When full professors are appointed at the University of St.Gallen, the University actually makes them an offer to take over a chair. However, the appointment procedure which new HSG professors have to undergo is similar to a job advertising system with an assessment process.

The reason for a new appointment may be the fact that, for instance, a professor at the University of St.Gallen retires, which means that a chair becomes vacant. Or the University’s Board of Governors decides to establish a new chair. The chair is then advertised in order to find suitable applicants for the job. Prior to this advertisement, the Appointment Committee meets to prepare the job profile and the appointment criteria for the professorship in question. An Appointment Committee is brought into operation for each individual appointment. It is made up of

• the President or a representative of his choice;
• two members chosen by the President, none of whom works at the University. Usually such members come from another university or from business;
• a member chosen by the President who is not a member of the School that advertises the chair;
• a member of the non-tenured faculty who is not a member of the School that advertises the chair;
• the Dean of the School (who chairs the Appointment Committee);
• two full professors chosen by the School with the President’s consent;
• a member of the Student Union.

The chair to be occupied is advertised by the Appointment Committee. The Appointment Committee decides which applications are shortlisted and ensures that there is a gender balance. The shortlisted applicants will then give a trial lecture before the Appointment Committee and faculty members who are interested in the subject. After the Appointment Committee has selected the most suitable applicant, the President and the Executive Director will conduct an interview with him or her, part of which is the communication of the Vision and the HSG culture.

The appointment procedure provides that after the interview, the selected applicant will be proposed to the School which advertises the chair and then to the Senate. The School or the Senate are able to reject the proposal with more than two thirds of the votes. If the School and the Senate approve the proposal, the Senate will send the appointment proposal, which contains detailed reasons for the choice, to the University’s Board of Governors. The full professors are then appointed by the Board of Governors for a term of office of eight years; subsequently, they will have to be reappointed. The entire appointment procedure takes about a year.