Serving on a Search Committee
The committee personnel (chair and members) will be determined by the unit executive (dean, head, director, etc.) and committee members should have a clear understanding of the purpose of the position as well as a full job description with all educational and technical requirements.
Serving on a search committee in any role is a major responsibility and one of the more critical roles a staff member can fill for the campus. Be warned - it can be fun and rewarding. But, it will definitely be a great deal of work.
In general, a search committee member:
- Understands that the committee role is advisory and that the ultimate hiring responsibility rests with the executive officer of each unit.
- Needs to be proactive in soliciting and recruiting qualified, diverse applicants and willing to carefully and thoroughly review the application materials of all applicants.
- Must understand that serving can be a significant investment of time and effort. Campus academic professional positions will often attract dozens of applicants. It is not at all unusual for the number of applicants to exceed 100.
- Must be willing and able to arrange her or his schedule to fit the timeline and demands established by the chair and the hiring unit.
The Office of Equal Opportunity and Access maintains and annually updates a detailed Search Guidelines and Procedures for Academic Appointments. This document outlines the exact (and very detailed) processes for creating positions, forming committees and conducting searches for academic positions. If you are serving as a committee chair or a member, this is a very good resource to help you understand what you’ll be expected to do.
Learn more about chairing or serving on a search committee:
View detailed checklists for advertising, searching and hiring academic professionals
Visit the Office of Equal Opportunity and Access
Search Guidelines and Procedures for Academic Appointments Manual (PDF)
Official Provost Policy Document on Academic Appointments (PDF)