Search and Review for Senior Administrators - Policies

Authorization and Approval

Responsibility: Board of Governors
Approval: Board of Governors
Approval Date: July 7, 2020; last updated October 28, 2020

Search Procedures

In the penultimate year of the term of the incumbent, a search committee shall be struck.
The committee shall normally be chaired by the individual to whom the appointee will report. The role of the chair of a search committee includes the following responsibilities:
- to discuss with committee members the procedure that will be followed and to ensure that the procedures are adhered to
- to ensure that there are opportunities for all committee members to express their views and to maintain an environment that is respectful of all perspectives
- to focus the attention of the committee on trying to reach consensus
- to ensure that the committee has as complete information as possible about the candidates being considered
- to provide to the president a report reflecting the majority and minority views (if any) of the committee

The composition of the committee shall be made public.

If a committee member ceases to serve for any reason prior to interviews with candidates, a replacement shall be appointed by the same process and from the same constituency as the member withdrawing. If candidate interviews have commenced, the committee member will not be replaced.
Within the university’s collegial environment, conflicts of interest or perceived conflicts of interest may exist, particularly in relation to internal candidates. Any conflict of interest or perceived conflict of interest by a member on a search and review committee, either at the time of appointment to the committee or arising during the course of the search or review, must be promptly disclosed to the committee chair so that it may be addressed by the committee. There are many possible relationships or interests that could constitute conflict of interest but in particular, a committee member is in conflict of interest if he or she is biased for or against a candidate. Additionally, some situations may arise that are not specifically defined by this policy, but must be reported and considered in order to determine whether a conflict of interest exists or may be seen to exist.

Any conflict of interest or perceived conflict of interest of any member, as described in the university Conflict of Interest Policy, shall be promptly disclosed by the member to the committee, so that it may be appropriately considered by the committee to determine whether the member shall resign.

Subject to the approved principles for searches and reviews, the committee shall establish its own procedures. It is critically important that all committee members are working from the same base of information and that the significance of that information is considered by the entire committee. Accordingly at the first possible opportunity the committee should establish such matters as quorum, attendance expectations, and information gathering procedures.
All search and review committees are required to be fully aware of and proceed in accordance with university employment equity policies. As search and review committees are able to formulate their own procedures, the flexibility is afforded for committees to accommodate cultural and gender distinctions among candidates. In particular, the topic, format, venue and perhaps even the advisability of a formal presentation should be considered carefully by search committees. There may be alternative methods to assess a candidate’s ability and to allow public input into a candidate’s suitability for an administrative position.
When a short list of candidates has been established, the search committee determines whether the search will be confidential or open. For all searches, if the search committee is persuaded that the search will be disadvantaged by requiring public presentations of the short-listed candidates the committee, at its discretion, may continue the search process in confidence. In the absence of such evidence, the committee is encouraged to make every effort to involve faculty and staff through such means as forums or seminar presentations.
A search consultant, if retained, shall be advisory to the search committee. Search consultants are highly knowledgeable in their own right and if retained their services should be used in such a way that the committee receives maximum benefit from their expertise.
The committee should review the position profile and may recommend revision. The search parameters for the position should be based on the position profile. If the search committee finds that it is seeking qualities in the applicants that are not implied by the position profile, the committee should either recommend revision of the position profile or adjust its expectations of applicants to match the profile.
For a presidential search, the committee shall provide the opportunity for interested members of the university community to provide written comments on the strategic goals and objectives of the university, and on the progress made or problems encountered in achieving those goals and objectives. All submissions must be written and signed and will be acknowledged and treated in confidence. Electronic submissions are acceptable with provisions made to confirm the authenticity of the author.
For deans and executive directors, the committee shall hold a meeting open to all faculty members of the college or school and shall also consult with staff to discuss the responsibilities, challenges and opportunities of the college or school in relation to its Plan and progress made towards meeting strategic goals expressed in the Plan. Staff may attend the open meeting with faculty or may be consulted in a separate meeting as the search committee deems appropriate for a particular college or school.
For vice-deans, associate deans and associate directors of schools, members of the university community shall be advised that the position of associate dean or associate director will become vacant at a specific date and be invited to submit applications and nominations. Normally, vicedeans, associate deans and associate directors are recruited internally. When a new vice-dean, associate dean or associate director position is created, a search committee shall be appointed and the search process used for existing positions shall be followed.
For all senior administrative positions, excepting internal searches for vice-deans, associate deans and associate directors, the committee should conduct an extensive search. Although the committee may determine the most appropriate means and methods of obtaining applications and nominations, a) the position shall be advertised in appropriate publications; and by appropriate electronic means b) other institutions may be canvassed for nominations; c) nominations shall be invited from faculty; d) a search consultant may be employed.
Searches for senior administrators should commence in a timely manner. Whenever possible the search, including for newly-created positions, should begin far enough in advance that an appointment can be made without the necessity for an intervening acting appointment.
The chair and the majority of the committee shall strive to come to agreement on the preferred candidate. If there are differing views between the chair and the majority of the committee on the preferred candidate, it is critical that there be agreement on acceptable candidates, and the chair may recommend any acceptable candidate to the president.
In the event the committee wishes to include in its recommendation the academic appointment with tenure of a candidate, a recommendation for appointment with tenure specifying rank shall be sought from the relevant academic unit.
A report shall accompany the search committee recommendation, which details the process followed and the majority and any minority views of members. All reasonable efforts will be made to permit members of the committee to review the report before it is submitted.
The president must be in agreement with the recommendation. It is within the purview of the president to make an alternative recommendation. If the president provides a recommendation from the short-listed candidates to the Board different from that of the committee, he or she should provide a rationale to the Board for the alternative recommendation, and the rationale for the alternative recommendation should be provided to the search committee for information.
For the appointment of the president, the search committee shall submit to the Board the name of the preferred candidate with a comprehensive report outlining the committee's assessment of the candidates. This report shall be presented for advice to the Board at a joint meeting of the search committee and the Board of Governors.
For associate deans and associate directors of schools, the Board of Governors has empowered the provost and vice-president academic to make the appointment after considering the report of the search committee.
Situations may arise when a search is considered failed. A search is declared failed by the president or the Board. For example, a search may be declared failed if the chair and the search committee cannot come to an agreement on an acceptable candidate to recommend for appointment. If the president declares a search failed, the search committee may be reconstituted and may or may not consist of new membership, as determined by the president. If the Board declares a search failed, the Board shall decide how to proceed.

Review Procedures

In the penultimate year of the term of the incumbent, a review committee shall be struck if the incumbent wishes to seek a further term. Normally incumbents may be reappointed for only one additional term (i.e., a total of two terms) except in exceptional circumstances. Nothing in these review procedures should be interpreted as preventing an incumbent from consulting informally with colleagues prior to deciding to submit to the review process.
The committee shall normally be chaired by the individual to whom the incumbent reports. The role of the chair of a review committee includes the following responsibilities:
- to discuss with committee members the procedure to be followed and to ensure that the procedures are adhered to
- to ensure that there are opportunities for all committee members to express their views and to maintain an environment that is respectful of all perspectives
- to focus the attention of the committee on trying to reach consensus
- to provide to the president a report reflecting the majority and minority views of the committee
The composition of the committee shall be made public.
If a committee member ceases to serve for any reason prior to the interview with the incumbent, a replacement shall be appointed by the same process and from the same constituency as the committee member withdrawing. If the interview with the incumbent has occurred, the committee member will not be replaced.
Any conflict of interest or perceived conflict of interest of any member, as described in the university Conflict of Interest Policy, will be promptly disclosed by the member to the committee, so that it may be appropriately considered by the committee to determine whether the member shall resign.
Subject to the approved principles and procedures for searches and reviews, the committee shall establish its own procedures. The chair shall meet with the incumbent prior to and subsequent to the review to provide information and feedback about the process and outcome. The incumbent shall normally have an opportunity to meet with the committee as a whole to discuss the performance of the incumbent. It is critically important that all committee members are working from the same base of information and that the significance of that information is considered by the entire committee. Accordingly, at the first possible opportunity the committee should establish such matters as quorum, attendance expectations, and information gathering procedures. The review committee should commit to identifying and addressing barriers and providing supports to ensure equity of access and opportunity.

The committee shall review the position profile and may recommend revision. Assessment of an incumbent’s performance should be based on the position profile that applied during the incumbent’s term of office. Assessment of the likelihood of the incumbent continuing to perform the responsibilities of his or her office at a high level should be based on the revised position profile if that profile is different from what was in effect during the incumbent’s term. If, in considering the likelihood of the incumbent performing at a high level in the future, the review committee finds that it is seeking qualities in an incumbent that are not implied by the position profile, the committee should either recommend revision of the position profile or adjust its expectations of the incumbent to match the profile.
In conducting a review of the incumbent, the committee shall review the performance and progress made toward stated goals which have been outlined as part of the annual appraisal and evaluation process conducted by the incumbent’s supervisor. As the 360-degree review process is primarily intended as a formative process, the 360-degree reviews in their original form should not be circulated to the review committees.

Written comment on the performance of the incumbent shall be invited by the chair from members of the university community. All submissions must be written and signed and shall be acknowledged. Electronic submissions will be accepted with provisions made to confirm the authenticity of the author.

Submissions received should be provided to the committee as submitted, other than with the removal of the author’s name. The chair shall first review the submissions to ensure their professionalism. The chair shall contact the author of any submissions considered by the chair to be unprofessional and provide the opportunity for the author to resubmit her or his comments. Unprofessional submissions shall not be provided to the incumbent and committee. Without revealing their content, the chair shall report all exclusions to the committee.

The committee may decide to provide the incumbent with a summary of some or all of the submissions, rather than the submissions themselves, provided that the substance of the submissions is accurately conveyed.

The incumbent shall be given an opportunity to make a public presentation stating what the unit has achieved under their leadership and setting out their goals for a further term.
Reappointment of senior administrators shall be recommended if the committee and the supervisor for the incumbent agree the incumbent has fulfilled all responsibilities at a high level and is making and is expected to continue to make significant contributions to the University as defined by their administrative responsibilities.
For deans and executive directors, the committee shall conduct a full review of the performance of the incumbent within the context of the position profile and strategic goals and objectives of the college or school as expressed within its Plan, and written comments received from members of the university community. Upon completion of its review, the committee shall recommend either that the incumbent be re-appointed to a subsequent term or that a search be conducted.

For vice-deans, associate deans and associate directors, the committee will conduct a full review of the performance of the incumbent within the context of the position profile and strategic goals and objectives of the college as expressed within its Plan. Upon completion of its review, the committee shall recommend either that the incumbent be appointed to a subsequent term or that a search be conducted.
If a review does not lead to a recommendation for reappointment, a search committee shall be constituted. It is permissible but not required that members of the review committee could also serve on the subsequent search committee.
A report shall accompany the review committee recommendation, which details the process followed and the majority and any minority views of members. All reasonable efforts shall be made to permit the committee to review the report before it is submitted.
The recommendation of the committee shall be provided to the Board of Governors through the president. If the president’s recommendation differs from the majority view of the review committee, a rationale for the alternative recommendation shall be provided to the Board of Governors, and the rationale for the alternative recommendation provided to the review committee for information. For the review of the president and the provost and vice-president academic, the review committee’s report shall be presented for advice to the Board of Governors at a joint meeting of the review committee and the Board.

Guidelines

General

The Board of Governors has general responsibility and oversight for the timeliness and progress of searches and reviews. At regular intervals senior administration should provide to the Board a schedule of current and pending searches and reviews and progress towards completion.
The process and stage of the search or review should be readily available and communicated to the University community and relevant external constituencies.
The search/review committee shall normally include an undergraduate student and may include a graduate student. If no graduate student is included on the committee, the undergraduate student shall be directed to consult with graduate students in the college respecting the needs of the position.
Normally terms of office for all positions covered by this policy and these procedures will not exceed five years. If the recommendation of a search or review committee is for a term exceeding five years, the report of the committee should provide a rationale for this proposal.

Use of Search Consultants

A search consultant, if retained, shall be advisory to the search committee. Search consultants are highly knowledgeable in their own right and if retained their services should be used in such a way that the committee receives maximum benefit from their expertise. Committees should encourage consultants to present as wide a range of potential candidates as possible. Committees may also determine additional means of identifying possible candidates for consideration.

Equity, Diversity and Inclusion

The Mission, Vision and Values statement adopted by the university in 2016 identifies as a guiding principle of all university activity diversity, equality, and human dignity, and further names inclusiveness as a pervading value. In this context, search and review committees have a positive obligation to attend to considerations of diversity and inclusion in their work. One element of this obligation is to take into account the significance attached to Indigenization and reconciliation in the university’s articulated priorities. This may entail consideration of alternative strategies for identifying candidates and assessing their suitability.

The university is committed to taking action to provide equity of access and opportunity in accordance with the principles of different ways of knowing, learning, and being; and diversity, equity, and human dignity. As such, search and review committees will conduct their work in accordance with employment equity policies and regard for anti-discrimination legislation.

As search and review committees are able to formulate their own procedures, the flexibility is afforded for committees to accommodate cultural and gender distinctions among candidates. In particular, the topic, format, venue and perhaps even the advisability of a formal presentation should be considered carefully by search committees. There may be alternative methods to assess a candidate’s ability and to allow public input into a candidate’s suitability for an administrative position.

In identifying and considering all candidates, the committee will ensure it takes into account the importance of increasing the diversity and inclusiveness of the university’s administrative ranks. Equity relates specifically to the four identified groups (persons with a disability, visible minority persons, women, and Indigenous people). The search committee will ensure that we do not discriminate on the basis of other protected groups including, but not limited to: sexual orientation, religion, marital status, age, gender and sexual identity, etc.

Feedback on Process

The Office of the Provost should gather ongoing feedback on best practices for searches and reviews. As part of that endeavor, conducting a brief survey of search and review committees immediately following the conclusion of their work is suggested as a means to gain insight into ways to continue to improve the search and review process.

Review Committees

The review committee, and, in particular, the chair, should consider the effect of the timing and duration of the review upon the incumbent and the unit. From the viewpoint of the incumbent, a protracted review is stressful and places the incumbent under extended scrutiny. Care should be taken to ensure that the length of the review process, or uncertainty about its trajectory, does not limit growth within the unit and the University’s strategic objectives. The chair should ensure that there is clear communication concerning the commencement date and timetable for the review.

Review committees should be cognizant of the need to balance the openness and transparency of the collegial review of senior administrators, against the potential for the process to be negative and damaging to the incumbent. It should be made clear to those making submissions that, even though their names will be removed from the submission, the confidentiality of their comments cannot be assured. The following process is recommended: submissions received will be provided to the review committee and incumbent as submitted, other than with the removal of the author’s name. The responsibility to ensure that a submission is not identifiable based on its contents rests on the individual making the submission. In exceptional circumstances, the committee may provide the incumbent with a summary of some or all of the submissions, rather than the submissions themselves, provided that the substance of the submissions is accurately conveyed.

Respect for all involved in the review process, including the incumbent, has been expressed as a foundational principle of the review process. Respect does not imply lack of critique. It implies critique focused on performance and ability as it relates to the position profile and decoupled from inappropriate emotional or personal attacks. The chair will first review the submissions to ensure their professionalism. If the chair believes any of the comments submitted are unprofessional, she or he will contact the author and provide him or her with the option of resubmitting. If the author declines to resubmit, the comments will not be provided to the review committee and incumbent. Without revealing their content, the chair shall report all exclusions to the committee.

Review committees might consider whether a more structured approach to obtaining feedback, such as a survey focusing respondents on a clear set of questions, would direct those making submissions to more relevant subject matter.

Appendix: Search and Review Committee Composition by Category

The search/review committee is intended to bring the perspective of constituent groups. The desire to provide broad perspective must be balanced against the desire to ensure the size of the committee is functional.

The individual to whom the incumbent will report will normally chair the search or review committee.

Staff representation will not normally be included except for those searches or reviews where the incumbent has a broad responsibility for oversight of large administrative units.

The search/review committee will normally include an undergraduate student (except for schools which have no undergraduate program) and may include a graduate student. If no graduate student is included on the committee, the undergraduate student will be directed to consult with graduate students in the college respecting the needs of the position. The requirement for inclusion of students in a search committee will depend on the relevance of the position to the interests of students; for example, a graduate student should always be included for a research-related position, and an undergraduate student for a position with authority over undergraduate programming. However, in deciding on the inclusion of students, chairs should be mindful of the centrality of students to the university mission and that all positions affect students at least indirectly.

For those searches/reviews where the incumbent has significant interaction and impact upon the wider community and no professional organization represented on Senate is closely related to the college, representation will include a member of University Senate appointed by the Senate Nominations Committee. If a professional organization is closely associated with a college and is represented on University Senate, the search/review committee will include a member of the professional association, selected by the professional association, as a representative of the public at large. If more than one professional association is associated, the Senate Nominations Committee will select the association to be represented. Under unique circumstances, more than one professional association may be represented as determined by the Board following a formal request from the College Faculty Council.

Search/review committees shall ordinarily be composed of the following as members across the general categories of senior administrative appointments.

The following interpretations apply:
Board means the Board of Governors of the University of Saskatchewan
Council means the University of Saskatchewan Council
Senate means the University of Saskatchewan Senate
GAA means the General Academic Assembly of the University of Saskatchewan
GSA means the University of Saskatchewan Graduate Students' Association
USSU means the University of Saskatchewan Students' Union
GIFS means the Global Institute for Food Security
GIWS means the Global Institute for Water Security

Search/Review Committee Composition

President

Chair - Chair of the Board
Two members of the Board selected by the Board
One member of the Senate selected by Senate Nominations Committee
Two Deans or Executive Directors of schools, appointed by the Deans
Four members of the GAA selected by Council
Two students, one who is President of the USSU and one who is President of the GSA

Provost and Vice-President Academic

Chair - the President
One member of the Board selected by the Board
One member of the Senate selected by the Senate Nominations Committee
Four members of the GAA selected by Council
One member of Council, selected by Council, who holds a senior administrative position in the University
Two members of Administration and/or Support Staff appointed by the President
One undergraduate student selected by the USSU
One graduate student selected by the GSA

Vice-Provosts

Chair – Provost and Vice-President Academic
One member of the Board selected by the Board (at the option of the Board)
One Dean or Executive Director of a school appointed by the Provost
One member of Council, selected by Council and who holds a senior administrative position in the University
Four members of the GAA selected by Council
One undergraduate student selected by the USSU, at the discretion of the chair
One graduate student selected by the GSA, at the discretion of the chair
At the discretion of the chair, a staff member or administrator may be added if there is relevance and connectivity to the position that can be demonstrated

Associate Provost

Chair – provost and vice-president academic or designate
One member of the Board selected by the Board
One dean, vice dean, associate dean or executive director or associate director of a school selected by the provost and vice-president academic
One member of Council, selected by Council who holds a senior administrative position in the university
Three members of the GAA, selected by Council
One undergraduate student selected by the USSU, at the discretion of the chair
One graduate student selected by the GSA, at the discretion of the chair
At the discretion of the chair, a staff member or administrator may be added if there is relevance and connectivity to the position that can be demonstrated

Vice-Presidents

Chair - the President
One member of the Board selected by the Board (at the option of the Board)
One member of Senate selected by the Senate Nominations Committee
The Provost and Vice-President Academic
Two members of Administration and/or Support Staff appointed by the President
Two members of the GAA selected by Council
One graduate student selected by the GSA
One undergraduate student selected by the USSU
For the Vice-President, Finance and Resources, an additional Board member; one dean or executive director of a school
For the Vice-President Research, two additional GAA members; one dean or executive director of a school; and one member of Council, selected by Council who holds a senior administrative position in the University

Associate Vice-Presidents

Chair – the Vice-President to whom the position reports
One member of the Board selected by the Board (at the option of the Board)
One Dean or Executive Director of school, appointed by the Provost and Vice-President Academic
Three members of the GAA selected by Council
One student selected by the USSU
One graduate student selected by the GSA

Deans and Executive Directors of Schools

Chair – Provost and Vice-President Academic or designate
One member of the Board selected by the Board (at the option of the Board)
Vice-President Research or designate
One Dean, Vice Dean, Associate Dean or Executive Director or Associate Director of a school appointed by the Provost and Vice-President Academic preferably from a cognate or closely related college or school
One member of the GAA, selected by Council who is not a member of the faculty of the College and who holds a senior administrative position in the University
Three members of the faculty of the College or School selected by the faculty of the College or School
One undergraduate student selected by the College’s student society [An undergraduate student is not included for colleges and schools that do not have an undergraduate program. This applies to the Dean Graduate and Postdoctoral Studies and the Executive Directors of the following: the School of Environment and Sustainability, the Johnson-Shoyama Graduate School of Public Policy, and the School of Public Health, the Global Institute for Food Security, the Global Institute for Water Security and VIDO-InterVac]
One graduate student from a discipline taught in the college or school, selected by the GSA [a graduate student is not included for the Dean of Dentistry]
One member of a related professional association selected by the professional association. Unless otherwise indicated, if there is more than one association associated with the College, the Senate Nominations Committee will determine which association is represented [A member from a professional association is not included for colleges and schools for which no association has been identified, but a Senate member is appointed to ensure community representation. At the time of the report, this applies to the Dean Arts and Science, Dean Graduate and Postdoctoral Studies, and Executive Directors of the following: the School of Environment and Sustainability, the Johnson-Shoyama Graduate School of Public Policy, and the School of Public Health]
For Arts and Science, a member of Senate selected by the Senate Nominations Committee; an additional member of GAA who is not a member of the faculty of the College and who holds a senior administrative position in the University; and an additional faculty member; of the four faculty members of the College selected to serve, there should be one from each of the areas of fine arts, humanities, natural sciences, and social sciences
For Graduate and Postdoctoral Studies, a member of Senate selected by the Senate Nominations Committee [note: the member of GAA selected by Council may be a member of the faculty of the College]
For Kinesiology, a representative of Huskie Athletics and a representative of Recreation Services
For Medicine, a medical resident selected by the Residents and a representative of the Academic Health Sciences network
For Pharmacy and Nutrition, an additional member from a related professional association selected by the Senate Nominations Committee to ensure each of the two academic areas is represented
For the School of Environment and Sustainability, the Johnson-Shoyama Graduate School of Public Policy, and the School of Public Health, a member of Senate appointed by the Senate nominations committee or a representative of an associated professional body if that body is represented on Senate. [Although the Interdisciplinary schools have associated professional bodies, at the time of this report, none of those professional associations have membership on Senate. If the associations apply and are granted membership on Senate they would appoint a member to the Search/Review committee of the appropriate school. In the interim a member of Senate will serve to ensure community representation.] Additionally, the Executive Director of the JohnsonShoyama Graduate School of Public Policy is a joint appointment with the University of Regina. Provision for University of Regina representation will be necessary. This may involve either modest expansion of the Search/Review committee or sharing of positions between the universities or both.

Executive Directors GIFS, GIWS and VIDO-InterVac

Chair – Vice-President Research or designate
One member of the Board selected by the Board (at the option of the Board)
Provost and Vice-President Academic or designate
One Dean, Vice Dean, Associate Dean or Executive Director or Associate Director of a school appointed by the Provost and Vice-President Academic preferably from a cognate or closelyrelated college or school
One member of the GAA, selected by Council who is not a member of the faculty of the institute or centre and who holds a senior administrative position in the University
Two members of the institute or centre, who are also members of faculty in a college or school
One board member of the institute, selected by the board
One graduate student with an affiliation with the institute or centre, selected by the GSA
One member of Senate appointed by the Senate nominations committee or a representative of an associated professional body if that body is represented on Senate.

Vice-Deans

Chair - Dean of the College
One member appointed by the Provost and Vice-President Academic who holds a senior administrative position
Two members of the faculty of the College, selected by the faculty of the college or school [In the College of Arts & Science, the committee should include four faculty members, one from each of the areas of fine arts, humanities, natural science and social science.]
One undergraduate student selected by the College’s student society, where the vice-dean is clearly involved in student affairs of the college or school
One graduate student selected by the GSA, where the vice-dean has responsibility for research

Associate Deans and Associate Directors

Chair - Dean of the College, Director of a School
One member appointed by the Provost and Vice-President Academic
Two members of the faculty of the College or School selected by the faculty of the College or School [In the College of Arts & Science, the committee should include four faculty members, one from each of the areas of fine arts, humanities, natural science and social science.]
One undergraduate student selected by the College’s student society in cases where the Associate Dean or Associate Director is clearly involved in student affairs in the College or School
One graduate student selected by the GSA where the Associate Dean or Associate Director has responsibility for research
Note that the Associate Director of the Johnson-Shoyama Graduate School of Public Policy is a joint appointment with the University of Regina. Provision for University of Regina representation will be necessary. This may involve either modest expansion of the Search/Review committee or sharing of positions between the universities or both.