Faculty Search Procedures Handbook

• Forming the Committee

  Once the A126 has been approved, the Department Head should form a search committee, according to departmentally established procedures. The size of the committee may vary and often depends on the position scope, departmental procedures, and the nature of the search itself. Generally, a good size for a search committee is four to six members. Committee members should be individuals who understand the requirements of the position and who are committed to the mission and goals of the department and the university. Every reasonable effort should be made to form a committee that represents the diversity of the University community by including members from minority groups, both genders, veterans, and the disabled in order to provide a variety of perspectives as well as to ensure awareness of affirmative action issues, When appropriate, representatives from related units, departments or academic disciplines, or from administrative, human resources, or other relevant offices may be invited to participate on the committee.

  A committee chairperson should be appointed/elected to coordinate the committee's activities and act as a liaison between the committee and the Department Head. In many departments, it is the responsibility of the Department Head to appoint the search committee chair.

  The Office of Affirmative Action serves as advisor to the committee and should be included in its first meeting to provide guidance on compliance and recruitment. Others who may be a part of the committee or in a support role include the Department Head and administrative/support staff.

• The Role of the Search Committee

  The role of a search committee is to oversee the recruitment and hiring process to ensure that a complete and fair search is conducted, and that the most qualified candidate is chosen. It is the responsibility of the search committee to make sure the services listed below are carried out. Each person on the committee is responsible for its success.

• Search Committee Chair Responsibilities
  
  
  • Ensures that the search process is followed. Ensures that the position announcement is developed.
  • Ensures that initial acknowledgment letters are sent to applicants. Ensures that self·identification data cards are sent to all qualified applicants for the development of statistical data for the position's applicant flow log.
  • Ensures that all paperwork is completed and submitted as appropriate (i.e., A·126, Waiver Requests, A·900 form, Applicant Flow Log, etc.) plans/conducts committee meetings.
  • Ensures that committee members evaluate candidates (in writing) against agreed upon criteria.
  • Serves as the search committee's liaison to the Department Head.
  • Presents committee recommendation to Department Head.
  • Ensures that accurate documentation of the search process is kept.
  • Communicates with candidates and finalists on behalf of the University.

• Search Committee Members Responsibilities
  
  

  • Identify recruitment sources to ensure diversity in the applicant pool.

  • Become familiar with the job qualifications.

  • Devise evaluation criteria and formulate those criteria in writing.

  • Devise operating procedures such as voting. Review resumes of applicants for minimum qualifications.

  • Identify and screen candidates (see applicant flow log in Appendix IV).

  • Coordinate and arrange interviews.

  • Interview candidates.

  • Make hiring recommendations.
    
    

• Contacting the Office of Affirmative Action
  
  

  The search committee should contact the Office of Affirmative Action for advice and guidance to determine if the position is underutilized. If a position is underutilized, efforts to address underutilization should become part of the search committee's recruitment/advertising plan. To obtain information and guidance on conducting diverse recruitment, a representative from the Office of Affirmative Action should be invited to meet with the search committee at the beginning of the search process.

  George Wharton, Director of the Office of Equal Opportunity, stated in his e-mail of February 13, 2002:
  "For positions in job groups that are underutilized for Black, Total Minority, or Female, departments are required to submit a statement summarizing the good faith efforts made to recruit a diverse pool of candidates. A general statement such as "we contacted minority and women organizations for assistance" is not sufficient. The report should summarize the specific efforts made in the recruitment and should be attached, along with other required information forwarded with the A-900. Underutilized job groups are identified on the Utilization Analysis Summary report sent earlier. Good faith efforts may include contacts with Black/Minority and Female individuals and organizations, contacts made to locate candidates at other institutions, referrals from colleagues, advertisements and postings to Black/Minority or Female oriented websites and publications and other methods aimed at increasing diversity in the pool of candidates. The names of the individuals, organizations, publications, and websites should be listed in a summary report."

• The Search
  

  Advertising should be organized by the search committee and coordinated with the college office. It is expected that all searches for tenure track positions will be conducted on a national level. Federal requirements for affirmative action obligate a search committee to make a "good faith effort" to develop a talent pool reflecting the availability of minorities and women in the labor force. The search committee must advertise the position in a manner that will bring it to the attention of underrepresented groups.

  The committee may want to create a checklist of items to be received from candidates so that an individual whose application is incomplete may be notified regarding missing documentation. The selection criteria and screening procedures should also be determined at this point and not after materials  from the candidates arrive. The committee should clearly understand and endorse the qualifications expected of candidates and the standards for judging the applicants.

  Advertising in diverse publications and contacting a variety of professional organizations may enlarge the pool of applicants and will convey the department's commitment to equal employment opportunity. Some suggestions for casting the net broadly include the following:

  • solicit suggestions from a variety of faculty
  • contact potential applicants directly to inform them of vacancies or anticipated vacancies and  to invite their applications
  • contact members of your professional and scholarly organizations and associations via letter, phone call, e·mail, and/or personal meetings to request information and recommendations
  • contact professionals at independent research institutions, government agencies, private industry or foundations, and ask them for recommendations
  • send copies of the position announcement to other universities, including those with diverse enrollments
  • utilize public data banks

  
  Note: If the Department desires to limit recruitment to internal postings, a waiver must be obtained from the Office of Affirmative Action, even if the position is not underutilized. For more information, contact the Office of Affirmative Action.

• Reviewing Applications
  

  The search committee is responsible for screening applications based on the advertised qualifications. Applicants who do not meet the minimum qualifications as stated in the position announcement should be notified by letter as soon as possible. Although they will not receive further consideration, their applications should not be discarded.

The search committee should evaluate the applications utilizing the previously agreed·upon criteria and screening procedures. Each search committee member should make written comments for every applicant. This will allow the committee to determine which candidates are to be interviewed and will also save time if it becomes necessary to return to the applicant pool at a later date. Search committee members should be advised that all written comments become part of a file that may later become public.

• Sending Out Self·Identification Data Cards
  

  The search committee is responsible for sending out self·identification data cards to all applicants who meet the minimum requirements. The purpose of the cards is to obtain affirmative action information. These cards can be obtained from the Office of Affirmative Action. To encourage applicants to complete the form, the letter should include a paragraph such as the following: "The enclosed self·identification data form is used to gather pertinent data regarding background (i.e. race, sex, and ethnic identity) for affirmative action purposes. Although completion of the form is voluntary, the information you provide is important in maintaining equal opportunity/affirmative action efforts at the University of Cincinnati. All information you provide will be kept confidential." Contact the Office of Equal Opportunity at 556-5503 to obtain a supply of data cards.

• Interviewing Candidates
  

  From the list of candidates who meet the minimum qualifications, the search committee should select those individuals to be interviewed and invited for on‑campus visits. (Screening interviews off campus, at meetings or at applicants' places of work are permissible at the committee's discretion.) Visits should be scheduled at the earliest possible time after the application deadline date and should not be limited to only one candidate. Good faith efforts allow satisfactory opportunity for women, minorities, disabled persons, and Vietnam Era and disabled veterans to be a part of the applicant pool.

The search committee should develop a list of core interview questions based only on position related criteria. The same questions should be asked of all candidates, which will allow comparative judgments while ensuring that crucial position‑related information is obtained. The committee may find it helpful to print the questions on a form with space below to record the candidate's responses and the interviewer's reactions. Search committee members and other individuals involved in interviewing candidates need to concentrate on position‑related questions and must avoid inquiries with a discriminatory implication. Occasionally during an interview applicants may volunteer non‑job‑related information with regard to religion, sex, marital status, national origin, age, etc., that could potentially be used to discriminate against the candidate (for example, the applicant who talks about children or child care). Even though you did not ask for the information, you may still be charged with discrimination if a question arises subsequently about how this information was used. Should an applicant volunteer information that does not relate to the position, you should handle the situation in the following manner:

• do not under any circumstances write down the information.
• do not ask follow‑up questions or make statements to continue in the area of discussion.
• refer the applicant to sources that may answer his or her questions about non‑job‑related information.
• return the discussion to position issues.
• do not consider the revealed information in evaluating the applicant's candidacy.


For most faculty searches, the interview is one aspect of the recruitment process. Equally important is the on‑campus visit. Departments might want to consider having candidates teach a class, present a seminar, deliver a lecture, meet with students, etc. It is important that the same itinerary be followed for all candidates brought to campus for interviews.

Upon completion of the interviews and campus visits, the search committee should meet to review the merits of each individual, prepare summations, and make the recommendations to the Department Head, Dean, and Provost.

• Reference Checks
  

  Reference checks may be initiated after interviews occur. It is recommended that reference checks be made for all and not just some of the candidates being considered for interviews. Reference checks may also serve as an additional screening process if completed prior to inviting a candidate for an interview.

In either case, candidates should be contacted first, to ensure their continuing interest in the position and, secondly, to obtain permission to contact references. References should be obtained in writing whenever possible. However, in the essence of time and in an effort to facilitate the screening process, each committee member may be asked to contact one or more references. When phone references are conducted, it is important to use a standard set of questions. All comments received should be recorded and shared with the search committee. Additional references may always be requested after the actual interview and before any recommendations are made.