Hiring Senior-Level Faculty

On this page you will find information about hiring a faculty member and the steps that must be completed for the following ranks:

1. faculty with tenure
2. tenure-track full professors and tenure track associate professors
3. professional-track full professors of instruction, practice, clinical, adjunct, and distinguished senior lecturers.

Candidate Pre-Review
Steps for Prior Approval Request (PAR) Review in Provost’s Office
Dossier for New Hires
Finalized PAR Packet

Candidate Pre-Review

• The provost’s office will review the curriculum vitae for potential tenured, tenure-track full and associate professors, and professional-track professor rank faculty hires once a finalist has been identified.
• The review committee will provide feedback on areas needing additional information and/or clarification in the forthcoming Prior Approval Request (PAR) documentation.
• To request a tenure candidate pre-review, the dean’s office should submit a request to the Faculty Affairs Team through the Service Now Portal.  Please include the following information as an attachment with the request:
  • Current CV for the candidate.
  • Brief description of the recruitment/identification/finalist process and rationale for selecting this finalist above others. Please explain the meaningful efforts that were used to recruit a broad pool of the most talented and accomplished candidates in the field.
  • EEO report from Interfolio (if recruitment was managed in Interfolio) and/or similar demographic reports in cases where third-party application management systems are employed.
  • Brief summary of the candidate’s research area and why it is important to the department/college.
  • If applicable, request for fast-track approval in the rare case where the candidate’s record is unusually outstanding (e.g. Nobel Prize/Pulitzer Prize, prestigious national academy member).
• Negotiations may continue while the pre-review process is taking place.
• Questions identified in the pre-review will be communicated to the dean or associate dean and must be clearly addressed in the Prior Approval Request (PAR).

Dossier for New Hires

Exceptions to these guidelines may be made on a case-by-case basis. Please contact Faculty Affairs if something is preventing the dossier from moving forward to discuss work-around options.

Certain required information for FPT approval in DEFINE is not needed in the dossier for new hires. For this reason, the DEFINE document may be in any status (i.e. created, in process, rerouted) while the tenure review is taking place.

Only one packet is needed for joint hires. The statements from the dean and department chair of the joint college/department, and copy of the joint PAR coversheet with signatures, should be included with the primary department’s packet.

The following documents are required in this order for a tenure review:

1. A copy of the Prior Approval Request (PAR) with signatures.
   Note: Certain required information for the PAR approval in DEFINE is not needed in the dossier for new hires. For this reason, the DEFINE document may be in any status (i.e. created, in process, rerouted) while the review is taking place.
2. Dean’s assessment/statement. Deans will write or sign off on an evaluative statement that includes the information below. It should not duplicate information found in the chair’s statement.
   • Assessment of the candidate’s teaching and research/scholarly/creative activity, including discussion of the strengths and weaknesses of the candidate’s record.
   • Report on the vote of the college-level review. Explanation of negative votes or abstentions.
   • Describe how this hire fits in with the overall hiring strategy for the college.
   • Explain how the hire would advance the quality of the college/school/department.
   • Address whether this is a lateral move or promotion. If a promotion, address number of years in current rank.
   • Reflect on the external review letters that are received and included in the packet. Identify and explain letters that are not arms-length or not at the full professor rank. It is not necessary to extensively quote the review letters.
   • Endowment holder recommendation may be included within this statement.
3. Department chair’s assessment/statement. In non-departmentalized colleges this information should be included in the dean’s statement.
   • Assessment of the candidate’s teaching and research/scholarly activity including discussion of the strengths and weaknesses of the candidate’s record.
   • Report on the vote of the department-level review. Explanation of negative votes or abstentions.
   • Thorough explanation of recruitment process strategy. Please explain the meaningful efforts that were used to recruit a broad pool of the most talented and accomplished candidates in the field.
   • Discussion of the candidate’s research/scholarship/creative activity within the context of the field and department.
   • Discussion of future trajectory of candidate’s research/scholarship/creative activity.
4. Up-to-date curriculum vitae. Candidate may need to submit a new CV if the one on file was submitted months beforehand. In particular, funding (if applicable) and projects in process should be up-to-date.
5. Research and teaching statement if submitted by the candidate during the recruitment process or as part of the application materials.
6. Teaching assessment. (This information may be included in the chair statement or as a separate statement.)
   • List of courses the candidate is likely to teach over the next three years and how these courses enhance the programmatic priorities of the department and college.
   • Evidence of the candidate’s teaching effectiveness.
   • Describe assessment process and give additional information if the candidate has not previously taught, such as describing the proactive strategy the department will use to ensure success.
7. Sample solicitation letter used to solicit outside review letters.
8. A minimum of three arms-length assessment letters. Letters from reviewers who are not sufficiently arms-length will not count toward the minimum requirement. The guiding principles for selecting reviewers for promotion and tenure purposes are applicable to the hiring process. Joint hires should contain more than three letters (five or six is recommended) since more than one department is being represented in the hire.
9. One of these, whichever is applicable:
   • Appointment Process Summary and EEO report from Interfolio (if only one applicant was brought in for an interview, an explanation should be included as to why). Include one copy of the ad (from Interfolio).
   • Approved posting waiver and supporting letter.

Finalized PAR Packet

Finalized PAR Packet

The following documents must be submitted in a finalized PAR packet:

1. 1. 1. PAR cover sheet (FPT DEFINE document must be routed to the provost’s office)
      2. Dean’s assessment/statement
      3. Department chair’s assessment/statement
      4. Up-to-date curriculum vitae
      5. Research and teaching statement if submitted by the candidate during the recruitment process or as part of the application materials.
      6. Teaching assessment (may be included in the chair statement rather than a separate document)
      7. Sample solicitation letter used to solicit outside review letters
      8. A minimum of three external letters (as described above)
      9. Primary Language Determination form, Attachment A; if English is not the Primary Language, include Attachments C & D as well.
      10. Documentation of approved funding commitments from the provost’s office (if applicable)
      11. One of these, whichever is applicable:
          • ​​​​​Appointment Process Summary and EEO report from Interfolio (if only one applicant was brought in for an interview, an explanation should be included as to why). Include one copy of the ad (from Interfolio).
          • Approved posting waiver and supporting letter.
      12. Provisional/contingent offer letter or term sheet (if applicable)
      13. Draft offer letter