RESEARCH FOUNDATION- BUFFALO STATE COLLEGE
SEARCH PROCESS &
COMMITMENT TO EQUAL EMPLOYMENT OPPORTUNITY AND AFFIRMATIVE ACTION
The Research Foundation is a private, nonprofit corporation. As a separate employer
from the University, the Research Foundation is charged with personnel responsibilities
which include staffing and recruitment, compensation and benefits programs, general
personnel administration, and employee relations and development. In performing these
functions, the Foundation is subject to all federal and state laws that apply to private
employers.
The agreement between the State University of New York (SUNY) and the Research
Foundation (RF), June 1, 1977 states that "the Foundation’s function…shall include its
employment of research and other personnel necessary for the conduct of the program,
who shall be deemed to be employees of the Foundation and NOT the University".
All recruitment, personnel appointments, termination of employment, and changes in
conditions of employment, including changes in title, salary, percent of time and
standard workweek, require the review and approval of the project director or co-project
director and the RF Director or designee. Therefore, the RF Director or designee, and
the project director are required to sign all appointment forms, employee change forms,
and selections process reports. Campus policy might also require the additional
signature of one or more administrative officials.
All communication with applicants and offers of employment, whether verbal or
written, must be consistent with funding, sponsor rules, RF policy, and legal
requirements. When offers of employment are made, applicants must be made aware
that employment with the RF is subject to the availability of funds and program needs
and that there is no expressed or implied guarantee of employment retention. The
Research Foundation uses a standard employment application form that meets certain
legal requirements with respect to questions asked by job applicants and insures that
applicants for Research Foundation positions are aware of the Foundation’s separate
legal status as an employer. Further, all written communication with applicants must be
prepared on Research Foundation letterhead and must be retained according to local
affirmative action policies and Research Foundation record administration and retention
guidelines.
RESEARCH FOUNDATION COMMITMENT TO EQUAL EMPLOYMENT OPPORTUNITY
Presidential Executive Order 11246, as amended, prohibits job discrimination and
requires affirmative action to ensure equality of opportunity in all aspects of
employment. Federal and/or state law guarantees equal opportunity in employment
without discrimination because of age, race, creed, color, national origin, citizenship,
sex, marital status, and disability.
In order to comply with federal and state laws, the Research Foundation Board of
Directors adopted a policy on equal employment opportunity on March 19, 1974. This
policy states that the RF is committed to equal opportunity in its employment practices
and does demonstrate this commitment through outreach programs as reflected in
affirmative action plans. This policy applies to all employment practices including, but
not limited to advertising, recruitment, promotion, demotion or selection for training.
AFFIRMATIVE ACTION SEARCH PROCEDURE
The Research Foundation is committed to ensure that the overall objectives of the
research project requiring a search are met while complying with Equal Employment
Opportunity and Affirmative Action (EEO/AA) laws and regulations. An affirmative
action search and screening procedure is established by a properly assembled search
committee and utilized in filling all full-time professional staff, and administrative
positions at the .5 FTE or greater. An employee may be hired to fill a vacant spot on a
temporary basis while a search is being conducted. The temporary position is to last no
longer than six months.
The RF Human Resources Office is responsible for Affirmative Action for the RF on
the Buffalo State Campus and the HR Coordinator has been named the Affirmative
Action officer for the RF. When a Research Foundation sponsored program
is recruiting for an RF funded position, the process is as follows:

There is a position to be filled or created and a description of job duties is
written.

The budget is approved by the RF Grants and Contracts Office.

A search committee is formed, and the essential functions of the job as well as
the qualifications are documented on the Research Foundation Request to
Recruit form. (When considering a position it is advised that an appointment be
made with the RF HR Coordinator for advisement on the various actions needed
to fulfill a suitable affirmative action search.) The RTR form can be submitted to
the RFHR office before RFHR meet’s with the search committee* to refine the
job description and discuss the appropriate RF title and FLSA category for the
salary, advertising options and prices as well as deadline dates OR the RTR
form can be submitted after the first search committee meeting, for RFHR
review.

Once the advertisements are placed by the RFHR office through the Greystone
Group and the ads have run, applications are received via e-mail or regular mail
and at that time the Research Foundation sends out the applicant tracking
document to each applicant to fulfill the obligations for Affirmative Action since
the RF is a federal contractor.

The RF has a template available that streamlines the applicant review process
which indicate disposition codes for an applicant as well as a written
justification that supports the disposition code indicated for each applicant. That
form is submitted to the RFHR office and then, upon approval, the applicants
that have been chosen as candidates are contacted by the search chair for the
interview process.

The search committee should have a prepared list of questions for each
candidate that will give an indication of the skills and knowledge requirements
for the position. If the search committee needs assistance with the compilation
of behaviorally based questions the RFHR office is available to assist. Once the
interviews have concluded the search committee makes a decision on the
successful candidate and submits that decision to the principal investigator.

The principal investigator may contact the candidate by phone to congratulate
the individual and provide details about the rate of pay, date, time and location
where they are expected to report to work. Written offers of employment must
be made on Research Foundation letterhead. Once the candidate has accepted
the terms of the employment Research Foundation hiring forms are used and the
payroll process take's place.
Support for all projects embarking on a search is provided by the Research
Foundation Human Resources Office. The local RF web site
(www.rf.buffalostate.edu) has a recruitment page available with all of the
materials required for a full search.
*Search committees should be comprised of members who have been involved in the search process in
order to assure a properly conducted search. The RF is available to support all search committees
throughout the search process to make certain that the most qualified candidate is chosen.