Search Committee Procedures and Affirmative Action
Policy Statement
Search committees will be convened for the following positions:
- Full-time faculty
- Executive Officers
- Deans
- Administrative Directors, as authorized by the appropriate vice president
Other searches will be conducted by the department head unless otherwise approved in writing by the appropriate vice president.
Procedures
The department head/chair of each search committee must schedule a meeting with the director of human resources department (HR) once approval is granted to fill an open position. The director of the human resources department (HR) or designee will inform the search committee as to the overall process and implicit bias early in the search process.
Initial Meeting
For faculty positions and faculty positions with administrative appointment, HR will coordinate with the Provost’s office. Search Committees will include department faculty members and a faculty member from another academic department. Departments will make every effort to form a diverse and interdisciplinary Search Committee. Exceptions to membership will be determined by the Provost.
For all other positions, HR will meet with the search committee members to discuss principles of an acceptable and appropriate search process, including confidentiality, appropriate interview questions, and the importance of structured interviews. While direct reports will not be assigned to search committees, the search committee will solicit input from the direct reports of the open position to help inform the search committee and potential candidates about the position. The director of HR can provide the chair with examples of appropriate questions to ask direct reports. Direct reports should be invited to attend candidate open forums and/or to participate in the interview process when candidates are brought to campus. Every effort will be made to ensure that direct reports have the opportunity to meet with candidates as a separate group. Direct reports’ feedback will be solicited separately.
Posting and advertising, if applicable, is reviewed for appropriateness.
Interview questions are reviewed by HR for bias and discrimination requirements.
The director of HR can discuss documentation requirements.
HR will provide relevant statistics regarding gender, race, and ethnicity. Prior to campus interviews and after obtaining the candidate’s permission, the search committee is responsible for checking references. All reference checks must be documented in writing.
On-going Process
Data collection forms relative to Affirmative Action guidelines are returned by candidates to the HR office and tallied.
The search committee chair will contact HR before interviews are set.
HR will inform the search committee chair if there are known minorities or females in the interview pool.
Process will continue if targeted groups are in the pool. In instances where there are no targeted groups, the search committee chair may be advised to continue the search to find targeted candidates.
HR will be available for consultation throughout the search.
Search committee interview notes must be kept and stored in the position folder on the University designated repository platform.
Related Policies
Related Committees
History
07/01/98 - Reaffirmed with publication of Faculty Manual
07/01/00 – Reaffirmed with publication of Faculty Manual 7.18
05/10/19 – Revisions approved by the President of the University as recommended by the Policy Committee of the University.