Academic Affairs

Open Recruitment Process

For all Faculty Positions

I. Develop recruiting plan and outreach efforts

Appointing a search committee

Guidelines for appointing a search committee include:

  1. Appoint faculty who bring a variety of perspectives, personal experiences, values, and world-views that arise from differences of culture and circumstance
  2. Appoint a search committee that represents a diverse cross section of the faculty. Look beyond your own department to avoid overworking members of less represented groups.
  3. Appoint faculty who are committed to diversity and excellence
  4. Ensure that underrepresented groups have equal opportunity to serve on search committees
  5. Attend the faculty search committee orientation for department chairs that includes guidance on administering searches.

Drafting a position announcement

  • Include language that expresses an interest in candidates who will advance our commitment to diversity.
  • Draft the position announcement as broadly as possible to attract the largest available pool of potential applicants.
  • Advertise in venues that reach women and underrepresented minorities, such as special subgroups of professional organizations or focused conferences.
  • Include the department Internet address in the job announcement.

A carefully drafted advertisement is critical for a broad and inclusive search. Whenever possible, define the discipline of the search as broadly as possible, rather than narrowly, to obtain the largest applicant pool and to enable the department to consider exceptional applicants from unexpected sub-disciplines. Check Ph.D. availability tables for disciplines that may offer the greatest potential for a diverse applicant pool. You may state preferences:

  • The department is seeking to fill a faculty position in mathematics, with a strong preference for those in the fields of combinatorics and complex variables, but exceptional candidates in other areas will be considered.

Whenever possible, include all three ranks (assistant, associate, and full professor) in order to consider candidates who unexpectedly are in the job market. You may state preferences:

  • The department is seeking to fill a faculty position, with very strong preference for a junior-level candidate, but exceptional candidates at higher ranks will be considered.

Required components for faculty advertisements

Divisions and departments are encouraged to develop standard ad text with these components in advance of submitting Recruitment Plans to ADEO.  If a division or department wishes to develop standard ad text language in advance, they must collaborate with the division's Faculty Equity Advisor, AVC FE Ferrante and the ad language must be approved by the Dean. Deans will provide pre-approved ad text to ADEO. Recruitment Plans still must include the ad text, and ADEO will verify the ad text uses the language pre-approved by the dean. 

If a department does not develop pre-approved ad text, the ad text will be reviewed by ADEO for these required components. If required components are missing Recruitment Plans will be returned to the department to be corrected.

Examples are provided to assist departments in preparing advertisements.

  1. Hiring Department name   Example: History, Ethnic Studies, etc. 
  2. Academic Title  Example: Assistant Professor, Associate Clinical Professor, Academic Coordinator, etc. 
  3. Discipline or area of interest   Example: Gender Studies, Hematology/Oncology, etc. 
  4. Opening or prominently placed sentence stating a commitment to diversity  Example:  "The Department of (name) within the Division of (or, School of) [name] at UC San Diego is committed to academic excellence and diversity within the faculty, staff, and student body." 
  5. Description of the position, job responsibilities and any other details that might attract an applicant to UCSD. Include the departmental website address within the ad text  Example: "The Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry (http://www-chem.ucsd.edu) within the Division of Physical Sciences at UC San Diego invites applications for a tenure-track faculty position in _________." 
  6. An explicit statement of the "Required Qualifications" and/or "Preferred Qualifications" with descriptions of the knowledge, skills, and abilities for the position
  7. In addition to whatever criteria are listed for the position, Contributions to Diversity must be included as a preferred or required qualification for all searches  Preferred Qualification Examples:  "The preferred candidate will have experience or a willingness to participate in teaching, mentoring, research or service towards building an equitable and diverse scholarly environment."  "The preferred candidate will have demonstrated strong leadership or a commitment to support diversity, equity, and inclusion in an academic setting." For searches where Contributions to Diversity is a primary criterion in selection, it must be included as a required qualification.  Required Qualification Examples:  "The ideal candidate will have strong demonstrated accomplishments in areas contributing to diversity, equity and inclusion, and a desire to play a leadership role in advancing UC San Diego's commitment to achieving excellence and diversity."  "A successful candidate will demonstrate both strong research accomplishments and prior leadership in or concrete plans to contribute to   advancing equity and inclusion.  We especially welcome candidates who have created or contributed to programs that aim to increase the access and success of underrepresented minority or women students in [name]."
  8. Salary Statement  Example: "Salary is commensurate with qualifications and based on University of California pay scales." 
  9. Closing date statement; A closing date that is at least three weeks from the last date of the last publication where the job has been advertised.  Example: "Review of applications will commence on September 20, 2012 and continue until the position is filled." 

10.  A detailed description of all documents applicants must submit, including a request for a separate statement describing past and/or potential contributions to diversity, equity and inclusion, with a link to http://facultyequity.ucsd.edu/Faculty-Applicant-C2D-Info.asp.  Example: "...and a separate statement describing past experience in activities that promote diversity and inclusion and/or plans to make future contributions.  For further information about contributions to diversity statements, see http://facultyequity.ucsd.edu/Faculty-Applicant-C2D-Info.asp"

11.  Instructions about how to submit applications  Example: Applications should be submitted to the UCSD on-line application collection system, AP-On-Line Recruit, at: https://apol-recruit.ucsd.edu/apply/. 

12.  An Equal Employment Opportunity/Affirmative Action employer statement must appear in external recruitment ads  Examples: "UCSD is an equal opportunity / affirmative action employer with a strong institutional commitment to excellence and diversity (http://diversity.ucsd.edu)." 

Defining the outreach plan

Utilize the Best Practice Recruitment Strategies to define the plan for outreach and advertising. Consider the following:

  • Adopt advertising strategy that includes announcements to a broad audience, as well as postings targeted to women and minority groups. Utilize these resources:
    • National journals
    • Departments at other universities
    • Academic and professional associations (including committees within these associations)
    • Listservs and email groups
    • Web sites

Review the list of job posting resources developed by the Office of Academic Diversity and Equal Opportunity.

  • Consult with colleagues and/or make personal contact by email, telephone, or letter, and ask them to identify potential applicants, including those from diverse backgrounds. Ensure that search committees document outreach efforts (for example, committee members should cc: key department support staff on e-mails to solicit applicants).
  • Consider:
    • Faculty and academic administrators at other UC campuses
    • Faculty and academic administrators at other universities, including minority-serving institutions
    • Former students and alumni
  • Utilize directories and rosters of prestigious fellowship programs at both pre- and post-doctoral levels, including those that support individuals from diverse backgrounds, for example:
  • Create opportunities to recruit applicants, including women and minorities, at conferences you attend. Cultivate excellent future candidates, both for current and future searches.
  • Identify individuals who have achieved excellence outside academe, and contact them or send the position announcement to them.
  • Identify individuals who have excelled in less highly ranked academic settings than UCSD, and contact them or send the position announcement to them.
  • Market the department and the campus — showcase UCSD as an "employer of choice" offering academic excellence, diversity, and family accommodation programs.
  • Ensure that all candidates are treated with respect, and that those who are invited for interviews are welcomed and treated equitably. The way candidates are treated at UCSD is an important factor in attracting excellent future applicants.
  • Evaluate the effectiveness of the outreach and search efforts. Passing on this evaluation to future search committees will help them do a better job.

Discussing the outreach plan, selection criteria and process, and applicant evaluation form

The Faculty Equity Advisor should meet with the search committee to discuss:

  • the outreach plan
  • the selection criteria
  • the selection process

Preparing a Recruitment Plan (RP)

The electronic Recruitment Plan form is completed by department staff. It identifies:

  1. The position to be recruited and discipline of the position
  2. The proposed outreach effort to be implemented to develop a large, well-qualified, and diverse pool of applicants
  3. The proposed members of the search committee
  4. The proposed job notice that will be published to advertise the open position

Submitting the electronic Recruitment Plan (e-RP) form and approval process

  1. The department staff begins the recruitment process by entering the e-RP system either via the Academic Personnel On-Line (see section titled "AP On-Line Recruitment Plan (e-RP)) or via http://academicaffairs.ucsd.edu/Modules/Adeo/Recruitment/Default.aspx.   If unable to login, contact the department MSO/DBO to assign access.
  2. There are seven steps in using e-RP, and each step is identified by a section tab in the system:
    1. Hiring Unit(s) - Division, Department, Program Center name, etc.
    2. Ad Text - Approved Academic Title, position description that will be published to advertise the open position, salary, close date, application instructions, discipline/area of interest.
    3. Advertising/Outreach - publications, Web sites, listservs, committees, colleagues, faculty outreach, etc.
    4. Search Committee - The proposed members of the search committee, Should be a minimum of three.
    5. Files - Notices, flyers, letters, etc. used to recruit at events
    6. Unit Approval - enter the department approver (example: department chair, delegated authority, etc.)
    7. Review - The proposed plan that will be submitted to the unit approver
  3. The department staff completes the recruitment plan and submits the plan to the department approver for approval. Once approved, the plan is automatically forwarded to ADEO for review.
  4. OADEO takes action:
    1. OADEO reviews the proposed plan and may contact the department regarding questions and/or suggested changes.
    2. Finance verifies the approved allocation for FTE recruitments
    3. OADEO endorse/not endorse the plan and electronically forwards it to the dean’s office. Notes are included if ADEO did not endorse the plan.
  5. The dean takes action:
    1. The dean reviews the plan and may consult with the FEA.
    2. The dean may direct questions/suggestions for modification to the department.
    3. The dean electronically approves/disapproves the plan.
    4. The dean’s office notifies the department of the decision.

Important note:
The department may not publicly post the proposed job announcement until after the dean has electronically approved the recruitment plan.