Search and Screening Guidelines

Appendix A.
Definition of Terms Used in the Search and Screen Process

Posting:

This was the “SUS” Position Vacancy Announcement until June 1999. It is now the UCF Position Vacancy Announcement and is posted on-line only. If faculty ads say the search is “open”, hold PVA. Recruiting may take months; PVA can be filed toward the end. Reposting in PVA is needed if anything changed, including closing date of search. Closing date may change if original start date cannot be met; if ads do not appear in a timely manner; or if enhancement of the pool is desired. If material changes were made to qualifications at any time, re-advertising is necessary to attract the appropriate pool. (Also see “Advertising.”)

Posting approval process:

Posting in the PVA is generated by the hiring department. It is approved by officials responsible for the hire, including the Vice President. It is processed via fax to Academic Affairs (faculty). A&P vacancy announcements are created within the on-line process. EO/AA approves on-line with no contact from departments. 

Advertising:

Sources developed by each department for each vacancy. As an example: academic or professional journals; publications targeted for ethnic minority group members, women, veterans, person with disabilities; listserves that reach organization members; notices in newsletters; notices on conference placement bulletin boards; letters to accredited degree-granting programs; examination of departmental adjunct pools; contacting all historically Black or Hispanic universities with departments/units in the area of the vacancy; reviewing recent searches of a similar nature and contacting potential applicants; contacting the Career Resources offices in the state or region for registered alumni in the preferred field; fliers or other approaches to leading scholars or emerging scholars based on scholarly presentations at conferences; and any other contact that might attract a highly qualified and diverse pool of candidates.

Ad approval process:

Ads are e-mailed to EO for review as a service of the office, not a procedural requirement. Required elements of all ads placed by the university:

• Position number, class code, and title for use in verification that minimum requirements are appropriate for faculty. A&P positions must advertise and post “requirements” exactly as designated by HR classifications. Those are the only requirements that may be set. All other job-related qualifications must be listed as “preferences.”
• EEO statement and public documents statement.
• Postmark deadline, or indication for open postings that “screening will begin [on X date] and continue until position is filled.” When closing dates are used, they should be identical in all publications.
• All ranks to be considered, faculty teaching areas, or statement “other areas will be considered” for maximum flexibility.
• Qualitative and quantitative criteria, such as education, experience, or abilities. Note “required” or “preferred.” “Required” criteria are set by the hiring official for faculty; they are reserved for criteria set by HR classifications, in A&P postings. Required criteria are evaluated as of the closing date. Departments may choose other language for criteria not required on that date: degree expected by time of hire, degree required by (date), degree in final stages of completion, as examples.
• Actual classification titles, along with working titles published to attract applicants.

Public Meetings:

Committees should announce all meetings. Members of the public may attend. It is important to note that committee interaction with the visitors is not required. The agenda of the committee is for the committee members to discuss business; it does not normally include a public forum. The form to announce these meetings is available on the Human Resources website.

A representative from EO/AA may meet with the committee at its first meeting to discuss procedures, communicate information, and answer questions. This is a service of the office, not a procedural requirement.

Recruiting:

Calling major professors for recommendations of new graduates; calling leaders in field for recommendation; talking to potential candidates at conferences; talking to leaders in field at conferences and securing names that can be contacted later; signing up to interview interested people through a conference placement service; putting an ad on Careerbuilder.com or other employment-oriented listserve; personal contact with trusted colleagues and potential candidates. Phone calls and personal contacts are encouraged. Reviewing vitae received in other years or companion searches. Interviewing at conferences doesn’t replace on-campus interviews, but it can provide an opportunity to recruit a candidate by pre-screening and communicating your preliminary assessment of suitability.

Successful recruiting:

A diverse pool of well-qualified candidates through the interview stage. “Diverse” is defined as representation including men and women of at least two race/ethnic groups. Candidates must be drawn from the appropriate recruiting area as documented in the Affirmative Action Plan, developed with input from Vice Presidents and Deans.

Letter of Reference:

Written records provided by colleagues/supervisors who address job-related qualifications of the candidate. Best letters: directed to UCF, specific to the vacancy, describing job-related qualifications, dated in the past year. Exceptions may be made when the reference has not worked with the candidate for some time, or in other special circumstances. A letter of reference may be an e-mail to the UCF search manager. It must be dated, should contain verifiable contact identification, and be printed for the hiring folder.