Developing and Executing Tenure Track Searches

1. Review Faculty Hiring Procedures in the Department Chair Handbook.
    
2. Brainstorm search criteria
    
3. Develop ad that balances department need for specialization and College interests and goals while keeping barriers to application reasonable. Keep in mind that we are not replacing a specific person; we are adding a new faculty member to our community. Our goal is to develop a robust, diverse pool of strong candidates. Utilize:
   1. Paragraph describing college priorities and demographics found in the department chair handbook
   2. Current EOE line
   3. Other elements that make department and College appealing
4. Fill out Ad posting form
   1. Think about placement sites
   2. Propose Search dates. It is important to leave sufficient time for review of applicants and decision making at each step—both for the department and personnel committee. Past experience suggests that departments often leave too little time for their own review and even less for the personnel committee to review and comment.
5. Committee Members: Depending on department size, how recently the department has completed a tenure track search, and/or connections to interdisciplinary programs and college initiatives, the department is encouraged to consider asking a tenured or tenure track faculty member in another department to participate in the search. Based on these same considerations the personnel committee may directly request this step. In addition, some colleagues have undertaken search advocate training and may be good search resources (these include Matt Carlson, Jill Lamberton, Todd McDorman, and Colin McKinney). 
    
6. Outreach: where might good outreach be performed?
   1. The Senior Administrative Assistant to the Dean of the College will look at VAPs at other institutions for possible outreach. A sample note is available that can be adapted to send to potential applicants.
   2. Write to your own extended network as well as graduate programs and senior scholars who may promote your position to a variety of audiences. A sample note is available that can be adapted to send as part of outreach.
   3. When applicable, review Consortium for Faculty Diversity candidates so that they might be invited to apply for the position.
7. As review date approaches:
   1. Review implicit bias materials and discuss as a committee.
   2. Revisit search criteria. Avoid use of “fit” as a general screening quality—articulate specific qualifications or criteria.
   3. Develop strategy for applicant review that gives candidates full, individual consideration in light of relevant criteria. Keep in mind that hires have a pre-tenure period: they should demonstrate the potential to succeed but do not have to be finished products.
   4. Think about how the selected candidates will enhance the Wabash community and advance strategic priorities.
8. Provide department and personnel committee with adequate time to review selections in moving to next stages of the process.
   1. Provide short candidate selection justifications at each stage of the recommendation process.
   2. Review material on interview questions in Department Chair Handbook prior to conducting short-list and on campus interviews.
   3. Remember the availability of Campus Ambassadors to support candidate interests and needs during the interview process.

This document and other related material is in a Box folder called “Hiring Guidance.”

Last updated: August 28, 2025