Dean of the Faculty

Faculty Handbook

Return to Table of Contents

II. K. FACULTY SEARCHES

(Source: Approved by CAPP and CAT, August 2001)

The Committee on Academic Planning and Policy and the Committee on Advancement and Tenure request that all searches be conducted according to the following policies and procedures. We ask that you review them carefully. If you have any questions, please call the dean of faculty at extension 7257. Karin Purdy (Eliot 422) is responsible for supporting the work of search committees.

Proposing a Search

When a department wishes to replace a departing faculty member, either temporarily or permanently, or appoint additional faculty, the department chair-writing on behalf of the department-should request such authorization from CAPP. The request should contain a suggested position description, including reference to Ph.D. or other terminal degree, identification of the position as tenure track or visiting, proposed rank, and specification of fields. It is useful for chairs to suggest members for the search committee.

If the vacancy is the result of a request for sabbatical or leave, the proposed search will have to be justified according to Section 11 of the policy on sabbaticals and leaves, adopted by the faculty on February 3, 1997. According to that policy: "Faculty members on sabbatical or leave, especially sabbaticals or leaves of one semester, will be replaced only if compelling curricular needs or enrollment pressures so dictate. A department in which a faculty member is contemplating leave or sabbatical will be expected to justify requests for replacement positions and to provide two hypothetical scenarios for its program during the period in question: one in which the faculty member is replaced, and another in which no replacement is available."

Search Candidates from Under-represented Groups

Under policy adopted by CAPP at its meeting on October 3, 2005 , all job descriptions should be forwarded both to CAPP and to the Ad Hoc Committee on Diversity. The Ad Hoc Committee on Diversity will offer its advice to CAPP and/or the search committee with a view toward maximizing the number of candidates from under-represented groups. This advice might pertain both to the job description or definition of the position and to the placement and distribution of the announcement. Final decisions about job descriptions or position definitions will continue to rest with CAPP.

Pursuant to a recommendation from CAPP, CAT will include a member of the Ad Hoc committee on Diversity on selected search committees. That member would be particularly responsible for ensuring that the search maximize efforts to attract, and ideally to hire, candidates from under-represented minorities.
As noted below, search committees are required to submit an Equal Opportunity Employment Report.

With respect to placement and distribution of announcements, Jo Cannon has developed a list of resources-newsletters, list-servs, etc.-that might be of use. Please consult with her about how best to ensure that candidates from under-represented groups are aware of our search and are encouraged to apply.

Search Committees

If CAPP and the president approve the request, the Committee on Advancement and Tenure (CAT) and president designate a search committee composed of member(s) of the department, faculty members from outside the department, and a member of CAT. In a tenure-track search, if a member of CAT sits on the search committee as a representative of the department, an additional CAT member ordinarily will be added to the committee.

Identifying Candidates

All tenure-track positions should be advertised nationally. The search committee convenes to prepare a formal job description, including reference to Ph.D. or other terminal degree, identification of the position as tenure track or visiting, proposed rank, description of appointment (specification of fields, likely courses to be taught, senior thesis advising), materials to be sent with application (c.v., letter stating teaching and scholarly or creative interests, letters of recommendation or names of three people willing to write), EOE, closing date for applications, and name of the search committee chair to whom all information is to be sent. A copy of the job description as approved by the search committee should be sent to CAPP for comments and final approval before being placed. It is also distributed to the entire faculty in as timely a manner as possible.

Search processes must adhere strictly to formal procedures or guidelines as specified by many learned societies. But this does not preclude members of search committees from making efforts to identify attractive candidates who might otherwise not apply. Search committees may feel free to contact colleagues or departments at other institutions with information about openings at Reed, with the understanding that, in the end, all candidates will be evaluated without prejudice and in a fair and professional manner.

The search committee determines policies to be followed at each stage of the search: where to place ads; what institutions to contact, if any; professional meetings to be visited and by whom; the process by which files are read and choices made; the timing of visits, etc. We hope to insure the broadest possible pool of qualified candidates, and this means that special consideration should be given to placement of the ad where it will be seen by women and minorities.

Reviewing Files and Interviewing Candidates
The dean's office normally provides all support for searches. Staff will:

  • Place ads
  • Manage application materials and acknowledge receipt of applications
  • Announce each candidate's visit and arrange lodging
  • Reserve rooms for seminar and lunch with students
  • Schedule interviews with faculty and administration
  • Prepare information packet for each candidate
  • Authorize disbursements
  • Send rejection letters after search is concluded

    Following the application deadline, all folders should be made available to the full committee. Committees may find it desirable to share file reading chores and make preliminary discriminations; hence, it may not be necessary for all committee members to read all files. If it becomes clear that a visiting faculty member is applying for a tenure track position, the Dean, after examining the faculty member's file and in consultation with CAT, will send a letter early in the search process to the search committee. The letter will describe in general terms the quantitative and qualitative student evaluations contained in the candidate's file. All internal candidates will be informed of this procedure.

In some disciplines, it is appropriate to conduct initial interviews at annual meetings of national learned societies. Requests for search committee members to attend such meetings should be forwarded to the dean's office as early in the search process as possible.

The full committee must meet to select candidates to be invited to the campus. For most tenure track searches, the normal expectation is that three candidates will be interviewed on campus. If search committees wish to invite fewer or more than three, this should be discussed in advance with CAT. Searches for visiting positions should be pursued with vigor, but the investment in such searches may be less than for permanent positions. Whenever possible, visiting positions should be filled by interviewing no more than two candidates.

The chair of the search committee should work with the dean's office to schedule visits. The president, if available, will interview candidates for tenure-track positions. The dean will meet with every candidate, if at all possible.

Decisions

The search committee will make a final recommendation after the visits have been completed. Faculty and student response to the candidates and their seminars should be made available to the full committee. The chair will produce a written report for the president and the CAT supporting the choice. A draft of this report must be circulated to all members of the search committee for their timely comments before the final recommendation is submitted, along with the supporting documents, to CAT. Members of the committee not in agreement with the majority may submit a minority report. Any minority report from a member of a search committee must be circulated to the search committee and submitted along with the committee's report. The Dean will inform the chair of the committee of CAT's decision as soon as possible.

The rank ordering of candidates, the rejection of an offer by a candidate, and other matters relating to the evaluation and relative standing of the candidates who are finally appointed should be considered by search committee members as strictly confidential and should not be discussed with other faculty members or members of CAT.

It should be obvious that under no circumstances should any member of a search committee make representations to a candidate about his/her future at the College beyond the statement used in the officially authorized job description. No matter how such statements are qualified, they may be misread and subsequently generate frustration and embarrassment for all concerned.

Deferred appointments (from CAPP minutes of February 21, 2000)

Deferments are not encouraged and will be reviewed by CAPP and CAT on a case-by-case basis. CAPP views the following factors as important when reviewing deferment requests

  1. The candidate represents the best appointment for the position
  2. The candidate will be engaged in extraordinary research opportunities
  3. The deferment will result in minimal curricular impact to the department and college.

GUIDELINES FOR EXPENSES

  1. Candidates may arrange travel through their own agent or use Ellis Travel House (tel: 503/671-9111 or 800/671-9116). Lodging is provided at a local hotel. Travel and other reasonable and necessary expenses incurred by the candidate (but not family members) will be reimbursed to the candidate by the College. Candidates should provide receipts to the dean's office for reimbursement.
  2. If a candidate is planning to visit more than one college in the area, visit dates should be coordinated so that expenses can be split.
  3. The college will pay a maximum of $250.00 per candidate for entertainment expenses. This $250.00 may be distributed among breakfasts, lunches, and dinners as the committee feels appropriate, and must include the cost of the candidate's meals. Expenses in excess of $250.00 will not be reimbursed. The chair (or committee member who organizes the affair) is responsible for collecting money from colleagues if expenses exceed this maximum. The cost of meals for spouses of faculty is not reimbursable and may not be included in the $250.00. Receipts should be submitted to the dean's office. Chairs of committees are responsible for monitoring entertainment expenses for each candidate so they can advise their colleagues of the amounts available.
  4. The designation of search committee members to attend national professional meetings for the purpose of interviewing candidates must be worked out in advance with the Dean of Faculty. In general, this is useful only if there is sufficient lead time to allow a selection to be made on the basis of completed dossiers. Searches should be planned with that in mind. The restrictions applicable for faculty travel to professional meetings apply to airfare reimbursement for such trips. The College will pay all other necessary travel and lodging expenses upon submission of receipts.

EQUAL OPPORTUNITY

The College maintains summary records on all employment actions for academic personnel in the dean's office. An equal opportunity employment form is attached. If there are any questions about the procedures, please discuss them with the dean.

The following actions are required of search committees:

  1. Make every effort to insure that the applicant pool includes women, African-Americans, Asians, Native Americans, and Hispanic individuals. It is the expectation that a normal search will include minority and female candidates. This means that, in addition to letters to those institutions that normally supply candidates, we must also utilize other recruitment channels to make certain that qualified women and the designated minorities are aware of faculty employment opportunities at Reed. The dean will assist search committee chairs in making appropriate contacts.
    1. Letters to women's and minority institutions.
    2. Advertisements in professional journals and job registries.
    3. Letters to women's and minority organizations that have been established in different professions.
    4. Letters to individuals who may know qualified women and minorities.
  2. All announcements of position vacancies should include the statement that "An Equal Opportunity Employer, Reed values diversity and encourages applications from underrepresented groups."
  3. Search chairs must maintain complete records of search correspondence. Copies of all search letters should be given to the dean's office. Upon completion of the search, all materials should be transferred to that office; this would include files of all candidates, comments from students and faculty, recommendation of the search committee to CAT, EOE reports, names of applicants interviewed off campus, copies of all published ads, and the c.v. of the successful candidate.
  4. After the position is filled, the chair should fill out the attached equal opportunity employment report form (download) summarizing the search committee's action and give it to the dean. Additional copies of the form are available from the dean's office.

CRITERIA FOR SELECTION AND EVALUATION OF FACULTY STATEMENT OF EQUAL OPPORTUNITY AT REED COLLEGE

The criteria for selection of faculty are clearly laid out in the Faculty Constitution and Bylaws of the Faculty of Reed College, Article IV, Section 1: "The mission of Reed College is to provide a serious and systematic program of undergraduate education in the liberal arts and sciences. Faculty at all ranks are appointed initially on the basis of their potential for outstanding contribution to this goal...."

The selection of new faculty members, and subsequent evaluations, are based upon individual merit and not upon race, color, sex, religion, age, national or ethnic origin, veteran's status, disability unrelated to job requirements, or any other unlawful basis, nor upon sexual orientation or political beliefs.

Download the Reed College Equal Opportunity Employment Report form

Return to Table of Contents