Appointment Process

Our academic development is shaped to a high degree by successful new appointments. We strive to recruit the academic figure with the best professional profile, and the one who most gladly wants to invest and creatively to develop further his or her energy and ideas at our University.

Since every professor, in daily academic life, fulfils multi-faceted duties in research and teaching as well as in academic self-governance, we take account of the following criteria, according to the RELEAD schema, in evaluating every candidacy:

RELEAD Scheme: Evaluation Criteria for our professorships
R	research or academic excellence
E	education or excellence in teaching
L	leadership or the direction of research groups
E	external funding or success in obtaining third-party funds
A	academic citizenship or engagement in academic self-governance
D	dissemination or the external impact of research, as in executive education, expert opinions and reports in the media

The Appointment Process

In order to be elected at the University of St. Gallen as a full or associate professor, and in certain cases as an assistant professor or senior lecturer as well, you undergo a competitive appointments process. The responsibility for this appointments process at the University of St. Gallen lies with the President. With this in mind, the President is supported in strategic and organisational matters by the Faculty Affairs Team of the Vice-President’s Board for Research and Faculty. The appointments process begins with the approval by the Board of Governors of the professorship that is to be filled. This is followed by the composition of an appointments committee, which establishes the profile and qualifications required and the decision-making criteria for the professorship.

The appointment commitee

Composition of our Appointment Committee(s)
Full Professorship	Associate Professorship	Assistant Professorship
Representing the Interests of the Entire University
1 The President, or a representative designated by her/him	1 The President, or a representative designated by her/him	-
3 further members designated by the President, of whom none belong to the school advertising the position, and of whom two are not active at the University	3 further members designated by the President, of whom none belong to the school advertising the position, and of whom two are not active at the University	2 further members designated by the President, of whom none belong to the school advertising the position, and one who is not active at the University
1 representative of the Non-tenured faculty who does not belong to the school advertising the position	1 representative of the Non-tenured faculty who ideally belongs to the school advertising the position	1 representative of the Non-tenured faculty who ideally belongs to the school advertising the position
Representing Interests Specific to the School or Section
1 Thecdean of the school (as chairperson)	1 The dean of the school (as chairperson) or representative designated by her/him	1 The dean of the school (as chairperson) or representative designated by her/him
2 full professors elected by the school, with the approval of the President	2 full or associate professor elected by the school, with the approval of the President	1 full or associate professor elected by the school, with the approval of the President
1 representative of the Student Union	1 representative of the Student Union	1 representative of the Student Union
9 members in total	9 members in total	6 members in total

Interview and on side presentation (scientific talk)

The appointments committee invites between three and six candidates to deliver presentations, based on their current research, that are open to members of the university community.

The presentation by each candidate lasts roughly thirty minutes, as a rule, followed by a question-and-answer session of roughly 10-15 minutes. After each presentation, a closed discussion takes place between the candidate and the members of the committee. With the goal of letting the candidates get to know our University better, we also offer an informal supplementary programme, in which students also participate. Subsequent to the research presentations, the appointment committee formulates a proposed nomination of a specific candidate, and this proposal is transmitted to the relevant school in the first instance.

Offer and Negotiations

If the school, at its assembly, reaches a decision in favour of a candidate, then the President and the Director of Administration communicate an offer from the University of St. Gallen to the candidate in question in the framework of an appointment interview.

In this interview, transitional rules for the candidate’s start with us here are negotiated, the provisions and amenities of a professorship are discussed, the salary is determined in accordance with the Habilitation or achievements deemed to be equivalent as well as further academic achievements, and a specific period of reflection with regard to the offer is also determined.

Welcome Interview

As a supplement to the appointment interview, a welcoming interview takes place with a representative of the Faculty Affairs Team in which we clarify the candidate’s needs regarding her or his family, residence, dual career and so on.