Factors for Evaluating
Request for Alternative Hiring Procedures
It is the policy of Colorado State University to fill Academic Faculty and Administrative Professional
positions through a search process which includes external advertisement of a national or regional nature
to establish a pool of applicants, which is reviewed by an appropriately constituted search and screen
committee. Under certain circumstances the multiple goals of the University may be served by the
utilization of alternative processes. Search waivers, internal searches, and reappointments are such
alternative processes. Specific forms have been developed to request approval for hiring via an
alternative process.
The request will be evaluated using the following factors; and relevant information from the unit should
be included on the appropriate form.
a) Programmatic Congruence: Does the academic/professional background of the individual
being considered support the unit’s strategic plan and programmatic priorities? This
determination is to be made through the appropriate line administrative channels.
b) Potential Available Applicants: Are there potential applicants who would support the
probability of achieving our goals through the search process? The unit should provide
information on the potential pool, both in terms of programmatic match and diversity, which
will be used in conjunction with availability data from the Office of Equal Opportunity.
Information as to why the individual being proposed would be unlikely to surface through a
search is also pertinent.
c) Unit Search History: What has been the outcome of past searches in the unit relevant to the
achievement of diversity and programmatic goals? If a unit has been unsuccessful in the past,
perhaps due to an inability to package competitive offers, a waiver may be appropriate. On the
other hand, if a unit has had few opportunities to fill positions, a search may be necessary even
though the probability of recruiting members of underrepresented groups is severely limited.
d) Contribution to Diversity: Does the individual proposed for the position contribute to meeting
the goals of the unit’s Diversity Plan?
e) Nature of the Position: Requests for individuals named on contract or grant funds and
members of the research groups of newly hired faculty are generally approved without the
application of the above factors. In such cases, discussion with the Unit Equal Opportunity
Coordinator and/or the Office of Equal Opportunity should be initiated before formalizing the
request.
It should be noted that the factors above are not applied sequentially but as a whole. This allows us to
assemble data to make a reasoned decision about implementing a strategy to achieve diversity and
programmatic goals which may not be achievable through an external search process. Alternative
procedures are a deviation from what the University has identified as the most appropriate mechanism to
hire Academic Faculty and Administrative Professional employees and will be approved only under
extraordinary circumstances.
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