Ohio Administrative Code
Title 3339 - Miami University
Chapter 3339-13 - Unclassified Administrative Staff
Section 3339-13-02 - Unclassified administrative staff search and appointment procedures

(1) A request to fill a position must be completed when seeking approval to fill a vacant or create a new position. The responsibilities of the position, the date application screening will begin, the proposed salary range, and required qualifications must be specified. The search committee or hiring department must develop a recruitment plan designed to attract a highly qualified and diverse pool of applicants. If a search committee is used, it must be appointed with as diverse a composition as practicable. For a note concerning the constitution of this committee, see rule 3339-3-15 of the Administrative Code.

(2) The request to fill a position and the recruitment plan must be forwarded to the appropriate personnel office with all required approvals signatures. The appropriate personnel office will forward the request to the office of equity and equal opportunity. The office of equity and equal opportunity reviews and approves the recruitment plan, the advertisement, the selection process, including any proposed ratings instrument, and the applicant flow data collection process. The appropriate personnel office and the office of equity and equal opportunity must approve all requests to fill a position prior to any advertisement or job posting.

All advertisements must include the date that screening of applicants will begin and the position's responsibilities and required qualifications as specified in the approved request, and university requirements.

(3) The office of equity and equal opportunity will provide to the hiring department an applicant flow data report of qualified applicants for the position. The report indicates the composition of the pool of qualified applicants. It is the responsibility of the hiring department to contact the office of equity and equal opportunity to obtain the report prior to selecting candidates for interview. If the office of equity and equal opportunity determines the candidate pool is not acceptable, then in consultation with the appropriate personnel office and hiring department a determination will be made whether to conduct additional recruitment or close the search. If additional recruitment is undertaken, the hiring department must request an updated applicant flow data report prior to interviewing candidates.

(4) After receipt of the approved applicant flow data report, candidates selected for inclusion in the final interview pool must be approved by the head of the hiring department before they are invited to interview. Following interviews, employment references must be checked. Reference checking is performed by the hiring department and must include a reference check with the most recent/current employer of the candidate.

(5) Once interviews have been completed, and reference checks have been conducted, a candidate may be selected for final consideration. Degrees and licenses must be verified by the hiring department to confirm the educational and/or licensing requirements for the position have been met (e.g., ph.d. from an accredited institution). Degree verification also confirms the educational representations of the candidate are accurate. At a minimum, degree/license verification will include submission of a certified transcript and/or current license by the candidate.

(6) The hiring department must complete a hiring recommendation. A hiring department may not recommend an applicant who does not meet the required minimum qualifications for the position. The hiring recommendation, the letter of application, the candidate's resume and proof of degree/licensure must be submitted to the appropriate personnel office. This package is submitted by the appropriate personnel office to the office of equity and equal opportunity for approval.

(7) The hiring department does not have appointing authority and may not make any offers of employment. A letter of offer may only be sent to the selected candidate by the appropriate personnel office after all required approvals have been obtained.

(8) Written and electronic records of the recruitment and selection process must be kept by the hiring department for at least three years. These records should include copies of all on-line and print advertising, recruitment letters, telephone calls or other contacts, interview notes, all applications received, letters of appointment or rejection, and specific steps taken to recruit women and minorities.

(1) The appropriate personnel office will conduct a background verification of any candidate for employment. This policy applies to faculty, unclassified administrative staff, and classified staff positions.

(2) This requirement generally does not apply to hourly student workers, interns, and graduate assistants. It does not apply to intermittent employees or temporary appointments of less than ninety days. In addition, a second background verification is not required for those employees who have had a break in their service or an absence of less than a one-year.

(3) In most cases, the background verification will be completed prior to making a formal offer of employment. If the background verification cannot be completed before an offer is made, the background verification must be completed before the individual begins employment unless an exception is granted by the appropriate vice president or the president. In any event, the background verification must be completed and a decision made no later than thirty days after the start of employment. In most cases, only the finalist being offered the position will be subject to the background verification requirement. However, there may be circumstances where the background of more than one applicant is verified (e.g., dean, vice presidential or presidential search).

(4) Prior to conducting the background verification, the finalist(s) must sign a consent form. If the individual declines to provide the consent for the background verification, he/she will no longer be considered a candidate for the position.

(5) The appropriate personnel office will review the results of the criminal background checks. The results are confidential and will not be shared with the hiring department. If the background verification reveals the existence of a criminal conviction, it does not result in an automatic exclusion from employment. Only pending criminal charges or convictions that are substantially related to the circumstances of the particular job may be considered in determining if an offer of employment will be tentatively withdrawn. Arrests (other than pending) or detention orders that do not result in convictions or pleas and expunged or sealed convictions will not be considered.

(6) If a decision is tentatively made not to hire an applicant (or to withdraw an offer) based on the results of the background verification, the appropriate personnel office will be responsible for notifying the applicant of the results and providing an appeal process. The individual will have three working days from the receipt of the notification to challenge the findings and then seven working days to successfully resolve it. If the findings are upheld, the appropriate personnel office will notify the individual of the non-selection.