INTERIM POLICY AND PROCEDURES FOR THE APPOINTMENT OF TENURE TRACK FACUL TY INCLUDING THE AWARD OF SERVICE CREDIT

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POLICY AND PROCEDURES FOR THE APPOINTMENT

OF TENURE TRACK FACULTY INCLUDING THE AWARD OF SERVICE CREDIT

This policy is intended to provide a guide to the appointment of full time tenure track faculty. All

appropriate federal and state law and systemwide and university policies including the campus Policy

on Nepotism, the campus Equal Educational and Employment Opportunity Plan and the campus

Policy on Incompatible Activities and Conflicts of Interest apply to this process. These procedures

apply to all full-time tenure track faculty positions, whether funded by regular budget, reimbursed

accounts, or other external Sources.

I. APPOINTMENT AUTHORITY

The Provost and Vice President for Academic Affairs or designee (Provost) shall make all

faculty appointments. No other person is authorized to appoint faculty, nor to modify or revise

the provisions of any appointment or offer of appointment. No other person is authorized to

make statements, either oral or written which may be construed to be commitments to

employment by the university. Only faculty members whose appointments have been

approved by the Provost shall be responsible for the conduct of instruction or fulfill other

duties normally performed by a faculty member at California State University, Fresno.

II. APPROVAL FOR A SEARCH

1. College/school deans

, in consultation with their academic departments, shall submit

requests to the Provost to conduct a search for a tenure track position. The request shall

include justification for the position based upon a plan for the department and college/school.

2. Final approval for a search must be obtained from the Provost.

3. Final approval for the distribution of the official vacancy announcement must be obtained

from the campus equal educational and employment opportunity (EEO) officer and the

Provost.

III. FORMATION AND RESPONSIBILITIES OF THE SEARCH COMMITTEE

1. The primary responsibility for recruitment lies with the department.

2. Acting as the department peer review committee, the search committee shall have sole

responsibility, including recommendations to the department chair, dean, and provost. The

committee may consult with the tenured faculty and probationary faculty in the department,

but the recommending authority for the faculty of the department rests solely with the search

committee. The recommendation of the search committee shall constitute the

recommendation of the department.

3. The tenured and probationary faculty in the department shall elect all search committees for

full-time faculty positions in the department. In instances where new cross-departmental

degree programs are being formed, search committees may be composed of faculty in

multiple departments that overlap with the new program. Each search committee shall have a

minimum of three members excluding participants in the Faculty Early Retirement Program.

The membership of search committees shall consist of full-time faculty from the tenured

For purposes of this policy, college/school dean shall include the dean of library services for library faculty,

and the dean of student affairs for Student Services Professionals – Academically Related (SSP-AR).

If the department chair is not serving on the committee, the department chair should meet

occasionally with the committee during the selection process to discuss logistical matters, but shall not

participate in the deliberations of the committee.

Academic administrators shall not participate in the selection of the search committee.

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and/or probationary faculty of the department

(except in the case of insufficiency, as

articulated in III.5) provided that at least two-thirds of the membership of the committee

consists of full-time tenured faculty.

4. The department may form a committee consisting of all full-time tenured faculty or all full-time

tenured and probationary faculty members in the department.

If the department forms a

committee consisting of all full-time tenured and probationary faculty, at least two-thirds of the

membership of the committee shall be composed of tenured faculty. If not part of the search

committee, independent recommendations will be written by the department chair and the

department search committee. If serving on the search committee, the committee’s

recommendation will also serve as the department chair’s recommendation.

5. When the department or program has insufficient

full-time tenured and/or probationary

members available to form a committee, the department faculty shall elect other tenured

and/or probationary faculty available to serve on the committee as a voting member. Tenured

and/or probationary faculty not serving on the committee within the department or unit may

review the applications and provide input

to the committee but may not participate in search

committee deliberations and/or vote in search committee meetings.

6. All search committees are required to have a non-voting EEO designee as a member of the

committee. The campus EEO Officer shall appoint an EEO designee from a list of those

eligible to serve.

7. The search committee shall elect a chair from its membership.

8. The chair of the search committee is responsible for:

a. Ensuring that each member of the search committee has been advised of law, CSU

policy, and university policies which bear upon the search and nomination process,

b. Ensuring that all policies and procedures regarding the search are adhered to by the

members of the committee and the department,

c. Ensuring that the search is conducted in full compliance with the law and university

policy,

d. Meeting regularly with the department chair to keep the chair informed regarding the

progress of the search,

e. Acting as a liaison between the committee and the appropriate administrative offices,

f. Ensuring that copies of all applications, evaluations, correspondence, including email

communications, from and to candidates are retained and secured,

g. Maintaining ongoing contacts/correspondence with active candidates,

h. Obtaining prior authorization before inviting candidates for on-campus visits,

In departments with multiple programs, the program faculty shall constitute a majority of the committee for

hiring new faculty in that program.

Whether a small committee or a committee of the whole, each member of the search committee is required

to read and evaluate all the applications.

The term ‘insufficient’ may refer both to numerical insufficiency (i.e., a department lacking the personnel

needed to compose a search committee while satisfying policy requirements) as well as to representational

insufficiency. This latter phenomenon refers to departments that lack the representative identities,

disciplinary backgrounds, or perspectives needed to compose a search committee for a specific position

whose successful filling would benefit from the inclusion of those identities, backgrounds, or perspectives.

The interpretation of ‘insufficient’ shall be left to individual departments to decide upon consultation with the

dean.

Input provided to the committee by individual faculty members in the department regarding candidates

should be committed to writing, identified by source, and placed in the appropriate application file.

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i. Arranging schedules for telephone or teleconference interviews and campus visits as

appropriate,

j. Ensuring that visitations are handled properly and in a timely manner,

k. Ensuring that candidates are properly reimbursed for expenses

I Preparing the appropriate nomination forms,

m. Keeping the leading candidates informed of the progress of the search,

n. Notifying unsuccessful candidates politely,

o. Performing other duties necessary to complete a timely and successful search.

9. Each member of the search committee is responsible for compliance with law and all policies

including, specifically, the requirement to maintain strict confidentiality.

10. The committee shall be governed by majority votes. However, it is preferable that the final

recommendation(s) should be the result of substantial, if not unanimous, agreement among

the committee members.

IV. ROLE OF THE EEO DESIGNEE

1. The focus of the EEO designee is to provide an ongoing review of the search process to

promote equal employment opportunity, and adherence to sound personnel practices.

2. The responsibilities of an EEO Designee are:

a. To participate in the recruitment process from its initial stages to completion while

keeping the campus EEO Officer informed as appropriate.

b. To ensure that the recruitment efforts are far-reaching and include efforts that attract

qualified applicants.

c. To assess the extent to which recruitment efforts have been successful in attracting a

pool of qualified candidates.

d. To monitor the search process at the search-committee level to assure that all applicants

are given fair consideration based on the criteria stated in the official vacancy

announcement.

e. To render a decision as to the need to address any problems related to the conduct of the

search with the campus EEO Officer and/or the Associate Vice President for Faculty

Affairs.

V. VACANCY ANNOUNCEMENT

1. The search committee, including the EEO designee, shall develop the vacancy

announcement. The announcement and the recruitment plan shall be subject to approval by

the department chair, the dean, the campus EEO Officer, and the Associate Vice President

for Faculty Affairs.

2. Each vacancy announcement authorization form submitted for approval shall include:

a. Clearly defined criteria for the position, including minimum academic qualifications,

specifying both required and preferred criteria.

It is not a violation of the confidentiality of the process to report any problems related to the conduct of the

search to designated university officials such as the dean, the campus EEO officer or the Associate Vice

President for Faculty Affairs.

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1) Particular attention must be paid to the definition of the “terminal” degree as a

minimum academic qualification for a probationary appointment at this university.

If the field/discipline represented by the vacancy recognizes multiple terminal

degrees, the vacancy announcement must clearly specify which of these will be

acceptable as a minimum academic qualification.

2) If the department and search committee are prepared to accept alternative

terminal degrees as equivalents to the preferred terminal degree (above), these

must also be clearly stipulated in the vacancy announcement.

3) If the department and search committee are prepared to accept applicants who

have not yet completed the terminal degree (commonly characterized as “ABD”

or “All but Dissertation”) one of the following scenarios must be clearly stated in

the vacancy announcement:

a. The stated terminal degree must be completed by effective date of

appointment. Failure to complete the terminal degree prior to this date

will invalidate the appointment,

b. The stated terminal degree must be completed by a specific date

(usually within the first probationary year). Candidates hired under this

exception will be tendered a one-year appointment and retention to

subsequent probationary years will be made conditional upon completion

of the terminal degree.

Either option requires prior approval of the Provost.

b. The date by which the application should be submitted for fullest consideration,

c. Name, mailing address, and email address of the committee chair,

d. Name of each member of the search committee,

e. Name of the EEO designee,

f. URL for the college/school,

g. If required by the department or college/school, a request to provide transcripts.

3. The criteria listed on the vacancy announcement shall be bona fide occupational

qualifications for the position appropriate to the rank being advertised.

4. Minimally, each full-time faculty position shall be opened to a thirty (30) day, national search.

5. Once the official vacancy announcement has been approved, the criteria stated in the official

vacancy announcement may not be altered either in writing or in the evaluation process.

Should the search committee wish to alter the criteria, the search must be canceled and a

new search process initiated.

6. Advertisements shall be submitted to professional publications only after the official vacancy

announcement has been approved.

The vacancy announcement shall state that the position is "open until filled" and shall not have a fixed

deadline after which applications will no longer be accepted. Applications may continue to be accepted until

the search committee decides that it has reached a point where it no longer wishes to consider further

applications. Once that determination has been made not to consider further applications, no application

received after that determination may be given consideration.

The thirty (30) days begins after the final vacancy announcement has been approved.

Once approved, official vacancy announcements will be posted on the Internet.

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VI. CRITERIA FOR APPOINTMENT

1. A major responsibility of the university is to select and retain the most qualified faculty

available to maintain the academic quality and integrity of the institution.

2. The basic criterion for any faculty position is "ability and fitness for the position to be filled.

3. For purposes of this policy, "ability" requires that the candidate demonstrate that they

possess (a) the academic qualifications and, if appropriate other credentials and/or

experience required for the position and (b) the skills necessary to perform the essential

functions of a faculty position.

4. For purposes of this policy, "fitness" requires that the candidate demonstrate that they

possess the interpersonal skills essential for being a productive, cooperative, and collegial

faculty member within a racially, culturally and socio-economically diverse university

community.

5. The relationship between a candidate and other candidate(s) or a current faculty member

shall not be a consideration in the process.

6. Appointments to a probationary position that may lead to the granting of tenure should be

made only if the candidate's background indicates that they offer substantial promise that

they will later meet the criteria for tenure.

7. Appointment to a tenure track or tenured faculty position requires an earned doctorate or an

appropriate terminal degree under the campus Policy on Terminal Degrees (APM 304

). A

candidate with ABD status may be appointed to a one-year tenure track faculty position as

described in Section V.

8. Appointment to a tenured position should only be made if the candidate's background

provides evidence that they have met the criteria for tenure with the rank of Professor.

VII. CREATING THE CANDIDATE APPLICANT POOL

1. California State University, Fresno is strongly committed to the principles of equal

employment opportunity and nondiscrimination for all. The CSU or California employment law

prohibit[s] discrimination on the basis of Age (40 and over), Ancestry, Caste, Color, Disability

(mental and physical), Ethnicity, Gender, Gender Expression, Gender Identity, Genetic

Information, Marital Status, Medical Condition, Military Status, Nationality or National Origin,

Pregnancy (including childbirth, breastfeeding or related medical conditions), Race, Religion,

Religious Creed, Sex, Sexual Orientation, Sex Stereotype, and Veteran Status.

The

university does not tolerate discrimination in any form.

2. It is the policy of California State University, Fresno to make every effort to maximize the size,

and strength of the applicant pool for full-time faculty positions. All eligible individuals are

encouraged to apply and shall be considered for the position pursuant to the university policy.

All applicants shall be given fair consideration based on the announced criteria.

See California Code of Regulations, Title 5 Section 427OO(a),

See Policy on Retention and Tenure (APM) for information regarding an appointment with tenure.

Protected classes listed here are drawn from the Collective Bargaining Agreement (CBA) 16.1 (Feb. 3, 2022-

June 30, 2024) and the State of California Civil Rights Department

(https://calcivilrights.ca.gov/employment/#whoBody

, accessed 9/18/2023) and are subject to change.”

See Equal Employment Opportunity Plan for Individuals with Disabilities, Disabled Veterans, Veterans of the

Vietnam Era and Other Eligible Veterans.

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3. The Office of Faculty Affairs will post the official vacancy announcement on (a) nationally

recognized job line(s) on the Internet as well as post the announcement on the University’s

web page.

4. Pursuant to systemwide requirements,

the Office of Faculty Affairs is designated as the

campus location where official copies of all current campus vacancy announcements for

tenure track and full-time temporary faculty positions shall be maintained, as well as vacancy

announcements for full-time faculty positions that are received from other CSU campuses.

5. The college/school will post all vacancy announcements for full-time faculty positions on the

college/school web page by creating a link to the OFFICIAL vacancy announcement on the

Faculty Affairs website. Should the department post the vacancy announcement on its web

page, a link should be created to the official vacancy announcement on the Faculty Affairs

website.

6. The department will place vacancy announcements in at least one professional publication

appropriate to the discipline; national listservs; and engage in special mailings,

advertisements, and recruitment efforts to maximize the size of the applicant pool. The

department will bear the costs of such efforts.

VIII. PRELIMINARY REVIEW OF THE APPLICATIONS

1. Applications for full-time positions are to be treated with the strictest confidentiality. All

deliberations on applications for full-time positions shall be conducted in executive session

and remain confidential as provided by law. Violations of this confidentiality are

considered to be unprofessional conduct and may be grounds for disciplinary action.

2. There shall be an access log for the file of each applicant. All persons shall sign in and out

when reviewing the file.

3. All applicants shall be given fair consideration based on the announced criteria.

All

members of the search committee, including the EEO designee, shall review all applications.

4. Each application for the position shall be promptly acknowledged in writing by the chair of the

committee.

5. Each applicant shall be directed to the web to complete an Application Form and an Applicant

Flow Form.

6. Tenured and probationary faculty who are not members of the search committee may read

the vita, placement files, letters of recommendation, and other application materials of

candidates for the purpose of providing the search committee with written assessments (one-

way information only). These individuals shall also log access in and out of the files.

7. The search committee shall meet in executive session for deliberations and voting at all

levels of screening, selection, and nomination.

8. Voting by proxy or by absentee ballot by search committee members is prohibited. Only those

search committee members who have read all the files, participated in the deliberations, and

are present and voting may participate in making the recommendations

Faculty Affairs posts vacancy announcements for all full-time faculty positions on Higher Ed Jobs.

CBA Article 12

It is not a violation of the confidentiality of the process to report any problems related to the conduct of the

search to designated university officials such as the dean, the campus EEO officer or the Associate Vice

President for Faculty Affairs.

See EEO Plan Section VII.

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9. The papers of each applicant shall be reviewed against a checklist of the bona fide

occupational qualifications as detailed in the vacancy announcement. This checklist shall be

prepared and approved by the members of the search committee including the EEO designee

prior to the commencement of reading applications.

10. For applicants who have been previously employed in the department, the following materials

shall be reviewed: (1) all application materials; (2) student evaluations of instruction; (3) peer

reviews of instruction; and (4) any other relevant material in the applicant's Open Personnel

File.

IX. SCREENING THE APPLICANTS

A. GENERAL PROVISIONS

1. Any applicant not having the required qualifications as stated in the vacancy announcement

is disqualified from further consideration.

2. After the preliminary review of applicants, a more detailed evaluation of the stronger

applicants shall take place.

3. For each applicant who has been previously employed in the department, the following

materials shall be reviewed: (1) all application materials, (2) student evaluations of instruction,

(3) peer reviews of instruction; and (4) any other relevant material in the applicant's open

personnel file.

B. LETTERS OF REFERENCE

1. The search committee should request letters of reference directly from the applicant's

referees. At least three (3) original and signed letters of reference must be obtained directly

from supervisors, senior faculty, the dissertation committee chair, and/or other persons in

responsible positions who have working knowledge of the candidate's ability and fitness for

the position to be filled.

2. A minimum of three (3) current letters of reference

with original signatures are required for

a nomination to go forward. \ Letters of reference provided directly by the applicant are not

acceptable.

C. REFERENCE CHECKS

1. At least three (3) telephone or in-person reference checks are required for appointment.

More than one member of the search committee shall perform phone reference checks.

Reference checks shall include contacts with appropriate individuals at the candidate's

previous places of employment/professional experience.

2. A list of nondiscriminatory core questions shall be prepared and approved by the search

committee, including the EEO designee, for use during reference checks. Minimally, each

referee shall be asked these questions.

3. Prior to the appointment, the dean should do at least one (1) telephone or in-person

reference check for each finalist.

Any false statement or omission by a candidate may be cause for rejection of an application or for discharge

after employment (Education Code 89535)

Letters of reference should be with original signature and no more than one (1) year old.

Letters of reference sent directly by the candidate from a university placement service are acceptable.

Reference checks are normally completed prior to candidates being invited to campus for interviews.

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4. Prior to inviting a candidate to campus, additional reference checks from individuals not on

the list of references provided by the candidate are encouraged.

Candidates shall be

notified if individuals not on their list of references are to be called.

5. All past employers should be contacted prior to the candidate being invited to campus. The

current employer may not be contacted until the candidate gives consent. While a candidate

may be brought to campus prior to checking with the current employer, no offer of

employment shall be extended until the candidate gives consent to contact the current or

most recent employer and the current or most recent employer has been contacted.

6. Summaries of reference checks shall be prepared in writing, signed by the person who made

the reference check, and placed in the applicant's file.

D. TELEPHONE CONFERENCE INTERVIEWS

1. Telephone conference interviews (or comparable technology that has an audio but not a

video component) of at least the top five (5) candidates are encouraged prior to bringing

tenure track applicants to campus.

When telephone conference interviews of applicants are

held, they shall be attended by at least a quorum of the search committee. A list of

nondiscriminatory core questions shall be prepared and approved by the search committee

including the EEO designee for use during the conference interviews. Minimally, each

candidate shall be asked these questions.

2. Summaries of telephone conference interviews shall be prepared in writing, signed by the

committee chair, and placed in the applicant's file.

3. Before campus visits are scheduled, the department chair, the college/school dean and

Associate Vice President for Faculty Affairs are to be consulted if there is significant

information which may have a bearing on a candidate's potential employment.

4. When a temporary faculty unit employee of the CSU applies for a tenure track position, and

the search committee deems them to meet the minimum requirements of the position, that

employee should be interviewed. If the temporary faculty unit employee is not granted an

interview, the search committee should provide sufficient justification.

X. ON-CAMPUS VISITATIONS

1. At the time that a tenure track search is authorized, Academic Resources shall allocate the

appropriate resources to the college/school dean for expenditure at the time of tenure track

interviews. The dean is authorized to sign for the expenditure of these funds.

2. Invitations for campus visits will be extended only after review and approval by the

department chair, the dean, the EEO Officer and the Associate Vice President for Faculty

Affairs. The committee chair shall complete and submit the Tenure Track Faculty Recruitment

Authorization for On-Campus Visit form and attach all the appropriate documents.

By completing the application form, all applicants authorize the university to investigate their credentials

including contacting individuals not on their reference list.

While candidates shall be notified of the intent to check references not on their reference list, the names of

references to be called shall not be given to the candidate.

Telephone conference interviews consist of audio-only interviews attended by the candidate and search

committee (including EEO officer). They may be taped for future reference provided that, at the beginning of

the interview, the candidate’s consent is freely given before recording and again on tape. This consent is

required to comply with California statutes. The candidate’s consent must be given twice, first to commence

recording and then to provide record of the consent

Each candidate invited to campus should be advised that, because campus constituencies are notified and

invited to participate in the interview process, their candidacy will become public information at that point.

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3. The search committee shall normally recommend the top three (3) candidates for campus

visits. Requests for additional candidates to visit may be made.

4. The name(s) of candidate(s) to be invited to campus shall not be released to the campus

community without having given each candidate an opportunity to withdraw from the search.

5. An itinerary and informational packet

will be prepared for each candidate prior to the

campus interview. The itinerary should be transmitted to the candidate as quickly as possible.

6. A list of nondiscriminatory core questions shall be prepared and approved by the search

committee, including the EEO designee, for use during the on-campus interviews. Minimally,

each candidate shall be asked these questions.

7. When visiting the campus, each candidate for a faculty position shall be expected to give a

presentation to the faculty and students of the department and other interested persons.

8. Reimbursement to candidates from State funds is limited to receipted expenses.

XI. APPOINTMENT PROCEDURES

1. The search committee shall recommend the candidate or candidates that the search

committee deems to be qualified and acceptable.

Qualified and acceptable is defined as

meaning any candidate who has demonstrated their ability and fitness for the position as

described in Section VI, Numbers 2, 3 & 4 above and who the search committee believes will

be an asset to the department.

2. At the time the search committee makes its recommendation, it shall also forward a written

statement regarding the relative strengths and weaknesses of each candidate being

recommended as well as the search files of these applicants. Search committees may also

rank order the recommended candidates.

3. When nominating tenure track faculty, the search committee shall also make a

recommendation regarding the granting of service credit toward probationary period and

sabbatical leave eligibility

for each candidate who is recommended. Such a

recommendation shall conform to systemwide policy and the campus Policy on Service

Credit in Section XIII of this policy.

4. The search committee shall make its recommendation(s) to the department chair. The

recommendation(s) of the search committee is the recommendation of the department

faculty.

5. The department chair, if not part of the search committee, shall review the

recommendation(s) of the department peer review search committee for merit and for

procedural regularity. If a difficulty arises concerning the nomination(s), the department chair,

if not part of the search committee, shall consult with the search committee. If serving on the

search committee, the department chair shall consult with the Associate Vice President for

Faculty Affairs if a difficulty arises concerning the nomination(s).

For finalists who have been previously employed in the department, the following materials

shall be reviewed: (1) all application materials, (2) student evaluations of instruction, (3) peer

Each candidate invited to campus should be advised that, because campus constituencies are notified and

invited to participate in the interview process, their candidacy will become public information at that point.

See Appendix A. Departments may wish to direct applicants to the Faculty Affairs website.

Prior to submitting the name(s) of recommended candidate(s), each postsecondary degree of the

candidate(s) shall be verified directly with the degree granting institution. Transcripts are not

adequate to verify degrees.

Service credit does not apply to promotion eligibility.

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reviews of instruction, and (4) any other relevant material in the applicant's Open Personnel

File.

If not part of the search committee, the department chair may, after consultation with the

search committee, decline to support a recommendation, in which case the department chair

shall forward a separate recommendation to the college/school dean. If the department chair

concurs in the recommendation(s), or was a member of the search committee, the

department chair shall forward the recommendation to the college/school dean with their

concurrence.

6. The dean shall review the recommendation(s) for merit and for procedural regularity. For

finalists who have been previously employed in the department, the following materials shall

be reviewed: (1) all application materials, (2) student evaluations of instruction, (3) peer

reviews of instruction, and (4) any other relevant material in the applicant's Open Personnel

File.

7. If the dean does not concur with the search committee's rankings of the candidates, the dean

shall meet to discuss their concerns with the search committee chair and department chair to

try to resolve those concerns. It is the responsibility of the chair of the search committee to

communicate the dean's concerns to the search committee. If the department chair is also

the search committee chair, the dean shall meet with the search committee in its entirety to

try to resolve the dean’s concerns.

8. It is the responsibility of the department chair to determine the terms and conditions of a

competitive offer in the discipline and inform the dean.

9. If the dean decides to offer the position to a candidate recommended by the search

committee, the dean shall discuss the proposed terms of employment with the candidate,

10. If agreement is reached between the candidate and the dean, and an offer of employment is

to be extended, the dean shall prepare the nomination form in consultation with the

department chair and search committee chair, attaching all appropriate documents. All the

terms and conditions of employment shall be included in the offer. If the department chair is

also the search committee chair, the dean shall prepare the nomination form in consultation

with the search committee in its entirety, attaching all appropriate documents with terms and

conditions of employment included in the offer.

11. In the event the dean exhausts the nominees submitted by the search committee that are

acceptable to them, the dean may, after discussion with the department chair and search

committee chair (or, if the department chair is also the search committee chair, after

discussion with the search committee in its entirety), decline to approve (a) remaining

nomination(s), if any, in which case the nomination(s) shall be returned to the search

committee with written reasons for rejecting these candidates along with a request for a

different nominee(s) or a recommendation that the department conduct a new search.

12. The campus EEO Officer and the Associate Vice President for Faculty Affairs shall review the

search process for procedural regularity. If a difficulty arises concerning the search process

or the offer, these individuals shall advise the dean.

13. The Associate Vice President for Faculty Affairs shall review the offer of employment for

procedural regularity. If a difficulty arises, the dean shall be notified.

14. The Provost shall countersign all offers of employment.

At this point, the candidate may be notified by the department chair that their name has been recommended

to the dean but that no final decision has been made. The candidate should be asked if they are still

interested in the position

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15. If no qualified and acceptable candidate is identified, the search may be extended or canceled

upon the recommendation of the dean and the approval of the Provost or designee.

XII. OFFERS OF EMPLOYMENT

1. Offers of employment to faculty positions shall be made through written notification by the

dean.

2. The terms of the offer of employment shall be consistent with the official vacancy

announcement.

3. No person shall be deemed appointed to a faculty position in absence of an official written

offer of employment from the dean.

4. The successful candidate may be provided with informal notification of the university's intent

to make a formal offer of employment at the time the written offer is being prepared. Such

informal offers are to be considered only as an informal communication between the

university and the candidate prior to the final preparation of a written offer of employment.

Oral communications and/or acceptances are not binding on the university.

5. For probationary and tenured appointments, the offer of employment shall stipulate the rank

and salary of the appointment, and the award of service credit, if any.

6. All offers of employment shall contain:

a. Beginning date

b. Rank and salary

c. Amount of service credit toward probation and sabbatical leave eligibility for prior service,

if any

d. Assigned department or unit

e. Date by which the candidate's response to the offer is expected

f. Other conditions of appointment including, as appropriate, such items as assigned time,

start-up funds, laboratory space, summer supplement salary, and travel funds.

7. An offer of employment may contain special departmental, college/school or university

stipulations consistent with law, CSU policy, and general university policies or procedures.

These shall be approved by the dean and Provost and shall be stated in writing in the offer of

employment.

8. The acceptance of a position is the candidate's written affirmative and unconditional response

to the offer of employment no later than the date stated in the offer of employment.

9. If the candidate seeks to modify the terms and conditions of the written agreement by

unilateral modification of the written agreement, a letter stating that the university will not

accept such modifications must be sent to the candidate as soon as possible. The letter shall

inform the candidate that the written offer can only be accepted as is.

10. If the candidate does not accept the position, the dean shall consult with the department

chair, the chair of the search committee and other faculty as deemed appropriate regarding

the status of the remaining recommended candidates and proceed accordingly. If the

department chair is also the search committee chair, the search committee in its entirety shall

be part of the dean’s consultation.

11. If the candidate accepts the position, the chair of the search committee shall notify the

unsuccessful remaining candidates.

The Provost or designee must countersign all offers of employment to a faculty position.

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XIII. POLICY ON SERVICE CREDIT

1. At the time of the nomination to an initial probationary appointment, the search committee

may recommend that one or two years of service toward probation and sabbatical leave

eligibility be awarded to the candidate.

2. The search committee shall provide a description or listing of the experiences for which

service credit is being recommended.

3. The President or designee will approve or disapprove of the service credit award.

4. Normally, service credit will be given for full-time teaching experience at a four-year institution

of higher learning. Normally, one year of service may be granted for each two-year period of

full-time non-tenure track teaching experience. One year of service credit may be granted for

each year of tenure track teaching experience.

5. Pursuant to systemwide policy, a maximum of two years of service credit may be granted.

XIV. CLOSING THE SEARCH

At the conclusion of a search, all search records, including the notes of search committee members,

shall be collected, organized, and archived by the committee chair. The committee chair shall transfer

the search records to the dean for retention for five (5) years.

XV. PROBATIONARY APPOINTMENTS OUTSIDE OF A FORMAL SEARCH

Pursuant to the Collective Bargaining Agreement

, a departmental peer review committee may

review and recommend a probationary tenure-track faculty appointment for a part-time or full-time

lecturer within the same department who has received an offer of tenure track employment from

another university. Such a recommendation may only occur in a department where there is no current

tenure-line recruitment for which the temporary faculty member is qualified.

Such recommendation[s] shall be directed to the President or their designee for review,

consideration, and response. The decision of the President or designee shall not be subject to Article

10 (Grievance Procedures) of the Collective Bargaining Agreement.

References: Title 5, California Code of Regulations

CBA Articles 12, 13, 29, 31

Policy on Nepotism

Policy on Terminal Degrees

Policy on Incompatible Activities and Conflicts of Interest

__________________________________________________________

Recommended by the Academic Senate 4/2004; 4/2013, 10/2023

Approved by the President 5/19/2004 (Effective 7/1/2004)

5/17/2013, 10/24/2023

Service credit does not apply to promotion eligibility.

Once granted, service credit may not be withdrawn or voluntarily surrendered.

See CBA Article 13

See CBA (2021-2024) Article 12.22.c.

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APPENDIX A

INFORMATION FOR CAMPUS VISIT OF PROSPECTIVE CANDIDATE

This list is provided as a guide to search committees in the preparation for campus visits of

candidates for tenure track positions. Information packets containing the items listed below should be

assembled in an attractive package and made ready for pickup by the candidate when the candidate

arrives at the hotel/motel.

Campus Items:

1. An annual report of the University

2. An admissions prospectus

3. A copy of the brochure on the campus as an arboretum

4. A recent copy of the Collegian

5. California State University, Fresno Reading List (Provost's Office)

6. Medical, Vision and Dental Benefit Information (Benefits Office)

7. A guide to the Library (available from the Library 8-2403)

8. Student Data Book (available from Institutional Research)

Department Items

1. Itinerary for Candidate (a must for a positive interview)

2. California State University, Fresno business card of Faculty Search Committee Chair with

campus and home phone number

3. Specific information regarding the department and the College/School

Off-Campus Information

1. Information on Campus Relocation Service Providers (from Faculty Affairs)

2. The most current issue of the SUNDAY Fresno Bee.

3. Area housing and rental guides (available in stores)

4. A map of the Fresno/Clovis Metropolitan Area

5. Information on child care providers (from local realtors)

If requested:

1. Fresno Unified School District boundaries (from FUSD or the Map Library)

2. Clovis Unified School District boundaries (from CUSD or the Map Library).

3. Information about private schools (from local realtors)

MUCH OF THE ABOVE INFORMATION IS AVAILABLE THROUGH LINKS ON THE

FOLLOWING WEBSITE

http://www.fresnostate.edu/academics/aps/faculty/newfaculty.html