1.         The University of Tennessee at Martin has adopted summary guidelines for affirmative action/diversity efforts in the recruitment and hiring of full-time and part-time faculty and staff-exempt personnel.  These guidelines (included as Appendix D) apply also to “soft money” positions of extended duration.  These summary guidelines require that department or unit heads with authority to hire first obtain permission to institute a search to fill a regular vacancy.  Approval of a search by the appropriate Vice Chancellor triggers the affirmative action monitoring process operated by the Equity and Diversity Officer.

In the case of faculty positions and staff-exempt positions with significant responsibility (all positions categorized as “01” and “02” in the EEO-6 reporting scheme and some positions categorized as “03” in the EEO-6 reporting scheme), search committees are formed to solicit applications and to evaluate credentials of applicants.  Prior to bringing candidates to campus to interview, a “narrative summary” describing the search process in establishment of the recruitment pool is submitted to the appropriate Vice Chancellor, who reviews the narrative summary to ensure that appropriate affirmative action/diversity efforts have been made to include within the candidate pool qualified minority, female, veteran, and applicants with disabilities.  In the review of the narrative summaries, heavy emphasis is placed upon active recruiting efforts aimed at sources likely to generate minority, female, veteran, and individuals with disabilities.

Operating under the goals of the University’s diversity plans, all departments with vacant positions are to make extraordinary efforts to identify and employ African-American faculty and staff, additional statistical information is required for positions under the administrative responsibility of the Chancellor.  The additional requirements are included as an Addendum in the summary guidelines contained in Appendix D of this document.

Unsolicited applications for faculty positions are maintained on file for one calendar year from the date of the receipt of the application by the appropriate Department Head, and applicants are considered for appropriate faculty vacancies within the department for one calendar year.  Unsolicited applications received for staff-exempt employment are maintained on file in the UTM Office of Equity and Diversity.

2.         The UTM Office of Human Resources recruits applicants for all staff non-exempt vacancies at the University of Tennessee at Martin.  Once Human Resources receives an approved “Request to Search” form, the job vacancies are advertised for a minimum of 10 working days.  Qualified applicants are then referred to the supervisor charged with making the hire decision.  The goal of Human Resources is to attract, recruit, and refer qualified minority, female, veteran, and individuals with disabilities to supervisors for interview.  Human Resources assists in identifying and referring individuals for staff-exempt positions and refers applicants for faculty positions to appropriate department or units.

When unsolicited applications for non-exempt positions are received at The University of Tennessee at Martin, the Office of Human Resources acknowledges the application with a written response apprising the applicant of the current employment procedures.  Applicants are advised that applications are considered only for advertised positions and to submit an application when a job is listed that meets his or her qualifications.  Applicants are informed that job vacancies are updated biweekly and are advertised daily through the UTM Job Hotline (731) 881-7848 and the UTM website.

3.         The UTM Human Resources Office, in cooperation with the Office of Equity and
Diversity, distributes a biweekly “position vacancy” list which includes notice of all faculty, staff-exempt, and staff non-exempt posts for which applicants are being sought.  A “job vacancy” is defined as (1) a newly created position for which no incumbent has ever been employed or (2) a position which has been vacated by the incumbent whether by transfer, termination, retirement, promotion, or any other reason for which a person vacates a position, (3) which continues to exist, and (4) for which either a job requisition (in the case of non-exempt personnel) or an approved “Request to Search” through E-recruitment (in the case of faculty and staff-exempt positions) has been approved electronically by the Office of the Director of Human Resources.  The position vacancy list is displayed on the UT Martin webpage and the University Portal.  All employees have access to the vacancies through the UT Martin webpage and University Portal.   Nonexempt internal promotions are advertised within the departments for three days.  Those interested in promotion have an opportunity to apply within the three day period. 

Externally, the position vacancy list is routinely circulated to a wide variety of agencies and departments that serve or operate in the interest of minorities, females, veterans, and persons with disabilities.  The Human Resources Offices maintains a list of agencies to which the position vacancy listing is routinely distributed.  This distribution list is periodically reviewed and enhanced by the Equity and Diversity Officer.  Periodically, the Human Resources Office audits the electronic mailing list to validate addresses, to assess the willingness of the entity to receive the recruiting literature from UTM, and to ensure that vacancy announcements sent will be posted or circulated for review by interested groups.

4.         All suitable employment openings are registered by the Human Resources Office with the Tennessee Department of Employment Security, an office which is located in Dresden.  The Office of Human Resources notifies the Department of Employment Security of each employment opening by sending the position vacancy list electronically.  The Department of Employment Security is notified when employment openings are no longer available by their removal from the current electronically posted biweekly position vacancy list.  A close relationship exists between the Tennessee Department of Employment Security and the University of Tennessee at Martin.  The Tennessee Department of Employment Security may send UTM employment referrals at any time for any position.

5.         The position vacancy list includes the UTM EEO/AA/Title VI/Title IX/Section 504/ADA/ADEA statement contained in Appendix B of this document.

6.         Position descriptions and job specification shall be free form textual and/or illustrative material which implies that preference will be given to applicants on the basis of race, sex, religion, national origin, color, age, or veteran status, unless one or more of these is a bona fide qualification for the position.  Position descriptions and job specifications shall reflect bona fide occupational qualifications and shall not establish artificial barriers to the employment and promotion of women, minorities, persons with disabilities, or veteran covered by the Vietnam Era Veterans’ Readjustment Act of 1974.  Position descriptions also shall not result in inadvertent discrimination against any group or individual.  If the stated qualifications are modified during the search process in a manner which would increase the number of qualified minorities and/or women, the position must be readvertised.

In the case of faculty positions, it is the responsibility of department heads to ensure that such position descriptions reflect bona fide occupational qualifications and do not establish artificial barriers.  In the case of staff-exempt and staff non-exempt vacancies, it is the responsibility of the UTM Human Resources Office to ensure that position descriptions reflect bona fide occupational qualifications and do not establish artificial barriers.  The Equity and Diversity Officer reviews and monitors position descriptions for all positions that are posted through E-recruitment.

7.         The Search Committee or administrative officer responsible for hiring shall evaluate each applicant’s qualifications by comparing them with realistic job specifications developed on the basis of work requirements.

8.         For faculty and staff-exempt positions, such factors as education, professional experience, scholarly achievement, and initiative may be considered in making a selection from among qualified applicants.  In every instance, the attempt of The University of Tennessee at Martin is to employ the best qualified individual for the position.

9.         The establishment of recruitment goals and timetables is based upon the results of the utilization analysis, which will be considered in all recruiting institutions.  The availability and utilization analyses are part of the data found in Section 10 of this PLAN.

10.       The summary guidelines included as Appendix C of this document are distributed annually to deans, directors, and department heads and are also provided to the Chair of each Search Committee.  It should be noted that the University’s commitment to diversity is demonstrated through implementation of the diversity plan by all academic departments and non-academic departments.  Thus prospective candidates (women, minorities, veterans) will be identified and recruited for faculty, administrative and staff positions.  Thus, vacant faculty and staff positions will be advertised in the Chronicle of Higher Education, Higher.com, and the University’s webpage.

In the case of faculty and unspecified staff-exempt personnel, the appropriate Vice Chancellor and/or the Chancellor reviews the proposed appointment.  Notification of appointment is made, for faculty, by letter from the Vice Chancellor of Academic Affairs.  Letters of faculty appointment specify rank, salary, tenure-track status, and probationary status.  The faculty handbook issued by the Office of Academic Affairs of the University of Tennessee at Martin, after approval by the University of Tennessee, Board of Trustees, specifies the general duties and expectations of faculty.

Notification of appointment to staff-exempt positions is made by letter from the appropriate Vice Chancellor, or, in cases in which the individual reports administratively to the Chancellor, by the Chancellor.  Letter of appointment for staff-exempt employees specify salary, title, and the unavailability of tenure for the position.  Any previous discussion or correspondence between any individual and a prospective faculty or staff-exempt employee concerning these matters is unofficial and not binding upon the University.

11.       An individual’s written acceptance letter of appointment, together with execution or normal University employment forms, completes the initial agreement of employment between The University of Tennessee at Martin and the employee.

12.       In the case of non-exempt personnel, the Office of Human Resources makes all offers of employment.  Any discussions of salary or work conditions with the prospective employee, other than those officially made by UTM Human Resources, are unofficial and are not binding upon the University.  With the acceptance by the individual of the offer made by the Office of Human Resources and the execution of appropriate University employment forms, non-exempt personnel are employed.  All non-exempt employees are required to attend an orientation program, operated by Human Resources, which specifies the general duties and expectations of non-exempt employees, as well as explains the AFFIMRATIVE ACTION PLAN and other University policies.