Faculty Recruitment.

For approval of a new faculty position and search, the department chair submits to the Dean a proposal outlining the rationale for the hire, justifying the need for the position(s) and how the position(s) will strengthen the department and school. Only the SPH Dean may approve a new faculty search or hire.

In most cases, the next step will be to post a job description and conduct a national search. However, there are occasionally opportunities to consider the recruitment of an outstanding candidate at moments when there is no search in progress. In such cases, a candidate may be considered off-cycle with prior approval from the Dean.

For all faculty recruitments, whether being considered for primary, secondary, or adjunct appointments, the expectation is that candidates will visit SPH to present to, and be vetted by, the faculty body.

For an external search for a new department chair, the Dean forms a search committee comprised of six faculty members, including two faculty representatives from the department who are selected via a vote of the department faculty. The Dean selects a search committee chair and three additional committee members from outside the department (i.e., other departments at SPH, other schools at the University, or from outside the University as appropriate). In these cases, the search committee is engaged to serve in an advisory capacity to the Dean.

Other faculty searches, including the review of candidates receiving off-cycle consideration, are conducted by the Faculty Recruitment and Retention Committee. The committee is co-chaired by the Associate Dean for Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Justice and the Associate Dean for Research and Faculty Advancement. The members of the committee include one representative from each department as well as three ad hoc members from the department conducting the search. A member of the Faculty Resources Office serves as an ex-officio member to provide guidance on process and ensure adherence to best practices. The co-chairs and ex-officio member are non-voting members of the committee.

Prior to initiating a search, the department chair engages their department in the process of identifying priorities for the upcoming search, an important step that informs the development of the job description as well as the chair’s charge to the search committee. The job description must be approved by the Dean to ensure that the priorities articulated by the department also align with the needs and mission of the School, in particular around educational needs and strategy. Each search committee receives their charge from the department chair and carries out the search on their behalf, engaging in the multi-stage review process and providing the final evaluation to the department chair.

Search committees follow a defined process, guided by the ex officio member of the Faculty Resources Office and briefly outlined here.

1. Search committee is formed. All committee members must participate in formal unconscious bias training at the beginning of the search process.
2. Candidates are asked to submit a cover letter, CV, a statement summarizing their research interests, and a statement summarizing their teaching and mentoring experience. These application materials are requested of all candidates, whether they are being considered off-cycle or as part of a posted search.
3. The search committee reviews applications and evaluates candidates using a standardized scoring rubric, advancing the top candidates for zoom interviews.
4. The search committee conducts zoom interviews and evaluates using a standardized scoring rubric, advancing the top candidates for in-person day-long visits.
5. During the in-person visits, candidates interview with the search committee and department chair, give a presentation, and meet with other members of the community as appropriate (e.g., faculty, staff, students). Our community plays a key role in this process, with opportunities to attend the candidate’s presentation, meet with the candidate, and/or join the dinner with the candidate.
6. A feedback form will be circulated to all members of the department so they have the opportunity to share their thoughts on the finalists.
7. The search committee will present the Chair and Dean with a summary of each candidate’s strengths and weaknesses along with an overall assessment of: Recommend, Recommend with reservations, or Do not recommend. The Chair and Dean will also receive the feedback from the community.

Ultimately, the Chair decides whether they would like to proceed with an offer, which must be approved by the Dean.

Once final candidates have been selected, the Chair (or Dean in the case of a department chair hire) works with the Associate Dean for Research and Faculty Advancement to agree on the details of an offer.

The offer letter is first drafted by the Associate Dean for Research and Faculty Advancement, which is then reviewed and revised by the Chair and the Dean. The final offer letter is signed by the Chair and the and sent to the candidate by the Chair. If revisions are required during offer negotiations, the department chair works with the Associate Dean to agree on the revised offer package. The final offer letter is signed by the Chair and the Dean and sent to the candidate by the Chair.

Once the candidate accepts the offer, the Department Chair sends the signed letter to the Associate Dean for Research and Faculty Advancement.

To initiate the faculty onboarding process, the Associate Dean for Research and Faculty Advancement sends the signed offer letter and a copy of the Faculty Onboarding Guide to the Faculty Resources Associate, Assistant Dean of Budget and Planning, the Department Chair, and the Department Administrator. Each has a role to play in the onboarding process that is described in the Faculty Onboarding Guide.