Joi M. CunninghamDirector of University Diversity &

Compliance

and

Leigh Settlemoir DzwikAVP, Academic Human Resources

Successful Searches

Successful searches begin with successful search committee members— trained, dedicated, and experienced individuals.

Search committees succeed when they build highly qualified, diverse applicant pools.

Highly qualified, diverse applicant pools lead to the potential for outstanding hires which, in turn are natural recruitment vehicles for the next searches.

Successful Search Committees:

Transform the search process

Commit to diversity through action

Cast a wide net

Build a diverse applicant pool

Avoid exclusionary thinking in recruitment, selection and hiring

Search Committee Composition

The composition of the search committee is critical to its success. Involve diverse people with fresh ideas and diverse viewpoints.

Note: Departmental faculty not on search committee still play critical role in search process.

Fact or Fiction?

The few faculty of color are being sought out by

numerous institutions, and are not affordable.

Fiction!

Reality ~ Some minority and women faculty weighlocation and job environment more than salary—so market your assets!

Recent research on fellowships indicates that only11% of minority scholars were sought by more thanone institution at a time—89% were not subject to

competitive bidding wars. (Wolf & Busenberg, 1996, AACU)

Fact or Fiction?

Faculty of color won’t select academe—they choosemore lucrative positions in government or industry.

Fiction!

Reality ~ Minority and women PhDs are no more orless likely to work in academe than other PhDs.

Fact or Fiction

White males have no chance of getting positions due to the focus on minority applicants.

Fiction!

Reality ~ Recent hiring statistics show otherwise. Note: In 1989 75% of tenured faculty were white males; in 1997 77% of tenured faculty were white males. (Chronicle of Higher Education, 2001)

HSC – 15% minority faculty; 44% female faculty. Ten years ago about 10% of faculty were minority.

Fact or Fiction?

Minority scholars are only available in nontraditionalresearch areas (e.g., Ethnic Studies).

Fiction!

Reality ~ Review of demographics of recent PhDs and Post Docs with their areas of interest shows otherwise.

18.6% of doctorates in 2000 were earned by persons of color. (Hoffer, et al. 2001. Doctoral recipients from United States universities: Summary report, 2000. Chicago: National Opinion Research)

The number of doctorates awarded to minorities in several particular fields actually increased: professional-other 17.4%; engineering 8%; humanities 13%; life sciences 3%. (American Council on Education Minorities in Higher Education Annual Status Report 2002-2003)

Fact or Fiction?

Progress made and recent AA/EEO laws have madeoutreach to women and minorities no longer necessary.

Fiction!

Reality ~ Fewer minorities and women in higher level faculty positions, particularly chair and dean levels; glass ceiling still exists, and so does discrimination.

‘Despite increasing numbers of doctorates for women and people of color, both groups experience social isolation, a chilly environment, bias, and hostility. Both groups have limited opportunities to participate in decision making, excessive and “token” committee assignments, and few leadership opportunities.’(Aguirre, 2000)

So, where do we begin?

We need to know what role each affected area

plays in the search process.

Key Faculty Search Areas

Search Committee Department Chairperson Dean/Director UDC Director Provost’s Office

Note: Communication flows from 1st area down, and then back up the chain for each faculty search form processed.

Key Faculty Search Areas

Search Committee– Completes search forms (A through D)– Prepares selection criteria, evaluation sheets and

advertisements– Compiles applicant data information– Corresponds with applicants– Screens candidates and recommends for interview.

Conducts interviews and reference checks.– Recommends candidates to hire

Key Faculty Search Areas (cont’d)

Department Chairperson (if applicable)– Appoints search committee– Approves recommendations of search committee– Interviews candidates

Dean/Director– Approves recommendations of search committee– Interviews candidates– Prepares offers to candidates

Key Faculty Search Areas (cont’d)

UDC Director/Provost’s Office– Approves recommendations of the search

committee– Interacts with search committee regarding

procedures– Summarizes candidate data and information

relative to protected groups with regard to the position

Section A/B – The First Form in the Faculty Search

Process

•Section A asks for departmental and search committee EEO data.

•Goals will be given by UDC after the form is completed.

•Affirmative Action Plan goals are for areas in which we are underutilized.

•Underutilization occurs when our percent of minorities and/or women does not match the percent found in the comparable census data.

Section B:Recruitment Planning

1. Recruitment plan

2. Job ad(s) and posting locations

3. Outreach activities

4. Evaluation criteria

*These should be on the Section A/B or attached to the form when submitted for approval.

Recruitment Plan Thoughts

Consider the search process as first step in the retention process.

How well you match the person to the position will determine their success in the position.

TIP

Cast a Wide Net

It’s important to recruit from a wide range of

sources and use a variety of methods to cast a wide net.

If you need extra resources, contact UDC.

RULEDo not post job announcement until:

1) Search Committee has reviewed

2) Dean/Director has reviewed and approved

3) UDC has reviewed and approved

TIPS

If you not consider applicants until all materials are received, indicate so in your job ad.

Remember… Outstanding candidates often do not apply for advertised positions—you must ‘court’ these potential applicants.

*Make certain to have at least one national print ad in the event that your chosen candidate is a foreign national. If they will be pursuing permanent resident status, this will be a requirement for their application.

Search Committee Methods

SEARCH

*Actively, continuously search for applicants

*Actively recruit

*Aggressive, creative, proactive

SORT

*Sort thru applications

*Passive job postings

*Unoriginal, same ad in traditional posting locations

An Example of ‘Exclusionary Thinking’

“They must have attended the ‘right’ school, training program, etc.”

Consider the situation of the National Football League.

If they only considered those from traditionally outstanding programs (e.g., Oklahoma and other Big 12 schools), would John Elway have had the opportunity to lead the Broncos to two Super Bowl victories?

Sample Diversity Plan Initiatives to Recruit and Retain Underrepresented

Groups

Invite minority and women scholars to campus to present symposia, etc.

Provide mentoring and other resources for junior faculty, esp. important for women and minority faculty.

Build cultural competency into clinical and educational experiences.

Build diversity into curriculum.

Sample Diversity Initiatives (con’t)

Messages start with words and behavior of leaders (deans, department chairs, etc.).

Build networks and resources/ continuous recruiting.

Develop the case for diversity, and build that into the school/dept mission statement.

Identify one or more persons who receive EEO/AA training and serve on all search committees.

Sample Diversity Initiatives (con’t)

Review dept. climate, policies, practices, and physical environment to ensure retention/support for women, minorities and other underrepresented groups.

Grow the pipeline

Committee Member Responsibilities

ALL search committee members share responsibility to attract diverse pool and ensure fair and equitable treatment of all

applicants.

Outreach Activities

Telephone calls

Personalized letters to potential applicants

Personalized emails

Talk face-to-face with people who might nominate candidates

Outreach Activities (con’t)

Approach potential candidates at professional meetings

Consult with diverse faculty members on campus about outreach activities

Contact traditional professional organizations that have affiliated groups for women, minorities, and other underrepresented groups.

Other ideas?

Evaluation Considerations

Judge applicants on potential, notjust experience.

Internal applicants should meet the same level of qualifications as external applicants.

Internal applicants should not be given ‘courtesy’ interviews – it raises unrealistic expectations for internal applicants

RULES

Committee must establish selection/evaluation criteria and scoring process before reviewing applicant materials.

Internal applicants should not participate inthe evaluation process of other applicants.

Once application information comes in…

•Each individual needs to be logged in on the Applicant Data Information Form (whether or not they are minimally qualified). Their materials must be retained.

•Each individual is required to be sent a letter of receipt, Federal and State Notifications, as well as the Affirmative Action Data Report. (Note: Please fill in the position number of your search on the Affirmative Action Data Report form so that UDC may track properly.)

Applicants

Treat all applicants consistently and fairly.

Acknowledge receipt of application.

Be courteous and prompt in correspondence.

Remember your own experiences as an applicant.

TIP

The search committee does not need to wait until the materials submission deadline to review applicant materials. Review may begin at any time.

Everyone’s Materials Are In…

Now What??

Interviewing-Section C

•Search committees may do phone screening first without filling out Section C.

•Section C is to approve candidates to come for campus interviews. Yes/No/Maybe are acceptable answers on whether candidates may be interviewed.

•CVs for all candidates must be attached when submitting the Section C.

•Race, sex, and handicapped information will be completed by UDC.

RULES CONFIDENTIALITY

All discussions among committee members are confidential.

Applicant names and materials should be kept in secure location.

Confidentiality breeches should be disclosed to committee chair.

Interview FormatFormal selection interviews are conducted by

the search committee and sometimes additional evaluators.

Must be consistent for all applicants. Use questions that cover major job

functions and desired skills/abilities only. Must ask same questions of all applicants, but

can ask varying follow up questions depending on applicants’ answers and/or experience/education.

Use interview questions to probe ‘potential’ using ‘what if’ type questions.

Interview Tips

Committee members who miss some or all of the interviews should not participate in discussions of rank ordering of applicants, but may provide comments on those that they attended.

If you or the applicant have questions, refer to Academic Human Resources or UDC.

Interview Tips (cont’d)

Inappropriate interview venues:

Sporting eventsYour homeDinner with spousesSkiingParty

RULE Do not ask about or discuss the following (even

ifapplicants volunteer the information):

- age- sexual orientation- marital status- religion- children (present or future)- ethnicity/culture- veteran status- disability status

Ensuring a Positive Campus Visit

Arrange for applicants to meet with other faculty of similar interests or backgrounds on campus.

Prepare ‘welcome packet’ for campus visits (e.g., employee handbooks, school/dept policies, benefits summary, web site info, annual reports, chamber of commerce materials, etc.).

Concerns of Minority/Women Faculty

Concern about struggles with promotion due to race/ethnicity (perception that they might not ‘fit the profile’)

Having gender/ethnicity given more attention than credentials (often report that their race is mentioned first, not their academic credentials)

Being expected to work harder than non-minority/male colleagues

More Concerns

Being treated as a token

Lacking support or validation for research on minority issues

Being expected to handle minority affairs (expected to be ‘experts’ on their racial or ethnic group)

Having too few minorities on campus (can lead to isolation)

Concern about whether they can maintain their cultural identity under pressure to ‘fit in’.

Ways to Address Concerns

Connecting faculty with campus resources and support

Mentoring programs

Clearly stated standards and procedures for advancement

Reaching a critical mass

Selection of Finalists – Section D

•More than one finalist may be recommended.

•Search committee has the option to rank or not rank candidates.

•A detailed narrative explaining why finalists were chosen/why other interviewed candidates were not chosen should be attached to the Section D.

•CVs need to be attached for each finalist when submitting Section D.

RULE

No negotiations with finalists, even verbal, are

to occur prior to Provost’s Office review and

approval of the search and the finalist list.

When to Use Faculty Search Waiver Forms

Not enough time to perform a search Renewing a visiting faculty contract (must be

completed each year) Outstanding individual (with detailed

explanation attached) Make certain to attach CV to the completed

form for submission/approval

Faculty Search Committee Resources

Search committee materials, including this presentation, can be found on the Academic HR website:

http://www4.oakland.edu/?id=5572&sid=173 Joi Cunningham: cunning3@oakland.edu or x3496 Leigh S. Dzwik: settlemo@oakland.edu or x2190 Janet Tull (for faculty postings on the OU website):

tull@oakland.edu or x2195

On the Horizon…

Michigan HERC (Higher Education Recruiting Consortium)

National print ad for faculty positions

Resources

Turner, Caroline S.V. 2002. Diversifying the faculty: A guidebook for search committees. Washington, D.C.: Association of American Colleges & Universities.

www.aacu-edu.org

Barker, Kathy. 2002. At the helm: A laboratory navigator. Cold Spring Laboratory Press. (Covers personnel issues in a laboratory setting. Geared toward new Principal Investigators.)

Resources (con’t )

www.uchsc.edu/diversityHSC campus procedures and forms for hiring

faculty.

www.uchsc.edu/hrVarious resources.

Questions?