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Northwestern University

Search Procedures for Tenure-Line and Teaching-Track Faculty

VIEW THE MOST CURRENT INFORMATION ON THE WEINBERG COMMONS (NETID REQUIRED).

During the spring quarter, the Dean’s Office contacts department chair/program director for faculty hire requests, including rationale, strategic priorities for the department/program, available space, and a draft of search committee members and advertisement.  Once hiring plan requests are approved, the department/program will receive a search authorization letter (late summer) with specific search procedures and instructions.

Committee must adhere to Chapters 2 and 6  in the Chairperson's Handbook and the Provost's resources for Faculty Search Committees

SEARCH APPROVAL AND PRE-SEARCH PROCESS

  1. Dean's Office sends department chair/program director and department administrator a search authorization letter via email with approved search(es) and search budget. The budget aims to account for up to four short-listed candidates to visit campus for assistant professorships or teaching-track positions and up to three candidates for senior positions. Should you wish to invite more candidates to campus, you may supplement these funds with department resources. Expenses must stay within University and College guidelines for travel and entertainment.
  2. Dean's Office contacts department/program to finalize the following info for the search:
    1. Final version of the search advertisement
    2. Search committee members: Chair, Equity Representative, and all other members
    3. Recruitment advertisement sources and their estimated cost
    4. Assigned search administrator (who will be responsible for configuring FRS)
    5. Special considerations for women and minority candidates 
  3. Dean's Office obtains approval from Provost's Office for details above.
  4. Dean's Office contacts department/program with approval of search committee,  search number (Job Opening ID), and advertisement text and budget. 
  5. Search (departmental) administrator oversees search system administration, including configuration of application page in the Faculty Recruitment System (FRS), collection of applications, and the eventual assignment of disposition codes.
  6. Search administrator contacts Dean’s Office to review FRS configuration and activate application page.
  7. Department places advertisement in agreed-upon outlets.
  8. All search committee members are strongly encouraged to watch the UCLA video series on implicit bias in hiring,  either as a group or individually. Please share your thoughts on this effort via this web form. The seven YouTube videos can be found at the following links: 
  9. Search Committee evaluates candidates and sends a short list (names and CVs) to Felicia Dominguez. The Dean's Office will notify the department once the short list has been reviewed and approved. 
  10. Upon approval of the Dean's Office, the department may invite the candidates to campus for interviews/job talks.  Based on the need of the department, these interviews/talks may take place remotely. The department should invite four finalists for teaching-track and assistant professor searches and three finalists for tenured faculty searches.
  11. As finalists are identified, the department should be in touch with Associate Dean Joel Trammell to review space plans and discuss in advance any unanticipated space or facility concerns. 
  12. Finalists for tenured positions (Associate Professor or Full) should meet with Dean Randolph.  Finalists for searches at the rank of Assistant Professor have the option to meet with an Associate Dean during their visit. Contact Quinn Leach for scheduling.  
  13. Department then votes on candidates and a final candidate is put forward for recommendation.

SUBMITTING FINALIST REQUESTS

Finalists are identified within the Faculty Recruitment System (FRS). To submit finalist requests to the Dean’s Office, the department administrator works with the search committee to assign a disposition code to each applicant and identifies any candidates who advance to the finalist stage.  

May 1

SeaRch resources

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