Rule 3344-62-03 | Procedures for searches, appointment to all librarian ranks, and promotion in rank for all positions except director of the university library.
(A) When there is a vacancy to fill in a librarian position it is the responsibility of the director of the university library and the librarians to work together to consider how the vacancy might best be used to advance the mission of the Library. They shall also examine the qualifications appropriate for the position, the type of search (local, regional, national) required, and the appropriate salary range for the position. After these discussions, the director is responsible for creating a job description and receiving authorization from the university to begin the search. The personnel action committee for searches (PAC-S) shall then be elected. At the first meeting, the director and the PAC-S shall review strategies for a successful search. If during the process of the search, the director or the PAC-S has major concerns over the progress of the search, the pool of candidates, or the qualifications of the candidates, there may be additional meetings of the director and the PAC-S before the committee begins to deliberate on its recommendation.
(B) Recommendations for appointments and promotions shall be made to the president and then to the board of trustees, and shall be accompanied by the academic and personal qualifications of nominees, including relevant biographical data, evidence of professional degrees and honors, a statement of professional achievements, and recommendations from at least three responsible academic or professional sources.
(C) Procedures for appointment to all librarian ranks
These procedures shall be followed for appointment to librarian ranks:
(1) The personnel action committee for searches (PAC-S) serves as the personnel action committee in all matters pertaining to the selection and appointment of personnel to all permanent librarian positions except for the directorship.
(D) Membership:
(1) The PAC-S shall consist of four librarians.
(2) At least one librarian shall be from the highest two librarian ranks.
(3) There shall be at least one bargaining unit and one administrative librarian on each PAC-S.
(4) The administrator of the unit in which the vacancy occurs shall be a member of the committee, unless this person is the director of the university library.
(5) One person, not a librarian, from the university library or university faculty or staff shall be elected as a voting member.
(6) The director of the university library is ineligible to serve.
(E) Election:
(1) The PAC-S shall be elected by the librarians at the time a vacancy is to be filled.
(2) There will be a separate PAC-S for each search.
(3) The members of the PAC-S shall elect their chair.
(F) Functions and procedures:
(1) The PAC-S shall base searches on the position description for the vacancy as written by the library administration. The director of the university library shall consult the viewpoints of the librarians at a meeting on the appropriateness of the position description.
(2) The PAC-S shall conduct searches in accordance with the applicable librarian personnel policies, university policies, the SEIU district 1199 contract, and affirmative action guidelines.
(3) The PAC-S shall invite comments and evaluations of the candidates from all interested parties before determining its recommendation.
(4) The librarian members of PAC-S shall constitute a personnel action committee for the purpose of recommending a librarian rank and salary for each candidate that the PAC-S recommends to fill the vacant position.
(5) The PAC-S shall present its recommendations for the vacancy, including rank and salary, to the librarians for approval. A special meeting may be scheduled for this purpose. This meeting is an occasion for the librarians and the director of the university library to discuss the recommendation. Possible actions by the librarians might include stating reservations or objections, offering amendments, accepting, rejecting or returning the recommendation to the PAC-S.
(6) The recommendation(s) as approved by the librarians shall be submitted to the director of the university library.
(7) Searches for temporary librarians do not require a PAC-S. The director of the university library appoints search committees for such positions.
(8) If the director of the university library and the PAC-S are in agreement concerning the search, the director shall forward the name of the recommended candidate, including a recommended salary and rank, to the provost. If there is a disagreement over salary or rank, both recommendations shall be submitted to the provost for the provost's determination. If the director of the university library and the PAC-S are unable to agree on an appointment recommendation, both recommendations shall be submitted to the provost. In such case, the provost or representative shall meet with the director of the university library and the PACS to pursue a mutually agreed solution. If the provost decides to recommend the appointment of a candidate that the PAC-S does not support, the provost shall state the reasons to the PAC-S. Before a disagreement is forwarded to the provost, an additional meeting shall be called by the director of the university library to seek agreement with the librarians.
(9) The director of the university library may make reasonable adjustments to the recommended salary in negotiating with candidates. The final salary shall be reported to the librarians.
(10) The name of each candidate proposed by the provost shall be forwarded to the president, accompanied by statements from the appropriate PAC-S, the director of the university library, and the provost.
(11) From such candidates, the president shall recommend to the board of trustees those acceptable for appointment.
(G) Procedures for promotion in rank
These policies provide ranks for librarians appropriate to their education, skill, performance, and level of responsibility. The purpose of ranks is to ensure recognition of merit and to provide advancement when warranted. The personnel action committee for promotion (PAC-P) shall be responsible for making recommendations on candidates applying for promotion.
(H) Membership:
(1) There shall be a separate PAC-P for each candidate applying for promotion.
(2) Each PAC-P shall consist of three librarians.
(3) Only librarians shall serve on a PAC-P.
(4) A majority of members of each PAC-P shall be of the same or higher rank as the rank requested by the candidate.
(5) Each PAC-P shall include both administrative and bargaining unit librarians.
(6) Each university library PAC-P shall be composed of two members from the university library and one from the Cleveland-marshall college of law library.
(7) The direct supervisors of the candidate for promotion shall not be eligible to serve on the PAC-P considering that candidate.
(8) The director of the university library is not eligible to serve on a PAC-P.
(I) Election:
(1) A PAC-P shall be established only when there are candidates seeking promotion.
(2) The university library shall elect its two members first.
(3) After the university library elects two PAC-P members, the director of the university library shall request from the law library director that the third member of the PAC-P be elected from among the law librarians. The director of the university library shall specify to the law library director the rank and bargaining unit status of the PAC-P member to be elected by the law library so that the membership of the entire PAC-P shall meet the criteria specified in paragraph (H) of this rule.
(4) The PAC-P members shall be elected from the eligible librarians.
(5) In the event of conflict of interest or schedule conflicts due to vacation or sick leave, an alternate shall be elected.
(6) Upon election, the members of the PAC-P shall elect a chair and receive the promotion dossier with supporting materials from the director of the university library.
(7) In the event that there are no eligible candidates from the law library who are able to serve, the balance of the PAC-P members shall be elected from the university library.
(J) Recommendations:
(1) The PAC-P shall receive the candidate's promotion dossier with supporting material from the director of the university library after the election of the PAC-P. Each candidate's dossier shall include a resume, self-evaluation, and administrative evaluations. Letters of reference are optional. Other supporting documentation may be included.
(2) The PAC-P shall review the candidate's promotion dossier and supporting material and make a decision by majority vote to recommend promotion or not. The PAC-P may request additional letters of reference or supporting documentation. The PAC-P's recommendation with rationale shall be forwarded to the director of the university library for evaluation. A minority opinion with rationale may also be provided.
(3) The director of the university library shall forward the promotion dossier with supporting materials, the PAC-P's recommendation and rationale, and recommendation and rationale to the provost.
(4) If the director of the university library and the PAC-P are not in agreement, the recommendations are submitted to the provost for the provost's determination. In such case, the provost or representative shall meet with the director of the university library and PAC-P to pursue a mutually agreed solution. If the provost decides the promotion request in a manner not supported by the PAC-P, the provost shall state the reasons to the committee. In the case of a decision by the provost resulting in no promotion, the provost shall provide in writing, a rational for this denial to the director of the university library.
(5) Copies of the recommendations with rationales shall be supplied to the candidate at every step of the procedure.
(6) Candidates for promotion may withdraw their application at any step in the procedure.
(K) Timeline:
(1) By October first: Notification by candidates of their application for promotion to the director of the university library. A promotion dossier with supporting materials shall accompany notification.
(2) By October eighth: Election of PAC-Ps.
(3) By October fifteenth: Election of PAC-P chairs by PAC-P members.
(4) By October sixteenth: The director of the university library shall submit promotion dossiers with supporting material to PAC-P chairs.
(5) By October twentieth: Each PAC-P will begin review of candidates' applications for promotion.
(6) By December first: Each PAC-P will forward recommendations with rationales to the director of the university library.
(7) By January twenty-fifth: The director of the university library shall forward recommendations with rationales and dossiers to the provost.
(8) By February fifteenth: Provost shall forward recommendations to university president. From candidates who have been reviewed in accordance with the procedures outlined above, the president shall subsequently recommend to the board of trustees acceptable candidates for promotion.
(9) By April fifteenth: Appropriate administrative officials shall notify the candidates of the final decision with respect to promotion.
(10) Should any of the above dates in a given year fall on a university holiday, emergency closure, or a weekend, the due date shall be the next immediate business day.
(L) Grievance and disagreements:
(1) For bargaining unit librarians:
(a) Within ten working days of receipt of the final decision, the candidate for promotion may initiate at Step three the CSU/SEIU district 1199 grievance procedure (article eight) on the basis that the denial of promotion was demonstrably arbitrary, discriminatory, and capricious or in violation of procedures established in the CSU/SEIU district 1199 agreement.
(2) For administrative librarians:
(a) Within ten working days of receipt of the final decision, the candidate for promotion may request a hearing from the librarians review committee on the basis that the denial of promotion was demonstrably arbitrary, discriminatory, capricious, or in violation of established standards for promotion, or in violation of academic freedom.
(M) Qualifications for librarian ranks
(1) Appointment to or promotion within librarian ranks shall be on the basis of merit and without regard to race, color, religion, national origin, sex, age, sexual orientation, handicap or disability, employee organization, veteran status or political organization. Librarians are expected to perform according to the highest standards of ethics and responsibility. The primary mission of librarians includes the selection, organization, management, and provision of information resources and services, as well as performing research and providing instruction on the use of these resources. Assignments also include the management of human, fiscal, and technological resources. Duties assigned to each librarian are found in individual position descriptions. Good performance of these assigned duties is the threshold for promotion. In addition, each librarian is expected to participate in a combination of scholarly, professional, and service activities of the librarian's choice. The cumulative effect of the performance of assigned duties and of scholarly, professional and service activities shall be used to develop the recommendation of the PAC-P.
(a) Assigned duties may include:
(i) Collection development and management
(ii) Reference & information service and research support
(iii) Cataloging, database management, and organization of information resources
(iv) Instruction on library use, resources, and research
(v) Management of library units/activities and supervision of personnel
(vi) Contributions to library planning and decision-making
(vii) Application of current advances in librarianship and information technology
(viii) Library systems, hardware, software and information technology
(ix) Liaison activities with individual faculty or assigned departments
(2) Scholarly, professional, and service activities may include:
(a) Academic coursework and degrees
(b) Awards/honors
(c) Attendance at conferences and workshops
(d) Participation in professional organizations
(e) Consultantships
(f) University service
(g) Publications
(h) Community service
(i) Presentations
(j) Mentoring of colleagues
(k) Teaching
(N) Librarian ranks
(1) Assistant librarian
Assistant librarian is an entry-level rank. An assistant librarian is appointed to this rank upon evidence that they holds a master's degree in library science from a school accredited by the American library association or its equivalent, exhibits good promise as a librarian, and potential for achievement in scholarly, professional, or service activities.
(2) Senior assistant librarian
Appointment or promotion to the rank of senior assistant librarian shall be based on evidence of full competence in performing assigned duties. The librarian shall have demonstrated an exploration of scholarly, professional, or service activities and the ability to incorporate these activities into the work experience to enrich performance. Librarians shall normally have at least two years of professional experience before being appointed or promoted to this rank.
(3) Associate librarian
Appointment or promotion to the rank of associate librarian shall be based on superior performance of assigned duties. The librarian shall have a record of significant participation in scholarly, professional or service activities and shall have demonstrated the ability to incorporate these activities into the work experience. Librarians shall normally have at least five years of professional experience before being appointed or promoted to this rank.
(4) Librarian
Appointment or promotion to the rank of librarian shall be based on evidence of sustained excellence in the performance of assigned duties. The librarian shall have a record of significant contribution in scholarly, professional or service activities such that the cumulative effect of these contributions shall reflect a leadership role at the regional or national level. Librarians shall normally have at least eight years of professional experience before being appointed or promoted to this rank.
(5) Director of the university library
(a) Duties
(i) The director of the university library:
(ii) Shall have general administrative responsibility for the program and budget of the university library, subject to approval by the provost;
(iii) Shall recommend through the provost to the president all appointments, promotions, salary adjustments, dismissals, and other personnel actions with regard to librarians;
(iv) Shall encourage and promote morale, the highest standards of professionalism, scholarship, and professional achievement within the university library;
(v) Shall annually discuss with each librarian the objectives and achievements of that librarian with respect to the standards stated in paragraph (M) of this rule;
(vi) Shall cultivate democratic management by sharing information on all matters of library interest with all librarians at regularly scheduled librarians' meetings, and by consulting their viewpoints on all significant actions; and
(vii) Shall be assisted in the performance of the director's responsibilities by an advisory committee.
(O) Method of selection
(1) The search committee shall consist of four librarians at the highest two ranks (to the extent possible) elected by the librarians, and three members of the university faculty appointed by the provost. A non-voting student member should then be added. The search committee may request the services of one or more consultants. The committee shall solicit recommendations and interview candidates. The committee shall recommend to the provost and the president the names of individuals considered acceptable for appointment.
(2) Librarian rank for the director of the university library
On appointment, the director of the university library shall receive the rank of librarian or associate librarian. Only candidates that meet the qualifications of these ranks shall be appointed. The librarian members of the search committee for director shall form an ad hoc PAC to recommend a rank to the provost. The PAC will base its recommendation on the qualifications for librarian ranks outlined paragraph (M) of this rule.
(P) Appointment of acting director of the university library
The appointment of an acting director shall be made by the Provost after consultation with the academic steering committee of the faculty senate and an ad hoc personnel action committee (PAC-A) elected by the librarians. The PAC-A shall have three members with at least one bargaining unit librarian and one administrative librarian.
(Q) Review and continuance of the director of the university library
Evaluation of the director of the university library is the responsibility of the provost. Objectives against which the director shall be evaluated shall be developed by an ad hoc personnel action committee (PAC-E) elected by the librarians. It shall have three members with at least one bargaining unit librarian and one administrative librarian. The objectives shall have the approval of the provost and the library committee of the faculty senate.
(R) Forms for the evaluation shall be developed by the PAC-E with the approval of the provost. Formal evaluation shall be conducted every three years.
(S) Forms shall be distributed to the librarians. All evaluations shall be received by the provost. The provost shall consult with the library committee of the faculty senate and other faculty members as the provost considers appropriate. The director of the university library may be removed from office at the end of a contract year by the president of the university. If after three successive negative evaluations the president chooses not to remove the director from office, the president shall discuss this decision with the PAC-E.
(T) For the purposes of this section, a negative evaluation requires an absolute majority of the librarians voting "unsatisfactory."
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