The Search

The College’s ability to authorize searches for tenure-track faculty is subject to the availability of state funding. If the College determines that faculty hiring can proceed, the College will ask executive officers to submit requests for authorization to conduct faculty searches. Such authorization requests should be submitted early in the spring semester and must indicate the following:

• The role of the proposed new faculty member in the department’s long-range plans, specifically how the proposed hire will build on current strengths, create a new area of excellence, or satisfy an existing need within the department.
• Whether the proposed appointment might advance departmental efforts to diversify the faculty.
• How, given the department’s current structure, the desired candidate would fit into its programs of research, teaching, and, if applicable, service to the university.
• How either undergraduate or graduate student demand warrants a tenure-track hire.
• How the proposed appointment might enhance interdisciplinary ties across departments, colleges, and/or schools.
• Whether there are internal savings the department is willing to propose as a means of funding this new hire.
• How this proposed appointment can lead to increased external funding or recognition.
• The rank of the desired new faculty member. Note: New faculty appointments are typically authorized at the rank of beginning assistant professor. If the department seeks an appointment at a higher rank, it must demonstrate need.

After a search has been authorized, it will generally remain open only during the academic year of the authorization. Final authorization is always subject to the availability of state funding. At the discretion of the dean, a search may be declared “failed” if a department is unable to identify or hire an exceptional candidate during the year of a search.

Before undertaking a search, the department should consult with the Associate Dean for Research and Facilities, Luke Hanley (lhanley@uic.edu or 3-9466), about space for a new faculty member’s office and laboratory and/or requests for remodeling. The dean will confer with the associate dean to ensure that such plans have been discussed prior to authorizing a search.

After receiving authorization to search (always subject to the availability of state funding), the unit executive officer either appoints or calls an election to constitute the search committee. Care should be taken to ensure that the committee is as diverse as possible with respect to race, ethnicity, gender, sexual orientation and ability. Search committees should, again insofar as possible, include department members of all ranks. Non-tenure line faculty may (at the unit head’s discretion) serve and vote on search committees, in accordance with the unit’s bylaws.

For all search committees, the total number of members must equal an odd number; and  in LAS, the committee must include at least one faculty member from a department outside the hiring unit. Please note that the hiring manager for the department cannot be a member of the search committee. The associate dean assigned to the search must approve the search committee before the position can be advertised.

If candidates have interest in joint appointments, the hiring unit should alert the relevant department as early as possible in the recruitment process. The hiring department should coordinate the search process through JD Expert and Cornerstone applications (e.g., Position Notice, placement of ads) in order to avoid duplication of efforts and advertisements. The department must review all information on the OAE website regarding the search process. It is important to note that the OAE Appointment form, which will need to be submitted for approval of the selected candidate, has specific requirements that have to be met and which the department needs to have information from the entirety of the search process. Please see:

• https://oae.uic.edu/ah/academic-hiring-process/
• https://oae.uic.edu/ah/academic-hiring-process/search-resources/

The hiring unit should forward complete candidate files to the other unit(s) as they become available, send timely notice of job talks, and schedule time for the candidate to meet with faculty from both units during the campus visit. The executive officer of the primary hiring department should consult with the potential partner department about the candidate’s acceptability and the possibility of a joint appointment. Throughout the entire process, departments should keep the associate dean informed about the progress of the search.

All committee members must complete Office of Access and Equity (OAE) training before the minimally qualified list of candidates is sent to OAE.  Faculty search committee training is available in e-learning format. Additionally, departments must send at least two members of the search committee to the LAS hiring workshop organized in the fall. Failure to attend this workshop may result in the suspension of the search.

The University of Illinois System will not engage in discrimination or harassment against any person because of race, color, religion, sex, national origin, ancestry, age, marital status, order of protection, disability, pregnancy, sexual orientation including gender identity, unfavorable discharge from the military or status as a protected veteran and will comply with all federal and state nondiscrimination, equal opportunity and affirmative action laws, orders and regulations. This nondiscrimination policy applies to admissions, employment, access to and treatment in the programs and activities of the University of Illinois System.

After receiving search authorization from the dean, the department should initiate the JDExpert item. The associate dean assigned to the search must approve the position announcement before the Cornerstone item is submitted for College and OAE approval. Once the Cornerstone item has been approved by the Office of Access and Equity the department can place the advertisement in outside venues.

• Posts the announcement on the department website
• Advertises the position in the profession’s standard periodicals or job-information bulletins and, if applicable, the web sites of those organizations as well
• Alerts organizations with access to traditionally underrepresented groups
• PLEASE NOTE: University guidelines no longer require the department to advertise the position in the print media; however, US Department of Labor regulations require that a department sponsoring a newly-hired faculty member for Permanent Residency (green card) must submit a print ad for the position.

Please retain a copy of all job postings (on UIC HR website, in professional journals, etc.) as these must be uploaded into Cornerstone. Before the selected candidate can be approved by OAE. Please see: https://hr.uic.edu/hr-staff-managers/hr-systems/cornerstone/

Please note that all candidates for a position must apply through Cornerstone. Additionally, reference letters should only be requested through Cornerstone. Files should not be stored or shared outside of Cornerstone.

The search committee must be vigilant with respect to seeking and evaluating a diverse pool of applicants. For example, committee members should not only seek candidates through organizations with special access to members of traditionally underrepresented groups, but also recognize that candidates from traditionally underrepresented groups sometimes follow different educational paths.

The unit head and/or the search committee chair should ensure that applications are screened by a uniform procedure. At least two faculty members should read every initial application. Please note the files of all the candidates who have applied for the opening must be reviewed by committee and all candidates must be marked as “Meeting Minimum Qualifications” or “Denied, Not Selected.”

In order to arrive at a short list of candidates, the search committee should

• Read the candidate’s written material
• Consult evaluations of the candidate’s teaching
• Contact the authors of letters of recommendation to verify the accuracy of the candidate’s curriculum vitae and, if appropriate, expected date of graduation
• Whenever possible, screen eligible candidates by preliminary interviews at meetings of professional organizations.

Once the department has determined the “long” list of applicants for initial interview, it should be submitted to the assigned associate dean for approval before interviews take place. After the department determines the list of finalists they wish to bring in for campus interviews, the list of 3-4 candidates needs to be approved by the assigned associate dean and the department needs to request approval for the cost of bringing candidates to campus through the Expense Form which needs to be submitted to Montana Wongchinsri before the candidate comes to campus.

Departments must indicate in Cornerstone the stages of review of the candidates.

Confidentiality is of utmost important when communicating with candidates or potential candidates. No promises should be made to any candidate, in person, by phone, or email until the search process is complete. Committee and department members should refrain from inappropriate discussion of candidates, especially on email. They should similarly refrain from discussing any candidates or specific details of the search with any third parties.

Final candidates should be brought to campus for interviews with faculty (from several departments), students, and the assigned associate dean. In selecting candidates for campus visits, as in all aspects of the search process, the unit head should scrupulously attend to matters of diversity. If the department proposes to interview neither women nor members of traditionally underrepresented groups, it must be prepared to document fully its efforts to improve diversity during the search.

In preparing for campus visits, departments should

•  submit for approval the list of candidates along with their application materials to the associate dean assigned to the search
• complete the Funding Request for Campus Visit form and submit it (as an email attachment) to Rich Alpern (ralpern@uic.edu), Associate Dean
• schedule campus visits only after the college approves the list of candidates and the funding request for the campus visit.

The usual number of campus visits is three per position. In all cases, the number of visits must be approved by an associate dean. Occasionally, the college or the university will offer incentive programs that allow a greater number of campus visits. A department that wishes to invite a candidate for more than one visit must negotiate with the College (the College tends to be flexible about the number of candidates’ visits allowed if no costs are involved or if a department is paying the additional costs).

Typically, the college will approve expenses to bring three finalists to campus and will generally pay for one visit for each of three finalists per faculty search. Rich Alpert must approve expenses associated with the campus visit for each candidate. The general package is transportation (airfare, train, mileage), one or two nights’ lodging, and ground transportation (transport to and from the airport at either end of the trip). In some situations, other ground transportation charges may be allowed, (e.g., if taxis or ride-hailing services are necessary to transport candidates to campus from distant hotels). Unusual situations will be considered and should be brought to the college’s attention ahead of time.

Whenever possible, the department should arrange and prepay candidates’ travel expenses.  Please review the OBFS insured charter list. If it is necessary for the candidate to arrange their own transportation—for example, when only a portion of a multi-city fare is at the department’s expense—the department should urge them to choose the least costly fares.

Candidates may be reimbursed for travel by personal car at the university’s current rate.

Questions about search-related expenses should be directed to Rich Alpert (ralpern@uic.edu ) before the expenditure is made.

Departments are responsible for expenses related to candidates’ meals during the visit, except meals when the candidate dines alone. Departments should not include the cost of “meals alone” in their budget requests, unless the department is certain that no faculty members can be present. Such requests are considered on an individual basis. Meals at restaurants in connection with searches must be paid for at the time of the meal with the department’s T-card. It is best to obtain an itemized receipt, per OBFS guidelines. Departments also are required to familiarize themselves with the OBSF guidelines for allowable spending limits. It is useful to call the restaurant prior to arrival to provide the university’s tax exemption number (located on the T-card). Some restaurants may require a physical copy of the university’s tax exemption letter.

It is inappropriate to spend a significant amount of university funds on alcoholic beverages. Although a modestly priced wine may be ordered with dinner, other alcoholic drinks or expensive wines should be paid for by the faculty hosts from personal funds. Please refer to the section on T-Card.

Because most interviews occur during the winter when Chicago weather can be unpredictable it may be prudent to ask the candidate to arrive the day before their interview begins.

When a candidate arrives by air or train, the department should either have a department member meet the candidate at the terminal or send a car. Only in extraordinary cases (e.g., travel delays due to inclement weather) should the candidate be asked to take a taxi to campus or to their hotel unescorted. Under no circumstances should the candidate be directed to take public transportation to campus.

As early as possible (and certainly in advance of the visit), the department should distribute copies of the candidate’s schedule to the candidate and to the persons with whom they will meet during the visit. Interviewers should adhere to their allotted time, as indicated on the schedule. The candidate should be escorted to each appointment.

In planning the visit, the department should

• forward to the associate dean the files of candidates to be interviewed on campus.
• schedule a meeting between the candidate and the associate dean in charge of the search as early as possible.
• schedule the candidate’s job talk (including arranging in advance any needed technological support) and notify the Dean’s Office of the time and location of the talk.
• announce the job talk widely across campus through email and posters addressed both to faculty and students. Job talks should not be restricted to department members, but should be viewed as an opportunity for intellectual engagement on the campus.
• arrange interviews with members of other departments with whom the candidate might have mutual interests, and/or specifically and personally invite members of other departments to the candidate’s job talk.
• arrange meetings with department members.
• arrange meeting(s) with undergraduate and graduate students. Ideally, faculty members will not be present during the meeting(s).

Departments should plan the logistics of the visit carefully in order to impress upon the candidate the university’s strengths, the attractiveness of the Chicago area, and the department’s attentiveness to the candidate’s concerns. Departments should take care to present UIC in ways that emphasize its many advantages.

Candidates benefit from a broad range of information. Departments should provide packets of materials about the university and the Chicago area.

It is important to offer to assist the candidate with personal concerns. Prospective employers cannot ask about marital status, children, or other personal matters, but the unit head can and should ask whether any important issues have been overlooked. If the candidate voices interest in employment for a spouse or partner, the department should consult the Dean’s Office as soon as possible for assistance. Visits to schools and introductions for the spouse can often be arranged.

Candidates might also appreciate learning about resources and services available on campus as well as the UIC relocation guide.