Faculty Handbook Section V| Faculty Handbook Section V |
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K. Summary of Faculty Search Guidelines
Note: The following statement is a summary of UNT's guidelines for faculty searches drawn from the University of North Texas Search Guidelines. The complete guidelines are available in all academic deans' offices as well as offices of the school/college affirmative action representative and the Willis Library.
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Before any search to fill a faculty position can begin, the position must be approved by the dean and, for a new faculty position, also by the Provost and Vice President for Academic Affairs.
Each school or college will have different means of selecting and providing authority to search committees. Search committee membership should, whenever possible, represent and reflect the diversity of the unit. It should represent the various divisions and program units of the department, school or college in which the position will reside and have female and ethnic minority representation. It also should reflect diversity of faculty rank and ideology.
The search committee chair may be appointed by the department chair in consultation with other administrators or faculty, or elected by the faculty, or even selected by another procedure as set forth by the school or college, department or division.
The charge to the search committee is given by the dean, department chair or designated faculty committee of the department or division (e.g., executive committee), or in some cases the committee may set its own charge. It is usually the responsibility of the search committee to write a job description, draft and place the position announcement, conduct a search that includes strategies set forth in the university's affirmative action plan, draft and send recruitment letters as well as other appropriate letters, establish job-related criteria and procedures for screening candidates, create a diverse pool of candidates, review and evaluate all candidates (including conducting reference checks and interviews for those under serious consideration), recommend a specific number of candidates, and complete and file all supportive documentation upon completion of the search. In announcing the position, the search committee may need to place notices in newsletters, journals or other forums that serve a large audience of women and/or minority faculty.
The initial meeting of the search committee should include the affirmative action representative of the school or college, or a representative from the Office of Equity and Diversity.
The search committee chair should send a thank-you letter to each applicant, plus any follow-up letters needed. Every inquiry, personal contact, telephone call (incoming or outgoing), or letter to or from a potential applicant should be recorded on a log form. Each individual who requests to be considered as an applicant should be given or sent a copy of the Confidential Statistical Data Sheet (see Appendix D in the Search Guidelines).
After initial screening, the search committee forms a short list of candidates who will be interviewed. The committee may wish to send the applicants on this list fact sheets and other information about the university and the academic unit. Applicants who do not make the short list should be notified.
Telephone interviews of references, a campus visit by the candidates, recommendation of the finalist, and a letter of offer (usually from the dean) follow, along with notification of the other finalists when an offer is accepted. The Minority Employment Review Form UPO-11 (Appendix I of the Search Guidelines) must be completed, usually by the search committee chair and reviewed and approved by the chair of the department or division, and forwarded to the Office of Equity and Diversity.