DRAFT
(Under Revision – 11/22/13)
Recruiting and Appointing
Tenure-Track Faculty
APPROVAL FOR TENURE-TRACK FACULTY RECRUITING
1. To report plans for tenure-track faculty recruiting, College Deans or Administrators must approve hiring using the Reporting Form for Planned Tenure-Track/Full Time Lecturer Hiring.
2. In approving hiring, College Deans or Administrators should consider the following:
a. Enrollment demands
b. Programmatic needs
c. General or specific area(s) of specialization
d. Diversity of the faculty
e. Availability of funds
3. Prepare and submit official Job Announcement to Academic Personnel for approval (see Sample Position Announcement) with Reporting Form for Planned Tenure-Track/Full Time Lecturer Hiring.
4. Submit via email a short job posting for Website to at the same time you submit #1 and #3.
DEVELOPING A STRATEGIC PLAN FOR RECRUITING
In developing a strategic plan for recruiting, the following should be considered:
1. What kind of department are you building in terms of:
a. Programmatic direction
b. Quality of instruction
c. Professional competence and specialization of the faculty
d. Student needs
2. What does the Department/College/University have to offer in terms of:
a. Working environment
b. Nature of student body
c. Support for faculty professional development
d. Geographical location
e. Cost of housing
f. Social and cultural amenities
g. Moving/relocation expenses
h. Schools for children in the surrounding communities
i. Specialized medical care in the area
3. What kind of faculty is preferred in terms of:
a. Academic balance
b. Academic preparation
c. Prestige of candidate's graduate school
d. Specialized training or experience
e. Research interest
f. Publication record
g. Teaching performance and experience
h. Interest or experience in the learning process
i. Interest or experience in developing partnerships in the community
BALANCE AND DIVERSITY
It is the policy of California State University, San Bernardino to recruit a faculty that is diverse and reflective of the student composition.
ADVERTISING THE POSITION
Advertising the position is a major component of a good recruiting strategy. The principal goal is to ensure that qualified applicants from diverse sources throughout the country know about the position and are encouraged to apply. No effort should be spared in developing a large pool of candidates. Departments should:
1. Place ads/notices in national associations' newsletters or periodicals. If free of charge, send notices to them directly. If cost is involved, prepare requisitions and submit them to Purchasing for approval and processing.
2. Send letters to those universities having strong doctoral programs in specialized field(s) soliciting applications or nominations. (See Sample Letter to All Major Universities)
3. Place telephone calls to chairs of departments where potential applicants may be found and to known mentors of graduate students.
4. Place electronic notices on home pages if available or on the Internet.
5. Contact professional organizations to inquire about including position description in their national newsletters. Send letters to individuals and/or organizations who may know of potential candidates. Follow-up on leads they provide.
6. Academic Personnel will post position announcements to CSU Careers at http://csucareers.calstate.edu/.
7. Academic Personnel will prepare a collective ad for publication in an array of diverse publications (e.g. Chronicle of Higher Learning). Each department/program should place ads in at least one discipline specific professional journal or job announcement newsletter. The position announcement will also be advertised on the Academic Personnel website: http://academicpersonnel.csusb.edu/recruiting/tenureTrackFaculty.html
REVIEWING APPLICANT FILES
1. Departments should acknowledge applications as they are received and establish a file for each viable applicant. (See Letter to All Viable Applicants.) Please, no lost, misplaced or disappearing files; this can get the University in trouble real fast. Non-viable candidates (i.e., those who obviously do not meet minimum requirements as stated in the position announcement) should be sent a polite letter thanking them for their interest.
2. All viable candidates should be asked to fill out a Biographical Statement Form and the Applicant Data Form. Some applicants may not return the Applicant Data Form since it is optional. That's O.K. Completed Applicant Data Forms should be kept separately from the applicant's file and used only to complete the Confidential Faculty Applicant Roster. The "For Office Use Only" information should be completed before mailing the form to the candidate.
3. Department recruiting committees should be elected as early in the academic year as possible. According to FAM 200, the recruiting committee should be diverse and consist of at least three members who normally elect a chair.
4. Department recruiting committee members should participate in all committee meetings and in all interviews. Department recruiting committees should consult as widely as possible with members of the department and seek their recommendations on each applicant. Failure to show wide departmental participation in the recruiting process may lead to the invalidation of the search.
5. Whenever recruiting committee members become aware formally or informally of negative information impacting the qualifications of a particular candidate, such information should be handled with appropriate caution. Before considering negative information, it should be confirmed by other reliable job related sources or references. Keep in mind that there are personal and professional reputations at stake.
6. Members of department recruiting committees should be reminded that their deliberations, as well as application materials, should be treated with the appropriate confidentiality.
7. Department chairs are expected to monitor the recruiting process, provide clerical support, and participate in all aspects of reviewing applicant files.
The following steps should be followed by department recruiting committees in reviewing applicant files.
1. At the deadline for applications, determine which files are complete. Use plain folders during the review process. Completed files should include:
a. Biographical Statement
b. Letter of application with resume/vitae
c. Three current letters of recommendation (two years or newer)
d. Official transcripts of graduate studies (unofficial transcripts may be accepted for initial screening purposes).
2. Determine which applicants meet requirements for position relative to the published announcement.
3. The Department's Administrative Support Coordinator completes and submits Faculty Applicant Roster, excluding the Biographical Data, of applicants who meet minimum requirements to the College Dean/Administrator and Academic Personnel for approval prior to ANY ON CAMPUS VISITS. Develop appropriate procedures and attach a list criteria for reviewing applicant files to Faculty Applicant Roster. The criteria should, of course, be based on the position announcement. If in doubt about specific qualifications due to incomplete information in the file, and the candidate appears to be competitive, call the candidate and request clarification.
4. Determine in consultation with the Department Chair and College Dean/Administrator which two or three applicants from the Faculty Applicant Roster should be invited for campus interview. Prior to making this determination, recruiting committees should telephone references and other knowledgeable persons to gather background information and verify applicant's qualifications. (use form Telephone Inquiry Notes w/sample questions). Applicants under serious consideration as finalists should also be contacted and interviewed by telephone. Under no circumstances should a candidate be invited for a campus visit without having had a telephone interview. All candidates invited for a campus visit are to be processed in the same manner.
5. In the event the College Dean/Administrator or Academic Personnel does not approve the roster of applicants due to quality of applicants or too few in numbers, the search may be reopened, extended or canceled.
6. Recruiting committees and College Deans/Administrators are urged to be as judicious as possible in determining who should be invited to campus. While the University strongly supports bringing to campus as many candidates as necessary, there are very definite budgetary limitations which must be considered. Who is to be invited to visit the campus is a decision not to be made lightly, particularly when funds are limited. In addition to costing the University money (even if it is only $25.00 because they are coming from "just down the road"), less than serious candidates who are given "courtesy" interviews consume valuable faculty and Administrator's time and it is not fair to the candidates themselves.
7. Promptly, send letter to candidates as they are eliminated from consideration thanking them for their interest. This is a standard courtesy which is often ignored in the academic world. Do not elaborate on any particular reason for the elimination. Just say that while obviously qualified, other applicants more closely met the needs of the department (see Sample Letter to Applicants who have been Eliminated from Consideration). Specific job related reasons for why they are eliminated must be stated in writing and placed in their file. If challenged you may have to refer to what is in the file.
PREPARING FOR CANDIDATES CAMPUS VISIT
1. Candidates can stay at the hotels reserved by the College’s AASs. Only stipulation is that the hotel will accept purchase orders that will be paid at the conclusion of the stay.
2. The Purchase Order should be prepared to cover the following services:
a. Room (up to two nights; additional nights must have prior authorization by the College Dean or designee).
b. Meals
c. Incidentals (reasonable telephone calls, valet services, etc.)
3. Some hotels provide shuttle services to and from the Ontario Airport. Check with them to see if this service is provided.
o If shuttle service is not provided department representative/s should prepare to pick up the candidate at the airport and provide transportation service while the candidates are in the San Bernardino area.
o Be aware that some candidates will want to rent transportation. This can be arranged beforehand. Tell the candidate that he/she will need to pay for the car and then submit all receipts at the end of the visit stressing that all reasonable charges will be covered (not trips to Disneyland, etc.).
Prior to campus visit, department ASA/ASC should:
a. Ask candidates to make their own travel arrangements. Inform them that they will be reimbursed by the University within approximately two weeks. Ask them to keep all receipts of expenditures incurred in traveling to San Bernardino and back to their homes.
b. Contact candidates to inform them of hotel arrangements, specifying that room, meals, and incidental charges will be billed to the University directly and they only need to sign when "checking out". All receipts should be submitted to the College or Department ASA/ASC.
c. Send them a letter confirming campus visit arrangements.
Each candidate should be asked to prepare a presentation to faculty or students on their recent research or current professional work as part of the campus visit.
Add relevant college/departmental and community materials as necessary. Medical and dental and other benefits information is available in the Human Resources office (SH-110).
Prepare an itinerary for the visit to be distributed to all faculty members in the department as well as to all other interested parties. This itinerary should be accompanied by a vita of the candidate, so that everyone can be acquainted with his or her background.
Send an e-mail to campus faculty via the Campus () announcing time, place and topic of lecture/seminar by candidate. (Optional)
CAMPUS VISIT
1. A candidate's campus visit should normally be for one to two days. Additional days may be possible but must be justified.
2. It is extremely important that candidates be treated consistently and well during their campus visit. Keep in mind that we are selling the University to them just as much as they are trying to sell themselves to us. Also keep in mind that one department's treatment of a candidate may affect the overall perception of the University which in turn may hinder future recruiting in other disciplines. Experience has shown that the personal touches which have characterized our recruiting efforts have contributed to getting first choice candidates. Here are some suggestions to help make campus visits successful:
a. If candidates arrive the evening before the day of the interview, make sure someone contacts them. Perhaps plans can be discussed for meeting them at breakfast or arrangements made to pick them up to take them to campus for the interview. Even better, you may want to meet them for dinner if the hour is appropriate.
b. Have an information packet ready for each candidate. If possible, give it to them the evening before or prior to coming to campus so that they can have time to look the materials over. That way they will be able to ask better questions about the University.
c. While on campus, ensure that candidates are escorted at all times from place to place. Also, make sure they are properly introduced to their interviewers or audiences. And when the interviews are over, someone should be available to take them back to the hotel or to the airport, if that is what is next on the itinerary.
d. Don't keep them waiting around. Candidates really find this to be quite objectionable and downright rude. College Deans, particularly, should be mindful of this as their schedules run late.
e. Ensure maximum faculty participation in meetings with candidates. It is really embarrassing when only one or two people show up. Faculty members should be fully informed of the visit and urged to participate. After all, these candidates may well become their colleagues. Failure to show up because it is "my day off" is just not an acceptable excuse.
f. In setting up meetings for candidates' presentations, ensure that room, audio-visuals, audience, etc. are all ready. Let's not look disorganized or sloppy. The candidates, already stressed out, may become uncomfortable and as a consequence not perform as well due to the disruptions.
g. Emphasize the positive about California State University, San Bernardino, e.g. small classes, future growth, hospitable and democratic campus environment, diversity among students and faculty, faculty professional development programs, etc. Try to keep negative opinions about the University to a minimum. No one will accept a position if a lot of time is spent badmouthing the available resources, the administration, or the talents of colleagues. Strive for a balanced and realistic picture.
h. Emphasize the positive about San Bernardino and surrounding communities, e.g., affordable housing; diversity of communities (San Bernardino, mountains, Redlands, Riverside, Claremont, etc.); less congestion; opportunities for spousal employment; easy access to cultural, recreational and academic opportunities in the Los Angeles basin, etc. Of course there is smog, but don't spend a great deal of time telling how bad it is for your health. Earthquakes and the San Andreas fault are also facts of life in this area. Be direct and matter-of-fact, but don't make a big deal about them.
i. In dealing with out-of-state candidates (particularly those from the northeast, the hardest to recruit), keep in mind that for some of them, California is on another planet. Reassure them that this is still Planet Earth, that there are normal and conventional people out here, and that they can travel back East whenever they wish. Suggest that their house or
apartment here in California could serve as pied-a-terre for relatives visiting Southern California, Mexico or Hawaii.