Exceptions to the University

Exceptions to the University’s Employee Recruitment and Selection Procedures

Mississippi State University, in accordance with state and federal law and IHL policies, is committed to providing equal opportunity in employment through nondiscriminatory open recruitment and hiring practices. Occasionally, such factors as financial constraints, program continuity, the unavailability of a reasonable number of qualified applicants, or the existence of highly specialized qualifications and requirements for a particular position, require making an exception to the University’s normal employee recruitment and selection procedures. In these instances, the hiring official may request an exception to the University’s normal recruitment and selection procedures by forwarding a memorandum via the appropriate administrative authority to the Office of Diversity and Equity Programs detailing the basis for requesting a waiver. Any request for a waiver must be made in advance and endorsed (where appropriate) by the department head, dean/director, and appropriate vice president or the Athletic Director. In all instances, a review and recommendation line is to be provided for the Director of Diversity and Equity Programs and the Director of Human Resources Management. The vice president will send the waiver request directly to the Office of Diversity and Equity Programs which will forward it, with a recommendation, to the Director of Human Resources Management. The decision to waive recruitment is made on a case-by-case basis and shall include consideration of equal opportunity, fairness, and the achievement of a diverse workforce. If the waiver is approved, a Recruiting Report must be submitted upon completing the hiring process, unless a specific individual is named in the waiver request. However, an informal or formal offer of employment may not be made prior to the review and approval of the waiver request. If at any point during the above process an approval is not granted, the non-approving administrator must provide justification for the denial and a course of further action. Request for Waiver Any and all requests for waivers to the University’s normal employee recruitment and selection procedures must be submitted with the following documentation: A completed Position Approval Request Form (PARF) A completed position description and department/unit organizational chart Where appropriate, a resume/curriculum vita and a MSU Employment Application for the individual proposed for selection The following exceptions to the University’s employee recruitment and selection procedures have been established. However, these exceptions do not abrogate the responsibility of hiring departments/units to comply with appropriate HRM employment policies as defined in the official Mississippi State University Policies and Procedures Manual.
1.	Exceptions and/or Variances to the Normal Posting Requirements If a hiring department/unit wishes an exception or variance to the normal position vacancy posting requirements, a written request must be submitted outlining the circumstances necessitating the request, including the title/rank/classification of the position, the identity the candidate, and the candidate's race and gender. Information detailing the length and terms of the appointment and how the candidate was identified should also be provided. Requests for waivers may be granted under the following circumstances: Business and/or Instructional Necessity Conducting a full recruitment effort would have a seriously negative impact on the operational effectiveness of a department/unit or would violate a formal contractual obligation of the University. The waiver request must specify the business necessity reasons and the qualifications of the recommended candidate. The appointment must be at .50 FTE or greater and for a period of more than six months. Internal Recruitment Only Under certain circumstances, a department/unit may desire to limit a recruitment effort to qualified applicants within the University and/or hiring unit. Internal recruitment efforts will be open to all permanent MSU employees and layoff applicants exercising preferential re-hire rights. Positions restricted to internal recruitment shall follow the same recruitment, referral and selection process as an external recruitment effort. Support staff positions must be open for recruitment at least five (5) working days from the date the vacancy is posted in the hiring unit and notice must be given to all employees. Professional staff and faculty positions must be open for recruitment at last fifteen (15) calendar days from the date the vacancy is posted in the hiring unit and notice must be given to all employees. Qualified, Diverse Applicant Pool A department/unit has recently conducted a full search that yielded a diverse applicant pool. A second opening in the same job title within a 120-day period would allow the department to make a selection from the original applicant pool. The waiver request must specify the demographic profile of the interview pool from the prior search and the qualifications of the recommended candidate. Appointing a Temporary Employee to a Permanent Position Persons employed on a full or part time temporary basis may be appointed to the position on a permanent basis without the department/unit initiating an open search as long as the person selected has served in a temporary capacity for at least four and a half (4.5) months. In addition, the individual must meet the minimum educational and experiential requirements associated with the position at the time of appointment. Diversity Opportunities A waiver to achieve diversity may be granted to a department /unit based upon its capacity to recruit qualified people of color and/or women candidates, where there is under-representation of people of color and/or women in the department/unit workforce profile.
2.	Extending Temporary/Time-Limited Appointments Temporary and time-limited appointments may not be extended beyond the stated ending date without a written request to and approval from the Office of Diversity and Equity Programs and the Department of Human Resources Management. The request should state the reason(s) for the extension and the new ending date. A maximum of two extensions will be considered for approval.