Good grief! Who’d have thought this would be so difficult?

With faculty, you show a degree in the area, you have a good idea the person can teach the material. Better still, the person has research, publications, and presentations that back up a claim of expertise…Snap! You have a qualified faculty member!

Okay, now you look at an–for example–accounting clerk. Degree required? Probably not, but would be nice. Experience required? Probably, but how much? Do you look at past personnel evaluations? Not me. So, do we “credential” an accounting clerk? Nope. We don’t. At least not for this review. We chose to “credential” directors and above - and people whose jobs require some kind of special certification. Whew!

Uh, so what about the person who is a programmer or analyst or technical support staffer? Degree? Maybe? Experience? Yes. Where do you draw the line?

We’ve moved toward using the documents (transcripts, certificates, etc.) when they are appropriate, but we also include some discussion on a lot of the folks - mostly to show that we actually looked at these folks enough to realize we like their work and believe they’re doing a good job.

Just to give you a really personal example…look at my record. Assistant Provost. Hmmm. No PhD. Problem? Not if the job doesn’t require it. The experience? Not a problem. I’ve been there, done that, so many times, I earned the title Generalist (and fire-fighter, mr. fixit, and hey, you!).

The bottom line: We just didn’t find anyone who wasn’t qualified to do the job s/he is doing. Could some of US improve our qualifications? Certainly. (But do you honestly think I’m going back to school at 55 to get a doctorate? Dream on.)

It seems we continue to visit this topic from time to time.  We have to ask ourselves, “If that were my file, would I want it secured or open to the world?”  My view is generally conservative; I like personal information to be locked down as much as possible.

For example, a CV is a relatively public document.  Faculty members use them to apply for jobs, to support a request for promotion, etc.  If, however, I see an address or the family members’ names, I want to lock it down.  Sure, you can find a faculty member’s home address; it’s not impossible.  Even so, I’d rather err on the side of caution in such a case.

Transcripts?  Easy.  Lock ‘em down.  Too many of us have the old kind of transcript–you know, where the social security number is visible.  Hated that!  Lock ‘em down!

The other stuff is all up for discussion.  A budget document without names and salaries?  Public.  A budget document with SSN’s?  Behind the firewall and a password.  Course evaluations?  Public.  Supervisor’s evaluation of an employee?  Private.

Hey, you want more?  Go file a Freedom of Information request.