Committee. The Provost, in consultation with the department chair and the Committee on Faculty, identifies an Ad Hoc Search Committee. For tenure-track searches, the group usually includes the area chair, the department chair, continuing full-time department faculty members, a faculty member from the same area but not from the department, a faculty member from outside the area, and two students. In large departments, the chair in consultation with the department may limit the number of departmental faculty serving on the committee, but care should be taken to ensure appropriate representation with regard to rank as well as gender and ethnicity. The department chair usually leads the search committee. All search candidate files, communications, and committee proceedings are confidential.
For non-tenure-track searches, the composition with regard to the Area Chair, departmental faculty, and students is the same, but faculty outside the department are not required.
Criteria. The department, in consultation with the Area Chair and the Provost, determines the specifics of education and specialization criteria appropriate for the position. The criteria for the position should be prioritized and be as inclusive as possible.
Advertisement. In consultation with the Provost, the department chair writes a brief advertisement of the position. The advertisement should include the following: the department and the academic level of the position; the date at which evaluation of candidates begins; the name of the person to whom to send applications, vitae, and letters of recommendation; and the fact that Hendrix is an Equal Opportunity Employer and encourages the development of a diverse academic community. Model advertisements appear in the appendix.
In consultation with the Provost, the department chair selects appropriate print and electronic placement of the advertisement and determines the timing of the placement. The department chair also coordinates any other communication of the position through the networking of professional colleagues. Advertisement placement costs are paid through the Office of Academic Affairs.
Candidate Review and Selection. On or after the stated date for the evaluation of candidates to begin, the chair of the Search Committee convenes the Committee to discuss the method of reviewing and rating of applicants. Depending on the timing of the search and the number of candidates, the Search Committee review may include one or more of the following ways to move toward a list of finalists to be brought to campus for interviews:
- preliminary sorting of candidate dossiers by department members;
- initial interviews of selected candidates at professional meetings attended by some members of the search committee;
- telephone or e-mail contacts by the Chair of the Search Committee to answer specific questions about individual candidates;
- telephone interviews of semi-finalists by a subcommittee of the search committee.
In most cases, two or sometimes three finalists are selected for campus interviews. The Search Committee coordinates and oversees on-campus interviews.The President, or the President’s designee, meets each candidate during the on-campus interview.
After the campus interviews the Search Committee, by formal action, recommends a candidate to the President, stating the Committee’s reasons for its choice. The Committee on Faculty presents a separate formal recommendation to the President. The President can ask either Committee for further consideration of candidates or for a reopening of the search. The President makes the final decision and send the letter of appointment. The Board of Trustees formally elects new faculty at the following board meeting.
Search Process. The appropriate area or building secretary maintains the confidential candidate files and communications and provides support for the candidate review process. During the review process, the folders must be kept under reasonable security, and all telephone and e-mail communications with candidates should be documented.
During the search all applicants should be kept informed of progress. In particular, by the end of the search, all applicants should have received a final letter of rejection (or appointment). Rejection letters should be sent to applicants as early as reasonably possible. After completion of the search, all documents in the search are to be delivered to the Office of Academic Affairs for storage in compliance with EEOC regulations.
Any variances from the above descriptions of the search process must be approved in advance by the Committee on Faculty in consultation with the President.