Posted: July 26, 2017

The Office of the Provost updated documents for faculty recruitment so guidelines for search align with evidence based best practices as well as college level requirements. Visit the information within Faculty Searches & Initial Appointment to locate  Faculty Recruitment Checklist DOC PDF items. Some enhancements to the faculty search process are noted below; many search committees have already adopted these best practices. As always follow the checklist details and consult with the Office of the Provost for clarification. The ADVANCE Center remains a resource for faculty involved in recruitment. We provide sample job ad language, strategies to broaden the reach of the ad and network, tips to minimize bias, sample rubrics for evaluation, and are avaiable to meet candidates and visit with search committees or departments at any stage. 

Highlights of Revised Steps to Faculty Search at Lehigh University 

  • Search committee is formed and meets prior to documents advancing; at this stage the following should be accomplished
    • Determine criteria for position 
    • Develop job ad
    • Know your data and formulate steps to diversify the pool, including articulation of advertising strategy and active networked recruitment strategy
    • Be up to date on dual career information, policy, and resources.
  • Print job ads are no longer mandatory, provided the steps in the Checklist are followed
  • Periodically check the composition of the applicant pool; before phone, skype and/or in-person interviews, the cognizant associate dean will check and approve the pool and plans for interviewing. 
  • College specific expectations should be followed
  • Scheduling campus visit agendas needs special attention to welcome every candidate for the optimal experience- remember they are evaluating Lehigh, just as we are evaluating them
    • Every candidate should receive the "Brown About Lehigh" folder 
    • Best practice to include a 15 min conversation that is 'off the evaluation'
    • Consider scheduling faculty in pairs to meet the candidates
  • Evaluating finalists by measuring them against the criteria via a rubric, rather than ranking finalists against one another. 
  • Understand reasons for declined offers