Search & Screening Procedures For Faculty & Academic Administrative Positions

1.0 Overview

Few other committees perform a task that is as vital to the overall strength of the University as search and screening committees. Formed for the purpose of recommending the individuals who will serve as new staff members for UNG, these committees are tasked with carefully reviewing application documentation, conducting candidate interviews, checking references, and ultimately recommending individuals whom the committee believes best meet the position qualifications.

Please review the General Criteria for Employment policy and the Employee Recruitment policy in their entirety.

https://www.usg.edu/hr/assets/hr/hrap_manual/Employee_Recruitment_and_Direct_Appointment.pdf

https://www.usg.edu/hr/assets/hr/hrap_manual/General_Criteria_for_Employment.pdf

Additionally, USG supports Freedom of Expression as stated in Board Policy 6.5 Freedom of Expression and Academic Freedom found on-line at https://www.usg.edu/policymanual/section6/C2653

2.0 Committee Composition/Selection

Search and screening committees are generally composed of three to five members. The department head, in cases of faculty positions, will recommend to the Dean of the School the membership of a search and screening committee, comprising members of the department. It is recommended that at least one member, with faculty rank, from outside the hiring department is included as a search committee member.

Search and screening committees are generally composed of five to seven members, although they can be larger. One individual is identified as the committee chair. Depending on the level of the position, the selection process for search committees varies. In instances where the academic administrative position is to be filled, search committee members may be selected by the President, Sr. Vice President for Academic Affairs, or an Academic Dean.

3.0 Committee and Committee Chair Procedures/Responsibilities

Once a search committee has been formed, it is the responsibility of the committee chair to call the initial meeting. At the meeting committee members should be charged by the appropriate University administrator as to its responsibilities. This initial meeting is typically the setting in which the committee creates a schedule for discussing the applications from the Careers system and proposes deadlines for selecting a first round of applications for further review and possible interviews.

As the committee begins its deliberations, conversations that could explicitly or implicitly violate federal and/or state laws regarding affirmative action or equal employment should be avoided. Guidance on this issue is provided in Appendix I (Interview Question Guide). Generally, questions that should not be asked of a candidate should also not be discussed among committee members.

3.0.1 Responsibilities of the Committee Chair

The search committee chair has several roles in the search process. Among them are:

• Establishing meeting dates for the committee.
• Communicating regularly with committee members.
• Ensuring that university, Board of Regents, and affirmative action guidelines are followed throughout the process.
• Communicating with the Office of Human Resources so that procedures are followed and all applicant information is received by the advertised deadline for a position.
• Serves as the point of contact with candidates and assisting them with information regarding the institution and/or the community when requested.
• Conduct appropriate reference checks as necessary to verify employment and/or obtain job related information that will assist in determining the candidate’s qualifications and suitability for the intended position. Before making a reference inquiry, obtain permission from the candidate so as not to jeopardize the individual’s current employment status.
• Collaborate with committee members to establish appropriate interview questions.
• Arranging campus visits for candidates and ensuring that they are escorted to the appropriate offices during the visits.
• Provide an interview itinerary to all those on campus who will interview the candidates at least 24 hours in advance of the interviews.

3.0.2 Advertising for the Position

Advertisements for faculty positions usually should be placed in at least one major newspaper or professional publication. Advertisements must refer to and include the website of UNG employment. Advertisement for other positions may be placed in appropriate local, regional, or national media.

Print advertising for faculty positions - e.g., Chronicle of Higher Education, Diversity Issues in Higher Education, newspapers, etc. - is restricted to the title of the position to be filled, with reference to and address for the University of North Georgia web site. Any exceptions require the approval of the Sr. Vice President for Academic Affairs. Announcements (Postings) should be inputted into Careers.

3.0.3 Screening Candidate Applications

The review of candidate application materials is the first step taken by committee members toward selecting candidates recommended for hire. Review of applications may begin upon receipt in Careers. All applicants’ materials must be reviewed by the search committee after the published deadline or published date for the beginning of the file review. Applications are received and reviewed through Careers (the university’s applicant/recruiting system).

Internal jobs postings should remain open for a minimum of three business days. External job posting should remain open for a minimum of five business days.

Screening should never be on a “points” basis. Using a numerical point system to rate applications leaves the university vulnerable to legal action if the candidate hired does not have the highest cumulative total.

Instead, applications should be rated as “top”, or “yes/no/maybe”. The search committee should then compare their ratings of each application and develop a consensus about applications that should move forward in the process.

What follows are some points to consider as one reviews a candidate's file:

• Does the candidate meet the minimum requirements for the position as advertised?
• Is the file complete?
• Did the candidate submit all the material as requested in the advertisement?

3.0.4 Interviewing Candidates

Search committees are strongly encouraged to conduct telephone interviews with promising candidates as a means of further deciding upon those who should receive an invitation to visit the campus (see Section 5.0). Reasonableness should be the touchstone in such decisions where cost and time involved are not overlooked. The search committee chair, with guidance from the appropriate university administrator, shall establish an agenda for candidates selected for personal interviews. The nature of the position itself usually dictates which individuals will meet with and/or interview the candidate. Consideration of including student representatives and members of the hiring department should be given. The Office of Human Resources should be included on the agenda to provide information to the candidate about benefits.

The search committee should arrange to meet with the candidate at some point during the visit. During the interview process the candidate should be given information about UNG and about the position. Questions asked of the candidate must be related to the job duties of the position. See Appendix I and II for information about appropriate interview questions non-permissible/permissible and competency based interview questions.

4.0 Costs Associated with Advertising and with the Interview Process

Advertising expenses incurred during the search process for faculty and academic administrative positions are charged to Academic Affairs.  

If travel is required, candidates may be reimbursed up to the current per diem rate for employee travel. Expenses are charged to the hiring department.  

5.0 Reference Checking & Confidentiality

Georgia’s Open Records Act gives position candidates the right to inspect evaluation documents that are submitted as part of an application package. A document may be exempt from the Act when it is clearly identified as being a “confidential evaluation.” When references are solicited about a potential new employee, the person providing the reference should be informed of the candidate’s right to inspect the evaluation.

Comments to the potential reference might be as follows:

“We are considering __________________for a position as ______________. She/he has listed you as a reference. We would like to ask a few questions based on your experience working with her. You should know that as a state institution, University of North Georgia must adhere to the Georgia Open Records Act. Because of this, most documents except for those identified as ‘confidential evaluations’ are subject to disclosure upon request. If you prefer that the information you provide not be disclosed to the candidate, please let me know now so I can note the file”.

If you are asking for a written evaluation, you should provide the same information about the Open Records Act, and ask the reference to indicate on the evaluation form that it is a ‘confidential evaluation’.

Among other records not subject to disclosure are confidential evaluations submitted to, or examinations prepared by, a governmental agency in connection with the hiring of public officers or employees; records relating to the investigation of the suspension or firing of public officers or employees or of complaints against them, until ten days after the same information has been presented to the agency or officer, or at the conclusion of the investigation; and certain records pertaining to real estate appraisals, cost estimates, and bids.

Applicants have the right to expect confidentiality in their search. Many applicants request that their employer not be contacted unless they are a finalist. This expectation must be honored.

5.0.1 Notes

The chair of the search committee may wish to collect and compile the written objective notes on applicants taken by committee members at the conclusion of the search process. It is at the chair's discretion as to whether or not to collect such objective notes.

5.0.2 Sample Reference Questions

• Reference Name
• Title
• Company
• City, State
• Phone
• The date the information contained in this reference was obtained on.
• How long have you known the candidate, and could you please describe your professional relationship?
• How would you assess this candidate’s communication skills (writing, speaking, listening)?
• How would you assess this candidate’s strengths in internal administration and leadership (e.g. personnel selection and supervision, enrollment management; relating to students, faculty and staff; strategic planning; program development; financial management)?
• How would you assess this candidate’s strengths in external relations, including building connections to the community, businesses and organizations?
• Are there any particular areas that you might identify as “gaps” that this candidate would need to strengthen in order to serve effectively in this role?
• Is there any other information which you believe the Search Committee needs to know about this candidate?

6.0 Disqualification of Employment

Consistent with University System of Georgia regulations, a candidate will be disqualified for employment for any of the following reasons:

• A criminal drug conviction shall disqualify a candidate for at least three (3) months from the most recent conviction date. A second or subsequent criminal drug offense shall disqualify a candidate from employment or re-employment for five (5) years from the most recent conviction date.
• The candidate applying for a position of trust has been convicted of a felony or crime involving moral turpitude unless the applicant has been pardoned.
• Any false statement of material fact during the screening process.
• The candidate is or has been a member of an organization advocating the violent overthrow of the United States or State of Georgia government.

Board of Regents policy also allows that "no individual shall be employed in a department or unit which will result in the existence of a subordinate-superior relationship between such individuals and any relative of such individual through any line of authority. As used herein, 'line of authority' shall mean authority extending vertically through one or more organizational levels of supervision or management."

7.0 Nomination Procedures

A recommendation to hire, which includes proposed rank, credit toward tenure (if appropriate), will be submitted by the chair of the search committee to the direct supervisor of the position.

If the respective supervisor decides that an offer should be made, he/she should complete the pertinent sections of the Hiring Proposal in Careers. The appropriate supervisor verbally extends the offer to the selected applicant, followed by a written confirmation letter from the Provost/Sr. Vice President for Academic Affairs or the President in cases of Vice-Presidential appointments.

If the appropriate supervisor believes that the selected applicant must be given an interim response before all approvals can be obtained, he/she may contact the applicant of choice and state the following:

“I am calling to let you know that I am recommending that you be offered the position of ____________ at the rank of ____________for a nine- (twelve-) month salary of ___________ beginning ____________. An official offer is pending approval of the Dean, the Provost for Academic Affairs, the President”, depending on the position being filled.

The above procedure does not constitute an official offer; it is simply a means to inform the candidate of interest and intent, while, at the same time, ensuring that no offer is made without appropriate approvals.

Once the applicant of choice has accepted the position offered, the remaining applicants will need to be dispositioned. Notifications to all those who have applied that the position has been filled, will be sent. (If a department head wishes to notify those who have been interviewed, the Office of Human Resources should be informed immediately to prevent duplication.)

The hiring manager is responsible for moving the position through the proper stages in Careers as the search process progresses.  The search chair will make the recommendation for the final candidate for hire.

8.0 Candidate Reimbursement

Candidates who are invited to the university for an interview receive reimbursement for travel expenses (air, automobile) to and from campus and for one night’s hotel accommodations if an overnight stay is required as part of the interview process. Exceptions to the one-night lodging arrangement may be appropriate if a significantly reduced air fare could be obtained by staying more than one night. However, all exceptions must be approved by the Sr. Vice President for Academic Affairs prior to making actual arrangements.

Candidates should be encouraged to use rental cars for transportation to and from the airport. A University of North Georgia Travel Expense Statement must be filed with the Office of Academic Affairs in order for a candidate to be reimbursed.

Appendix I

Interview Question Guide
Before a candidate is interviewed, committee members should familiarize themselves with this guide. In every instance, questions must be job-related and necessary for determining the applicant’s potential for employment at UNG. When interviewing applicants, the method (phone, teleconference, etc.) must be consistently followed for each candidate in order to maintain equality in the interviewing experience. Additionally, each applicant within a search must be asked the same questions when being interviewed.

Do not ask the open-ended question “Tell me about yourself”. This question poses a risk that the candidate will tell you about their affiliation with the local church, their handicapped child, their domestic partner, etc. A candidate who has provided this sort of information can later claim that she was denied the position because of race, religion, age, etc.

Appendix II

Examples of Competency Based Interview Questions (Technical and Behavioral Competencies)

Statement of Nondiscrimination

The following is the official University of North Georgia Affirmative Action / Equal Employment Opportunity Statement of Nondiscrimination.

University of North Georgia is committed to affirmative implementation of equal opportunity in education and employment. To that end, UNG does not discriminate against individuals on the basis of race, color, gender, religion, creed, national origin, age, disability, genetics or protected veteran status in its programs and activities, including in the administration of its admissions policies, educational policies, employment policies, or any University governed program or activity.