100.500-Appendix C

Defining the position
Defining the position may be the most effective means a hiring unit has for attracting viable applicants and minimizing the number of inappropriate applications. A carefully defined position description can be used to elicit useful information from applicants, which in turn gives the search committee the best means of evaluating files.

The announcement of the position can include information on an academic program or about the campus. Some elements, such as rank or when the position is available, will be determined when a recruitment is authorized.

The elements in a position description, as discussed below, should be definable, job-related, and flexible. If the position description is vague, the number of inappropriate applicants is likely to increase, and the search committee will have no basis for selecting candidates. If the requirements are too exclusionary, applicants with varied or unusual backgrounds are less likely to apply, and the pool size will be limited .

Review of position information
The review of the position information begins with the hiring unit. Time invested in establishing required or preferred components of the position will help speed the screening process and avoid delays in securing approval of the search committee's selection process.

Position information developed by the hiring unit is reviewed by the dean for approval and by the Academic Personnel Office (APO) for compliance to recruitment procedures. Abbreviated versions for professional journals and advertising also require review and approval, and need to be consistent with the full position description. Position information may be electronically transmitted to the dean for approval and may be electronically transmitted to APO for compliance.

Required elements
Certain elements are required in a position description. The extent to which these elements are developed can have a crucial effect on the success of the recruitment. They should encourage a broad range of applicants without misleading individuals who would not be considered qualified.

These elements include the following:

Area of academic emphasis
The discipline or subdiscipline may have been specified in the authorization to recruit; if not, the hiring unit should state what areas would be considered. Specific courses to be offered, or a range of possible offerings, may be listed.

When a particular research emphasis or area of teaching competence is required , it must be listed as a minimum qualification. Program emphasis or preferred areas of competence can be used to choose among otherwise qualified candidates.

Rank
The level of the recruitment must be specified. A recommendation for appointment at a rank or salary other than that advertised will be approved only in exceptional situations. A range of possible academic titles (such as Associate to Full Professor) can be listed if so approved in the authorization to recruit.

Examples:
Lecturer - no other rank will be considered
Appropriate Visiting Professor title
Professional Research series, Project Scientist series, or Specialist series, as appropriate to education and experience.
Assistant Professor
Associate or Full Professor

Minimum qualifications
The criteria used to identify candidates and eliminate other applicants must be clearly stated. Since the search committee will have to report the basis for screening applicants, the hiring unit needs to consider carefully what background is needed for the position.

Examples:
College-level teaching experience or comparable professional experience.
Ph.D. or equivalent in __________ or closely related field in hand by the effective date of the appointment.
MFA or equivalent, college level teaching experience, and demonstrated competence in the field. Active exhibition record desirable.
Ph.D. or equivalent in __________or closely related field; interdisciplinary publications and research record; teaching experience in a comparable program.
Ph.D.or equivalent in ___________or closely related field; a solid research record as evidenced by publications in professional or technical journals (or demonstrated potential for a successful research career).
Ph.D. or equivalent in __________or closely related field preferred, ABD acceptable. Emphasis is placed on teaching experience in the areas listed above (i.e., in the description of the area of academic emphasis ).

Salary
The hiring unit may provide a statement that the actual salary depends on qualifications and experience. For senate faculty recruitments, if the upper limit of the range extends beyond the level allocated, an upgrade must be approved. It is recommended that no actual salary be listed in senate faculty advertisements in order to allow room for salary negotiations.

Position available
This is the projected starting date of the appointment, and end date if limited to a quarter or academic year.

Examples:
Winter or Spring quarter, 2010
2011-12 academic year
Fall quarter, 2010
As soon as possible after the closing date of this recruitment.

Instructions for submission of material
This is the material an applicant needs to provide in order to be considered for the position and the address to which material is to be sent should be clearly stated. If applications missing materials (such as letters of reference) by the closing date of the recruitment will not be considered, the announcement should so state.

Normally, a curriculum vitae and confidential letters of reference are needed. Some units prefer to solicit letters only for those candidates under serious consideration. Since letters of reference are required to make appointments to most academic titles, the hiring unit will have to evaluate whether letters submitted with an application are sufficient to meet the criteria for appointment to that title.

The hiring unit should determine what other information is needed to evaluate applicants.

Examples:
A letter of application, specifying areas of teaching competence or outlining research accomplishments or future plans.
Names, addresses, and phone numbers of a specified number of references.
Samples of current research or written work.
Course syllabi or teaching evaluations.
A specified number of labelled slides of representative work.

Incomplete files can be a basis for eliminating applicants from further consideration, but the required material must be clearly stated, and the criteria must be applied uniformly.

Application filing deadline
It is advised that hiring units advertise their position as “open until filled.” This allows flexibility to continue to receive applications past the advertised initial review date (IRD), should further outreach for a larger and/or more diverse pool of applicants be needed. This IRD is the initial review date for reviewing applications. All applications received by this deadline must be reviewed. If it is necessary to extend the IRD, then all applications must be considered up to the new specific rewiew date.

A minimum of two months must be allowed from the beginning of a recruitment (when a position description is approved and is posted by APO ), to the application filing date for senate faculty positions; for all other positions, a minimum of one month must be allowed.

*** DISCLAIMER : This document is intended to supplement the Academic Recruitment policy. Please refer to CAPM 100.500 - Academic Recruitment, for complete discussion of policies and procedures regarding academic recruitments