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Chapter 1: Organization

1.6 Administrative Appointments

1.6.1 Selection

The president has a significant role in the selection of the members of his or her own administrative team. The following procedure is designed to accomplish that end while assuring the involvement of the faculty and the Board of Trustees:

  1. The president selects the name(s) of the candidate(s) whom he or she would like appointed. Normally, the president appoints a search committee to assist in this task. When the appointment of an administrator includes granting faculty status, the search committee includes representation from the faculty.
  2. The name(s) of such candidate(s) are submitted to the Professional Status Committee for screening and approval. When faculty status is included, the considerations and procedures outlined in section 1.6.2 should be followed.
  3. The name(s) of the candidate(s) are then presented by the president to the Executive Committee or the Board for appointment. It is assumed that, as a rule, a single candidate is recommended to the Board for a given position.
  4. If the Executive Committee or Board rejects the nomination presented, the matter is referred back to the president through the above channel. If the Board deems it advisable, it may propose candidates for the president's consideration.

1.6.2 Administrators with Faculty Status Without Rank

Appointment of administrative officers is accompanied by faculty membership in those cases in which the administrative office includes responsibilities for developing and implementing curricular policy and educational standards, or administering faculty development, including faculty status.

Persons who hold administrative positions with faculty status are subject to the same expectations as the teaching faculty, as follows:

  1. Education, experience, and professional activity commensurate with the requirements and demands of the position;
  2. Subscription to the forms of unity of the Reformed Churches;
  3. Membership in good standing and active participant in the life, worship, and activities of a Christian Reformed church or any church in ecclesiastical fellowship with the Christian Reformed Church, as defined by Synod;
  4. Promotion of Christian education at all levels, including providing any children of school age with Christian schooling; and
  5. Support for the mission of Calvin College.

The Professional Status Committee (PSC) is responsible for recommending appointment and/or reappointment with faculty status to the president. The primary PSC responsibility is to address all-college interests that relate to faculty status rather than specific qualifications necessary for the position. There is one exception: professional librarians' initial appointments and/or reappointments shall be handled by the Library Committee, according to the procedures outlined below for PSC.

Before such faculty status is granted to newly established or redefined administrative positions by the Professional Status Committee, the position description with appropriate rationale for granting faculty status is reported to the Faculty Senate for information.

Although faculty status may be granted, appointment of administrators to such positions does not carry a regular faculty rank or eligibility for tenure consideration. For salary and seniority purposes, such positions are assigned an appropriate administrative classification. The terms of appointment of such administrative officers proceed in the following order: two years, two years, four years, and continuing appointment.

Full-time administrative officials appointed directly from the faculty normally shall vacate their regular faculty ranks and positions while they hold administrative positions.

1.6.3 Appointment and Reappointment Procedures for Administrators with Faculty Status

1.6.3.1 Appointment

The process for appointment of administrators with faculty status parallels the process for appointment of new faculty, as outlined in section 3.5.3. In general, the immediate supervisor of the new administrator fulfills the responsibilities assigned to the department chair, and the divisional vice president fulfills the responsibilities assigned to the academic dean. The Professional Status Committee interviews each administrator appointed for a term of two or more years.

Because administrators with faculty status are expected to comply with the faculty membership requirements, it is essential that the recruiting supervisor clearly present the college's expectations in this regard during the recruitment process. An indication of willingness to comply with the faculty membership requirements is requested from each candidate as part of the application dossier.

Resources to aid supervisors in the recruitment process as well as a checklist of materials required for the candidate's appointment dossier are available from the Provost's Office.

1.6.3.2 Reappointment

1.6.3.2.1 Criteria

The candidate for reappointment and the candidate's supervisor will address the following criteria for reappointment in the review process outlined in section 1.6.3.2.2, especially in the candidate's self-evaluation summary of activities and accomplishments, and goals for next appointment; and in the supervisor's summary and the evaluations by colleagues.

  1. Evidence of administrative skills, supervision of people, program implementation, and development and enhancement in keeping with the mission of the college;
  2. Evidence of continued professional development as participant and/or leader in the area of expertise as seen by:
    • contributions to the field through written or oral presentations
    • contributions to the field in planning or organizing professional conferences or seminars
    • membership in regional or national associations
    • continued reading in the field;
  3. Evidence of work with students as seen by
    • actual classroom teaching
    • the mentoring of individual students
    • the advising of student groups or individual
    • effective programming for students;
  4. Evidence of services to the college and service to the community;
  5. Commitment to the mission of Calvin College as evidenced in the stated faculty religious requirements: adherence to the creeds and confessions of the church, membership in good standing in a Reformed body of believers, and support for Christian schooling.

The relevant vice president shall establish the details of these criteria for each administrative position bearing faculty status, according to the nature of each position and the responsibilities and capacities demanded of each in its position description. Supervisors will communicate these norms and standards to administrators, normally at the beginning of each appointment.

1.6.3.2.2 Process

The process for reappointment of administrators with faculty status is similar to the process for teaching faculty reappointment, as outlined in section 3.7.2. Evaluation resources and checklists of materials required for the candidate's dossier are available from the Provost's Office.

The candidate for reappointment shall prepare the following items:

  1. Current curriculum vita
  2. Self-evaluation, based on norms for evaluation determined by the departmental supervisor and divisional vice president. The self-evaluation should include areas of professional engagement and community service as well as traditional administrative areas.
  3. Summary of activities and accomplishments of past appointment
  4. Goals for duration of next appointment
  5. 750-1250 word statement on the integration of faith and work
  6. Statement of compliance with the faculty membership requirements for signing the Form of Subscription, church membership, and Christian schooling

The candidate's supervisor shall prepare the following items:

  1. A copy of the candidate's position description
  2. Written summary of the dossier, evaluation of the candidate, and recommendation for reappointment
  3. Summary of evaluations by colleagues, including comments, written to preserve anonymity
  4. If the candidate is affiliated with an academic department, the supervisor shall solicit an evaluation and recommendation from the department chair.

The supervior's review and recommendation shall be shared with the candidate.

The candidate's divisional vice president shall review the reappointment dossier and prepare on one page a recommendation for reappointment and summary of the candidate's employment history. The vice president shall be present at the meeting of the Professional Status Committee in which the candidate's reappointment is considered.

1.6.3.3 Board Interviews of Candidates for Reappointment

The Board of Trustees shall interview administrative candidates for reappointment after an initial (normally two-year) appointment. The Board of Trustees may interview such candidates at subsequent reappointments upon its request.

1.6.3.4 Periodic Reviews

Administrators with faculty status on continuing appointment shall be reviewed every six years by their supervisor and divisional vice president. These reviews shall be conducted in accordance with departmental norms for evaluation established by the supervisor and vice president.

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