committee chairs
12. Revise: in policy, transpose Items # 8 and 9: telephoning of references would logically precede committee selection of best candidates.
13. Revise: Item #11, change to "contact candidate" since most contacts are now made by email or phone, not by letter.
14. Revise: Item #12, regarding arranging schedule: sample Interview Day schedule should be included in Handbook.
15. Revise: Item #13, no need to circulate resumes to staff, but DO make them available.
16. Revise: Item #14, consult with candidates re: travel, lodging arrangements (NOT make arrangement for them), and be sure they are aware of UWG travel reimbursement forms which must be filed and receipts which must be kept.
17. Question re: Item #15... there is no "Attachment A," guidelines for interviewing candidates. Susan will ask Grant if there is such a document available.
18. Question re: Item #19: Affirmative Action checklist.... still in use? New one available?

ACTION PLANS:

• Susan will contact Grant this week if possible.
• Michael will contact VPAA's Office and prepare draft of revised policy based on minutes.
• All members: review policy and decide what else needs to be changed before next meeting.

Next meeting: Wednesday, September 6th, 9:00am - 2nd Floor Conference Room

Meeting adjourned at 10:10am.

Respectfully submitted,
Carol Goodson, Secretary