Guidelines for Non-Tenure Track Searches
Bates supports faculty scholarship in many ways, including sabbatical, pre-tenure and other leaves. This support places a high priority on recruiting replacement faculty members who are excellent teachers and who bring diverse perspectives to the college. All departments and programs should 1) search for faculty who will enhance their academic program’s excellence and diversity; 2) hire candidates who will assist students with learning in the discipline or program and with majors, minors, GECs and other general education requirements; 3) ask replacement faculty to teach courses already listed in the college catalog, especially during fall semester.
When recruiting for positions in which non-tenure-track faculty members will teach for one year, searches may be more focused than those for tenure-track faculty and generally fall into two categories: Internal and Informal Searches or Broad Searches. The Dean of the Faculty may ask that some searches for non-tenure-track positions of more than one year follow the Guidelines for Tenure-Track Searches.
Brief Overview of the Process
- Receive approval of position from AAC/or approval from Associate Dean in case of unpredicted high enrollments.
- Contact Associate Dean to discuss whether to use Informal Search vs. Broad Search (or tenure-track search process, for some multi-year positions), along with whether aspects of the search will be conducted online.
Informal Search (see below for details of each step)
- Submit a Waiver of Search Form (following conversation with Associate Dean).
- Associate Dean makes offer and conducts negotiations.
Broad Search (see below for details of each step)
- Form the search committee.
- Submit a Job Description and Position Announcement Form and a Faculty Search and Recruitment Form, including rubric for evaluating candidates.
- Ad is posted by DOF staff.
- Review applications on Interfolio.
- Submit a ranked short list to Associate Dean using the Candidate Selection Form.
- Associate Dean gives approval for interview invitation for one candidate.
- Interview one candidate, either virtually or in-person (schedule arranged by search chair and AAA; interview includes meeting of candidate with Associate Dean).
- Search committee gathers feedback and makes recommendation to Associate Dean. If candidate is not acceptable, the search moves to the next-ranked candidate on the Candidate Selection Form.
- Associate Dean makes offer and conducts negotiations.
- Chair uses letter template to communicate regrets to other candidates after contract is signed.
Additional Details on the Process
Informal Searches
Informal Searches pertain to the hiring of instructors familiar to the department or program either through ongoing or recent history of employment with the college and where advertising, interviewing, and vetting is deemed unnecessary.
With approval from an Associate Dean of the Faculty, departments and programs may rehire those who have taught successfully at Bates, forego bringing a candidate to campus, or hire through an informal network if departments or programs have sufficient evidence of the candidate’s abilities. Evidence of ability might include personal knowledge of a candidate’s teaching or a strong dossier or strong recommendations from trusted colleagues accompanied by a remote interview. Candidates interviewed in person or remotely by members of appropriate departments and programs as well as the Associate Dean of the Faculty.
For an Informal Search, the chair completes the Waiver of Search Form . The form asks for information about the candidate, a description of the position, including the qualifications necessary for the position, and criteria for selecting candidates for the position. The Associate Dean offers the position and negotiates the contract.
Broad Searches
Broad Searches pertain to the hiring of instructors when no informal network or pool of candidates is available and the department or program must advertise, interview, and select a candidate more actively.
Departments and programs conducting a Broad Search may use local, regional or national-level advertising; interview candidates remotely or at professional meetings; and/or bring a top candidate to campus for a formal interview.
Search Committee
The search committee may be the entire department or program or a subset of the department or program. The chair of the search committee may be the chair or another member of the department or program. Committees for searches for positions of one or two years need not include faculty outside the department or program, but the search committee must consult with and involve departments or programs whose majors, minors, and GECs are affected.
Recruitment and Building a Candidate Pool
Job Description and Position Advertisement
The Dean must approve the Job Description and Position Advertisement before the job may be posted. Each job ad should reflect the proposal for the position and the criteria in the letter of authorization from the AAC.
Search and Recruitment Form
For all Broad Searches, including one-year replacements, the chair of the search committee completes the Faculty Search and Recruitment Form, which includes specific actions the committee will take that will make the search, recruitment, and review process attentive to diversity and inclusion. The Associate Dean and DOF office staff receive this material for a final approval and posting. The Search and Recruitment Form also includes a section for the committee to share the rubric that they have developed for evaluating applicants. More information about rubrics, including examples, can be accessed via the below resources.They are not meant to be used directly. Rather, the search committee should create a rubric that makes sense for and is tailored to their search.
Retrieving Applicant Dossiers
All applicants submit their materials electronically to Interfolio. Candidate materials for a search are available to all members of the search committee, the Dean of Faculty office, and appropriate staff.
Selecting Finalists
For all Broad Searches, including one-year replacements: After the search committee examines dossiers, it conducts any initial interviews with candidates remotely or at a conference, discusses the results, and selects a ranked set of two to five finalists. The following steps are then taken:
1) The chair of the search committee submits information about finalists on the Candidate Selection Form. The form calls for a brief description of the process that was used to select candidates along with a short list of finalists in preferential order and the rationale for their selection. 2) The Associate Dean reviews the list and discusses with the chair of the search committee any reservations about the list. 3) The Dean of the Faculty’s staff conveys to the chair of the search committee the final approval of candidates and permission to invite the top candidate to campus.
Scheduling On-Campus Interviews
For searches for one-year positions, the search committee interviews the top candidate as assessed with the committee’s rubric and reviewed by the Associate Dean. Normally candidates are invited for two days and offer formal classes, colloquia, and/or lectures along with personal interviews. The chair of the search committee, with support of the AAA, schedules meetings with a) members of the search committee, b) faculty in related/interested fields and from underrepresented groups; c) students; e) Associate Dean of the Faculty; f) AIs or other appropriate staff.
If, after the interview, the search committee decides that the candidate is not acceptable, a second candidate and occasionally a third from the Candidate Selection Form may be sequentially invited with the approval of the Associate Dean.
On-Campus Interviews
Chairs of the search committee should remind colleagues that the campus visit is a process of mutual exploration. Candidates are interviewing the faculty at the same time that the faculty members are interviewing the candidate. Allow the candidate free time to look around the campus and the local area. Consider including an Admission tour.
Assistance from the AAA
1) The AAA reserves time-slots for the candidate with the Associate Dean of the Faculty. 2) The AAA works with the chair of the search committee to schedule travel and accommodations, preferably at the Dunn House (contact Michelle Lewis). 3) The AAA is responsible for communicating travel and accommodation information to the search committee via email. 4) The AAA schedules interviews and sends the interview schedule to those on the schedule. 5) For the candidate, the AAA prepares a folder that includes a schedule, campus map, and information about the college and the Lewiston-Auburn community. 6) The AAA announces the public presentation(s) to the college community. 7) The AAA calls the Dean of the Faculty’s office for billing numbers and submits receipts for expenses.
Expenses for Recruitment
Expenses for recruiting, including faculty and staff time, need to be managed carefully. Entertainment at dinners off campus will be reimbursed up to $200 per candidate, upon presentation of receipts. Meals taken in Commons or catered by Bates dining may be charged to the Dean of the Faculty’s recruitment budget, using the search’s R number. Charges over $200 per candidate will be billed to the department/program’s budget.
Deliberations and Communication
The search committee requests and considers feedback from all parties – including the entire search committee, students, and appropriate staff – then makes a recommendation to the Associate Dean. Neither the search committee nor faculty colleagues are to communicate recommendations to candidates. The Associate Dean communicates any reservations to the chair of the search committee.
Offers and Negotiations
The Associate Dean offers the position to the candidate, and negotiates and issues a contract contingent on the successful completion of a background check.
Informing Other Candidates
After a candidate receives a formal contract, the chair of the search committee should telephone any other candidates who have visited to thank them for their interest in Bates and let them know that an offer has been made. After receipt of the signed contract, the chair of the search committee works with Academic Services on wording of a message to other candidates, potentially using these templates.
Final Records
All copies of candidates’ dossiers must be shredded per federal statutes. The college keeps records about searches that are helpful to the college and appropriate to federal guidelines.