At Hamline University, our commitment to successful and fair employment practices rests on the manner and principle with which we approach each faculty search and appointment. Our community willingly assumes the responsibility to seek, hire, and retain talented faculty members and through that process to promote both academic excellence and the College’s cultural, racial, and ethnic diversity. We recognize the importance of devoting sufficient time, resources, and care in appointing and retaining faculty members in order to maximize the probability of their success and satisfaction with the Hamline University community. We also commit ourselves to the highest ethical standards in our search, appointment, and orientation procedures by respecting the confidentiality of candidates, avoiding discrimination, and clearly communicating the qualifications, criteria, and terms of employment.[1]
Hamline University will comply with all applicable laws governing equal employment opportunity. This policy extends to all applicants and employees and to all aspects of the employment relationship including, but not limited to, recruiting, hiring, promotion, transfer, and compensation. More particularly, it is stated University policy not to tolerate harassment or discrimination based on race, color, gender, ethnic background, national origin, sexual or affectional preference or orientation, marital or parental status, disability, religion, age, or veteran status in its employment or educational opportunities.
Policies and procedures stated in the remainder of this section of the Manual, except for 6.8.2, do not pertain to part-time per-course positions, or to one-year replacement or visiting faculty.
6.1 Appointments
The appointment of full-time and pro-rata faculty is delegated by the Board of Trustees to the President and in turn by the President to the Provost and the Provost to the Dean and the faculty of the College of Liberal Arts. The Affirmative Action Officer and the Faculty Personnel Committee (FPC), or its subcommittee (see §4 of this Manual [1998 Addendum to Handbook, “CLA Coordinators and Committees,” II.A.2.b (3)]), interview all candidates for positions carrying faculty rank, and the FPC makes recommendations to the Dean of the College. Department chairs and the faculty of the department shall have a key role in recommending new appointments and terminations of appointments within their respective departments. The Dean shall carry the recommendations of the Dean and the faculty to the Provost.
All searches are contingent upon approval of adequate institutional budgetary resources to support the hiring of a new faculty member. If it becomes apparent that the resources are not available, the Dean and the divisional coordinators will immediately consult with the department chairs in the relevant departments prior to announcing any decisions to cancel or to postpone any or all searches.
A contract/letter of appointment from the President/Provost states the title or rank, type of contract, salary, length, and other terms of appointment. (See Manual §5 B “Faculty Status: Types of Individual Contract,” and below, 6.5.2.)
6.2 The Role of the Affirmative Action Officer
The Affirmative Action Officer (AAO) shall be a CLA faculty member appointed by the Faculty Institutional Relations Committee for a three-year term. The AAO may succeed her/himself in office only once, and shall be exempt from CLA standing-committee service.
The AAO has responsibilities relating to the recruitment, screening and interviewing of candidates for faculty positions. If Affirmative Action policies and procedures are not being followed, the AAO has the authority to intervene and, if necessary, request a suspension of the search and hiring process until problems are resolved (see further below, 6.2.3).
6.2.1 Role of the Affirmative Action Officer in Recruitment
For the purpose of enhancing the faculty's cultural, racial, and ethnic diversity, the Affirmative Action Officer keeps the faculty apprized of matters relating to diversity hiring in general, and, with a view to particular searches, recommends ways of recruiting women and minority candidates for faculty positions and for ensuring an adequate pool of candidates before the screening stages of the search begin. To that end the AAO shall be notified of all plans in connection with filling a faculty vacancy (see below, 6.3.1C). The department chair shall provide her/him with the following: a description of the position, a time frame for the search, the intended sources of recruitment, and a completed "Description of Available Academic Position" form.
The Director of the Office of Human Resources shall send Affirmative Action Survey questionnaires to all candidates in a search. Information collected will be supplied to the AAO.
6.2.2 Role of the AAO in Subsequent Stages of the Search
The AAO and the Dean are responsible for monitoring the screening and interviewing stages of a search and may, either at the request of one or the other or at the request of the department, review placement papers or other application material. The AAO, with the Dean of the College, also receives and evaluates petitions from department chairs or search committees requesting waiver of procedures related to Affirmative-Action requirements (see 6.4.2 B, 3).
Before hiring takes place, the AAO shall receive from the department chair a completed "Applicant Review Report," copies of all advertisements promulgated, a list of all sources of recruitment contacted, and a list of the names of all applicants.
6.2.3 Intervention by the AAO
If the search procedures and guidelines specified in Section 6.4 (below) are not being followed, the AAO shall call it to the attention of the department chair conducting the search. If the matter is unresolved, the AAO may ask that the Dean halt the search process.
6.3 Faculty Vacancies and New Positions
Each year, an evaluation of full-time faculty needs will be made as part of the annual budget process.
6.3.1 Allocation of Positions
A. Divisional coordinators will consult with their respective departments in the fall of each year regarding full-time faculty needs for searches to be conducted the following academic year. In their capacity as the Planning and Development Committee (PDC), the coordinators will then meet with the Dean to review proposals from any department or program wishing either to fill a vacancy and/or add to existing faculty.
B. In their evaluation of these proposals, the Dean and the PDC will consider the general academic program of the College. It is presumed that a department in which a vacancy has occurred will receive primary consideration unless there has been a marked change in enrollment patterns or in the importance of the academic area to the mission of the College or in the demonstrated needs of other academic areas. Specifically, the ability of a department or program to offer a range of course offerings consistent with patterns of enrollment and departmental or College needs will be of prime importance. Financial and long-term institutional needs shall also be considered.
C. After the Dean and PDC have discussed and considered the various proposals to fill a vacancy or add faculty, the Dean will make a decision and communicate it to PDC, the Affirmative Action Officer, and the faculty at large.
D. The search preparation shall be completed by the end of one academic year so that the search and appointment procedure can begin early in the following academic year. In the event a vacancy occurs too late in the academic year for the above schedule, the position will either be left vacant or be filled on a temporary basis. The Dean and PDC will then accelerate their consultations so that, if at all possible, the search preparation and the search itself can be conducted in that same academic year during which the position is left vacant or filled with a part-time appointment.
6.3.2 Preliminary Stages of a Search
A. The Dean shall notify both the department chair and the Affirmative Action Officer when a position is to be filled.
B. The Dean shall contact the department chair and the Affirmative Action Officer to
discuss the plans for the candidate search. The chair shall provide the following information: a description of the position, a time frame for the search, the intended sources of recruitment, and a completed "Description of Available Position" form.
C. A faculty-search committee shall be established ordinarily consisting of department members and one faculty member from outside the department, with possible variances after consultation between the Dean and the department. Insofar as possible, each faculty-search committee should have at least one female and one male faculty member as part of its membership. The committee's task will be to:
1. select from a preliminary-interview list, in consultation with the Dean, candidates for on-campus interviews (see below, 6.4.2);
2. interview and evaluate these candidates (see 6.4.3); and
3. recommend to the Dean the candidate they wish to hire (see 6.5.1).
6.4 Searches
Searches are here considered in three stages: recruiting candidates, selecting candidates for on-campus interviews, and conducting on-campus interviews.
6.4.1 Recruitment
The recruitment stage of the search entails advertising the position as widely as possible to reach all potential candidates. In particular, successful recruiting will result in a number of women and minority applicants roughly proportional to the number of women and minorities in the available job pool. Announcements of the position shall clearly state rank; length of appointment; eligibility for tenure; teaching, service, and research expectations; requisite experience and credentials; and whether the availability of the position is contingent upon funding or other conditions. Advertisements of the position shall be submitted to the Dean for approval before publication. (See further, Appendix A, "Report: The Ethics of Recruitment and Faculty Appointments.")
The department chair shall file with the Dean and Affirmative Action Officer copies of all advertisements and a listing of all sources of recruitment contacted. At least one month to six weeks should be allowed for advertising the position and receiving applications.
The candidate search shall ordinarily encompass the following channels of recruitment, national and local:
A. advertisements in appropriate professional journals and job registers recommended by the faculty within the relevant department;
B. placement services and academic departments in colleges and universities, including predominantly women's and minority colleges and universities;
C. appropriate professional organizations that maintain placement services, including organizations for women and minorities (the relevant information to be obtained through the Dean’s office);
D. individuals and organizations concerned with the employment of persons indicated by the University's Affirmative Action policy.
An exception from the ordinary procedure may arise if the department is seeking to re-fill a position for which they recently (within, for example, the previous 4 or 5 years) completed a national search which issued in an appointment that was shortly thereafter vacated. If the recent search produced viable candidates whom the department wishes now to re-contact and reconsider, the department may do so – upon approval of the Dean and the AAO – without initiating a new full-scale national search.
6.4.2 Selecting Candidates for On-Campus Interviews
When conducting a search, the department involved screens the applications and prepares the preliminary-interview list from which the faculty-search committee, in consultation with the Dean, ordinarily selects three or four candidates to interview. The candidates are brought on campus to meet with (at least) the faculty search committee, the Faculty Personnel Committee or its sub-committee, the Affirmative Action Officer (or designate from the Cultural Diversity Committee), the Director of Human Resources (or designate), and the Dean (see 6.4.3 A).
A. General Guidelines for Selecting Candidates
1. Candidates with outstanding academic credentials, as evidenced by degrees from prestigious graduate schools, academic honors, excellence in teaching, and professional and scholarly activity should be given top consideration.
2. Active consideration should be given to women and minorities.
3. Ordinarily three or four candidates for each position may be interviewed on campus. Of these, at least one should be a minority person. Gender balance within the department, division, and College shall also be a consideration.
4. If there are no outstanding candidates in the current applicant pool, the position should be re-advertised rather than be filled from the current applicant pool.
5. Departments and Department Chairs are responsible for maintaining a strong search process.
6. Hiring for endowed chairs may require appropriate modification of procedures and committee composition but should not alter Affirmative Action policy or guidelines. (See Handbook Section 4.2A, “Endowed Chairs.”)
B. Procedures for Selecting Candidates
1. After the application deadline, department members shall read the files, and each shall rank his/her top six or more candidates.
2. The department shall collate the rankings and establish a preliminary-interview list, which shall ordinarily include at least eight candidates.
a. Arrangements can then be made to interview candidates by phone or at professional meetings. At the department's discretion, additional candidates to those on the preliminary-interview list may be interviewed at such meetings or other venues.
b. The department may also wish to initiate reference checks at this stage of the search.
3. In consultation with the Dean, the faculty-search committee (participating department members plus one faculty member from outside the department) will ordinarily select three or four candidates to bring to campus, depending upon the quality of the applicant pool and the College’s resources. At least one candidate is expected to be a member of a minority group. Gender balance in the department, division, and College will also be a consideration in bringing candidates to campus.
If a member of a minority group is not among the top four candidates, the Department Chair shall either request that the preliminary stages of the search be re-initiated or petition the Dean and the Affirmative Action Officer to waive the requirement. The Dean’s decision shall be final.
6.4.3. Conducting On-Campus Interviews
A. Elements of the Campus Visit. A typical interview includes the following (not necessarily in this order):
1. meeting with the faculty search committee
2. meeting with the Department Chair
3. meeting with FPC or its sub-committee
4. meeting with the Affirmative Action Officer (or designate from the Cultural Diversity Committee)
5. meeting with the Director of Human Resources (or designate) for the purpose of reviewing University benefits
6. classroom teaching
7. informal time with students (breakfast or lunch)
8. dinner with the faculty search committee (limited budget)
9 . social event and/or lunch with the candidate
10. meeting with the Dean
B. Guidelines and Procedures for Campus Visits
1. In advance of their arrival, candidates will be asked to forward a statement of their teaching philosophy and a piece of scholarly/professional work to the faculty search committee.
2. Normally, candidates will spend one afternoon/evening and one full day on campus.
3. The Dean's office will, in consultation with the Department Chair, make hotel reservations for candidates and reimburse candidates for travel.
4. Candidates will be expected to teach a class before a group of students. As many members of the faculty search committee as possible should attend. Other interview activities such as recitals, lectures, meetings with students, other faculty, or staff may also take place.
5. Female and minority candidates shall be given the opportunity to talk with female and minority faculty. Likewise, candidates for term-contract positions shall be given the opportunity to talk with term-contract faculty.
6. Everyone who has significant exposure to the candidate shall receive a candidate evaluation form from the Dean's Office. These forms shall be filled out and returned to the Chair to be used in the decision process.
7. In their meetings with candidates, the Dean and FPC and the Department Chair shall have copies of the CLA Faculty Handbook and Manual available in order to answer candidates’ questions accurately and precisely.
C. Responsibilities of Department Chairs
Search-committee chairs have the major responsibility in overseeing arrangements for campus visits by candidates and ensuring candidates a modicum of hospitality, especially if travel arrangements require a week-end stay. Specifically, Chairs are responsible for:
1. conducting telephone interviews and checking references, when appropriate
2. inviting candidates to campus
3. setting the candidate's schedule, with the assistance of the Dean's Office, which schedule shall include, when appropriate, an introduction to the Twin Cities
4. arranging for transportation during the campus visit
5. overseeing the evaluation of candidates
6. completing an "Applicant Review Report" and filing it with the Affirmative Action Officer, along with a list of the names of all applicants
6.5 Hiring
The hiring process is described in three steps: choosing a candidate, extending that candidate an offer of appointment, and the candidate's acceptance.
6.5.1 Choosing a Candidate
The faculty search committee and the Dean are responsible for choosing which candidate to hire. If no candidate is acceptable or if no consensus can be reached between the committee and the Dean, then no appointment shall be made. The committee shall, via the Dean, send the name of the candidate chosen to the Provost. The Dean is responsible for conveying to the Provost the substance of the committee's discussions about the candidates.
6.5.2 Extending an Offer
Typically, the chair of the search committee informally notifies the successful candidate of Hamline's intention to offer an appointment. The Dean then calls the candidate with a formal offer, which is followed by a letter of intent stipulating the terms of employment. If the candidate responds in the affirmative, he/she is sent an institutional contract letter over the signature of the Provost. (For contents of the contract letter of appointment and for further guidelines in extending an offer, see respectively Manual § 5B and Appendix A, "Report: The Ethics of Recruitment and Faculty Appointments," part III.)
6.5.3 Candidate's Acceptance
If the candidate chooses to accept the offer, s/he signs and returns the Dean’s letter of intent no later than the date stated in the letter. If the candidate wishes to make a contingent acceptance, s/he shall reply in a letter specifying the relevant conditions. (For further guidelines pertaining to the acceptance of an offer, see Appendix A, part III.)
6.6 Exceptional Circumstances in Candidate Selection
The procedures detailed in this section of this Manual are the policy and practice for candidate search, interview, and hiring. The Dean and/or the faculty search committee may decide, upon consultation, that extraordinary circumstances warrant some modification of these procedures. Whenever feasible, in such an event, all parties already interviewed according to §6.4.3 above will be informed of the modification. Objections to modifications may be raised with the Dean and/or the faculty search committee in writing.
6.7 Credit for Academic Service at Other Institutions
Newly hired faculty members with previous teaching experience may be granted credit towards tenure (see Manual, Section 5.2.2 B). Persons who have held full-time status at institutions that do not grant tenure may be granted credit towards tenure under the same procedure. In extraordinary circumstances, such as that of the chief academic officer, immediate tenure may be granted by the Board of Trustees at the recommendation of the department(s) involved, the Faculty Personnel Committee, the Dean of the College (unless the Dean is the candidate), the Provost, and the President.
6.8 Academic Rank and Types of Appointment
Initial rank shall be determined according to §5.1.1 of this Manual except when a person who held tenure at another institution may be awarded corresponding rank to that held at the other institution. (See also Handbook §7.3 “Eligibility for Promotion and Tenure.”)
6.8.1 Full-time and Part-Time Pro-Rata, Ranked Faculty
All initial appointments are either notice/probationary or longer-term (see Manual, §5.2.2b & c ii.) and are for only one year unless explicitly stated to the contrary in the letter of appointment. The rank offered new faculty members must be in accord with the requirements of that rank (see Manual §5.1.1).
6.8.2 Appointments of Part-Time Per-Course Faculty or Special Appointment Faculty
Such appointments are made by the Dean of the College after consultation with the appropriate Department Chairs. Appointments of Part-Time Per-Course Faculty and in some circumstances of Special Appointment Faculty are dependent on adequate enrollment in the faculty member's course.
6.8.3 Summer Session Faculty
Summer Session faculty may be ranked or unranked. They are hired by the Dean of the College upon the recommendation of the department. In accordance with the needs of the College, summer session faculty are offered term contracts for the teaching of specific courses.
Time spent teaching in summer session does not count towards tenure, promotion, or sabbatical leave in the College. If by contract, however, summer school constitutes part of the regular teaching load, credit towards tenure, promotion, or sabbatical leave may accrue. In no case may an overload count towards tenure, promotion, or sabbatical leave. Summer Session faculty are expected to be available for reasonable office hours.
6.9 Orientation of New Faculty (see Manual §7, “Faculty Development”)
[1] See Appendix A, "Report: The Ethics of Recruitment and Faculty Appointments," adopted by the Council of Colleges of Arts and Sciences in November, 1992.
