A search committee is a group of individuals formed for purposes of assisting the responsible administrator in recruiting and screening candidates for a posted academic position.

Business image

The search committee adds value as a practical way to harness the large amount of work of reviewing applicants and to manage the University’s data privacy obligations. It provides for consistency in reviewing each candidate, and benefits from multiple perspectives. Responsible administrators may exercise flexibility related to the use of search committees. Consider the following issues when developing staffing strategies and considering the role of the search committee:

Unless compelling reasons exist to do otherwise, the use of a search committee is required when filling tenured and tenure-track faculty, continuous and probationary professional academic staff and senior level administrative appointments. The use of search committees for these types of appointments is consistent with that of other higher education institutions and is strongly endorsed by the University community.

The scope and impact of the position should be considered when deciding whether or not to use a search committee. Will professional contacts for this position within and/or outside of the University be broad or limited? To what extent will the individual rely on members of the unit and/or the larger University community to successfully perform the duties of this position?

Would the advice of a search committee during the hiring process be more likely to ensure support for the person hired by colleagues and/or customer/client communities?

Is there another existing body for advice on hiring rather than a search committee, such as a standing committee or an advisory group?

An effective search committee strategy will do much to facilitate, rather than undermine, an effective search. Keep in mind that the goal when using a search committee is to optimize the effectiveness of the search process from the perspective of all parties concerned-the hiring authority, members of the search committee, colleagues, and in particular, the applicants. Since the search process sets the stage for the future employment relationship, careful attention should be paid in effectively managing this very important phase of the staffing process.