Selection of Administration, Faculty and Staff

QUALIFICATIONS

• Generally, minimum qualifications for teaching faculty include the holding of a master's degree in a field of educational study appropriate to the mission of Burris Laboratory School, three or more years of teaching experience in a K-12 setting reflective of the position for which that person will be accepting at Burris, and holding, or being eligible to hold, a valid teaching certificate from the state of Indiana. It is recognized that on occasion it may not be possible to fill a position with a person meeting all of these minimum qualifications. In that event, the person hired is expected to work immediately and expeditiously toward attaining these minimums if they wish continuing employment at Burris.
  
• Minimum qualifications for the administrative positions of Assistant Principal and Principal/Department Chair include a masters degree in a field of educational study related to the mission of Burris Laboratory School, experience as a building or district level administrator in a public or private school, and holding, or being eligible to hold, a valid administrative license appropriate for the position from the state of Indiana.
  
• Minimum qualifications for certified staff positions include a license, certificate, or degree in the field to which they will be assigned at Burris Laboratory School.

SEARCHES/COMMITTEES

Except in the case of extreme emergency, the selection of all full time faculty, certified staff, and administrators shall adhere to the guidelines that follow.

• Search committees made up of appropriate faculty, staff, parents, students, and representatives from Teachers College shall review qualifications, review applications, interview selected candidates, and make recommendations for hiring to the Department Chair.
• Committee chairpersons and members are responsible for becoming thoroughly familiar with the policies and procedures regarding searches established by Ball State University, Teachers College, and the department. In implementing these procedures it is recommended that the committees work closely with the affirmative action director and the office of the Dean of Teachers College.
• The department chair and administrative coordinator shall provide appropriate guidance and secretarial support for the work of the committees.
• Requests to fill positions through searches should be made and approved in a timely manner so as to insure the best possible pool of qualified and available candidates.
• Search committee composition should follow the guidelines below for the different types of positions indicated.
• Selection of Principal/Department Chair - The chair of this group is appointed by the Dean of Teachers College. Membership should include eligible staff and faculty of Burris Laboratory School elected by the Burris faculty. Teachers College representatives are also appointed. Burris parents, alumni and students should also be appointed to serve on this committee.
• Selection of Assistant Principal - The principal/department chair of Burris will be the chair. The faculty will elect representatives to this committee. Student and parent appointments to this committee are recommended.
• Selection of K-12 teaching faculty - The department chair will appoint a senior faculty member in the area most closely related to the responsibilities of the position to be filled to chair these committees. The remainder of the committee shall be appointed with the stipulation that a majority of the committee membership be composed of faculty/and or staff most directly involved in the program or instructional level to which the position is assigned.
• Selection of certified staff positions - Participation on committees to fill staff positions will be filled by appointment of the principal/department chairperson and/or by invitation to interested faculty and staff.
• Search committees and appropriate departmental or college administrators shall have the responsibility to plan and facilitate the on-campus interviews for finalists for the positions. These itineraries should minimally include:
• A presentation to the faculty or a demonstration of teaching with Burris students – whichever is most appropriate for the position involved.
• Interviews with the appropriate administrators of Burris, Teachers College, and/or Ball State University.
• An interview with the faculty already assigned to and teaching in the area most closely related to the position being filled. These interviews should include, where appropriate, K-12 personnel working in special areas or programs (e.g. special education, speech and hearing, guidance, athletics, gifted education, technology, etc.).
• Explanations of the Ball State connection that Burris Laboratory School has. This would include our being a department of Teachers College and the responsibilities that go with that.

HIRING

• Recommendations for hiring shall be made by the committee to the Department Chair, the Dean of Teachers College, and/or to the Provost of Ball State University as required by the position to be filled. Terms and conditions of employment are the responsibility of the appropriate administrator. If the position to be filled is a tenure-track appointment, the tenured and tenure-track faculty must vote to offer rank to the candidate and make this recommendation to the Dean of Teachers College.
  
• The screening, interviewing, and selection of new faculty is one of the most important responsibilities that members of the department can undertake. It is expected that all faculty will be willing to serve and participate in these endeavors in whatever capacities necessary.