Veteran's Preference

It is a policy of the University to provide a hiring preference to veterans who possess the requisite qualifications for a vacant position in recruitment and are eligible for appointment.

The University shall grant hiring preference at the time a veteran is in the finalist list when a search is open to any applicant, internal or external.

If more than one veteran is in a finalist list, the best qualified veteran shall receive the hiring preference.

As a general rule, Veterans' Preference is not applied in cases of promotion, or if the position is only open to current employees.

University employees may only exercise those rights for a promotion opportunity if the employee is in a less than full-time regular status, such as temporary, part-time, seasonal or emergency.

An applicant would need to declare their veteran’s status at time of application, by mean of the voluntary self disclosure form. They would not be able to “bank” the opportunity when seeking a promotion.

Process

1. Job Qualifications: Qualifications used as the selection criteria must be established prior to the search commencing. Qualifications must be job related, non-discriminatory and emphasize the desire for Inclusion and Diversity.
2. Notice of Qualifications to Applicants: These requisite qualifications will be incorporated into public solicitations and the position description for the purpose of making them known to applicants. If an ad is abbreviated due to cost and does not contain the requisite qualifications, the ad must include a website address which can be accessed by applicants to obtain this information.
3. Notice of Veteran's Status to University: Declaration of veteran's status is invited through electronic voluntary protected class self-disclosure forms within the online application. Verification is accomplished by presentation of a copy of the veteran's DD-214 or NGB22 form.
4. Search Finalist List: The finalist list must be determined by the hiring authority based on the requisite qualifications criteria established prior to the search. The criteria may include successful completion of an interview or series of interviews, satisfactory or exceptional work history and references, satisfactory recommendations from a search committee, as well as other demonstrations from which constituent feedback is solicited and considered.
1. No Veteran in Finalist List: If no veteran is in the finalist list, the hiring authority may select the best qualified candidate.
2. Veteran in the Finalist List: If a veteran is in the finalist list, the veteran must be selected and offered the position.
3. Multiple Veterans in Finalist List: If more than one veteran is in the finalist list, the best qualified veteran must be selected and offered the position.

Forms

N/A

Related Procedures

The Veteran's Preference Act of 1975 affords similar rights to spouses of disabled or deceased veterans.

As a point of clarification, the preference is intended to relate to spouses of veterans with service-connected disabilities.

If a disabled veteran wishes to transfer the preference to his or her spouse, the waiver and transfer must be done in writing and signed by the veteran.

Spouses of deceased veterans must present the spouse's DD-214, marriage and death certificate to be eligible for the preference.

The death need not be service-connected, however, divorced spouses have no eligibility.

Other Related Information

N/A

Contacts

Director of Human Resource Management
Room 105, Reibman
(570) 422-3422