COE Procedures for Hiring New Faculty
The process of hiring new faculty requires the cooperation of staff from several offices in the College of Education and The University in order to insure that legal and Board of Regents (BOR) policy requirements are met. The UGA Faculty Hire Process Checklist has been designed to communicate and facilitate the four-step process:
- Initiating a Faculty Search
- Identifying the Candidate
- Developing the Official Offer
- Obtaining Campus Approval
Initiating a Faculty Search
Departmental faculty will develop a written proposal for each new position which includes rank for the position, main responsibilities, and how the position fits with the Department’s strategic plan. The Department Head takes the written proposal to the Dean for approval.
If the Dean agrees that a position is justified and fits within the department strategic plan, then the request to hire Faculty is completed and sent to the Associate Dean for Faculty and Finance who will forward it to the provost for approval.
When the Dean obtains permission to search from the Office of the Senior Vice President of Academic Affairs/Provost (SVPAA/P), the Associate Dean for Faculty and Finance will notify the Department Head and send a COE Search Checklist for use by the Department and Search Committee. The Associate Dean assigned to the search will be copied on the notification and must review the announcement before the Department Head sends it to the EOO office for approval.
Once EOO approval is received, departmental staff place advertisement and send out the announcement as directed by the Department Head. A Position Vacancy Announcement (PVA) will be sent to the department with the EOO approval notice. Part A must be completed and submitted to the USG Applicant Clearinghouse. Part B will be completed after the hire and submitted with the appointment package.
A system is set up within the department to collect application materials as they are received. Some departments have used eLearning Commons to facilitate the review of materials by search committee members and departmental faculty. An acknowledgement letter needs to be sent when the application is received along with a request to complete the EOO Voluntary Disclosure form.
Identifying the Candidate
Departmental faculty review the applications and identify the top applicants.
Top applicants are invited to the campus. Travel arrangements are handled by the department. If travel costs exceeds what has been allocated by the Dean’s Office the department may add departmental funds to cover the additional expenses.
After all of the interviews, departmental faculty select the applicant who will be recommended for the position. At this time the faculty should also take a vote on Graduate Faculty status. A vote for tenure may also be taken at this time. The department head communicates this information to the assigned Associate Dean and obtains approval. Once the salary is approved the Department Head notifies the candidate by phone of the impending offer.
Developing the Official Offer
Departmental Head drafts the offer letter for the Dean’s signature. The Relocation and Moving Expense Agreement form if moving expenses were negotiated at the time of hire, and a Background Investigation Consent Form should be completed and submitted with the draft offer letter. COE Faculty Services obtains the Dean’s signatures and sends the offer packet to the candidate. The offer packet can be sent via standard mail, overnight mail or FAX depending on the urgency. COE Faculty Services notifies the Department when the candidate has returned the signed offer letter.
Departmental staff assemble the appointment packet following the Faculty Appointment Policies, Procedures and Checklists. The Department Head’s cover letter should include the following applicable information.
*A description of the search process, summary of the applicant’s qualifications and a faculty vote recommending appointment.
* If this will be a promotion for the candidate the Department Head’s letter should address the requirements for rank.
* If tenure at the time of hire is requested the Department Head’s letter must address the previous appointment as a tenured faculty member specifying when and where they received tenure. A request for tenure upon hire must include the faculty vote.
*Graduate Faculty status is also requested at the time of hire. A report of the graduate faculty vote must be included in a separate Department Head’s cover letter to the Graduate School Dean along with a transmittal form.
The chair of the departmental search committee notifies unsuccessful applicants in writing that the position has been filled.
Obtaining Campus Approval
The departmental staff prepares the packet for the final approval. This can be started while waiting for the candidate to sign and return the offer letter. Note that the Recommendation for Faculty Appointment form can be printed from the FIRST database.
The Department staff sends the completed packet to Faculty Services in G4 Aderhold. Appointment packets must be received by the SVPAA/P’s Office 30 days before the appointment. COE Faculty Services must receive the packet two weeks prior to the UGA deadline date.
The Faculty Services Office completes the packet with a cover letter from the Dean, and sends the packet to the SVPAA/P.
Staff in the office of the SVPAA/P checks the packet and sends it to the President for approval.