Getting Started

Receiving the Authorization to Fill a Vacant Position

The Provost and Executive Vice President for Academic Affairs works with the dean of each school or college to determine the number and types of positions for recruitment during a given period, normally the academic year. The resulting position control plan serves as the school or college’s comprehensive recruitment plan. Once the comprehensive plan is approved, the dean notifies departments of which positions they are eligible to recruit for during the period. Receiving the authorization to fill a vacant librarian position is governed by the policy and procedures defined by each library.

For various reasons during the academic year, a department may need to fill a newly vacant position or to respond to an unplanned, programmatic need with a temporary appointment. Deans and department chairs must seek approval to fill the position prior to submitting a request memo to Faculty Recruitment.

Getting Started in the Department

Working with the department chair or relevant administrator, the search committee should carefully identify the role and responsibilities associated with a position, thoroughly outline the essential functions of the job, all duties and expectations and the authority of a position. This will promote a better understanding of the basic and preferred qualifications (academic degrees, experience, personal qualifications) candidates will need to perform the job successfully and will support the development of position announcements, interview questions, evaluation instruments, etc.

The search committee must also decide on a designated chair and diversity advocate.

Developing Position Qualifications

In preparing to fill a vacancy, the search committee should carefully identify and agree on a set of written selection criteria to use to evaluate applicants for a particular position. Selection criteria are the required (basic) and preferred (desired) qualifications for effective job performance. In defining selection criteria, the search committee should focus on the department’s mission, programmatic needs, functional requirements for the position, and critical competencies. Please see the Guidelines for Developing Selection Criteria.

Developing the Position Announcement

University policy requires public announcement of all full-time faculty positions and all librarian positions. There are, however, exceptions under certain circumstances (See: Variances from Standard Recruitment Procedures). Announcements should be published as widely as practicable, including placement in professional journals and newsletters and at professional meetings, as well as contact with representatives of relevant departments and schools, by letter, e-mail, etc. Please see Guidelines for Developing Position Announcements, Guidelines for Placement, and Position Announcement Content Template for additional information. Faculty Recruitment must approve all position announcements, and changes to approved announcements, prior to placement.

Placement Strategies and Outreach

Departments are encouraged to develop strategies for advertising and other outreach activities that are designed to attract all qualified, interested and available applicants, with emphasis and focus on outreach focus on reaching women and people of color. To reach the widest audience of qualified applicants, please consider not only conventional, but also alternate media of interest. Please see Suggestions and Resources for Achieving a Diverse Applicant Pool for additional means to encourage the application of diverse groups.

PeopleAdmin (PA) Posting -- Authorization to Search and Place Position Announcements

Once granted the approval to fill a position, the department/library must submit a written description of its recruitment plans through the appropriate dean/director to Faculty Recruitment. For every regular full-time faculty, certain full-time research faculty, or librarian positions, a PA posting must be submitted. To avoid processing delays, all applicable fields on this form must be completed and supporting materials, including draft position announcements, must be submitted simultaneously.

PeopleAdmin User Access Form

For a copy of the PeopleAdmin Faculty/Librarian Administrators User's Guide or PeopleAdmin Faculty/Librarian Search Committee User's Guide, please contact [email protected].