Recruitment Process for Tenure Track Faculty

Authored: J. Murphy & R.H. Davis 11/7/2011
Revised: 9/17/12 L. Melms

This documents the steps followed in the recruiting and hiring process for tenure-track and tenured faculty.

Recruitment Authorization

  1. The Dean requests departments to recommend areas and justification for hire of new faculty. This request is typically made in summer.
  2. Each Chair responds to the request and identifies for which vacant position (or growth position) a search, if approved, would occur. Searches will be primarily at the level of Assistant Professor, unless otherwise approved by the Dean.
  3. The Dean sends a search plan for the College to the Provost for approval (typically late summer). Position numbers are created in PeopleSoft for each search by the Dean’s office.
  4. Notification of recruitment approval (or denial) is sent from the Office of the Provost to the Dean, who then informs the Chairs (late summer or early fall).
  5. The Department forms a search committee and submits the following three documents (in a single packet) to the Coordinator of Human Resources (CHR) for the College of Engineering and Applied Science:
    • A Faculty Position Recruiting Authorization Form (RAF). The position number is supplied by the Dean’s office. (If the faculty position is a joint appointment with another academic unit, only one academic unit must complete a RAF but the signature of each Dean or Chair must be shown and the percentage of the budget that each academic unit will share must be clearly stated on the form.)
    • The Search Plan Checklist. List regular members and members of the extended search committee. People who are going to see the applications and are not regular members of the search committee must be listed. The Search Plan Checklist should include confirmation that all members of the search committee have completed the required training (Search Committee Training, Recruiting Diverse Talent to the University – see the information under Selection on page 3), the name(s) of the publication(s) where the ad will be posted, and a description of special efforts to ensure a broad and inclusive pool of candidates. The CHR forwards these documents to the Dean for approval. The RAF and Search Plan Checklist are sent by the Dean’s office to Faculty Affairs for review and approval by the Associate Vice Chancellor and the Affirmative Action Officer. The Department is notified when the documents have been approved, and a copy of the RAF is returned to the Department.
    • The advertisement (see below for further information concerning advertisements).

Advertisement

  1. (Required) Use the “Jobs-at-CU” on-line recruitment process. Benefits include:
    • Candidates apply electronically.
    • The search committee can view applications on a secure website.
    • Demographic information is gathered electronically during the application process.
    • Departments do not have to comply with record retention requirements or store applicant files (Jobs-at-CU stores them for you).
    • Applicants not selected are notified electronically.
  2. (Optional) If you will consider international candidates, the Office of International Student and Scholar Services recommends that the ad includes:
    • A precise job title
    • Mention of degree required and area of specialization
    • No hard closing date for applications
    • Clear contact information

      Prior to sending the advertisement to the CHR, you may wish to send it to Tina Tan in the Office of International Student and Scholar Services for her review.
  3. 3. All tenure-track positions must be advertised nationally.
  4. The following language must be included in the job posting on Jobs at CU: "The University of Colorado Boulder is an Equal Opportunity Employer committed to building a diverse workforce. We encourage applications from women, racial and ethnic minorities, individuals with disabilities and veterans. Alternative formats of this ad can be provided upon request for individuals with disabilities by contacting the ADA Coordinator at hr-ada@colorado.edu." The shorter statement, “The University of Colorado Boulder is an Equal Opportunity Employer” may be used for printed ads. In addition, language similar to the following should be included in all advertisements for junior faculty positions, unless modified or deleted at the discretion of the Dean: “The opening (s) is (are) targeted at the level of Assistant Professor, but experienced candidates with outstanding credentials may be considered for Associate or Full Professor.”
  5. All job descriptions and recruitment notices must:
    • Provide notification that final applicants will be subject to a background check.
    • The following statement is required on all CU-Boulder job announcements for all regular full-time, part-time and temporary non-student positions and must be mentioned in all recruitment efforts: "The University of Colorado Boulder is committed to providing a safe and productive learning and living community. To achieve that goal, we conduct background investigations for all final applicants being considered for employment. Background investigations include reference checks, a criminal history record check, and when appropriate, a financial and/or motor vehicle history.” For purposes of print advertising, a condensed version of this statement may be used or applicants may be directed to the complete job announcement, which includes the full statement on the departmental or university website. The condensed version that may be used is: "The University of Colorado Boulder conducts background checks for all final applicants."
  6. Once approved, the ad is published by the department in its selected venue(s) and sent to other contacts, according to the search plan.

Selection

  1. To meet the Equal Employment Opportunity (EEO) requirements for faculty searches, search committee members must complete training that is available online in SkillSoft. It is only necessary to take this training one time while at CU. The university-wide course is titled, “Search Committee Training, Recruiting Diverse Talent to the University”. The course code is u00066. All search committee members must complete this training before the review of applications begins.
  2. Applications are received and evaluated. Finalists are selected from the pool of applicants. Finalist candidates' files and a preliminary search report are sent to the Dean for approval prior to arranging interviews. Files must include each candidate’s vita, three letters of recommendation, and research and teaching statements. All files and materials for a particular search are to be sent together. The preliminary search report should include a summary of the search process (a paragraph is fine), statistical information on the candidate pool (# applied, plus breakdown by gender, ethnicity, and nationality to the extent known) and a list of finalists proposed for interviews, including gender, ethnicity and nationality of each finalist. The Dean reviews the files and informs the search committee if it has permission to bring candidates to campus for interviews. The Associate Vice Chancellor for Faculty Affairs has a recruitment fund that was created by the Chancellor to support recruitment of faculty that contributes to the diversity of a unit conducting a search. The Dean should be advised if the search committee identifies an outstanding candidate who meets this criterion. If additional candidates are selected for interviews at a later time, the files and an updated search report should be sent to the Dean for approval prior to invitations being extended for campus interviews.
  3. Candidates are brought to campus for interviews. The Department contacts the Dean’s Assistant to set up a 20- minute interview for each candidate with the Dean. During times when the Dean is out of town, one of the Associate or Assistant Deans will conduct candidate interviews.
  4. Once the top candidate is selected, the Department Chair sends an electronic copy of the the completed Search Summary form (signed by the Search/Department Chair) to the CHR, who forwards the report to the Dean. The CHR will forward the search summary report to the Office of Faculty Affairs. The Department Chair and the Dean discuss and agree upon offer conditions.
  5. The Dean will request approval from the Provost to proceed with the process to initiate a spousal hire, if appropriate.
  6. The Department begins the letter of offer process, as detailed below. (The Dean is interested in helping Departments get their top candidate(s). Let him know if you would like him to call your candidate(s) or meet with them if they come for a second interview.)

Procedures for New Hires with Tenure Promotion

All requests for approval of new hires with tenure promotion must include the following:

  • VCAC Checklist (available on the Faculty Affairs website)
  • Dean’s Endorsement. The Dean is expected to offer his or her independent assessment of the research/creative work, teaching and service record of thecandidate, and summarize how the candidate meets or exceeds the unit’s standards for an appointment with tenure.
  • First Level Review Committee (FLRC) Recommendation. The FLRC will submit a brief summary of the committee’s evaluation and recommendation, giving the specific votes and explanation for any dissenting votes.
  • Statement of the Primary Unit. This statement, usually multiple pages in length, should include a description of the (a) teaching ability (b) scholarly and creative work, and (c) university and public service of the candidate, and how those characteristics meet or exceed the unit’s standards to promotion to the tenured rank being considered. This statement should also report and explain the department’s vote to recommend an appointment with tenure at the particular rank.
  • Justification for Tenure. The Board of Regents requires that all request for approval of new hires with tenure must included a separate statement from the head of the primary unit addressing the following points:
    • A description of the fiscal and academic program plans for the unit in terms of long-range planning. The discussion should include, for example, the academic unit’s plans to strengthen a particular area in a discipline, to replace retirees in a discipline, to develop a new thrust or focus, to come up with resources, to identify and accommodate changes that will occur in the college, etc.
    •  An explanation of how the personnel action fits into the unit’s plan.
    • A statement of the specific merit of the candidate. This statement indicates how this particular candidate meets the needs that have been identified above. The statement need not be long; the curriculum vita usually provides the details. The statement hits highlights such as: Dr. X is one of the leading specialists in the field of Q; her list of publications is long and distinguished; she has clearly left a mark on her field and is an experienced mentor of junior faculty; she has previous experience in developing a department and gaining the grants and resources to move ahead in this field – whatever is appropriate and accurate in the particular case.
    • The unit’s ratio of tenured faculty to untenured tenure-track faculty. (If high, information about upcoming retirements that may change that ratio in the near future would be helpful.)
    • Faculty vote
  • Current Vitae
  • Evidence of Teaching Competence. Please include a summary of whatever materials the primary unit consulted to reach its conclusion that the candidate’s recent teaching performance meets the standards for a tenured individual at the University of Colorado Boulder
  • Six External Letters of Evaluation. If the candidate has not previously been tenured or is being hired with a higher title than previously has been held, six external letters must be solicited and obtained in the same manner as a faculty member who is being tenured and/or promoted at CU. 
  •  One copy of the Primary Unit’s document titled: “Primary Unit Criteria for Promotion and Tenure.” This document describes the procedures, criteria, and evidence that the primary unit has agreed upon for evaluating comprehensive review, tenure, and promotion cases.
  • Examples of Publications. In most cases, three representative examples of scholarly work are sufficient.

Procedures for Appointments with Tenure for Candidates Previously Tenured and Coming in at a Level Previously Achieved

The procedures for this type of appointment are identical to the procedures for new hires with tenure promotion except for the external letters of evaluation. For appointments with tenure for candidates previously tenured and coming in at a level previously achieved, the external letters that the primary unit considered in reaching their conclusion that the candidate is deserving of an appointment with tenure at our institution may be used. The VCAC Checklist is available on the Office of Faculty Affairs website.

Letter of Offer and Appointment Procedures

  1. The Department drafts a letter based on the appropriate faculty offer letter template provided by Faculty Affairs. (See also appointment start and end dates.)
  2. The draft letter is sent via e-mail to the CHR.
  3. The draft is reviewed by the Dean (forwarded by the CHR).
  4. The letter is sent by the CHR to Faculty Affairs for review (CUoffer@Colorado.EDU).
  5. When the draft has been approved by both the Dean and Faculty Affairs, an e-mail is sent to the department staff assistant with the approved letter attached as a file, and a hard copy is requested.
  6. The hard copy of the letter, signed by the Chair, is sent to the CHR. The letter is reviewed and signed by Dean. The letter is taken to the Vice Chancellor for Faculty Affairs for signature by the CHR.
  7. The Dean’s office is notified when the letter has been signed by the Associate Vice Chancellor, and it is picked up by the CHR. The Department is notified that the letter is ready to be picked up in the Dean’s office.
  8. The letter is sent to the candidate by the Department along with a packet provided by the Vice Chancellor’s office that includes information on moving, benefits, etc. The Department may include additional payroll forms.
  9. An e-mail is sent by the Department to HR (hr-bgc@colorado.edu) with the information needed to track the completion of the background check requirement for the particular candidate. This e-mail must include the applicant’s full name, e-mail address, the type of check that is to be conducted and the person to be contacted with the results (someone in your department).
  10. The accepted or declined letter (often with associated paperwork needed for payroll purposes, the oath form, and the voluntary disclosure of ethnicity form) and the completed Faculty Search Summary form is sent by the candidate to the Dean’s office. (Occasionally the candidate sends the letter to the Department instead. It should then be forwarded to the Dean’s office.)
  11. The Dean’s office sends copies of the signed letter to the department staff assistant and sets up a College Personnel file. The original letter and the Faculty Search Summary form is sent by the Dean’s office to Faculty Affairs.
  12. Prior to the start of the semester, the Department enters the employment information into PeopleSoft. Payroll forms are then forwarded to the Payroll Department.
  13. Faculty Affairs arranges for the faculty member’s appointment to be approved on the Chancellor’s delegation report. This report is forwarded by the Vice Chancellor’s office to the Dean’s office, which then forwards it to the departmental staff assistant.
  14. The Dean’s office sends a letter of approval notification to the candidate with a copy to the Chair. 15. The Dean’s office gives the new faculty member information relevant to new faculty during the college’s new faculty orientation.