2.4.B. Billet Authorization
Appointments in the University Tenure Line are initiated by departmental or joint departmental action. Although appointments may also be initiated by one of the School’s five institutes, the appointment must be made in a department. A department chair must present the case for a new faculty position to the Vice Dean for Academic Affairs and obtain formal authorization from the Dean before a search can be launched. A billet number (representing a previously approved commitment) must accompany each search request.
Departmental leadership and the School administration must regard every search authorization as a potential long-term commitment. The Dean’s search authorization is based upon factors including the availability of resources (including a billet commitment and funding), an assessment of the department’s present and predicted future needs in clinical, research and teaching activities, and the specific programmatic need for the requested search; it reflects priority judgments both within the department and between departments. Contributions to interdisciplinary institutes may also play a role in assigning search authorizations to departments.