5. Recruitment, Appointment, and Orientation

5.1 Policies and Procedures, Introduction

The Health Sciences Center establishes policies and procedures governing recruitment, appointment, and orientation that are consistent with needs and demands of the academic or professional discipline. These policies and procedures are in conformance with the following:

• The Bylaws and Regulations of the Board of Supervisors of Louisiana State University and Agricultural and Mechanical College
• Permanent Memoranda (PMs) of the LSU University Administration
• Chancellor’s Memoranda of Louisiana State University Health Sciences Center Shreveport
• The Equal Opportunity Policy of Louisiana State University
• The Equal Opportunity Policy of Louisiana State University Health Sciences Center Shreveport
• Diversity Plan of the Health Sciences Center at Shreveport
• The Americans with Disability Act
• Sections 2.0 and 3.0 of this Handbook

5.2 Authorization to Hire - Creation of Positions

Procedures in making appointments and promotions

1. No position shall be created and no person shall be appointed to any position on the academic staff except with the full knowledge of the President, the Chancellor, the chief academic officer of the campus, the dean or director of the college or school concerned, and the chairman/head of the department or unit concerned. The President, at his discretion and subject to revocation at any time, may authorize the Chancellor to make certain appointments.
2. Recommendations for the creation of academic positions and for appointments to those positions shall normally originate with the department concerned, but this shall not limit the right of appropriate and proper officers of the University System to suggest to the chairman/head of the department/unit, through the appropriate campus officers, a need for changing the composition of the staff.
3. Recommendations from department/unit chairmen or heads for the creation of, and appointment to, any academic position shall be forwarded to the appropriate dean or director, who shall transmit them, with recommendations, to the chief academic officer of the campus. All recommendations and comments shall be reviewed and acted upon by the Chancellor. The President, at his discretion and subject to revocation at any time, may delegate his review and action authority to an appropriate member of the academic staff of the LSU System Office or to the Chancellor. All favorable recommendations shall be transmitted to the Board of Supervisors for their review and ratification.
4. Recommendation for promotion and/or tenure of faculty with multiple-campus appointments: a split recommendation for tenure will result in the approving campus acquiring full financial responsibility for the individual; a split recommendation for promotion of a tenured individual will result in the approving campus assuming the responsibility for the additional percentage.
5. Promotions in rank, increases in salary, and granting of tenure to members of the academic staff shall conform to the procedures outlined above for appointments.

[LSU System. Permanent Memorandum 23. (6/22/17). Ranks, Provisions, and Policies Governing Appointments and Promotions of the Academic Staff. https://www.lsu.edu/administration/policies/pmfiles/pm-23.pdf]

Promotions in rank, increases in salary, and granting of tenure to members of the academic staff shall conform to Permanent Memorandum 23 and LSUHSC-Shreveport Promotion and Tenure Directives.

5.3 Authorization For Filling Vacant Positions

The request for authorization to fill a vacancy is initiated by the Department Head, subject to approval by the Dean of the School and the Chancellor.

5.4 Recruitment

When authorization to fill the position has been received, recruitment is initiated according to procedures established by LSUHSC-S. The procedure should follow the general guidelines as described below:

• Recruitment is initiated by the Department Chairman and/or LSUHSC Shreveport Administration.
• The open position is posted on the LSUHSC-S website; advertising the position externally is at the discretion of the Department Chairman and/or LSUHSC Shreveport Administration.
• The interviewing process is conducted by the individual departments and/or LSUHSC Shreveport Administration.
• Hospital partner may participate in the recruiting process.

5.5 Appointment

5.5.1 LSU System Equal Opportunity Policy

LSU Permanent Memorandum 55 delineates the Equal Opportunity Policy of the University and mandates that each campus of the LSU system shall adopt an Equal Opportunity Policy consistent with this memorandum.

PM-55 can be found in its entirety at: https://www.lsu.edu/administration/policies/pmfiles/pm-55.pdf

5.5.2 LSUHSC-S Nondiscrimination Policy

LSU Health Sciences Center at Shreveport (LSUHSC-S) is committed to providing equal opportunity for all qualified persons in admission to, participation in, or employment in the programs and activities which the University operates without regard to race, creed, color, marital status, sexual orientation, religion, sex, national origin, age, mental or physical disability, or veteran’s status.

LSUHSC-S complies with Permanent Memorandum (PM-55) and supports affirmative action and equal opportunity standards as set forth therein and through its Affirmative Action plans. The requirements of this memorandum are carried out through campus-based Equal Employment Opportunity policies and the development and maintenance of Affirmative Action plans. These plans require that all employees and applicants receive fair consideration for employment and that all employees are treated fairly with regard to recruitment, promotions, demotions, transfers, layoffs, furloughs, and terminations, rates of pay and other forms of compensation, tenure, training, and other employment practices.

With the advice of the Human Resource Management Department, Chancellors, Vice Chancellors, Deans, Directors, Department Heads, and other supervisor employees are responsible for assisting LSU Health Sciences Center - Shreveport in the implementation of this policy.

Recruitment/Hiring Policies. LSU Health Sciences Center - Shreveport, through its recruitment and employment policies, will recruit and employ qualified personnel for all its diverse activities and will provide equal opportunities during employment without regard to race, color, marital status, sexual orientation, gender identity, creed, religion, sex, gender expression, national origin, age, mental or physical disability, or veteran’s status.

Guidelines for recruitment/hiring as described in Part III of Louisiana State University System PM-55 will be followed to achieve recruitment and placement objectives set forth in this policy and to assure equal employment opportunity.

Office of Diversity Affairs. The Office of Diversity Affairs (DA) encourages a diverse campus community and supports the principles of equal opportunity and diversity in employment and education. The office develops programs and procedures to promote a culturally diverse and inclusive work and educational environment where faculty, staff, students, and patients are treated fairly and recognized for their individuality. Our commitment to diversity is reinforced through training and education.

Complaint Procedure

1. Any member of the LSU Health Sciences Center - Shreveport community who believes that they have been subjected to discrimination and/or harassment in violation of this policy has a right to report the conduct to any University official, supervisor, or the Human Resource Management Department.
2. Any individual who receives a complaint or becomes aware of a possible violation of PM-55 and/or Administrative Directive 6.2 will immediately notify the Human Resource Management Department to obtain advice and assistance in responding to the complaint.
3. The Assistant Vice Chancellor for Administration and Organizational Integrity and Director for Human Resource Management are designated as the individuals to investigate the complaint. The victim of alleged harassment/discrimination and the accused will be notified of the investigative findings. To the extent possible, -information obtained during the investigation will be treated as confidential.
4. The Assistant Vice Chancellor for Administration and Organizational Integrity and/or Director for Human Resource Management shall report their findings and recommendations to the, Chancellor, and Dean of the appropriate school. .
5. Substantiated violations of PM-55 and/or Administrative Directive 6.2 may result in disciplinary or corrective action.
6. Non-Retaliation No employee, student, witness or other participant or other individual who complains about a violation of PM-55 or Administrative Directive 6.2 or participates in an investigation of a complaint made pursuant thereto shall be subject to retaliation in any form. Further, no individual is required to report or make a complaint of discrimination and/or harassment to the person who is engaging in the alleged discriminating/harassing conduct.

[LSU System. Permanent Memorandum 55. (7/10/06). Equal Opportunity Policy. https://www.lsu.edu/administration/policies/pmfiles/pm-55.pdf]

[LSUHSC-S. Administrative Directive 6.2. (2/24/10). Non-Discrimination Policy. https://inside.lsuhs.edu/Departments/Administration/Documents/Administrative%20Directives/AD%20Administration%206.2.pdf]

5.5.3 Discrimination Investigation and Appeals Procedure

A faculty member who feels that they have been the subject of discrimination based on age, disability (mental or physical), national or ethnic origin, pregnancy, race, religion, sex, sexual orientation, marital status or veteran status should inform his Department Head, Dean, Assistant Vice Chancellor of Administration and Organizational Integrity, or the Director of Human Resource Management (HRM). The recipient of a faculty or student complaint filed pursuant to this section will notify the Assistant Vice Chancellor of Administration and Organizational Integrity and/or Director of HRM.

1. An investigation will be conducted immediately by the Assistant Vice Chancellor of Administration and Organizational Integrity and/or the Director of HRM with care to safeguard the confidentiality of all the parties involved; however, in order to conduct an adequate investigation of the complaint, it may be necessary to discuss the complaint with witnesses and the accused. A complaint may be resolved at any point in this process at the recommendation of the Assistant Vice Chancellor of Administration and Organizational Integrity and/or Director of HRM and approval of the Chancellor, or designee.
2. An investigative report shall be submitted to the Chancellor, and shall include, when possible, conclusions concerning the allegations. The report should also include recommendations for a resolution of the complaint. The complainant and accused will be provided a summary of the conclusions by the Director of HRM or his designee.
3. If the complaint is found to be valid, the accused may be directed to appropriate counseling, receive discipline, or be recommended for termination, depending on the degree or seriousness of the offense. In the event a faculty member, involved as either the accused or the victim, disagrees with the conclusions recommended as a result of the investigation, he or she may invoke the procedures set out in Handbook Section 11.11. If either party invokes this appeals process, the Chancellor or the Chancellor’s designee will forward a copy of the investigative report to the Standing Appeal Committee. If allegations of discrimination are first raised as a part of a faculty appeal, that is, prior to an investigation of the complaint by the Director of Human Resource Management or his designee, the Chancellor shall refer the complaint to the Director of HRM for investigation in accordance with this section. No appeal shall proceed until an investigation has been conducted and a report of the investigation has been submitted to the Chancellor.
   If allegations of discrimination are first received as part of a Termination for Cause proceeding, that is, prior to an investigation of the complaint by the Director of Human Resource Management or his designee, the Chancellor shall refer the complaint to the Director of HRM for investigation in accordance with this section. The hearing for Termination of Cause shall not proceed until an investigation has been conducted and a report of the investigation has been submitted to the Chancellor. The Chancellor shall then forward a copy of the Director of HRM or designee’s report to the ad hoc committee. The formal complaint may be oral or written, with sufficient specificity to allow efficient investigation.

A person who complains in good faith will suffer no reprimand or retaliation. The person accused of discrimination will be promptly notified and will be given an opportunity to respond.

5.5.4 Authority to Appoint and Promote

Appointment and Promotion of Academic Staff. Each appointment or promotion of a member of the academic staff shall be made upon the basis of merit and the special fitness of the individual for the work demanded by the position. The terms of the appointment of each member of the academic staff shall be reduced to writing and a copy thereof furnished to each of the contracting parties.

[Board of Supervisors of Louisiana State University and Agricultural and Mechanical College. (10/4/18). Bylaws (Article X, Section 3). https://www.lsu.edu/bos/docs/bylaws-adopted-2018-10-04.pdf]

5.5.5 Rank and Type of Appointment

The type of appointment (part-time, full-time, clinical, etc.) and designation of rank, shall be in accordance with Section 3.0 of this Handbook and Permanent Memorandum 23. Appointments shall be recommended by the Department Head, subject to approval by the Dean of the School, and the Chancellor of the Health Sciences Center, or designee.

5.5.6 Appointment of Faculty Who are Not Citizens of The US

Before any appointment agreements are made with potential faculty who are not citizens of the United States, prior approval from the Assistant Vice Chancellor of Administration and Organizational Integrity is required.

[LSUHSC-S]

5.5.7 Nepotism Policy

It shall be contrary to general University policy for persons related to each other in the first degree by blood or marriage to be placed in a supervisor-employee relationship. This restriction will apply to all forms of employment: regular full-time employment, regular part-time employment, temporary full-time employment, temporary part-time employment, etc., and will apply to all employees including student workers. This restriction shall also apply when the supervisor-employee relationship develops after employment. Exceptions to this restriction can be made only in unique circumstances and with justification. Approval must be requested by petition from the department or area concerned through channels to the Office of the President

In cases in which the University System has approved a supervisor-employee relationship for employees related by blood or marriage, the supervisor will pass the responsibility to his or her immediate supervisor for making decisions involving direct benefit to the employee to whom he or she is related.

[LSUHSC-S. Administrative Directive 2.6.4. (4/1/86). Nepotism Policy. https://inside.lsuhs.edu/Departments/Administration/Documents/Administrative%20Directives/AD%20Recruitment%20Employment%20%202.6.4.pdf]