II. Faculty Recruitment Process

Introduction

At UNC Charlotte, we are committed to the recruitment of a diverse faculty, and define faculty diversity broadly to include all ways in which individuals differ. In particular, we are committed to increasing the numbers of people from groups which have been traditionally under-represented. We strive to ensure that our recruitment and hiring practices promote our University Vision and Diversity Goal, as excerpted below.

From our University Vision Statement: “UNC Charlotte will be known especially for the individual commitment of each member of its collegial and diverse faculty and staff to extending educational opportunity and ensuring student learning and success. . .”

From our University Diversity statement: “The University of North Carolina at Charlotte is committed to equality of educational opportunity and does not discriminate against applicants, students, or employees based on race, color, national origin, religion, sex, sexual orientation, age, or disability. In keeping with this commitment, UNC Charlotte actively seeks to promote diversity in its educational environment through its recruitment, enrollment, and hiring practices.”

From our University Diversity Goal: “…Increase the recruitment, retention, and success of faculty, staff, and administrators from diverse backgrounds and foster an environment that recognizes the benefits of diversity and supports an inclusive community.”

The faculty recruitment process begins with the Provost's allocation and transfer of a position to the College. The Dean authorizes and manages the recruitment and use of the position.

Deans authorize positions for recruitment on the basis of justifications for staffing priorities that address the goals and program needs of the department, college, and University, including diversity goals and needs.

After an authorization to recruit is received, a Recruitment Plan is developed which specifies how the position will be used and how the department will recruit for the position.

What is the difference between Affirmative Action and Diversity?

Diversity has been defined as differences among people, as well as "differences among groups of people." Diversity at UNC Charlotte includes all such differences, which are valued because they contribute to the educational mission of the institution. Affirmative Action is one vehicle we use to help us achieve our faculty diversity goals. Affirmative Action is a program which includes efforts to improve the employment or educational opportunities of members of minority groups or women.

Who is responsible for assuring University meets affirmative action and diversity goals?

Diversity and Affirmative Action are everyone’s responsibility. Although the Human Resources department is charged with legal compliance of all EEO/AA laws and mandates, this can only happen with cooperation from departments and search committees. Since hiring is generally a “bottom up” process, with the members of a search committee defining the pool of candidates and assessing their qualifications, affirmative action and diversity goals will never be achieved without the understanding and commitment of the entire campus community.

A. The Search Committee

Academic units rely on search committees to identify and screen applicants for full-time vacant faculty positions. Search committee members may be from outside the unit as appropriate and should reflect diversity.

The functions of the search committee include:

• Assisting with development of the position description and the criteria for the position, (see section X)
• Developing strategies for finding qualified candidates
• Writing an inclusive job advertisement, selecting appropriate media outlets for advertisement, etc.,
• Assisting with development of the recruitment plan, (see section B)
• Conducting an active search for qualified candidates whose appointment would further faculty/staff diversity goals,
• Receiving, reviewing, and evaluating the applications of the candidates,
• Conducting interviews of the top candidates for the position,
• Recommending the final candidate(s) to the chair or dean.

The charge to the search and screening committee will vary according to the needs for each position; however, it should address the following: time schedule for the search; the University's goals to increase faculty diversity; number of final candidates to be recommended; resources available to support the activities of the committee and pay for the expenses of candidates to be invited for interviews; administrative guidelines and tasks involved in the recruitment and screening processes; and the importance of confidentiality in the recruitment process.

The Equal Opportunity/Affirmative Action (EO/AA) Programs and Compliance Administrator located in the Department of Human Resources is available to consult with the committee as it organizes the search and screening process. This Administrator can assist with development of job descriptions, selection of media for announcing vacancies, the request for affirmative action data, and information about applicants who respond to the affirmative action data request. Additional resources for search committees are available on the Office of General Counsel's website at http://www.legal.uncc.edu/searchcommitteefundamentals-faculty.html.

Typically, the department chair identifies candidates for part-time appointments and temporary replacement appointments without involving a search committee.

B. Recruitment Plan

A Recruitment Plan (Form AA-02) is prepared by the recruiting department for each position authorized to be recruited. The plan includes:

Position Information to describe the position by number, salary allocated to the position, 9-month or 12-month term of appointment, rank/title and specialty/discipline to be recruited, and present or former incumbent (if applicable).

Recruitment Information to indicate when and by whom recruitment was authorized; the salary range authorized for the recruitment; and when initial advertisements will appear, review of applications will begin, and the appointment is anticipated to be made.

A Departmental Profile to describe the departmental faculty in terms of race, gender, and tenure status and indicate the College Affirmative Action Goals for historically under-represented groups by tenure status as published in the most recent affirmative action plan. Refer to Human Resources.

An Advertising Plan to indicate where advertisements will be placed, when they will appear and the estimated cost. It describes special efforts that will be employed to reach historically under-represented groups. Copies of ready-to-mail advertisements and samples of flyers, vacancy notices, and letters to implement the advertising plan are to be attached.

The completed Recruitment Plan (AA-02) , signed by the Department Chair, is submitted to the Dean for approval. Upon approval, the Dean's Office forwards an information copy including a copy of the advertisement, to the University's Affirmative Action Officer, who will compile for the recruiting unit the information that applicants provide on the EPA Faculty Profile. The original is forwarded to the office of Academic Affairs as part of the appointment file when an offer of appointment to the position has been accepted.

C. Advertising

Creating a broad, diverse pool of candidates is one of the most important functions of the search process. To be effective, the committee must be creative and aggressive in seeking to identify candidates.

Media. Most positions are advertised in media which have a national or international audience, e.g., The Chronicle of Higher Education and journals or newsletters published by national or international professional organizations. Occasionally, it is determined that a position can be filled most appropriately through a search limited to the State, region, or campus and the dean authorizes advertisements to be placed in media which serve the area of the search. Advertisements to appear in The Charlotte Observer are placed through the Human Resources Department. That office will submit the ad to the paper. The paper invoices the University for all advertising on a monthly basis.

Relying on “traditional” or “mainstream” publications and networks to announce a position will typically result in a “traditional” and “mainstream” pool of applicants. Utilize publications targeted at specific populations e.g. Women in Engineering, Association of Black Psychologists, Diverse(www.diverseeducation.com), Women in Higher Education, Hispanic Outlook in Higher Education.

Contacts. People contacts are much more effective in generating candidates than paper contacts. Consider recruiting in person at your national meeting. Many national associations also have caucuses for specific populations. Contact them as well, ask them to share the information, and ask for nominations of possible candidates. Utilize annual directories of recent Ph.D. recipients, such as those available from the Southern Regional Education Board’s Scholar Directory. The scholar directory is a database that showcases more than 700 accomplished doctoral scholars and successful Ph.D. recipients who are committed to pursuing careers in the professoriate. It consists of scholars from these participating organizations and programs: the Southern Regional Education Board (SREB), the New England Board of Higher Education (NEBHE), the National Institutes of Health (Bridges to the Professoriate NIGMS-MARC), the National Science Foundation (Alliances for Graduate Education and the Professoriate), and the Alfred P. Sloan Foundation. The database offers faculty and research recruiters an economical way to reach a diverse group of people. It includes access to: vitae, profiles, research and scholarship areas, as well as other information for all doctoral scholars and Ph.D. recipients who have attended the Institute on Teaching and Mentoring, the largest gathering of minority Ph.D.s and Ph.D. candidates in the nation.

The scholar directory is available only through subscription. To access the database, contact Academic Affairs (704-687-4002) or Human Resources (704-687-2804) for login name and password.

Where appropriate, utilize campus based networks, such as the African American Faculty and Staff Caucus and the Council for Race Relations (www.provost.uncc.edu/diversity).

Content. An advertisement must require reference to our on-line application process at https://jobs.uncc.edu, and must list documents to be included electronically with the on-line EPA Faculty Profile. An advertisement must be accurate and, especially for publications which charge by the length of the advertisement, concise. It should be written in a style appropriate for the publication in which it will appear. It should provide sufficient information for applicants to determine their interest in the position and to learn how to apply and to obtain additional information. The advertisement must be free from text or illustrative material which implies that preference will be given to applicants on the basis of race, gender, religion, national origin, color, age, or absence of disability unless one or more of these is a bona fide occupational qualification for the position. The advertisement may contain a statement of preference for candidates with qualification or experience in diversifying programs, working with a diverse population, researching diverse issues or developing educational course framework to benefit diverse students.

Please note that in order to develop advertisements and recruiting strategies most likely to yield a broadly diverse pool of applicants, departments and search committees are encouraged to consider the following.

Because most searches occur due to the departure of a current faculty member, there is a natural tendency to think as a replacement for the incumbent; in other words, we tend to seek individuals with the same areas of expertise and qualifications as the departing person; at this point a commitment to diversity should begin.

Both the requirements and the responsibilities of the position can and should be reconsidered to be certain that they are not simply the result of traditional practices but are genuinely related to the current and future needs of the unit, including the need to enhance diversity among faculty or staff. A position description should be written to include the following considerations.

1. A manner that attracts a diversified and broad range of candidates.
2. Qualifications should be defined broadly where possible. Given the historical exclusion of underrepresented groups from many graduate programs or other sources of preparation, too rigid or narrowly defined requirements may unnecessarily exclude potentially successful candidates from serious consideration (e.g. numbers 1 and 2 of the following).
3. Utilize qualifiers or adjectives with care; they may cause potential applicants to self select themselves out of consideration (e.g. number 4 of the following).

Examples of flexible wording in the position description:

1. "Candidates should possess a terminal degree," rather than "Ph.D. required".
2. "Candidates should have an advanced degree in counseling or a related discipline" rather than "degree in counseling required."
3. "Candidates should have a solid record of scholarship and research" rather than "candidates should have a distinguished or nationally recognized body of research and scholarships."

Although the specific topics to address in an advertisement will depend upon the type of position, the type of media, and the cost involved, the following topics typically are included:

• Title/rank/tenure status of position
• Place of position within the University organizational structure (i.e., to whom will the appointee report)
• Name of department/college
• Description of department/college, university, and community
• Description of position
• Educational requirements
• highest earned degree from regionally accredited institution
• Qualifications: experience and knowledge
• Length of appointment
• Starting date
• Academic expectations
• Salary/benefits
• Application materials to be attached electronically
• Support available for dual career couples
• Schedule for the search, including application deadline
• Requirement that all applicants must apply through our on-line application process
• Affirmative action statement
• Link to the College/Department website (optional)

All advertisements must include:

The academic expectations and/or qualifications that will be used to screen applications and make an employment decision. It may be useful to distinguish between the minimum required for appointment and what, in addition, is preferred.

(Note: The advertised expectations and/or qualifications must be applied to all applicants: i.e., if an applicant is excluded from consideration for lack of a credential identified as a requirement for the position, all applicants who lack that credential must be excluded.)

The affirmative action statement: UNC Charlotte is an affirmative action, equal opportunity employer, or to reduce advertising expense, the following, notation: AA/EOE. The statement may be expanded to include: Women, members of minority groups, and persons with disabilities are encouraged to apply.

The starting date of the appointment and the schedule for the search. In cases where the search is expected to be straightforward, the statement might read, for example:

Position available August 16, 20XX; deadline for receipt of applications is February 1, 20XX.

Note: If this wording is used, only applications received by the deadline may be considered.

For most searches, more flexibility is needed and a statement such as the following could be used:

Position available August 16, 20XX, or January 1, 20XX. Review of applications will begin February 1, 20XX, and continue until the position is filled.

In this case, any application received before an offer of appointment is accepted may be considered.

Instructions for applying, including materials to be provided. Typically, such materials include curriculum vitae, letter of application relating qualifications to requirements for the position, and the names/addresses/telephone numbers of a specified number of persons knowledgeable about the applicant's background and qualifications.

At a later date in the recuitment process, candidates will be asked to submit additional materials including graduate transcripts and, if required, letters of recommendation.

The EO/AA Programs and Compliance Administrator in the Department of Human Resources is available to assist with preparation of advertisements.

Example of a recent advertisement.

Expenses. The Dean's Office pays for the advertising of positions. The Provost will consider special requests for assistance to cover the expenses of unusual searches, e.g., searches for Distinguished Professors or extra costs associated with specific media targeted at historically underrepresented groups. Ready-to-mail advertisements prepared by the departments are appended to the Recruitment Plan when it is submitted to the Dean. The advertisements are mailed to the media by the Dean's office when the Recruitment Plan and the "advertising plan" are approved. Cover letters accompanying advertisements should instruct the advertiser to forward invoices to the Dean's Office for payment.

D. Affirmative Action Recruitment

UNC Charlotte is committed to equality of opportunity in employment for all qualified persons and does not discriminate against applicants or employees based on race, color, national origin, religion, gender, sexual orientation, age, disability, or status as a Vietnam Era Veteran. Further, the University is committed to affirmative action efforts to recruit qualified members of protected groups both for the effective implementation of its equal employment opportunity policy and for achievement of diversity on the basis of race, ethnicity, gender, and disability.

The chief administrator in each academic unit serves as the Unit Affirmative Action Officer and is responsible for all efforts within the unit regarding equal opportunity and affirmative action as specified in the University's Affirmative Action Plan. These responsibilities include advertising or announcing vacancies where they are likely to be seen by a wide variety of prospective applicants, including minorities and women; requesting assistance of institutions, organizations, and colleagues to identify qualified applicants from protected groups; assisting in the collection of demographic data on applicants; and ensuring that applications are reviewed and decisions are taken in compliance with the University's commitment to affirmative action, equal opportunity employment, and multicultural diversity.

The University Affirmative Action Officer provides information for evaluating the effectiveness of each recruitment by listing on the Report of Recruitment Results and Request to Interview (Form AA-04) the sources of vacancy information indicated by applicants responding to the EPA Faculty Profile. (See Section II. F)

The EO/AA Programs and Compliance Administrator (x72804) is available to assist with efforts to enhance the effectiveness of the affirmative action recruitment process. For example, the recruiting department may obtain assistance with writing advertisements and identifying media to reach a wide variety of prospective applicants.

At the conclusion of each search, the University Affirmative Action officer evaluates the affirmative action recruitment efforts for that position by reviewing the completed appointment file submitted to the Office of Academic Affairs with the Recruitment Plan, Report of Recruitment Results and Request to Interview, and Recommendation for Initial Appointment. A written evaluation of the search is provided to the Dean and the Vice Chancellor.

E. Impartial [or Equitable or Neutral] Searches & Selections

The previous sections of this Handbook have highlighted ways to broaden the pool of applicants in order to achieve greater diversity. Once the pool of applicants has been established, however, the committee will then proceed to select the candidate who is the most qualified for the position. To determine which candidate is the most qualified, the committee primarily should compare the candidate’s credentials to the position advertisement and job description. This is one of the reasons why the job advertisement must be carefully developed as it is this advertisement, along with the committee’s notes and selection justification that evidences the legitimacy of the employment decision. Such documentation is also imperative to defend allegations of an improper or discriminatory decision by the committee.

It is improper to intentionally discriminate by making a decision regarding a person’s employment status based upon that person’s race, sex, national origin, religion, disability, veteran status, etc. No decisions at the university, including hiring and other employment decisions, should be based on any such criteria. However, people often fail to consider that an employment criterion may result in unintended discrimination. This type of discrimination is referred to as disparate impact discrimination and requires some explanation.

Even where an employer is not motivated by discriminatory intent (that is, there is no intentional discrimination), the employer may not use what appears on its face to be a neutral employment practice if that practice has an unjustified adverse impact on members of a protected class. An obvious example of disparate impact discrimination would be to require all candidates for a position as assistant professor in an academic department to be at least six feet tall. Because this height requirement has no job-related justification and would statistically have a negative impact on the number of women eligible to be hired, this would constitute disparate impact discrimination.

Another example that demonstrates that having a disparate impact is not always improper would be a hiring department’s legitimate requirement that a successful candidate have a particular kind of experience or training that reflects a certain philosophy or theory. If that philosophy or theory happens to be current or recent (such as deconstructionist theory), the result may be that only those with recent training and experience (who are often younger) are qualified for the position. Thus, there could be a “disparate impact” on potential candidates who are older. However, as long as that requirement is justified by the needs of the hiring department, there is no other requirement that could be used as an alternative, and this requirement is not a pretext for hiring only younger candidates, it should be legitimate.

To achieve the university’s goals of fairness and legal soundness, search criteria and decisions on initial appointments should be examined and documented to ensure that only legitimate job-related criteria have been used. Even when such legitimate job-related criteria have been used, it is possible that there will be a disparate impact on a protected group. In such cases, it is important to examine whether an alternative standard is available that would eliminate the disparate impact while still achieving the university’s legitimate business goals. The EO/AA Programs and Compliance Administrator (ext. x72804) is available to assist the committee regarding its search criteria if there is a concern of possible disparate impact.

F. Affirmative Action Data Request

The University Affirmative Action Officer monitors the recruitment of applicants for faculty and EPA staff positions in order to evaluate the effectiveness of affirmative action efforts. This evaluation requires the collection of demographic data on the applicants for their positions. The means for gathering this information is automatically obtained by the EPA Faculty Profile.

Upon approval of the Recruitment Plan for a position, the recruiting unit advertises the position and solicits applications/nominations. An email acknowledgement thanking the candidate for applying at UNC Charlotte will be generated with a successfully submitted EPA Faculty Profile, provided the candidate included their e-mail address.

The EO/AA Programs and Compliance Administrator who works with the University Affirmative Action Officer compiles information from the EPA Faculty Profile to describe the applicant pool for each position being recruited. A summary of the information is appended as page 3 of the Report of Recruitment Results and Request to Interview (Form AA-04). In addition, the EO/AA Program and Compliance Administrator provides information about the gender and ethnicity of the "Top Applicants" listed on page 2 of Form AA-04 if the applicants have disclosed this information. This information is returned to the recruiting department for use in assessing the effectiveness of the recruitment effort to reach members of protected groups.

Recruitment efforts that do not attract applications from appropriate numbers of individuals in underutilized categories are reviewed by the appropriate department chairperson and dean to determine if, and how, current recruitment efforts might be made more effective. Furthermore, a search that fails to create a diverse pool of candidates may fail to gain appropriate higher-level approvals.

For additional information regarding the collection of affirmative action data, contact the EO/AA Programs and Compliance Administrator (x72804).

G. Scope of Search

Ordinarily, the competitive search conducted to identify applicants for full-time faculty positions will be national in scope. However, the administrator conducting the search may determine that the University interests are adequately protected by a search conducted on a more restricted search of smaller scope--regional, local or campus--or from a pool of applicants generated by a previous search. A justification must be included in the Faculty Recruitment Plan (AA-02) if the scope of the search is less than a national search.

Temporary Waivers of Competitive Search Requirements

Competitive search requirements may be waived on a temporary basis to meet special circumstances. The following list of such circumstances is intended to be illustrative, not exhaustive:

There is insufficient time to conduct a normal competitive search and the administrator can identify a pool of one or more qualified candidates from existing pools or through local or regional networks and advertising.

The administrator wishes to make an interim academic appointment for a period of one academic year or less while a competitive search is conducted.

The administrator wishes to appoint a faculty member of significant professional distinction to a visiting faculty position.

The administrator wishes to appoint an individual to fill a temporary vacancy created by a leave of absence.

To obtain a temporary waiver of normal competitive search requirements, the Department Chair should submit a signed Request for Waiver of Search Requirements Form (AA-03) to the Dean of the appropriate college for approval. The temporary waiver request should ordinarily be submitted before the Recommendation for Initial Appointment, but the Dean may allow the temporary waiver request for an appointment of one academic year or less to be submitted concurrently with the Recommendation for Initial Appointment.

The Dean is authorized to approve temporary waivers of search requirements for an appointment of one academic year or less.

Request for Permanent Waiver of Search Requirements

The following is a list of special circumstances where a search may be waived permanently. This list is intended to be illustrative, not exhaustive:

The administrator wishes to appoint an individual deemed essential to an organized research program.

The individual is uniquely qualified to fill this position by virtue of their experience and expertise in the field.

The administrator wishes to appoint an individual in response to an unusual opportunity to enhance the educational diversity of the faculty or otherwise to enrich the educational environment of the University.

In order to attract a very qualified candidate, it is sometimes necessary to also offer a faculty position to the candidate's spouse. Upon approval of the credentials of the spouse by the department and college, these appointments will be considered.

In all cases where a search is permanently waived, a Waiver of Search Requirements Form (AA-03), with a justification that explains the legitimate nondiscriminatory reasons for such a waiver, must be pre-approved by the Provost. This includes positions where a temporary waiver was done for the first year of appointment and the individual is to be reappointed without a search for a second year or subsequent term.

Upon approval of this form, the Provost will send a letter to the Chancellor justifying the need to permanently waive a search. At the same time, a copy of the AA-03 form and the letter to the Chancellor will be filed with the University Affirmative Action Officer.

H. Withdrawn, Suspended, or Continued Searches

In some instances recruitment efforts do not produce an appropriate pool of applicants for a position or for some other reason it becomes necessary to withdraw or suspend a search or to continue it into a new recruitment period. When this happens, the department chair submits a written request to withdraw, suspend, or continue the search to the Dean for approval. This request specifies the position number, rank/title, and specialty/discipline for the position and the reason(s) for withdrawing, suspending, or continuing the search. The dean is responsible for incorporating the result of the approved request in the Summary of Recruitment and use of College Positions that is forwarded to the Provost periodically. The Dean/Department Chair is responsible for informing the University Affirmative Action Officer about changes in the status of searches.

Upon the Dean's approval to suspend the search, recruitment for the position ceases until the Dean re-authorizes recruitment and a new recruitment plan is approved.

I. Summary of Recruitment and Use of College Positions

The Dean's Office is expected to maintain an up-to-date summary of the status of recruitment and the use of positions in the College. Copies of the summary are periodically forwarded to the Office of Academic Affairs.

J. Storage of Applicant Files

The University is required to keep the files of all applicants for faculty positions for three years in order to respond to any questions that arise about search, screening, or appointment decisions.

The official personnel files of successful applicants are maintained in the Office of Academic Affairs and working files are kept as needed in the offices of department chairs and deans. The files of all other applicants are stored until they are scheduled to be destroyed.

Policy Statement #59 specifies that the files of unsuccessful applicants are to be retained in the department for three years and then destroyed.