Introduction
The following narrative describes internal departmental hiring procedures as they have evolved over the
years. It also covers how departmental procedures articulate with University rules and guidelines,
including EO/AA. Departmental aspects of hiring procedures may change as conditions necessitate. The
department chairperson makes every effort to work with the search committee and the department faculty
to reach consensus at each stage of the hiring process. When consensus cannot be achieved, the
department chairperson has the responsibility of deciding how to proceed, except for those circumstances
in which a vote of the faculty is particularly specified below.
- When a faculty vacancy is anticipated or occurs in the department, the department chairperson and faculty collaborate in determining the qualifications desired for the new or replacement faculty position.
- The chairperson drafts a position description and completes a personnel allocation form and forwards both documents through specified administrative channels for approval. Prior to and throughout the allocation process, the chairperson consults frequently on a informal basis with the Dean of Arts and Sciences, the Vice President for Academic Affairs, and the University Affirmative Action Officer about the proposed position.
- Once the position is approved by the appropriate university officials, the chairperson drafts an advertisement, including the deadline for application, to be placed in various national employment publications and electronic bulletin boards, such as the MLA Job Information List and The Chronicle of Higher Education (the chairperson needs to be familiar with the various deadlines for these publications). The position notice is also posted on campus, including posting on the Department website and other electronic bulletin boards, and departmental faculty are encouraged to communicate information about the opening to professional associates at other institutions. The chairperson also mails fliers describing the position to: lists of predominately African-American and women's colleges; colleges in states with historically large populations of Hispanics and Asian-Americans; the English Departments of Ph. D. granting institutions in the United States.
- The chairperson then calls for the election of a search committee (see Departmental Committees) and arranges for the search committee to meet with the Affirmative Action Officer. Normally, first-year faculty will not be elected to serve on a search committee.
- As applications for the position are received, the chairperson insures that the department office acknowledges all applications promptly and that applications are carefully tracked to make sure that they are complete by the application deadline.
- Also as the applications are received, search committee members and the chairperson review and rate the applications independently so that the screening process may begin as soon as possible after the application deadline. Applicant files are open only to search committee members, the chairperson, and the department secretary.
- Once the deadline has passed and independent review and rating of applications is completed, the search committee and the department chairperson select the best applicants for the position. If no one in the department has the appropriate expertise, the search committee may seek help from experts outside the department in evaluating specialized skills. In the past, a small group of semi-finalists (2-10) has been selected for telephone interviews with the search committee and chairperson. The department chairperson submits the list of semi-finalists to the Affirmative Action Officer for approval.
- On the basis of the telephone interviews, the search committee and chairperson eliminate some semi-finalists and list the remaining candidates in priority order.
- The department chairperson reports the outcome of the telephone interviews to the Affirmative Action Officer and gets approval to proceed.
9.1: If one of the candidates is clearly the top choice, that applicant will be invited for a campus interview. (See Notes on Campus Interviews) The application file of this candidate will be made available for review by all department faculty. After the campus interview, the department faculty will be asked to vote either to offer the position to the candidate just interviewed or to interview the next candidate on the priority list. If the outcome of the vote is not conclusive, the department chairperson makes the decision.
9.2: If no top choice emerges from the screening process and the telephone interviews, the department may invite two or more candidates for campus interviews. The application files of these candidates will be made available for review by all department faculty. After the campus interviews, the faculty vote on their choice of candidate. If the outcome of the vote is not conclusive, the department chairperson makes the decision. - The chairperson offers the position to the candidate by telephone and by mail.
- Once the candidate accepts the position in writing, the chairperson prepares a personnel appointment form and forwards it through appropriate channels.
- The official letter of appointment is sent to the candidate by the President.
- Throughout the screening and interview process, the department chairperson keeps in touch with the Dean of Arts and Sciences and the Affirmative Action Officer and submits reports from time to time and at the end of the process as called for by the Affirmative Action Officer.
Note on Campus Interviews: Campus interviews will include tours of Pittsburg and the campus, a social gathering with members of the department, and meetings with the:
- Dean of Arts and Sciences
- Vice President for Academic Affairs
- departmental search committee
- department faculty
- appropriate representative student groups
- department chairperson.
Candidates may also be asked to teach a class or make a formal presentation to the faculty. When considering campus interviews, the search committee and the department should remain cognizant of the fact that the Dean of Arts and Sciencesn normally pays the transportation cost of one campus interview.
The candidate's food and lodging costs are paid by the department, as are all costs, including transportation, of additional campus interviews. Department members pay for their own food during the interview process.
Part–Time Faculty: Fall Appointments
- The department employs part-time faculty to teach one, two, or three classes each (depending upon availability) in composition, technical writing, and/or general education literature. Hiring part-time faculty is the responsibility of the department chairperson.
- Early in the spring semester, the department chairperson consults with the Dean of Arts and Sciences about the department's allocation of part-time faculty for the next academic year.
- The chairperson then drafts a fall schedule which includes the appropriate number of part-time sections.
- After pre-registration for the fall term is completed and interim scheduling adjustments have been made, the department chairperson drafts an advertisement, including a deadline for applications, and submits it to the Affirmative Action Officer for approval.
- Once approved, the ad is run in a Sunday edition of the Joplin Globe and the Pittsburg Morning Sun no later than early to mid-June.
- After the application deadline, the department chairperson screens applications, interviews candidates when necessary, and selects candidates to teach one or two sections each of composition, technical writing, and/or general education literature. Applicants who have taught satisfactorily for the department in the past are given preference in hiring and assignment of sections, with those who have taught the longest having highest priority. When possible, prior to making final appointments, the chairperson will review hiring recommendations with the directors of programs in which the part-time faculty will be teaching.
- After the final assignments are made, the chairperson prepares personnel appointment forms for each part-time faculty member and forwards them through appropriate channels along with a copy of a current resume for each.
- The official letter of appointment is sent to the part-time faculty member by the President.
- At the end of the hiring process, the department chairperson prepares a report for the Affirmative Action Officer.
- For the spring semester, the department chairperson drafts a schedule of classes early in the fall semester which includes the appropriate number of part-time sections based on the allocation received from the Dean of Arts and Sciences for the academic year.
- After pre-registration for the spring semester is completed and interim schedule adjustments have been made, the chairperson makes appointments from the pool of applicants established the previous summer for that academic year.The appointees are assigned to teach one or two sections each of composition, technical writing, and/or general education literature, with preference in hiring and assignment of sections given to those part-time faculty who have taught for the department the longest. If necessary, the department chairperson consults with the director of the programs in which the part-time faculty will be assigned to teach.
- The chairperson prepares personnel appointment forms for each part-time faculty member appointed and forwards them through appropriate channels along with a current resume.
- The official appointment letter is sent to the part-time faculty member by the President.
- The department chairperson applies to the Office of Human Resources for reallocation of the position.
- Once the position is reallocated, the department chairperson works with the Office of Human Resources in deciding how to advertise the position (on-campus, within the state classified employment system, or in the local area).
- The department chairperson, in consultation with the Office of Human Resources, determines a list of candidates to be interviewed, from on-campus applicants, applicants from within the state classified employment system, or applicants from the local area.
- The department as a whole participates in interviews and advises the chairperson on selection of the person to be hired.
- The department chairperson makes the final hiring decision and recommends the official appointment through the Office of Human Resources.
- The appropriate departmental member determines a need for student help and drafts a position description according to guidelines from the student employment office; the department secretary has these guidelines.
- The position is advertised for a minimum of three days through the student employment office.
- The department member reviews applications, interviews applicants, and selects the student or students to be hired.
- The student or students hired are sent to the department secretary to fill out student employment contracts.
