Allen Mooneyhan

 

 

 

 

Educational Policy and the Law

 

 

 

 

Personal Reflections

Set #1

 

 

 

 

Dr. George Foldesy

 

Arkansas State University

 

 

 

 

June 13, 2001

 

 

 

When discussing contracts in class, I began to reflect on my institution and the practices and procedures for hiring individuals new to the campus.  A committee is formed which consists of several individuals from various areas and academic divisions of the campus.  These individuals screen the applicants and choose several to come in for an interview.  The interviews are scheduled and candidates are asked to come to the campus, sit through an interview, and teach a sample unit on a pre-selected topic.  Finally, each interviewee visits with the director of the campus in a one-on-one interview.

Once the interviews have been completed, the committee members meet and determine who they will recommend to the campus director.  The director then recommends that individual to the chancellor.  However, the director has interviewed each candidate independently.  Therefore, It is possible that he may recommend someone other than the one who is chosen by the committee.  Once the recommendation is made to the chancellor, he has the option of hiring that person or hiring someone else.  Therefore, he may disregard the wishes of the director and the committee members hiring another individual instead.  In order to be official, the board must accept the decision of the chancellor.  However, at this institution, the recommendations have usually been accepted even in the face of political pressure.

Recently, there was a case which almost resulted in the scenario in which the committee's decision was disregarded in favor of the decision of an individual administrator.  The committee voted to hire someone to teach, and the director recommended that individual to the chancellor.   At that point, the individual who had been chosen by the committee was told that he had been chosen and would be hired upon acceptance of the recommendation by the chancellor.  The administration was then notified by the chancellor that someone else would be hired for the position.  Members of the committee and other faculty contested this decision citing the committee's work in a process attempting to acquire the most qualified individual for the position.  The outcry was so great that the decision was reversed and the original candidate was hired.  Later, the other candidate was hired to fulfill an "appointed" position.

The lesson that I have learned from this is that acquiring and retaining a position is highly political.  Furthermore, one should never assume something is fact until final documentation becomes available to validate it.  Additionally, simply understanding these realities may keep one from making the mistake of being too trusting in others.  Finally, what one believes is correct and what one is willing to fight for may be quite different.  For example, candidates may eliminate chances for employment by indicating they will "rock the boat".    Therefore it is a wise policy to appear trusting and attempt not to "burn any bridges".

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