Overview
In the College of Fine Arts, hiring of career-track faculty positions requires a search committee-led recruitment process. “Career-track” faculty positions are defined as all tenured/tenure-track faculty positions and all Practice series or Instruction series faculty positions. Hiring temporary faculty hiring (e.g. lecturers) do not require a search committee process. See the College of Fine Arts Professional Track Policy for more information.
All faculty search committee activity is advisory to the department chair/school director, and the department chair/school director determines who to recommend for hire as result of the search.
The dean’s office level approval steps for a faculty search are:
- All searches for career-track faculty positions must be approved by the dean before any advertisement is posted or recruitment begins. Department chairs/school directors or their designate should submit a request to search form to get that approval.
- Prior to the search committee making decisions about which applicants to advance, the dean must approve the applicant pool and the search committee’s evaluation criteria.
- Prior to scheduling in-person interviews, the dean must approve the short list of finalists.
See the College of Fine Arts Faculty Search Policy for more details.
Step-by-step Procedure for Faculty Search Committees
- The department chair or school director will assemble and charge the search committee.
- The search committee will help the department chair/school director secure dean’s office approval for the search, which for the search committee usually includes 1) writing a first draft of the job posting and 2) drafting a recruitment plan describing how the search committee will develop a competitive applicant pool, including to whom the search committee will reach out and where it will advertise. Resources to help with drafting a job posting and advertising the position are here.
- Once approved by the dean’s office, department/school faculty affairs staff post the job on Interfolio and assist the search committee with posting the advertisement in other venues. The search committee members then begins its efforts to recruit a strong applicant pool, and that can include contacting individuals using their own networks to seek nominations for the position and spread the word, directly contacting potential candidates to invite their application, and sharing with list serves and other appropriate organizations. The search committee should activate other faculty in the department for names of individuals to reach out to (for nominations and to solicit direct application).
- While applications come in, the search committee should meet to determine and record in writing the criteria it will use to evaluate applicants, paying special attention to ensure that the criteria do not discriminate on the basis of any protected class or identity. See the university’s non-discrimination policy for more information. Resources for evaluation criteria are here.
- Just before the search committee is ready to begin evaluating applications, it needs to seek approval of the applicant pool and evaluation criteria from the dean’s office. E-mail the Director of Faculty Advancement, copying your chair and director, providing the written evaluation criteria and requesting review of the applicant pool. Do not make any decisions about which candidates to advance until you hear back from the dean’s office.
- Then, the search committee evaluates applications, decides on a long list for phone interviews/first round interviews, and conducts those first round interviews, usually via zoom or phone. Resources for interviews are here.
- After all initial interviews, the search committee should meet and decide on a short list to recommend for final interviews. It is common for the search committee to contact references via phone to help inform the decision at this point. When the short list is identified, the search committee should send it to the department chair or school director who will bring it to the dean’s office for approval, prior to any final interviews being scheduled. Simultaneously, the search committee should decide whether to release some of the candidates (by telling them that their candidacy is not advancing for this position). Seek advice of the department/school faculty affairs staff person on when to do this communication.
- After the dean approves the short list, the search committee should schedule and conduct final interviews. Final interviews are often 2-3 days and include many of the following: meetings with the search committee, the chair/director, the dean, faculty in the area of specialization, students in the area of specialization, a presentation of their research, a demonstration of teaching, faculty outside of the area of specialization, the EC/BC, at least one opportunity open to any interested faculty member or student, and meals. Consider pacing, sequencing of meetings, and who needs to be included. A general principle is to give all applicants equal opportunity to demonstrate their qualifications and potential for the position.
- After interviews, the search committee should meet to decide who to recommend that the department chair or school director hire for the position. The department chair or school director handles negotiation and next steps.
- After the search process concludes, the search committee should 1) gather all records from the search (recordings, notes, any directly received application materials) and send to the department/school faculty affairs staff person for records retention requirements, 2) verify that all applicants have been told the final status of their application (e.g. telling those whose candidacy will not advance), 3) in some cases, the department/school faculty affairs staff person will contact you to ask for you help with certain with hiring paperwork, such as asking the search committee chair to prepare a written teaching assessment and assist with writing a description of the process the search committee used.
Page last updated: 12/6/2023