The document provides best practices for searching for and hiring new faculty at a university. It summarizes the composition of the ADVANCE faculty committee and their role in developing guidelines. It outlines recommendations for writing job advertisements, composing search committees, evaluating applicants, interviewing candidates, and considerations for dual career couples. The goal is to promote diversity and inclusion throughout the hiring process to attract the strongest and most diverse pool of candidates.

1. Best Practices in
Searching For
and Hiring
New Faculty
ADVANCE-NE
Faculty Committee
Concetta DiRusso, Chair
Oct. 11, 2012

2. ADVANCE Faculty Committee 2008-2012
Shireen Adenwalla
Alexandra Basolo
Erin Blankenship
Andrea Cupp
Concetta DiRusso
Tracy Frank
Steve Goddard
Susan Hermiller
Elizabeth Jones
Merlin Lawson
John Meakin
Nancy Myers
Andrzej Nowak
Sheila Purdhum
Brian Robertson
Melanie Simpson
Anu Subramanian
Xiao Zeng
Physics
School of Biological Sciences
Statistics
Animal Science
Biochemistry
Earth & Atmospheric Sciences
Computer Science and Engineering
Mathematics
Civil Engineering
Earth & Atmospheric Sciences
Mathematics
HR, Organization Development
Civil Engineering
Animal Science
Mechanical & Materials Engineering
Biochemistry
Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering
Chemistry

3. The University of Nebraska Board of Regents Policies
pertaining to Equal Opportunity/Affirmative Action Guidelines
(3.1.3) prescribe that:
The University will undertake a vigorous program of
affirmative recruitment for minorities and women in all
job categories in which they are found to be
underutilized (5.b). Therefore, the method by which
faculty positions are advertised should result in a
highly qualified and diverse pool of candidates.

4. Achievement of Excellence
• Breadth of Thought
• Breadth of Experience
• Breadth of Expertise
• Innovation in Approach
• Innovation in Teaching
• Innovation in Research
• Inclusive of all Talent
• Inclusive of all Members
• Inclusive of Diverse Opinions based on experience

5. Why are we doing this?
For them:
SBS
Anthropology
Earth and Atmospheric Sciences
Physics and Astronomy
College of Arts and Sciences

6. Why are we doing this?
For them:
Chemical Engineering
Agricultural Engineering
Electrical Engineering
Computer Engineering
College of Engineering
Electronics Engineering

7. Why are we doing this?
For them:
Statistics
Biochemistry
Institute of Agricultural Sciences
and Natural Resources
Food Science and Technology
Agronomy and Horticulture

8. Portrait of Change Over Time
1955
2012

9. Portrait of Change Over Time
1962
2002

10. The Impact of Diversity Practices:
Nobel Prize in Physiology and Medicine 2009
Elizabeth H. Blackburn
Carol W. Greider
Jack W. Szostak
"for the discovery of how chromosomes are protected by
telomeres and the enzyme telomerase”

11. Impact of diversity in the corporate world

12. Impact of diversity in the corporate world
 Tested the performance of 2,360 companies globally
over the last six years
 On average companies with one or more women on
the board delivered higher average returns on equity,
lower gearing, better average growth and higher
price/book value multiples

13. What is the value of a diverse faculty?
 Prepares the future generation to be
leaders in a changing global environment
 Propagates the image of advanced
scholarship and research as inclusive and
attainable
 Erodes stereotypical barriers to
achievement

14. Excellence and diversity go hand in hand:
 The search process should ensure that there are
outstanding women and minorities in the
applicant pool
 Early in the process define the criteria for “best”:
for the department, for the university, and for
students
 Each person hired should know that they were
selected for their excellent credentials and
programmatic fit

15. Where do we stand today?
Prepared by: Mindy Anderson-Knott and Trish Hill, September 18, 2012

16. What are Best Practices?
A best practice is a method or technique that has
consistently shown results superior to those achieved
with other means
Guidelines for process that :
Are based in research from other academic institutions,
from within UNL, and from other ADVANCE programs
Focus on all aspects of the search process

17. What are the steps in the search process?
1. Identification of Need
2. Formulating the position description
3. Advertising the position
4. Search committee composition
5. Search committee charge
6. Search committee process
7. Reviewing applications
8. Ranking applications
9. Development of a preliminary list of candidates
10. Development of a short list of candidates
11. Interviewing short list candidates
12. Final recommendation for hire

18. Writing the Ad
•
Write the “Description of Work” that will appear on PeopleAdmin to
match the ad that you will disseminate.
•
The broadest criteria possible, within the context of the
department/college’s strategic plan, attracts the broadest range of
candidates
•
Be aware that the language used to describe a
position can influence the pool of individuals who
submit an application, thus care should be taken in
crafting the wording

19. Position Description Statement
• Write the ad to clearly state the requirements for teaching, research,
service and extension activities
• Write the ad to ensure that it encourages applicants who are women
and individuals from other underrepresented groups
• Make the ad explicit about the University being an inclusive
community
• Identify in the ad a contact person for additional information. This
could be one or more female members of the search committee

20. Writing the Ad: Inclusive Language
Required at UNL
The Chancellor’s Tag Line:
The University of Nebraska has an active National
Science Foundation ADVANCE gender equity program,
and is committed to a pluralistic campus community
through affirmative action, equal opportunity, work-life
balance and dual careers.
See also: The American Physical Society
http://www.aps.org/programs/minorities/recruitment/ads.cfm

21. Advertising the position: How and Where
 Always be in recruitment mode
 Hold brainstorming sessions to discuss novel
recruitment strategies
 Bring in guest faculty from other departments that
have been successful in the recent past
 Attend networking sessions at professional
meetings for women and other underrepresented
groups
 Look for information within any professional
society you belong to

22. Advertising the position: How and Where
 Keep track of students who present their work at national
meetings; encourage them to check with UNL for job
opportunities
 Consider volunteering to judge post-doc and grad student
competitions at national and international meetings to scout
for talent
 Invite a diverse group of speakers to UNL for named lectures,
seminar series, etc
 Personally contact potential candidates with a targeted
invitation to apply

23. Where to advertise? Online
Examples:
Academic Keys http://www.academickeys.com
http://engineering.academickeys.com
HigherEdJobs
https://www.higheredjobs.com/search/default.cfm
New Scientist Jobs http://jobs.newscientist.com
Science Faculty Jobs http://sciencefacultyjobs.com

24. The Search Committee: Composition
 Appoint a diverse committee – inclusive of women and minorities
 Consider appointing a member from outside the department to
bring a fresh perspective to discussions
 All committee members are required to attend search committee
training offered by the Office of Equity, Access and Diversity
Programs (EADP)
 Encourage committee members to become familiar with
ADVANCE documents on best practices for a successful search

25. The Search Committee: Operation
•
Ground Rules
Specify the roles and responsibilities of committee members,
emphasize confidentiality and independence in decision
making
•
Determine how members will communicate with each other and the
campus community; avoid email
•
Openly recognize implicit biases
•
Emphasize members act as representatives of the department/
university, not individual interests
•
Make clear that diversity and excellence are compatible, and
should be dually considered in the course of the search

26. What is implicit bias?
• Bias - a particular tendency or inclination, especially one
that prevents unprejudiced consideration of a question;
prejudice.
• Implicit bias – unacknowledged and/or unconscious
• Implicit gender bias –
 Automatic, pervasive and cumulative in its effects
 Affects recruitment, hiring, evaluation, promotion and retention
of female faculty
 Men and women show similar implicit gender bias
 Biases become incorporated into policies and practices

27. Applicant Evaluation and Selection: Bias
•
Keep in mind that letters of recommendation reflect the
opinions of the writer and may be impacted by implicit bias.
•
Periodically re-evaluate whether or not criteria for candidate
selection are being applied uniformly
•
Spend sufficient and equal amounts of time evaluating each
application
•
Provide every member of the committee an opportunity to
express her/his opinion

28. Applicant Evaluation and Selection
• Develop criteria for evaluation:
 Minimum qualifications
 Preferred qualifications
• Employ an evaluation rubric to ensure all applications are
given equal treatment and that documentation supports the
recommendation to advance further or to table
• Examine the applicant pool to determine if qualified
applicants from underrepresented groups are included in the
initial pool and in the short list

29. Applicant Evaluation and Selection
•
Develop a “long list” using an evaluation rubric to eliminate
unqualified candidates
•
Document clearly why an application is deficient or contains
evidence criteria of the position posting are met
•
Re-evaluate all long list candidates to select the short list pool
using a standardized rubric
•
Examine the list to see whether or not qualified applicants from
under-represented groups are included; consider whether biases
or assumptions have influenced ratings
•
The final short list of candidates with be submitted to EADP for
scrutiny

30. Interviewing Candidates
•
Set aside sufficient time for each candidate to meet with
members of the search committee and other faculty and to
make a presentation to a target professional audience (e.g.
research, teaching)
•
Develop a set of questions asked of all candidates
•
Educate all interviewers, department faculty and personnel
meeting with the candidates about inappropriate questions
revolving around personal issues, religion, health, arrest record
•
Remember each interviewer is responsible for projecting and
promoting a positive, non-threatening environment
•
Give the candidate time to learn about UNL and Lincoln beyond
the department, unit or center

31. Post-interview considerations
•
Invite all individuals that participated in the interview process to
complete an evaluation form
•
Set a time limit on completing the final evaluation and
submission to the search committee chair
•
Submit the final recommendation to the appropriate department
chair, unit head, etc.
•
Decide how to proceed if the top candidate turns the position
down
•
Remember, the search committee makes recommendations
only; negotiations for a position offer and the final offer are the
prerogative of upper level administration

32. Dual Careers
is
d
owe
all

33. Dual Careers at UNL
Percent Partnered Faculty with Potential Dual Career
Opportunity by Gender
STEM vs. Non-STEM
Prepared by: Mindy Anderson-Knott and Trish Hill, September 18, 2012

34. Dual Careers
•
Nationally, approximately 80% of women in STEM fields have an
academic partner
•
Currently, the ADVANCE-NE Office supports the dual career program:
o EADP notifies ADVANCE of short-list candidate's dual career potential
o ADVANCE works with department and target departments to determine
position availability
o Department notifies Advance of interview dates
o ADVANCE pays travel expenses of interviewee
•
ADVANCE-NE has supported the Dual Career Program for 5 years, what
happens in the future?

35. Remember!
Hiring new faculty is a
beginning NOT an end…

36. http://advance.unl.edu/projectdoc

37. ADVANCE
Director Mary Anne Holmes,
coPI Julia McQuillen
Project Managers Jill Hochstein
and Lisa Pollard
Thank you!
©2007 The Board of Regents of the University of Nebraska. All rights reserved.

38. “Men, their rights, and nothing more;
women, their rights, and nothing less.”
Susan B. Anthony
Barbara McClintock
1983 Nobel Laureate
Genetic Transposition
in Maize
Rosalind Franklin
Xray Crysallographer
DNA structure