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MSUE Administrative Handbook: Human Resources
  
SUBJECT: INVOLUNTARY DIRECT APPOINTMENTS
 
POLICY: The Director of Extension may identify a current MSUE staff member and directly appoint him/her to a high priority vacancy for which a viable candidate has not been identified through the posting process.
 
APPLIES TO: All MSUE staff members.
 
PROVISIONS/RESTRICTIONS:
 
  1. An involuntary direct appointment is one where a current MSUE staff member is directed to change work assignments.

  2. An involuntary direct appointment will be used only after other reasonable alternatives for filling a high priority vacancy have been considered and rejected and the high priority vacancy has been posted, internally and/or externally, and no viable candidate has been identified.

  3. The involuntary direct appointment will not be used for punitive purposes.

  4. The reasonable alternatives which are considered/rejected are available in writing to an individual who is involuntarily direct-appointed.

  5. All aspects of the Continuing Employment policy will be observed relative to involuntary direct appointments.
 
PROCEDURES:
 
  1. The Regional Director consults with County Directors regarding alternative coverage possibilities to posting a vacancy. If the vacancy cannot be covered other than through posting, the RED and CEDs determine the program responsibilities of the position. For a CED vacancy, the broadest set of programming possibilities is considered.

  2. If no viable candidate is identified through the posting of the high priority vacancy, the administrative group determines the method to be used - involuntary direct appointment or position elimination to fill this vacancy. The first consideration is identification of a candidate for involuntary direct appointment. The current roster of MSUE staff members is reviewed and a pool of candidates is developed. Considerations which will be applied in determining a suitable candidate are: the fit of the incumbent to the current position, i.e. the match of knowledge/skills/abilities to the job requirements; the fit of the incumbent to the vacant position, i.e. knowledge/skills/abilities relative to the job requirements; relative priorities of the current and vacant positions; dollar savings available to MSUE.

  3. The Regional Director, and others as appropriate, and the candidate discuss conditions which would make the move as palatable as possible.

  4. If for whatever reason an involuntary direct appointment cannot be utilized, filled low-priority positions may be eliminated to provide funding to fill the high priority positions.
 
DATE:    April 2009