Faculty Search and Screen Policies and Procedures
PSF 12/09-10

Step 1 – Appoint the Search and Screen Committee

 

Upon receipt of Position Authorization Request (PAR) approval, the Department Chair and departmental Executive Committee will select the Search and Screen Committee (SSC) members and chair.  The SSC should consist of 4-7 members with appropriate experience and expertise.  The membership should be diverse with respect to gender and ethnicity.  Faculty members from outside the hiring department as well as non-faculty members may serve on faculty search and screen committees, but a majority of the members must be faculty and the chair must be a faculty member from the hiring department.  All faculty search and screen committees must include a student member.  (Student representation is mandated by PSF 3/98-99, adopted by the Faculty Senate October 6, 1998.)   The SSC Chair will submit the Search and Screen Committee Membership to the Office of Human Resources (OHR) for review.  The Academic Department Associate for the hiring department will normally serve as staff to the SSC.

Soon after submitting the Committee Membership, the SSC Chair will schedule a meeting for committee members with representatives from OHR, who will provide training and resource materials for completing the search and screen process in an effective and legally compliant manner.

Step 2 – Define the Recruitment Process

 

The SSC Chair will work with OHR to develop a recruitment plan and a schedule for its implementation.  The plan will include the following items:

Recruitment announcement and advertisement.

List of publications where the advertisement will be placed.

Deadline for submitting applications.

Initial applicant screening evaluation tool.

Deadline for completing initial reviews of application packets.

Approximate dates for phone and on-campus interviews

Approximate date for submitting final recommendations.

The qualifications in the position description that was approved with the PAR will be used to create all position announcements and advertisements, and to determine what criteria will be used in the initial screening tool.

Prior to incurring expenses, all advertising costs must be submitted to the Provost for review and approval. 

Step 3 – Applicant Screening

 

As applications are received, applicants will promptly receive an acknowledgement letter, signed by the SSC Chair, and any necessary forms.  The acknowledgement letter will inform candidates that their applications have been received, advise them regarding the completeness of the materials submitted, and ask them to complete and return the Affirmative Action Self Identification Form.  The letter will also inform them that should they become finalists for the position, their references may be contacted by telephone, their terminal degree will be verified, official transcripts of all undergraduate and graduate academic work will be requested, and a criminal background check (CBC) will be conducted.  The Academic Department Associate will be responsible for sending the acknowledgement letters.

The SSC Chair will notify OHR when the committee is ready to begin the initial screening of applicants.  OHR, in consultation with the Provost will review the applicant pool with regard to campus diversity goals and certify the applicant pool or recommend that the recruitment process be extended.  If the Provost and OHR give approval to continue the search, then the SSC will hold one or more meetings to conduct an initial review of the candidates using the criteria and initial applicant screening tool developed and approved in step 2.  These and all committee meetings at which candidates are discussed may be held in closed session according to Wis. Stats. 19.85(1)(c).

Candidates not meeting the required qualifications may be eliminated from further consideration at this point.  Such candidates should be notified by the Academic Department Associate that they are no longer being considered for the position.

Step 4 – Interviews

After the initial screening of all candidates, the SSC will vote to approve a slate of candidates for telephone interviews, or for on-campus interviews.

If the SSC chooses to conduct telephone interviews, a list of candidates selected for telephone interviews will be submitted to OHR, along with documentation to explain the SSC’s decision-making process.  The SSC will also develop questions for the telephone interviews and submit them to OHR for compliance review.  The SSC may consult with the departmental Executive Committee at this point regarding its selections.

After the telephone interviews are completed, the SSC will vote to approve a slate of candidates for on-campus interviews, or elect to conduct additional telephone interviews.

Once a slate of candidates for on-campus interviews is approved by the SSC, a list of these candidates will be submitted to OHR along with documentation to explain the SSC’s decision-making process.  The list will also be submitted to the Provost using the Request for On-Campus Interviews Form.  After receiving approval for the on-campus interviews from the Provost, the SSC Chair will provide copies of (or access to) the selected candidates’ application letters, vitae and other application materials to the Department Chair, the departmental Executive Committee, the Dean of the College or School and the Provost.

After receiving approval for the on-campus interviews, the SSC will develop an on-campus interview agenda and interview questions, and submit these materials to OHR for compliance review.  The Candidate Campus Visits information in the Search and Screen Guidelines packet should be used for assistance in planning campus visits.

Applicants selected for on-campus interviews will be sent the Applicants Selected for Interview Letter, signed by the SSC Chair.  This letter will be sent by the Academic Department Associate and may be sent by e-mail.

The SSC Chair will schedule the interviews after consulting with the candidates.  Before finalizing the interview schedule, the SSC Chair will confirm the interview dates with the departmental Executive Committee, the Dean of the College or School, and the Provost, and receive final approval of travel expenses from the Provost.  The SSC Chair should work with the Department of Business Services on coordinating any necessary travel forms. 

Telephone reference checks are recommended for candidates invited for on-campus interviews.  If the SSC chooses to conduct telephone reference checks, they must be conducted for all interviewees and should be conducted as soon after the campus visit as possible.  

The Office of the Provost will work with OHR to obtain consent to conduct a CBC from each interviewee.

Step 5 – Deliberations & Final Offer

 

After the interview process is completed, the SSC Chair will submit its recommendations, including descriptions of the strengths and weaknesses of each candidate interviewed, to the departmental Executive Committee.  The Provost will meet with the Dean of the College or School, the Department Chair, the departmental Executive Committee and the SSC Chair to discuss the candidates’ strengths and weaknesses.  (This provision is not intended to mandate a single meeting among all of these groups and individuals.)

Following the meeting with the Provost, the departmental Executive Committee will review the finalists, and forward the names of the finalist or finalists receiving their affirmative recommendation to the Dean of the College or School and the Provost.  If none of the candidates receives the affirmative recommendation of the departmental Executive Committee, the departmental Executive Committee may recommend that additional interviews be conducted.

Upon  receiving the affirmative recommendation of the departmental Executive Committee, and after consultation with the Dean of the College or School, the Provost, acting on behalf of or at the direction of the Chancellor, will promptly provide an affirmative recommendation of the finalist or finalists, or will recommend further steps be taken by the SSC or departmental Executive Committee. Recommended further steps may include extension or closure of the search.  OHR will be notified of the Provost’s decision, a draft of the letter of offer will be sent to OHR for review, and then to the finalist selected for hire.  Official transcripts of all academic work will be requested and a CBC will be conducted on the candidate selected for hire.

If the candidate does not accept the offer and the departmental Executive Committee gave their affirmative recommendation to more than one candidate, then the Provost will follow the steps noted above for another one of the candidates.  If the candidate does not accept the offer and the departmental Executive Committee did not give their affirmative recommendation to more than one candidate, then the departmental Executive Committee may elect to give their affirmative recommendation to another candidate or candidates.

Step 6 – Close Search

 

Once the letter of offer is signed by the candidate, all active candidates will be notified that the search is closed by the Academic Department Associate.

The Academic Department Associate and the SSC Chair will work with OHR to complete all data entry and arrange for final disposition of the recruitment file.