Guidelines for Recruiting Tenure-Track Faculty

The departmental search committee should meet with the Department Chair to draft the position announcement/advertisement once authorization is granted from the Office of the Provost and the Dean of the College for the search to begin (Appendix A, Request for Action on Vacancy)*. The announcement/advertisement must contain statements specifying the rank at which the candidate is to be employed, that the position is tenure-earning, the minimum required qualifications and credentials, a reference to EKU's competitive compensation, application instructions and contact information. The announcement/advertisement should contain a request for a list of at least three references, together with their telephone numbers and e-mail addresses. At this stage of the process, it is generally counterproductive to request letters of recommendation. The announcement/advertisement should state the date on which the initial review of applications will begin and should clearly state that the search will continue until the position is filled. The following statement must be included at the end of the announcement/advertisement:

Eastern Kentucky University is an Equal Opportunity/Affirmative Action Employer.

In order to facilitate the review process, it is recommended that a draft of the announcement/advertisement be shared with the College Dean, the Equal Opportunity Office, and the Provost as early as possible in the process. A 24-48 hour turnaround is promised by those three offices.

Two versions of the advertisement should be prepared. The longer version is for use in less expensive media and the shorter is for use in the more expensive media. The longer version should be posted on the Department's home page. Each advertisement should contain the appropriate web address where the full announcement can be found.

The advertisement plan for the position should include a cost estimate (See Appendix B, AA-1 Form)*. Human Resources can provide that information based on a draft of the announcement/advertisement.

It is also recommended that departments prepare an attractive announcement of the position to be sent to colleagues at similar departments across the country, and make every effort to identify and solicit a broad pool of qualified applicants.

Appropriate paperwork (Appendix B, AA-1 Form)* is to be filed with the Equal Opportunity Officer, the College Dean and the Provost.

<

Each search committee is to select a Chair and have it understood that the committee Chair is the only contact person for communications with the candidates.

The Chair of the search committee is to keep all records from the search, including CVs and related materials from all applicants, evaluations of each applicant, notes from all reference calls made, and interview notes. At the end of the search process, the entire file should be transferred to the College Office for storage for five years.

The search committee is to develop a clear set of selection criteria for evaluating applicants and a search process timetable.

Each applicant is to be screened for minimum education and experience requirements. If an individual does not satisfy these requirements, the individual is not a qualified applicant and should not be given further consideration for the position. A letter should be sent to any such individual clarifying the status of the individual's application.

After initial screening under item 10 above, each remaining application received should be acknowledged, and the affirmative action compliance information form and a postage-paid envelope provided by the Equal Opportunity Office should be included with the acknowledgment.

The search committee will then conduct an initial review of the applicants and provide the Department Chair and the Dean with a summary of the applicant pool. At this point, a review of the candidate pool will be made by the Dean to ensure that it is a viable pool of applicants. If it is determined that it is not, the search can be continued or reopened at a later date.

The search committee will rigorously apply the stated criteria to the applicant pool to develop a list of semi-finalists. Careful notes must be kept as to the reason(s) why each applicant does or does not meet the criteria. These notes must be retained as a part of the search file.

The search committee will check the listed references of the semi-finalists. References can be collected in the form of traditional letters, faxed letters, e-mail communications, or telephone calls to the references. Telephone reference checks have been proven to be very effective means of gathering a good deal of information about candidates in a timely manner. Careful notes of any telephone conversation need to be kept as part of the applicants= files.

If reference checks are made by telephone, the caller should use a script so that the same topics are covered with each reference call for each candidate. (It is understood, though, that as in any conversation, the discussion can go in many directions. The important point is that at least the same topics are covered in each reference call.)

It is important through the search process that candidates are kept informed as to the status of the search process.

It is imperative that throughout the search process all candidates, internal and external, are treated exactly the same. No candidate should be given more or less of an advantage.

Following reference checks, the search committee may choose to arrange to do video interviews or telephone conference calls with some of the semi-finalists for the purpose of exploring key issues with a larger group of candidates than be brought on to campus. Once again, a script should be developed and followed for each discussion with a candidate. And records of those discussions must be kept as part of the search file.

The search committee will submit up to three finalists for on-campus interviews. (In extraordinary circumstances either less or more candidate interviews may be approved.) Prior to inviting any candidates to campus, the Chair of the search committee should review the status of the search with the Dean. The search committee must be able to articulate why the proposed interviewees were selected for on-campus interviews. The Chair of the search committee and the Dean must ensure that all qualified applicants were given equitable employment consideration. Complete Appendix C (AA-1.1 Form)* and forward to the College Dean. After all approvals, forward a copy to the Equal Opportunity Office.

The search committee together with the Department Chair shall plan the campus visits of the finalists. Appointments should be scheduled with the College Dean as well as with other appropriate individuals. Interviews may also be scheduled with the Provost if judged to be appropriate. Copies of the finalists= resumes should be shared with each person with whom an interview meeting is scheduled.

Planning for the campus visits of candidates should be done as much in advance of the visit as possible. Efforts should be made to bring in candidates on a Saturday for two reasons: 1) the air fare is less expensive, and 2) the candidate will have better opportunity to experience the Richmond area in a leisurely fashion before formal interviewing begins. It is hoped that departments will also use the weekend for informal socializing with candidates.

Departments working in conjunction with their College Offices should prepare complete informational packets to be mailed to the candidates well in advance of their campus visits.

All individuals who will interact with the candidates should be counseled on the legal considerations of an interview and the fact that good candidates will be interviewing us as much as we will be interviewing them.

Cost containment is also an issue in searches. In addition to controlling the high costs of air fares, departments should consider housing candidates in an area hotel with whom we have a negotiated rate for two reasons. First, the university has established a negotiated rate per room per night with the following hotels/bed & breakfast: Best Western Holiday Plaza-$50.00, Best Western Road Star Inn-$45.00, Red Roof Inn-$43.00, Comfort Suites-$48.60, Hampton Inn-$64.00 and the Bennett House-$75.00. Second, the university has negotiated a direct billing process so that departments will not have to charge their accounts and then get reimbursed. Hosted meals should be kept within reason. While it is important to provide candidates with gracious hospitality, it is also important to keep the cost of hosted meals under control. No more than two to three individuals should be included in candidate meals.

While on campus, candidates should meet with as broad of a range of persons as possible. A formal feedback mechanism, preferably a written form developed in advance by the search committee, should be provided for everyone who meets with the candidates.

Questions about salary should be referred to the Dean. Candidates can be told that our salaries are very competitive. But the actual salary for a position is not determined until the top candidate is identified. At that time, a series of discussions occur between the Chair, the Dean and the Provost about the appropriate salary following an analysis of national data from at least two to three sources.

Following the campus visits of all finalists, the search committee will meet with the Department Chair to discuss the candidates in relation to the stated criteria, assess the feedback received on the candidates, and provide a listing of "acceptable" and "unacceptable" candidates to forward to the Dean together with a narrative of their relative strengths and weaknesses.

Recommendation regarding recommended candidates, rank and salary are to be forwarded to the Dean, who in turn, will discuss them with the Provost. Following that discussion, final paperwork (See Appendix D, the AA-2)* will be prepared for approval by the Department Chair, the Dean, the Provost, and for review by the Equal Opportunity Officer. Once approval to proceed is given, the Dean will authorize an offer of employment to be made. If the offeree accepts the position, the Dean's office will prepare the PAF-1.

NOTE: The hiree is not to begin work until a fully executed contract is in place.

Care should be taken following a hiring that the transition to Eastern Kentucky University is made as smooth as possible for the new colleague. Frequent contact should occur between the new colleague and the home department during the period of transition to EKU.

Departments should develop formal mentoring programs for new faculty members which should begin in the first semester of employment at EKU.

*All forms referenced in these Guidelines are available at

http://www.forms.eku.edu

Top