Lancaster University

1. SELECTION PANEL APPROVAL

1.1 Academic Positions and Faculty/Departmental areas

• The Vice-Chancellor, on behalf of the Committee for Chairs and Readerships approves panels for Chairs and Readerships,
• The Chief Administrative Officer approves panels for Professorial Equivalent roles,
• The Vice-Chancellor approves panels for Senior Lecturer and Teaching/Research only posts in Grade 9,
• The Chief Administrative Officer approves panels for other posts in grade 9
• Faculty Deans approve panels for posts in grades 7–8,
• Heads of Department (or equivalent) approve panels for grades 1-6.

1.2 Professional Services areas

• The Chief Administrative Officer approves panels for Professorial Equivalent roles,
• The Chief Administrative Officer approves panels for posts in Grades 7-9,
• Divisional Directors (or equivalent) approve panels for grades 1-6.

2. SELECTION PANEL MEMBERSHIP

The Panel Chair is responsible for ensuring that the Panel is appropriately constituted and meets the following criteria:

• Panels must comprise at least two members,
• Panels must have a good, overall balance of skills and expertise to be able to make an informed decision on applicants,
• Panel membership should, wherever practicable, comprise a diverse range of characteristics in terms of age, gender, race and disability,
• All panel members should have undertaken relevant diversity training (normally by successfully completing the University’s on-line training module), or can demonstrate significant experience in managing diversity;
• Panel Chairs should have undertaken relevant recruitment training (normally by completing the “Recruiting the Best” training), or can demonstrate significant experience in similar recruitment activities;
• Appointing committee members must not also act as candidate referees under any circumstances. If a member of a panel is asked by an applicant to that post for a reference they should indicate that this would constitute a conflict of interest.
• No person shall be a member of a panel to appoint his or her successor,
• All panels have powers of co-option of one further member to those specified below.

The indicated Chair may delegate (except where expressly not permitted) e.g. Vice-Chancellor may delegate to the Deputy Vice-Chancellor a Pro-Vice-Chancellor, in which case the delegate Chair becomes responsible for ensuring the proper composition and operation of the Panel.

3. SELECTION PANEL – GENERAL

Where an appointment is to be made at a level yet to be determined, for example at Lecturer/Senior Lecturer, the panel must be constituted in accordance with guidelines for the higher grade,

Selection panels may operate as one panel or a series of smaller panels to ensure a thorough evaluation of applicants.

4. SELECTION PANEL COMPOSITION

The minimum requirement for the composition of selection panels for each role type is shown in the attached appendix.