Academic Leadership Toolkit

Office of Faculty Development and Advancement

Faculty Recruitment Procedure

Overview:

The faculty search committee training provides strategies to conduct effective searches, combat cognitive biases, and make better hiring recommendations. Before the search gets underway, the hiring official (typically the dean or provost) and/or the search committee should develop a recruitment plan. The plan delineates outreach efforts and activities that will be taken to build the applicant pool.

Goals:

• Hire outstanding faculty
• Conduct an open and competitive search process
• Foster diversity and inclusion
• Comply with federal, state and university regulations and policies

Authority and Responsibility:

• The dean/department chair is charged with stewardship of the entire hiring process from inception through welcoming a new faculty member into the department.
• The committee chairperson provides leadership to the search committee members and ensures consistency and equity in how the search is conducted.
• Consult with Human Resources, Office of Equity, Diversity & Inclusion to learn of any institutional/departmental goals for diversity, affirmative action implications, and non-discriminatory hiring practices.

Common Pitfalls:

• Search committee chairs conduct searches without completing the required online Faculty Search Committee Training (PDF).
• The hiring department must retain all hiring documents in the department for public record requests for 4 years.
• The hiring department must exercise due diligence by vetting a top candidate’s qualifications as presented during the application and interview process. 

Resources:

• Faculty Recruiting
• Faculty Search Training (PDF)
• Faculty Search Toolkit
• Eminent Scholar Search Procedures (PDF)
• Employment Checklist (Faculty) (PDF)
• OMNI Training Guides