Search Committees

The role of the search committee is to actively search for qualified candidates and to evaluate the applicants based on the stated requirements and criteria in the job ad.

Composition

When considering the size and composition of your search committee, keep in mind:

• The Provost’s Office expects that all search committees will include at least one member from outside the academic unit.
• The search committee must be appropriately diverse (gender, race, discipline as appropriate, perspectives, time in rank, background).
• Research shows that including a graduate student in the search committee provides an important additional perspective.

Search Committee Guidelines for Running Effective Searches 

Recruiting great faculty is a proactive process and one that involves investing time, attention, and effort. The following best practices will help search committee members know what to expect and how to contribute to running a successful search.

• Identify your goals for the search. Discuss the strategic importance of the position to the unit, college, and the university. This will help to inform your strategies for recruitment and the criteria for evaluation.
• Establish procedures for the committee. It's important early in the hiring process to develop procedures for how the committee will function, including requirements for attendance, expectations of confidentiality, and ground rules for decision-making (e.g., unanimous, majority, consensus, role of the committee in defining a short list, mechanisms for engaging with and reporting to the faculty as a whole during the search process).
• Consider issues of bias. Discuss implicit/hidden bias phenomena with other committee members and make the evaluation process as clear and transparent as possible to minimize all types of possible biases. 
• Develop a search timeline. This includes setting a deadline for when the review of applications will begin, making a schedule of search committee meetings to ensure that you cover all necessary topics, and identifying a deadline for sending forward a recommendation.
• Discuss roles and expectations of committee members. Some of the roles include helping to publicize the search, recruit candidates, develop evaluation criteria, and create interview questions.

Required Information for Regular Faculty Searches

As a search progresses through the process, search committees are required to submit the following information to the Institutional Equity Office:

• List of places where position is advertised (including proof of posting. If job is posting is still online, please provide a hyperlink to the posting. If no job advertisements are still posted, an invoice for advertisement will suffice for proof of posting.)
• Criteria used for first screening
• Criteria used for second screening
• List of Qualified Applicants (those who passed the first screening)
• List of Qualified Applicants (those who passed the second screening)
• List of interviewed applicants (on-campus interviews)

More Information for Search Committees