Assessment and Intake

A search committee can help manage the large amount of work of reviewing applicants and the University's data privacy obligations, excluding DEI goals. It provides consistency in reviewing candidates and offers the benefit of multiple perspectives. Responsible administrators can be flexible in using search committees. Consider these factors when considering a search committee:

1. Unless compelling reasons exist, the University requires a search committee when filling tenured and tenure-track faculty, continuous and probationary professional academic staff, and senior administrative appointments. Using search committees for these types of appointments is consistent with other higher education institutions.
2. Consider the scope and impact of the position when deciding whether to use a search committee. Will professional contacts for this position be broad or limited? To what extent will the person rely on members of the unit or the larger University community to perform their duties? Would the advice of a search committee be more likely to ensure support for the chosen candidate?
3. Is there an existing body that can be used instead of a search committee, such as a standing committee or an advisory group?
4. A search committee should make the search process more effective for everyone, including the applicants. The process sets the stage for the future employment relationship, so manage it carefully. 

• Consider the composition of your committee carefully. A large committee may slow down the search process.
• Select members who have valuable knowledge about the position.
• Include individuals with varied roles, experiences, and perspectives to enhance committee discussions.
• If the duties of the position cross disciplines, specialties, or administrative units, consider representation on the committee from beyond your unit.
• Include people with experience in successful searches.
• Student representation is strongly encouraged.
• For senior administrator searches, refer to Hiring Selected Senior and Other High-Level Leaders.
• Take care not to overburden the same employees with too many requests to serve on committees.

Selecting a Well-Qualified Chair

An ideal chair is someone who is:

• Highly regarded as a faculty member, professional, or administrator
• Respected by diverse constituencies
• Experienced in searches that have recruited a robust and diverse applicant pool
• Skilled at conducting meetings

We’ve seen an increased use of "mega searches" for faculty hiring. These occur when one committee fills multiple positions that reflect multiple subdisciplines or cross-disciplinary searches, where candidates can come from a variety of disciplines. These search models are beneficial, but they make it difficult to select committee members with all the necessary expertise. Additionally, some departments would like their entire faculty to review all candidates, not just the finalists.

The dean of each college may determine if and how to permit expanded participation in the process. Any additional people consulted must have a "reason to know" about the applicants, usually because of their expertise in the discipline. If people outside of the committee review candidates before finalists are designated, two principles must be satisfied:

1. Additional reviewers must be informed of, and comply with, data practices laws. (See the Who can know information about applicants? section below.)
2. The process must still ensure that all candidates are provided equal opportunity in consideration and that candidates who are reviewed outside the core search committee are not selected on an impermissible basis.

Possible models for expanded participation are: 

1. Select a larger search committee to incorporate all likely disciplines.
2. Ask one or more faculty (preferably two or more, to mirror the values of a search committee) to review all candidates in the unexpected discipline remaining in the pool at that point. Ideally, these additional reviewers would be identified in advance (for example, if we get candidates in X discipline, we'll ask professors Y and Z). This is to avoid the risk of selecting reviewers based on a connection that might infer bias.
3. Appoint a core search committee to do the initial review of all applicants and coordinate the process, and an appropriate number of "subcommittee" members to review all applicants in each subdiscipline.
4. Appoint a search committee to select semifinalists. Then use the entire faculty of a department to select the finalists.
5. Ensure that all faculty members participate fully if a department wants the entire faculty to review all candidates.

The responsible administrator:

• Selects people to serve on the committee
• Refrains from participating in committee actions and discussions to avoid influencing the committee
• Makes the final hiring decision
• Can access all applicant files
• Can select additional applicants from the pool for further consideration
• Can nominate individuals as candidates

The search chair keeps the responsible administrator continually informed of the search status.

The Minnesota Government Data Practices Act prohibits sharing information about applicants except with people in the institution who have a job-related "reason to know." People with a reason to know include the following:

• Search committee
• Department head, chair, or director
• Academic dean
• Vice president
• Unit HR staff
• Talent Acquisition team
• Staff support for the search

The search committee has access to all applicant materials (except for self-identification of race, gender, disability, and veteran status). The committee must ensure that all qualified candidates receive appropriate consideration. 

The college or administrative unit decides whether to expand access to applicant materials to other faculty or staff. Access should be given only to those who can provide substantive input to the review. They must be informed of the same privacy and equal opportunity responsibilities as the search committee. 

If the responsible administrator uses an existing body instead of a search committee and its members are allowed access to candidate files, the participants must be informed of their privacy and equal opportunity obligations. 

The search committee chair maintains complete records throughout the search process. If a search committee isn’t used, the administrator responsible for making the final hiring decision keeps and stores complete records. The Talent Acquisition team ensures that applicants are moved through the applicant tracking system. 

Search files must be kept for seven years. After that, refer questions about the disposition of the files to the Office of the General Counsel. Do not dispose of files on searches that are in litigation until litigation is complete.

Search Committee Files

At a minimum, search committee files should include:

• Job posting and full search plan information
• Copies of announcements, advertising, and other solicitations for applications and nominations
• Applicant and nominee correspondence and a record of verbal contacts with or about applicants or nominees
• Evaluations, references, reference checks
• Records of all committee meetings, including selection criteria, decision-making, voting, etc.
• Evaluations of candidates at each step, and reasons why candidates were not referred for selection
• Faculty vote on tenure decisions, if applicable

It’s important that search committee members know what they can and can’t share with interested parties, including applicants.

Public Information

• Position description and ad copy
• Names of search committee members
• Search plan information
• Essential and preferred qualifications
• Information about the process followed by the search committee
• Names of finalists selected by the responsible administrator, when the candidate has granted permission to be considered a finalist
• Job history, education and training background, and work availability of finalists
• Selection outcome information

Private Information

• Names of applicants and nominees (unless selected as finalists)
• Information in committee files about applicants
• Information about finalists, except public items listed above

Refer any requests for information or questions about the search to the search chair or responsible administrator. Refer requests for information or questions about finalists to the responsible administrator. (Search chairs and responsible administrators should contact the Office of the General Counsel if they have any questions about the public versus private status of information requested.)

Applicants have the right to inspect their own file, including evaluations of the application, letters of reference (and reference checks), and reasons for not being selected. Applicants do not have the right to information about other applicants.