All Forms and Sample Letters for the Recruitment and Hiring Process
The following procedures outline the steps to fill an unclassified position. These steps should be reviewed and followed by the chair of the search committee. It is also the responsibility of the chair of the search committee to discuss these procedures with the members of the search committee and other individuals who are involved in the recruitment process.
All individuals in the recruitment and hiring process must cooperate with the University's commitment to equal opportunity and understand that hiring decisions will be made without regard to race, color, religion, sex, national origin, age (40+), protected disability, veteran status, sexual orientation, gender identity, or other characteristic protected under applicable federal, state or local law.
These procedures should be followed when filling both faculty and unclassified administrative positions. As most unclassified recruitment involves faculty positions, the authorizing vice president referred to in the following procedures is the vice president for academic affairs. If the unclassified administrative vacancy is not in the Division of Academic Affairs, please work with the appropriate vice president.
The Office of Human Resources will provide assistance in filling unclassified administrative positions. The Office of the Vice President for Academic Affairs will provide assistance in filling faculty positions.
No faculty search may begin until approval by the vice president for academic affairs has been given to the dean to fill a vacancy or to recruit for a new faculty position. Position justification must be provided to the vice president for academic affairs by the dean.
The vice president in the area of the vacancy designates the appropriate dean as the person responsible for ensuring that search committee chairs and hiring officers adhere to the procedural requirements outlined in this document. The vice president should make it clear to search committee chairs and hiring officers that the process and procedures outlined for hiring unclassified personnel are designed to enable the recruitment and hire of the best qualified candidate, to demonstrate the University's commitment to equal employment opportunity, and to ensure that unlawful discrimination in any form does not occur. The assistant director in the Office of Human Resources acts as the equal employment opportunity (EEO) representative in this process and is available for consultation on matters regarding the University's equal employment opportunity program. The EEO representative will serve as technical review advisor at specific times in the process to assist in achieving the goal of equal employment opportunity for all.
When preparing materials for a faculty search, all individuals involved must keep in mind the standards for faculty competence established by accrediting bodies, the State of South Carolina, professional disciplines, and the institution. Minimum employment qualifications for faculty must be consistent with the requirements as outlined in the Principles of Accreditation by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools (SACS) and the Winthrop University Faculty Manual.
In its guidelines on faculty credentials, SACS outlines the general requirements for employing faculty:
The institution employs competent faculty members qualified to accomplish the mission and goals of the institution. When determining acceptable qualifications of its faculty, an institution gives primary consideration to the highest earned degree in the discipline. The institution also considers competence, effectiveness, and capacity, including, as appropriate, undergraduate and graduate degrees, related work experiences in the field, professional licensure and certifications, honors and awards, continuous documented excellence in teaching, or other demonstrated competencies and achievements that contribute to effective teaching and student learning outcomes. For all cases, the institution is responsible for justifying and documenting the qualifications of its faculty.
(https://sacscoc.org/app/uploads/2019/07/faculty-credentials.pdf; see also Comprehensive Standard 3.7.1, SACS Principles of Accreditation)
According to the Winthrop University Faculty Manual, the following criteria regarding faculty rank should be used, along with guidelines from disciplinary professional organizations (MLA, NCATE, etc.):
Academic rank is predicated on academic preparation, teaching ability, personal qualifications, professional services, scholarship, concern for advising and counseling students, and other related factors.
Instructor. Each nominee for appointment to the rank of instructor is expected to have earned the master's degree and to offer evidence or promise of competence in teaching and professional service. Instructors are appointed for a term of one year only, but appointment to additional one-year terms is permitted. Instructors are not eligible for tenure. Comparable academic preparation and/or professional achievement appropriate to the field may be substituted for the master's degree.
Assistant Professor. Each nominee for appointment or promotion to the rank of assistant professor is expected to hold an earned doctoral or appropriate terminal degree and to offer evidence of potential in teaching, scholarship, and professional service. Faculty in this rank are eligible for tenure if in a tenure track appointment. Comparable academic preparation and/or professional achievement appropriate to the field may be substituted for the appropriate terminal degree.
Associate Professor. In addition to the criteria for assistant professor, each nominee for appointment or promotion to the rank of associate professor, a senior rank in the faculty, is expected to hold a terminal degree, evidence of effective teaching, productive scholarship and professional involvement, and appropriate professional service and academic responsibility. Faculty in this rank are eligible for tenure if in a tenure track appointment. At time of hire, in exceptional cases, comparable academic preparation and/or professional achievement appropriate to the field may be substituted for the appropriate terminal degree.
Professor. In addition to the criteria for associate professor, each nominee for appointment or promotion to the rank of professor, the highest rank in the faculty, is expected to hold a terminal degree, offer evidence beyond that requisite for other ranks, of maturity and leadership, as well as superiority in teaching, scholarship, and professional involvement, and professional service and academic responsibility. Faculty in this rank are eligible for tenure if in a tenure track appointment. At time of hire, in exceptional cases, comparable academic preparation and/or professional achievement appropriate to the field may be substituted for the appropriate terminal degree.
Stage II - Conducting the Search
Stage III - Interviewing and Hiring the Candidate
Stage IV - Completing the Hiring Process
Updated 8/15/2010
