Faculty Hiring Guide

Including Procedures for Hiring

Academic Administrators

Office of Compliance and Equity Management

117 Gilchrist Hall

Campus Code-0028

Phone: (319) 273-2846

Fax: (319) 273-7045

Revised 12/12

TABLE OF CONTENTS

Introduction...... 3

Suggestions for Successful Recruitment...... 4

Recruitment Procedures: A Step-by-Step Guide...... 5-12

Preparing for the Requisition Process...... 5

Search Requisition Authorization Form...... 5

Preliminary Review of Search Committee...... 5

Recruitment Plan ...... 5

Advertising Development...... 6-9

Sample Ad...... 7

Requisition Creation...... 9

Screening and Selecting Applicants for Interviews...... 9-10

Interviews...... 10

Confidentiality...... 10

Background Checks and Degree Verifications...... 10

References...... 11

Search Committee Recommendation...... …. 11

Selection...... …. 11

Employment Offer...... 11

Notification to Applicants Not Selected...... 12

Storage of Search Materials...... 12

Extending or Closing Searches...... 12

Appointment Status Types...... 13

Definitions of Racial/Ethnic Groups and Other Protected Classes...... 14

APPENDICES

A.Example of Email Directing Applicants to Jobs@UNI...... ……………………….……...... 15

B.Example of Appointment Letter to Selected Candidate………………………………….……...... 16

C.Selection Procedures: Department Heads……………………..………………………….……...... 17

D.Selection Procedures: Deans…………………….…………………………………….….……...... 18

INTRODUCTION

The Faculty Hiring Guide describes the recruitment and selection process for faculty and academic administrators at the University of Northern Iowa. It offers step-by-step procedures from advertisement placement until the offer has been accepted. The sections of this guide describe the responsibilities of search committee members, interviewing information, and the affirmative action process. For additional assistance please contact:

Julie Weatherly, Equal Opportunity Specialist

Office of Compliance & Equity Management

117 Gilchrist Hall-0028

Phone: (319) 273-2846

FAX: (319) 273-7045

Website:

Email:

To further assist with the recruitment and selection process, the Hiring Toolkit is provided at includes:

  • Jobs@UNI step-by-step user guides
  • Ad development guidance and sample advertisements
  • Sample interview questions and rating forms
  • Reference check information

SUGGESTIONS FOR SUCCESSFUL RECRUITMENT

The University of Northern Iowa is committed to recruiting and maintaining a roster of faculty who will continue the University’s long standing tradition of excellence. This commitment embraces not only the desirability of promoting high academic standards, but also seeks faculty representation from persons of color, women, persons living with disabilities and veteransat a pace beyond that which might otherwise occur. This, we believe, enriches the working environment for faculty members and the learning experience for students.

  • Recruit on a year-round basis. The department should continuously maintain contacts which may beused for recruitment purposes when an opening occurs.

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  • Advertise positions in appropriate professional journals, newsletters, electronic mailing lists, and registries specifically designed to attract minority and other protected class applicants.
  • Post a link from your department/college websites to Jobs@UNI (
  • Use local, regional and/or national media for advertising positions.
  • Contact academic departments that offer doctoral or terminal degrees and who may have candidates eligible for consideration.
  • Request that each member of your department and college assist in searching for minority and women applicants.

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  • Solicit assistance from professional organizations and colleaguesfor identifying minority and women applicants.
  • Attend professional meetings which may assist in establishing contacts with potential applicants for your department.
  • Contact minority and other protected class individuals who are referred to your department as potential applicants even if a position is not currently available.
  • Maintain a record of applicants who are well qualified but not selected in previous searches.
  • Contact persons of color and women currently holding positions in research institutions, industry, government, etc.

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  • Maintain a current departmental mailing list of potential applicants.

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RECRUITMENT PROCEDURES: A STEP-BY-STEP GUIDE

When a vacancy occurs within a department (resignation, retirement, promotion, etc.) a requisition should be prepared using the Jobs@UNI system to request permission to fill the position. Prior to beginning the requisition process, the following steps may be necessary:

SEARCH REQUISITION AUTHORIZATION FORM

If preparing a request in Jobs@UNI for the first time, the Search Requisition Preparer Authorization Form will need to be completed and submitted to Human Resource Services (HRS) (. Notification will be emailed once the form has been received and you have been granted the necessary access to the system.

PRELIMINARY REVIEW OF SEARCH COMMITTEE

A search committee can be drafted by the department head and/or the dean, and emailed to the Office of Compliance and Equity Management (OCEM) for preliminary review if desired. If a committee typically meets to discuss the details of the position and to develop advertisement language, then it is necessary to request a preliminary review. If the committee will meet after the requisition has been entered/approved in Jobs@UNI system, then the committee will be reviewed at the time the requisition is approved.

Committees shouldreflect the diversity of our campus community and include, when possible,minority representation from members of protectedclasses. The membershipof the search committee should not be announced untilapproval has been secured from OCEM.

ThisFaculty Hiring Guide will provide information on the following:

  • Requisition process
  • Advertisement development
  • Screening applications and interview selection process
  • Selection and employment offer process
  • Conclusion of search

Although the department heads are involved in conducting portions of the employment process, the deans remain accountable for the entire search process.

1. RECRUITMENT PLAN

A recruitment planshould bedetermined by the department head, in consultation with the dean and OCEM as necessary. All proposed sources that will be utilized to advertise the vacancy (i.e. print ads, internet advertising, electronic mailing lists) will need to be entered in the Recruiting Resources section during the requisition creation process. Once the requisition is submitted for approval, the sources will be reviewed and approved by the dean, provost and OCEM. Information on advertising locations and resources may be found here:

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2.ADVERTISING DEVELOPMENT

Ad copyshould be developed and submitted to the Office of Compliance and Equity Management for review (a position announcement is no longer needed). Please allow at least two working days for review of advertisement drafts. Responsibility for placing and funding advertisements resides with the department head and/ordean. Discounted ad packages have been purchased for several frequently used publications. Contact the Employment Manager in HRS for more information regarding discounted ad opportunities.

External ads cannot be placed until approved by OCEM. All versions that will be used must receive approval. Approval to advertise will be given by OCEM at the same time the position has received approval in the Jobs@UNI system.

ADVERTISING COPY

Various versions may be prepared to meet the posting requirements of ad locations. The ad copy is to include:

  1. The UNI logo. The official logo is to appear in all display ads and in all newspapers. To obtain a logo, contact University Relations.
  1. The position’s University-approved title.
  1. Rank.
  1. Department.

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  1. Responsibilities of the position.
  1. A brief description of the University and community, if desired. Please use the standard descriptions of UNI and Cedar Falls available at and
  1. The minimum required qualifications of the position.
  1. The following statement regarding background checks: “Pre-employment background checks are required.”
  1. The following statement regarding application procedure to direct applicants to the Jobs@UNI website: “To apply, visit
  1. The following statement regarding timeline for applications: "Applications received by date (a minimum of 10 working days) will be given full consideration."
  1. Specific ways the applicant may find out more information about the position including the departmental website and search chair’s contact information.
  1. Affirmative action and equal opportunity statements.
  2. The following statement is to be included in the narrative of display and classifiedads:“The department encourages applications from persons of color, women, persons living with disabilities, and veterans.”
  1. The following statement is to be placed at the end of display and classified ads: “The Universityis an equal opportunity employer with a comprehensive plan for affirmative action.”
  1. The following smoke-free campus statement in italics and at the end of the ad: “UNI is a smoke-free campus.”

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Assistant/Associate Professor

Department of Management

A tenure-track position as Assistant Professor of Management is available August 2013. The successful candidate’s primary teaching responsibilities will be to teach leadership orproject management courses to undergraduate students enrolled in a new program that develops leadership skills through experiential and other innovative learning activities. The successful candidate will also be able to contribute to one or more of the traditional management areas such as organizational analysis & organizational behavior, human resources, operations, supply chain, or strategy. Applicants who seek a balance in teaching/research responsibilities will find a collegial work environment at UNI. Rank dependent on qualifications and experience. The Department encourages applications from persons of color, women, persons living with disabilities, and veterans. Required qualifications include a Ph.D. in Management or a related business field from a nationally or internationally-recognized doctoral program. ABDs in Management or a related field from a nationally or internationally-recognized doctoral program with evidence of degree completion by August 2013 will be considered. A record of excellence in teaching; demonstrated ability to produce publishable research in business-related journals; and demonstrated organizational, communication and interpersonal skills are also required. Active participation in appropriate professional associations is preferred. Visit additional information. Pre-employment background checks are required. To apply, visit Applications received by September 1, 2012 will be given full consideration. For more information, contact Dr. Atul Mitra, Professor of Management, at or by phone at (319) 273-6202. The University is an equal opportunity employer with a comprehensive plan for affirmative action.

UNI is a smoke-free campus.

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Abbreviated print ads may be used as a component of the overall advertising plan when advertising in professional journals such as the Chronicle of Higher Education, Diverse Issues in Higher Education, etc. Below are examples of abbreviated ads.

The abbreviated ad is to include:

  1. The UNI logo.
  2. The position's University-approved title.
  3. Rank.
  4. Department.

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  1. The minimum required qualifications of the position. If minimum requirements cannot be included in entirety,requirements should NOT be listed and the following statement should be used instead: “For qualifications, as well as application information, please visit
  1. The following statement regarding timeline for applications: "Applications received by date (a minimum of 10 working days) will be given full consideration."
  1. Specific ways the applicant may find out more information about the position including the Jobs@UNI website and the search chair’s contact information.
  1. The following statement regarding background checks: “Pre-employment background checks are required.”
  1. Affirmative action and equal opportunitystatements. EOE/AA may be used; however the longer version of these statements is encouraged whenever possible.
  1. The following smoke-free campus statement in italics and at the end of the ad: “UNI is a smoke-free campus.”

3. CREATE A REQUISITION USING JOBS@UNI

Once the search committee, recruitment plan, and ad copy have been drafted, the request may be entered into the Jobs@UNI system by the department head or designee. Step-by-step instructions for creating a faculty requisition using Jobs@UNIare found here:

If a preliminary review of the search committee was not requested prior to creating a requisition, please note that the committee make-up will be reviewed by OCEM during the requisition approval process. Proposed committees shouldreflect the diversity of our campus community and include, when possible, minority representation from members of protectedclasses. Don’t just rely on the regulars, but bring a variety and balance to the process – consider age, rank, discipline, race, gender, students, staff, community members, etc. Once you have these people at the table, hear them out. They may bring different, yet valuable points of view that would otherwise go unheard. The membership composition of the search committee should not be announced until final approval has been secured from OCEM.

After the requisition is created and approved, the position posting will be “live” on the Jobs@UNI website. Applicants will then be able to view the position details and submit application materials for the vacancy. At this time, departments may proceed with placing external ads with the advertising sources that have been indicated in the requisition.

If an applicant attempts to apply for a vacancy without using the Jobs@UNI system, please email the applicant to notify them that they will not be considered unless he/she applies through the online hiring system. A sample email directing applicants to Jobs@UNI can be found in Appendix A.

4. SCREENING and SELECTING APPLICANTS FOR INTERVIEWS

The search committee will review the applications and select a pool of applicants for on-campus interviews. Phone screening candidates to collect additional information prior to on-campus interviews is a great way to assist the search committee in determining which candidates to invite to campus and is strongly encouraged. OCEM approval is not needed prior to conducting phone screens. Search chair and committee member step-by-step instructions for reviewing application materials and selecting candidates for interview using Jobs@UNIare found here:

Before arrangements are made for on-campus interviews, the search chair is responsible for submitting a Pre-Interview Report requesting approval to bring selected candidates to campus. Once notification is received that the Pre-Interview Report has been approved, on-campus interviews may be scheduled. Step-by-step instructions for creating a Pre-Interview Report are found here:

If additional interviewees are proposed after the initial on-campus interview pool has been approved by OCEM, the search chair must prepare a secondPre-Interview Report for approval.

Interviews must be held on-campus and the interviewee must physically be present for the interview. Phone screening candidates to obtain additional information prior to on-campus interviews is a great way to assist the search committee in determining which candidates to invite to campus. However, phone screening, the use of Skype, etc. does not replace the need for an on-campus interview.

Please allow at least two working days for OCEM to grant approval for the selected on-campus interview pool.

5. INTERVIEWS

It is important to know the basic requirements of an effective hiring process. To assist you, the Hiring Toolkit contains sample interview questions arranged by topic, an interview rating form, and a link to the Iowa Workforce Development’s “Successful Interviewing Guide” for a list of interview topics/questions that are viewed as discriminatory and should be avoided. Refer to these resources.

  • CONFIDENTIALITY: All application documents submitted by an applicant or on behalf of an applicant are considered confidential. Search-related materials should be shared only with those directly involved with screening and selecting applicants for consideration until an on-campus interview pool has been determined. At that time, limited information may be released at the discretion of the Search Committee Chair and the Department Head. Faculty or staff members whose family or close acquaintances are applicants are expected to refrain from reviewing application materials. Applicants shall not have access to the Search Committee deliberations, notes, or application materials.

BACKGROUND CHECKS AND DEGREE VERIFICATIONS: During the on-campus interview, the department head shall direct all interviewed candidates to complete the Disclosure and Authorization form for consent for pre-employment background checks. The Disclosure and Authorization form is found here: Please refer to the Policy for Conducting Pre-Employment Checks at for more information.

Also, credentials must be verified if the position requires a specific degree, certificate, or license. Credentials can be verified by completing a Credential Verification Request form found here: This form should be completed and submitted to HRS along with the Disclosure and Authorization form. If the department has already received original transcripts, this step is not necessary.

  • REFERENCES: Several references should be contacted for each final applicant after interviews have been conducted. References should be selected from the list provided by the applicants and contacted either by phone or email. Documentation of the information obtained from reference checks should be kept with the search file. Further information regarding reference checking, including a sample reference check form can be found here:

6. SEARCH COMMITTEE RECOMMENDATION

At the conclusion of the interview process, the search chair will prepare a Post-Interview Report to provide the name(s) of the candidate(s) recommended for final selection to the department head and dean. There is no established minimum or maximum number of candidates that must be submitted, however all candidates found eligible after interviews should be recommended. If only one candidate is recommended and that person is not approved by the dean or declines the offer, then an entirely new search will need to be initiated. Although the Post-Interview Report details are only entered by the chair, the candidate(s) recommended for final selection represent what has been agreed upon by the committee as a whole. Step-by-step instructions for creating a Post-Interview Report are found here:

If a disagreement among committee member(s) occurs, the chair is to temporarily suspend the search process immediately. The chairperson is to send a report describing the problem(s), as well as all related materials to the OCEM for review. OCEM will inform the chairperson of how to proceed after the review.

7. SELECTION

After reviewing the search committee recommendations, the dean, in consultation with the department head, shall select a candidate to be offered the position. The dean will prepare the Search and Selection Summary and route it to the Executive Vice President and Provost for review and approval. Step-by-step instructions for creating a Search and Selection Summary are found here: