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Competition Files: Senior Administrative Appointments, including Senior APSA & Excluded Appointments

Function

Human Resources

PIB

RRSDA Number

1999-012

Department

All University Departments

Description, purpose and use of records

Records relating to competitions for senior administrative (including academic administrative) positions (i.e., department Chairs, Directors, Deans, Vice-Presidents, Associate Vice-Presidents, and President), including records relating to competitions for senior APSA & Excluded positions (i.e., Executive Directors, Senior Directors, Chief Information/Safety Officers).

Records may include job postings, job descriptions, lists of candidates, letters of application, resumes and CVs, statements of teaching and research history and interests, reference letters, teaching evaluations and material, correspondence, evaluative memoranda, interview questions and answers, reference checks, eligibility criteria, scoring and ranking sheets.

Senior administrative positions belong to the SFUFA and Senior Management employee groups.

Appointment procedures vary for different positions.  Some records relating to the successful candidate may be incorporated into the employee’s Personnel File.

For competition files relating to academic teaching appointments, use RRSDA 1999-024; for competition files relating to non-academic staff positions, use RRSDA 1997-013.

Retention periods

Records Active Retention
Semi-Active Retention   Total retention Final disposition
All departments holding these records CY Competition Completed + 1 year 5 years CY competition completed + 6 years Selective Retention by Archives
         
         
         

Active = Active Retention Period, Keep in Office; Semi-Active = Semi-Active Retention period, transfer to University Records Centre; CY = Current calendar year; CFY = Current fiscal year; CS = Current semester; S/O = Superseded or obsolete; OPR = Office of Primary Responsibility; Non-OPR = All other departments

Authorities

These records are created, used, retained and managed in accordance with the following authorities:

  • Freedom of Information and Protection of Privacy Act (RSBC 1996, c. 165)
  • BC Human Rights Code (RSBC 1996, c. 210)
  • SFU Policy A 13 Series, Administrative Appointments

 

Retention rationale

The FOI/POP Act (RSBC 1996, c. 165, s. 31) requires that personal information used to make a decision that directly affects an individual must be kept for at least one year. Since senior administrative positions are filled relatively infrequently (typically every 5 years), the total retention period ensures that records of the previous competition (job descriptions, advertisements, short-lists) are available under departmental control for reference in preparing the new competition. Beyond the total retention period, the records have long-term value for documenting university history.

 

Retention and filing guidelines

The file is considered closed when the appointment has been concluded and requests for review or appeal by unsuccessful candidates are exhausted. Retain for one additional year, then transfer to the University Records Centre (URC).

The following classification scheme is recommended for these records (use file folder dividers or create separate files where necessary).


1.  Job Description and Advertisement (Archival)    
Text of job description, published advertisement, a record of where the job was advertised and the short-list of candidates.

2.  Search Committee Records (Archival)
Use for records documenting the internal deliberations of the Search Committee, e.g. minutes, correspondence and memoranda. Records relating to individual candidates (e.g. decision letters) should be filed under #3 or 4 below.

3.  Candidates: Not Short-listed (Destroy)
Records relating to the applications of candidates who were not short-listed. These records may be destroyed following the active retention period (i.e. remainder of current year competition completed plus one additional year).  Do not send these records to the University Records Centre.  Files contain sensitive personal information and must be destroyed by confidential shredding; contact Facilities management to make arrangements.

4.  Candidates: Short-listed (Archival)
Application packages and related records of each short-listed candidate; if necessary, open a file for each individual.

related RRSDAs

Status

RRSDA is in force

Approval Date

9 Nov 2000

Last Revised Date

23 Mar 2016