Conducting Searches: A Guide for Department Chairs and Search Committees

Click below to go directly to a specific section of the guide.

Introduction

Writing the Job Description

Constituting the Search Committee

Diversity and Equity

Receiving and Evaluating Applications

Interviewing

Structuring and Scheduling the On-Campus Visit

Closing the Deal

Recruiting International Scholars

Checklist for Department Chairs

INTRODUCTION

All full-time positions are to be filled pursuant to a search process.  The policies below pertain to searches for senior and tenure-track faculty.  These policies may be modified, with prior approval from the Dean, when departments seek to hire for visiting positions.  As noted below, all searches must be approved by the Dean before they begin.

Before taking pen to paper, the department should meet to discuss the position for which it would like to advertise.  Among the issues to be addressed are rank, desired research and instructional areas, expectations, perceived role in the department (e.g., scholar-teacher with administrative responsibilities – graduate chair, department chair, committee work, internship program), and the department's immediate and future needs.

The results of these deliberations should be brought to the Dean for his/her consideration. The Dean must approve the search before any further action can be taken. At this time, the department chair should file the Search Authorization Form and Recruitment Plan (available from the Dean's Office). The search process may begin once this form has been signed by the Dean. Please note that no advertisements may be placed until this form, indicating institutional approval of the search, has been signed.

After receiving approval to advertise, the department may then place an advertisement in the appropriate venues.  The ad should clearly state the position and rank. It should also include a brief description of desired research and instructional areas, required skills or experience, as well as a statement pertaining to equal opportunity employment and encouragement of women and minorities.  The ad should specify what is required for a complete application  (e.g., cover letter, statement of research and teaching interests, publications, writing sample, list of references, etc.); when review of the applications will begin and deadlines, if any; and where materials are to be sent, including name, position (e.g., Department Chair, secretary, Search Committee Chair), and address of the individual.  If the department plans to interview at a particular professional meeting, pertinent contact information should also be included.

The Dean's Office, after receiving information from all departments conducting searches, will post job information via a link from the CCAS web page.  To view the current version of that site, click here.

CONSTITUTING THE SEARCH COMMITTEE

Search committees are to be formed in consultation with the Dean of the Faculty of Arts and Sciences.  Once the committee has been finalized, the chair should provide the Dean's Office with the names of the committee members.

Before compiling the list of possible members of the committee, establish what the role of the committee will be.  For example, will the search committee review all applications and present to the department a short list of people that they recommend the department consider bringing to campus for an interview?  Or will the search committee review all of the applications, rank them (by criteria agreed upon by the department), and present the ranked list to the department for their consideration and determination of whom to invite for an interview?

Membership on search committees varies.  In some departments the entire department constitutes the search committee, in others only the tenured members of the department participate, and in still others a representation of fields and ranks is desired.  Preparing for a new hire is a good time to revisit the “traditions” of the past and to consider alternative models.

However, regardless of how the department chooses to constitute the search committee, search committees must have no fewer than four members (including the chair of the search committee, who may or may not be the department chair).  Small departments will need to involve members from related disciplines in the search process. Although these faculty will not have specific expertise in your departmental discipline, they will be able to add an important voice in your committee deliberations.  Since many departments are now offering or considering interdisciplinary courses and programs, faculty from cooperating departments might be asked to serve on the committee.  In constituting the committee, attention should also be given to the University's goal of promoting gender, ethnic and racial diversity.

DIVERSITY AND EQUITY

A successful search must begin with a plan to recruit a diverse pool of candidates, not only because it is necessary to comply with University regulations, but also because the University has a genuine commitment to attracting outstanding women and minority candidates. That is, both the letter and the spirit of University policy require vigorous efforts to recruit underrepresented groups, and a search that neglects such efforts may find its recommendation rejected, no matter how impressive the candidate.

The Faculty of Arts and Sciences in Camden has its own Diversity and Equity Committee. Since its composition changes regularly, the current list of committee assignments for Arts and Sciences will indicate the present membership. A member of the Diversity and Equity Committee is typically assigned as a liaison to each search. Although the Committee will have to approve the eventual recommendation as a part of the search process, the Diversity and Equity Committee should be regarded as a source of assistance rather than a hurdle to be cleared. It is a good idea to begin the search by sharing the details of your recruitment plan with the Committee, and you should not hesitate to seek advice from its members at any time during the process.

Wording the Announcement:

In addition to the usual job description and qualifications, the typical academic announcement ends with the statement that Rutgers is an "Equal Opportunity/Affirmative Action Employer." Although it is important to include such language, the fact that it is well known as obligatory boilerplate may fail to convey the sincerity of the University's commitment without further elaboration. Thus the statement should be supplemented by additional information likely to attract women and minority candidates. At the very least the announcement should include a statement such as "The University and department have a strong commitment to achieving diversity among faculty and staff, and we strongly encourage women and minorities to apply for this position." In addition, the statement might note the multi-ethnic nature of the student body and the community as well as, if appropriate, the presence of courses addressing issues of diversity in the departmental curriculum.

Circulating the Announcement:

Every discipline has its principal publication in which ads for open positions are placed, and there is an understandable tendency to think that anyone seeking an academic appointment would start there--indeed, that perhaps someone whose initial interest had to be engaged through some other source would not be a desirable candidate. However, some candidates may not feel that they will be comfortable in an institution unwilling to advertise in places of special interest to underrepresented groups. To be certain, it is important to throw the net as wide as possible. Here are some possibilities that you should consider as part of a thorough recruitment plan: Diverse Issues in Higher Education, Hispanic Outlook in Higher Education, and Women in Higher Education are good publications for display ads. In years when multiple searches are being conducted, the Dean's Office generally places a group advertisement in each of these journals listing all departments that are searching for a new member. The cost for these ads is shared by the departments whose searches are represented. We also display information about our searches on the FAS website, including the full text of the job advertisement. Our jobs are also posted on the New Jersey Higher Education Recruitment Consortium's website. In many disciplines there are specialized newsletters for professionals in particular ethnic groups. If you are unaware of such publications, your field's professional association may be able to provide the relevant information; alternatively, you may wish to seek advice from the Diversity and Equity Committee.

Many fields have listservs or other on-line discussion groups oriented toward women or minorities on which the job announcement can be posted. For example, the Midwest Consortium of Latino Research maintains an e-mail network that will accept job notices.

Contacting Candidates as Individuals:

In addition to advertising in the above outlets, another effective recruiting method is to identify specific minority professionals with the appropriate specialization and invite their application in a letter from the chair of the department or search committee. Here are some good sources to investigate:

• Information about the Minority and Women Doctoral Directory, which offers a list of recent doctorates in each discipline together with their field of specialization, thesis advisor, and dissertation title, can be found on their website, from which you can order appropriate directory listings from various academic fields.
• Some professional associations maintain a database of minority professionals that can be searched to identify individuals with a particular specialty.
• Diverse Issues in Higher Education publishes a list of the graduate schools that, in each field, have awarded the most doctorates to African Americans, Hispanics, and Asian Americans. A letter to department chairs at these institutions could ask them for the names of recent doctorates who might be seeking positions.

A final observation: The point to these many efforts is not to mandate the gender or ethnicity of the successful applicant, but rather to ensure that all reasonable measures have been taken to open the process to all qualified individuals. A search that takes this responsibility seriously should have no problem.

RECEIVING AND EVALUATING APPLICATIONS

As applications are received, it is crucial that they be kept in a secure location to be seen only by members of the search committee and other tenured faculty of the department.  An ongoing list should be compiled of each applicant including name, address, telephone number, and email address.  A return letter from the department chair or chair of the search committee acknowledging the arrival of application materials should be sent promptly to the applicant.  It is imperative that all applicants receive such a letter, so that they are aware that their application has been properly handled.  The committee may also wish to notify applicants of any missing materials.

Search Committee Deliberations:

Members of the search committee should have a minimum of three working days to review the applications before a committee meeting is called.  Because it is sometimes difficult to assess the qualifications of each candidate, the search committee may wish to quantify the process by using a rating sheet developed by the department chair and/or the committee.  In this way, each candidate will receive a numerical score, which can be used during the meeting to help with the deliberation process.

Although each department has its own specific requirements for such a rating sheet, here is an example of one currently in use.  In this particular rating procedure, which includes five categories, the search committee members are asked to judge specific qualities, using 10 as the highest score and 1 as the lowest for a possible total of 50.

Categories to be rated:

1. Academic credentials
2. Teaching experience
3. Expertise in specific discipline
4. Professional/scholarly record
5. Potential for future significant scholarship

After the search committee has narrowed the field to an initial short list of three candidates, their applications and CVs should be sent immediately to the Dean's Office.  The search committee chair will then consult with the Dean before inviting the candidates to the campus.

INTERVIEWING

[Some of the information in this section was compiled with the aid of English Showalter, et al.  The MLA Guide to the Job Search:  A Handbook for Departments and for PhDs and PhD Candidates in English and Foreign Languages (New York:  Modern Language Association, 1996).]

Some departments routinely conduct off-campus interviews, but some proceed directly to on-campus interviews (see below).

 Off-campus interviews are preliminary to campus interviews, which include only finalists.  Whereas departments might invite only three candidates to come to campus, they might interview as many as 12-15 candidates at off-campus interviews.  These interviews give search committees and candidates a chance to learn about one another with a minimum of time and commitment expended by either party.  They usually last no more than an hour and take place at a neutral location, often at a hotel suite or job center at the discipline's annual convention.  The search committee should be certain to follow the guidelines of its discipline's professional organization with regard to conducting interviews during the annual meeting.

 In fields in which off-campus interviewing is routine, candidates normally expect to attend the annual convention and pay their own expenses.  However, if a candidate is unable to attend, the department might suggest a telephone interview as an alternative.  As many members of the search committee as possible should plan to attend the annual convention.

 The committee should make every effort to insure that the interview proceeds smoothly, and should extend every courtesy to the candidate.  For example, if the interview is in a hotel, candidates should know how to contact the chair of the search committee upon arrival for the interview. Interviews should be spaced so that there is adequate time between them.  Candidates should not be left waiting in the hallway while the committee concludes an interview with a previous candidate.  If special instructions about transportation or location are necessary, the chair of the search committee should supply them.

 Although conversations with candidates take their own directions, the format and content of the interviews should be uniform.  This will insure that candidates are treated fairly and the committee collects similar information on which to evaluate candidates.  The committee might draw up a list of questions and topics in advance to discuss during the interview and agree on a rating system for candidates.  The committee might use a ranking sheet like the one used to screen applications or adopt a simple holistic scale of 1-3, with 1 the highest ranking.  Individual committee members might be responsible for posing certain questions so that the committee's priorities are addressed in each interview.

 The interview questions should not simply rehearse the candidate's c.v. but provide information needed to assess qualities and competencies important to the department.  For example, the committee might learn about the candidate's self-presentation as a colleague and teacher, direction of future research, ideas for curriculum development, and other areas consistent with department and college priorities.  There should be time for the candidate to ask questions, usually at the end.  Both parties should know how to contact each other; for example, if a break is approaching, exchange home telephone numbers or discuss use of email.  The chair should also tell the candidate about the committee's timetable and the next steps of the interview process.

STRUCTURING AND SCHEDULING THE ON-CAMPUS VISIT
 

Invitation to Campus:

 Once the search committee or department has narrowed the search and decided on a short list of candidates who will be invited to campus, invitations are to be made by telephone to the applicants.  During one or more phone calls, the following details are arranged:  mutually acceptable date to travel to Rutgers-Camden for the interview, number of days in the area, travel and local arrangements (the candidate is usually expected to make airline reservations and submit the receipts for reimbursement), and the structure of the on-campus schedule.  The person arranging these details must know on which dates the Dean is available to meet with the candidate.  The date and time of the meeting with the Dean must be confirmed prior to finalizing travel arrangements.  The schedule for the day should be provided to the candidate prior to their visit.  Information about the campus and/or the Delaware Valley can be forwarded to the candidate as well.

Local Arrangements:

Housing:  Candidates are not to be housed in the home of any member of the faculty, administration, or staff.  The search chair should check with the Purchasing Office for a list of discounted hotels in the area. On-campus housing (in the apartments) may offer an alternative.

Transportation:  Be sure to arrange for the candidate to be met at (and returned to) the airport or train/bus station.  Arrangements should also be made for getting the candidate back and forth from the hotel to campus as well as to and from various meals.  If the candidate is driving to campus, arrange for parking.

On-Campus Facilities:  An appropriate facility for the candidate's seminar(s) or lecture(s) should be reserved.

On-Campus Schedule:

A typical schedule for the campus visit of a candidate includes arrangements for breakfast, lunch, and/or dinner with members of the search committee and the department; appointments with the department chair as well as members of the department (individually or collectively) and other relevant faculty; an opportunity for the candidate to meet and talk with students (if so desired); a tour of the campus; an appointment with the Dean; and a seminar, lecture, or research presentation.

 The committee should make very effort to insure that the interview itself proceeds smoothly, with every courtesy extended to the candidate.  Whether or not the particular candidate will become the first choice of the department or search committee, the candidate should be treated with respect and warm hospitality.  The candidate should leave believing that Rutgers-Camden is a wonderful place to work even if s/he is not offered the position.

 If the candidate will be in the area for more than one day, other suggestions include dinner the previous evening with a small group of faculty and/or students, a visit to Philadelphia's historic district and/or museums, a tour of the area that features schools and housing, or an invitation to campus events that occur during the visit.

Meeting with the Dean:

Schedule a meeting for 45 minutes.  The appointment with the Dean must not be the first meeting scheduled, but rather should occur after the candidate has at least met with the chair and, preferably, with other faculty members.  Make sure someone drops the candidate off at the Dean's Office and returns to collect the candidate at the appointed times.  The Dean's goals for the meeting are to (1) judge whether the candidate seems like a good fit in terms of the position that was approved ; (2) observe teaching ability and collegiality as reflected in the ability to interact in the meeting, (3) make a sales pitch about why the campus is a good place and why the candidate should come if offered the position; and (4) provide some information about the institution, such as tenure and promotion policies and the relation of the campuses.  Generally, the dean will not discuss specific teaching responsibilities (chair's job), exact salary (to be determined after a decision has been made to hire), or the specific terms of a start-up package (determined after a candidate has been selected and in consultation with the department chair).

CLOSING THE DEAL

Only the Dean has the authority to make an official offer of employment. No suggestion of an offer to a candidate should be made until all of the invited candidates have been interviewed, the department has met to make its recommendation, and the Dean has approved that choice.  Once the department has decided that it wants to make an offer to a candidate, the chair must consult the Dean to insure that the candidate and the financial terms the department recommends are acceptable to the Dean.  The Dean will want to see that the salary level and any start up costs (lab equipment, personal computers, initial research or travel funds) are consistent with what is being offered in similar departments at Rutgers and comparable universities. At this time, the Dean also consults with the Provost, to obtain his/her approval of the offer.  The candidate may not be contacted until the approval of the Dean and Provost has been secured.  In addition, the Faculty Recruitment Form (UPF-1F) must be filed with the Dean's Office prior to an offer being made.

Once the Dean has indicated that s/he will approve the offer, the chair should call the candidate and indicate that the department has decided to recommend an official offer and that the Dean will approve the recommendation. The chair should outline the terms of the offer, and answer any questions the candidate might have. This would be a good time to make sure the candidate knows about the general benefits Rutgers offers in terms of health insurance, pensions, sabbaticals, library, computing, and recreational facilities, AAUP representation, grievance procedures and protections, and the like.

Please note that hiring a foreign national will generate immigration and labor certification paperwork.  Guidance on these prrocedures can be found at the website of the Center for International Faculty and Student Services.  You should use the website as a starting point, but should also contact the Center directly for guidance (732-932-7015).

The chair should determine as best s/he can if the candidate will accept the offer. Is Rutgers-Camden the kind of place where the candidate would feel comfortable and like to be?  Are the salary and start up package (where applicable) acceptable?  Does the candidate want to negotiate increases?  Does the candidate have another offer, or is s/he expecting another offer and wants to wait before indicating that a Rutgers offer would be accepted?  Are there any other factors that might delay a decision or lead to a candidate declining the offer?

The chair should explain that it takes a week or two for the official contract offer to materialize.  The Affirmative Action and Appointments and Promotions Committees need to sign off on the candidate.  If the candidate indicates approval of the terms of the offer, the chair and the department should stay in contact with the candidate while waiting for the contract to be issued, signed, and returned.  Keep reinforcing the message that the department faculty is pleased the candidate has decided to come to Rutgers-Camden.  Encourage faculty with common interests to contact the candidate to reinforce the message. Beginning to build a relationship with the new faculty member even before the deal is closed will help ensure that it does get closed.

If the candidate asks for more money or a better package, the chair can indicate that s/he is willing to consult with the Dean to see what can be done.  Again, the Dean must approve any changes in the terms of the offer.  The chair should explain that any information the candidate can supply will be vital in helping improve the terms of the Rutgers offer to the candidate.  For example, if the candidate has already received another offer, it is helpful to know which school it is from, what the terms are, and whether it is a formal or informal offer.  If it is a formal offer with a salary figure that Rutgers must match or exceed, it would be appropriate to ask for a copy of the offer.

When the Dean sends out a contract, it includes a clause specifying that it must be signed and returned within a relatively short period, usually two weeks, or the offer becomes void.  At this stage, most candidates will either sign or decline.  But if a candidate receives the contract and asks for an extension of the time period, the chair should find out the reasons for the extension and how much more time the candidate needs.  The chair should contact the Dean, discuss the reasons, and make a recommendation in light of all the circumstances, including the likelihood that other potential candidates might be lost if the first choice candidate does turn down the offer after all.  If the candidate is far superior to the second choice, it may be best to grant the extension and plan to search again the next year if the first choice eventually chooses not to accept.  If there are one or more candidates very close to the first choice in quality, it may be appropriate simply to stick with the original terms.

RECRUITING INTERNATIONAL SCHOLARS

When a foreign national is hired for a tenure-track position, the University initially sponsors the individual for a temporary H-1B visa. The employing department is then expected to initiate the "green card" (permanent residence) process shortly after the individual begins working at Rutgers. Rutgers generally uses one of two paths to sponsor a foreign faculty member for a green card: "PERM" or "Outstanding Professor/Researcher." Whereas the latter requires us to document ways in which the individual meets "outstanding" eligibility requirements as established by regulations of the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS, formerly INS), the PERM option requires us to document that the employing department has conducted a recruitment effort in keeping with regulations of the U.S. Department of Labor (DOL).

Departments planning to conduct tenure-track faculty searches this fall should bear in mind that if a foreign national emerges as the top candidate in your search, Rutgers' sponsorship of that candidate for a PERM-based green card will be possible only if your department is able to document that your search followed DOL recruitment regulations. Given that there is always a chance in any search that the top candidate may be a foreign national, and given that the DOL's PERM recruitment rules begin with the placing of the first advertisement for the position, we strongly recommend that you comply with DOL rules for every search your department conducts for tenure-track faculty.

DOL rules for PERM applications require the following to occur in a faculty recruitment process:

1. At least one advertisement for the position must be placed in a printed national professional journal; online job announcements do not meet DOL requirements.
   
2. The printed journal ad must include at least the following information: job title, duties, and requirements for the position. Job duties can be described generically, e.g., "teaching and research in Physics," but advertisements must be very specific in stating the academic or professional degree required. This is because if a foreign national is ultimately hired he or she must meet the specified degree requirement in order for Rutgers to sponsor the person for a PERM-based green card. Thus, for example, if the advertisement states "PhD required" and you hire a foreign national in ABD status, he or she will not be eligible for PERM-based green card sponsorship, and the department would then have to wait several years or more for green card sponsorship until the individual could meet eligibility criteria for "Outstanding Professor or Researcher."
   
3. There must be a "final [written] report of the faculty, student, and/or administrative body making the recommendation or selection of the alien at the completion of the competitive recruitment and selection process." The report must be signed and dated by the department or search committee chairperson, and it must include reference to the specific date on which the foreign national was "selected" for the job.
   
4. The PERM application must be submitted to DOL within 18 months of the date on which the "final report" (described in 3, above) states the foreign national was "selected." As there are additional deadlines that must be met at least one month prior to Rutgers filing the PERM application, departments should work with the Center for International Faculty and Student Services to have an initial draft of the PERM materials ready for review by the end of the foreign national's first semester on the job. Additional information on the regulations mentioned above can be found on the website of the Center for International Faculty and Student Services under "For Departments at Rutgers."

If you have further questions, please contact the Center.

POST-SEARCH

 If the committee agreed to return materials to candidates, they should do so at the conclusion of the search.

Once the search has been concluded and a signed contract received by the Dean's Office, a letter must be sent to all unsuccessful applicants notifying them that the search process is over.  This letter provides an opportunity to present Rutgers-Camden in a good light, even to a job candidate who might be disappointed in the outcome of the search.

CHECKLIST FOR DEPARTMENT CHAIRS

WRITING THE JOB DESCRIPTION

_____ 1.  Discuss with members of department the desired qualifications and responsibilities of the position.

_____  2. File Search Authorization Form and Recruitment Planwith Dean; delay advertisement of position until form has been signed by Dean.

_____ 3.  Develop a job advertisement that includes (a) position and rank, (b) a description of research and instructional areas, (c) required skills and experience, (d) a statement of what items need to be submitted, (e) a statement pertaining to equal employment opportunity and affirmative action, (f) a deadline, if any, for receipt of materials, (g) the date on which the department will begin to review materials, and (h) the name and address to which applications should be sent.

_____ 4.  Advertise the position in appropriate venues and, if interviewing at a particular professional meeting, provide pertinent contact information.

CONSTITUTING THE SEARCH COMMITTEE

_____ 1.  Establish the role that the search committee will play in the hiring process.

_____ 2.  Consult with the Dean's Office with regard to membership on the search committee, particularly when including members from related departments.

_____ 3.  Name a search committee of no fewer than four members.

AFFIRMATIVE ACTION

_____ 1.  Contact campus's Affirmative Action Committee at outset of the search to share details of your affirmative action plan.

_____ 2.  Include statement in job announcement and description that encourages applications from qualified women and ethnic minorities.

_____ 3.  Contact your discipline's professional association for information about specialized listservs/newsletters/venues for members of particular ethnic groups or women, and advertise the position at these sites.

______ 4.  Utilize sources (e.g., Minority and Women Doctoral Directory and the directory of the National Minority Faculty Identification Program) to identify potential candidates and contact them, inviting applications.

RECEIVING AND EVALUATING APPLICATIONS

_____ 1.  Set up a search committee to evaluate candidates.

_____ 2.  Log in applications, keeping a list including name, address, telephone number, and e-mail address.

_____  3.  Notify each candidate by mail or e-mail that their applications have been received, indicating if there are any missing items in the application.

_____ 4.  Allow members of the search committee sufficient time (minimally three working days) to review applications.

_____ 5.  Develop a rating sheet to facilitate assessment of candidates' qualifications.

_____ 6.  Arrange and conduct off-campus interviews, if appropriate.

_____  7.  Select a list of no more than three candidates for initial on-campus interviews.

INTERVIEWING

_____ 1.  Be sure that interviews with all candidates contain common questions in order to facilitate comparison.

_____ 2.  Leave time for each candidate to ask questions, usually at the end of the interview.

STRUCTURING AND SCHEDULING THE ON-CAMPUS VISIT

_____ 1.  Contact the Dean's Office to determine the Dean's availability to meet candidates.

_____ 2.  Phone candidates to arrange visits.

_____ 3.  Make accommodations arrangements for candidates, either on or off campus.

_____  4.  Make reservations for meals and for meeting rooms.

_____  5.  Arrange a time and location for the candidate's lecture or seminar presentation.

_____  6.  Inform the candidate in advance of the schedule for his/her visit.

CLOSING THE DEAL

_____ 1.  Decide, as a department, to which candidate an offer should be made.

_____ 2.  Contact the Dean with the department's decision;  only the Dean has the authority to make an official offer of employment.

_____ 3.  File the Faculty Recruitment Form (UPF-1F) with the Dean's Office.

_____ 4.  Once the Dean's approval has been obtained, call the candidate to tender the offer, outline the terms of the offer, inform the candidate of the general benefits Rutgers offers (e.g., health insurance, pensions, sabbaticals, union representation, etc.), and answer any questions the candidate has.

_____ 5.  Inform the candidate that it might take several weeks for the official contract to be received, but stay in contact with the candidate during this period

_____ 6.  Serve as a conduit between Dean and candidate if the candidate asks for more money or a better package

POST-SEARCH

_____ 1.  If necessary, return materials to candidates.

_____ 2.  Once a signed contract has been received by the Dean's Office, signifying the completion of the search, notify all candidates that the search has been concluded.

_____ 3. If you arehiring an international schoalr, be sure that all approrpiate forms are completed on time.