DOCUMENTATION TOWARD APPROVAL OF A SEARCH

TASKS AND PROCEDURES

(Instructions for Search Committee Chairs and Record Keepers/Hiring Managers)

As soon as the last candidate has left campus, start the documentation process. The turnaround time on this task must be as quick as possible because job offers cannot be made until the documentation has been approved by the hiring authority, intermediate authority, as appropriate for your area, and the University Equal Opportunity and Diversity Office (For directions regarding approval of tenure-system faculty searches, refer to the current version of the Provost’s Guidelines for Tenure-Track Faculty Searches).

I. Tasks that should already be completed:

A. Record Keepers/Hiring Managers

1. Create a file for the successful applicant materials. This file should contain the applicant's cover letter, resume, college/university transcripts, letters of recommendation, etc.

2. All Waiver of Right of Access to Letters of Recommendation forms (if not included in the UMass system’s electronic application system) placed in a folder so labeled. Make a copy of the successful candidate's form and put with the rest of the search materials.

3. As above, all EO/AA Information Request forms (if not included in the UMass system’s electronic application system) placed in a labeled folder. Also make a copy of the form for the successful candidate and place with the rest of the search materials.

4. All original resumes alphabetized and placed in a folder so labeled, if resumes aren’t stored electronically.

5. Applicant Log filled out except for last two columns.

B. Search Chair

1. Memo to Appointing Authority re: List of finalists. List each finalist, describing their respective strengths and weaknesses. Finalists for professional/exempt staff positions should not be ranked; ranking directions regarding the finalists for faculty positions are at the discretion of the appointing authority.

2. Draft work for "Affirmative Action Statement - New Appointments," items 1-4. Note: Item 1 should include the Position Description for the position if it is non-faculty, not the advertisement.

II. Tasks that need doing now:

A. Complete the Applicant Log, filling out the last two columns. IMPORTANT! The disposition "MQ" should be given to everyone who meets the REQUIRED minimum qualifications as they appear in the advertisement.

B. Complete the Applicant Log Summary. Please make sure that the totals for Minimally Qualified applicants ("MQ") include all of the applicants who met the preferred qualifications, who were interviewed, and who were recommended for hire. Applicants who withdrew prior to receiving a job offer should not be included in the totals for Not Qualified (“NQ”) or Minimally Qualified (“MQ”) applicants. In other words, the Applications Received total should be equal to the sum of the Not Qualified, Minimally Qualified, and Withdrew applicants.

C. Complete items 1-5 of the Affirmative Action Statement - New Appointments form.

D. Have the Applicant Log Summary signed by the Search Committee Chair.

E. Attach the following items:

1. Copy of Job Description (for professional/exempt staff positions)

2. Copies of all Job Announcements (Including attachments to the “Yellow Sheet”, Interview Exchange postings, flyers from the mailings, attachments to emails, and texts of ads as published in print or electronically.

3. Copy of Memo from Search Committee to Appointing Authority

4. Affirmative Action Statement - New Appointments Form,5. Applicant Log Summary 6. Applicant Log 7. Résumé(s) of the candidate(s) to be offered position

F. Review this whole packet with the Appointing Authority, and have the Appointing Authority sign the Applicant Log Summary after completing Question # 6 of the New Appointments form.

G. Forward this documentation through appropriate channels for your department.

III. Routing Search Materials for EO&D Approval:

The documentation will be routed to the Equal Opportunity and Diversity Office for approval, using the routing directions established by the appropriate Executive Area. Electronic submission of documentation is encouraged. Once Equal Opportunity has approved the search process, the materials will be returned to the department for storage and official job offers (For directions regarding approval of tenure-system faculty searches, refer to the current version of the Provost’s Guidelines for Tenure-Track Faculty Searches). The Search Committee/Chair then sends out the remaining rejection communications and works with the record keeper/hiring manager to clean up loose ends and prepare the search for storage.

IV. Disposal of Old Search Materials:

Please note that the search material should be discarded three years from the date of hire of the successful applicant.

EO&D: 7/2015

SEARCH COMMITTEE CHAIRPERSON

CHECK-OFF LIST

Ensure that copies of the job description and the advertisements are supplied to search committee members.

Meet with Equal Opportunity and Diversity representative to discuss search procedures.

In conjunction with other committee members, develop paper screening process to determine minimal required qualifications, as stated in the advertisement.

Coordinate all meetings of the committee, including time and place and alert all committee members.

Inform the department head of absent members should this become a problem.

Ensure that each committee member sees and reviews all resumes. When there is a large applicant pool, the committee may delegate the responsibilities of eliminating those who do not meet minimum advertised required qualifications. Documentation of this procedure must be included in the search process rationale.

Ensure that acknowledgments to all candidates are sent promptly by the record keeper/hiring manager.

Document first, second, and final cut decisions for eventual inclusion in the applicant log and memorandum of transmittal with offer.

Ensure that regrets are sent to all candidates rejected at the first cut, second cut, etc.

Provide the record keeper/hiring manager with list of candidates for interview and coordinate with the record keeper/hiring manager the development of a candidate itinerary for the interview process.

Submit a memorandum listing and evaluating the finalists to the department head/appointing authority.

Submit the Affirmative Action Statement - New Appointments Form for review by department head/appointing authority.

Forward all resumes and documentation to the hiring department for review and storage for three years from the date of hire of the successful candidate. For searches that are conducted using the UMass system’s electronic application system, the candidates’ application materials and all information completed within the system about the selection process will be maintained automatically by the software vendor for the three-year time period. The hiring department may elect to store the remainder of the required documentation either electronically or in a paper-based file system for the three-year time period.

If there are any questions along the way, please contact the EO&D Office at 545-3464.

EO&D: 7/2015

PROTECTED CATEGORIES OF PERSONS REQUIRINGEQUAL OPPORTUNITY AND AFFIRMATIVE ACTION EFFORTS

American Indian or Alaskan Native. Persons having origins in any of the original peoples of North and South America (including Central America), and who maintain tribal affiliation or community attachment.

Asian. Persons having origins in any of the original peoples of the Far East, Southeast Asia, or the Indian Subcontinent, including, for example, Cambodia, China, India, Japan, Korea, Malaysia, Pakistan, the Philippine Islands, Thailand, and Vietnam.

Black or African American. Persons having origins in any of the Black racial groups of Africa.

Hispanic or Latino. All persons of Cuban, Mexican, Puerto Rican, South or Central American, or other Spanish culture or origin, regardless of race. Persons who may have adopted the Spanish culture but are not otherwise of Spanish origin are to be treated according to their racial identity.

Native Hawaiian or Other Pacific Islander. Persons having origins in any of the peoples of Hawaii, Guam, Samoa, or other Pacific Islands.

Women.

Disabled. A person who (1) has a physical or mental impairment which substantially limits one or more of such person's major life activities, (2) has a record of such an impairment (such as cancer that is in remission, or (3) is regarded as having such an impairment. "Major Life activities" include, but are not limited to, caring for oneself, performing manual tasks, seeing, hearing, eating, sleeping, walking, standing, sitting, reaching, lifting, bending, speaking, breathing, learning, reading, concentrating, thinking, communicating, interacting with others, and working. "Substantially limits" means the degree to which the impairment affects employability.

Disabled Veteran. A veteran of the U.S. military, ground, naval or air service who is entitled to compensation (or who but for the receipt of military retired pay would be entitled to compensation) under laws administered by the Secretary of Veterans Affairs; or a person who was discharged or released from active duty because of a service-connected disability.

Recently Separated Veteran. Any veteran during the three-year period beginning on the date of such veteran’s discharge or release from active duty in the U.S. military, ground, naval, or air service.

Active Duty Wartime or Campaign Badge Veteran. A veteran who served on active duty in the U.S. military, ground, naval or air service during a war, or in a campaign or expedition for which a campaign badge has been authorized under the laws administered

by the Department of Defense.

Armed Forces Service Medal Veteran. A veteran who, while serving on active duty in the U.S. military, ground, naval or air service, participated in a United States military operation for which an Armed Forces service medal was awarded pursuant to Executive Order 12985.

Persons Age 40 and above. (Equal Employment Opportunity Only)

Sexual Orientation. (Equal Employment Opportunity Only)

Gender Identity. (Equal Employment Opportunity Only)

Note: Information regarding membership in protected categories is based on voluntary, self-disclosed information

ENLARGING THE APPLICANT POOL

Successful affirmative action activity extends beyond the 90-day search schedule and crosses disciplines as faculty and staff promote the goal of establishing a diverse workforce whenever rep-resenting UMass.

The Equal Opportunity and Diversity Office con-tinually expands and updates its resources of directories and bibliographies which should be consulted for names and addresses of publications and organizations which have the attention of minorities and women.

The following suggestions to enlarge the pool of candidates are reprinted with permission from the Ohio State University Handbook For Faculty Sear - ches with Spe cific Refer ence to Affir ma tive Action . References to Ohio State have been edited to reflect the corresponding office or program at UMass.

In addition to advertising a position in a variety of publications, making direct contact with academic departments, professional organizations, and col-leagues is an effective method of expanding your search. The informal, "word-of-mouth" approach to recruitment is one of the most successful practices for identifying candidates. The following activities are recommended for specific searches, as well as for possible ongoing endeavors:

Encourage faculty who will be attending pro-fessional conferences or who will be delivering papers at other universities to combine their visits with recruitment efforts for present and future positions. They may provide institutions and potential candidates with general information about UMass, which may be ob-tained from University Advancement (390 W-hitmore Administration Building, 545-4200), affirmative action data, which may be obtained from the Equal Opportunity & Diversity Office; as well as with information on specific job openings. They should also be encouraged to solicit curricula vitae from promising candidates.

Establish a working relationship with similar departments at institutions with substantial numbers of women and minorities. This will allow a host of mutually beneficial activities to be undertaken, including a sharing of research

facilities and exchanges of faculty. Teaching for a quarter, delivering a paper, or simply making an informal visit, will allow UMass faculty to discuss job openings with the faculty and students at these institutions.

Request names of potential candidates from women and minorities at UMass, as well as at institutions with strong graduate programs in your discipline, for women and minorities are often a part of an informal networking. These names may be put into a card file or data bank along with names of candidates from previous searches who either did not accept an offer at UMass or who now may qualify for a position in your department. The card file or data bank should be continuously updated with new names provided by women, minorities, students, and alumni from UMass and other institutions.

Request women and minority caucuses within relevant professional and academic associations for the names of potential candidates. It would be beneficial to maintain ongoing communica-tion with these caucuses on a broad range of issues.

Keep national higher education associations informed of present and possible future positions. These associations have their own network for publicizing job openings. In addi-tion, a number of such associations contain special interest groups (e.g. the American Educational Research Association has Hispanic and Black caucuses).

Maintain ongoing contact with professional organizations, associations, and agencies that have job referral service.

Consider hiring recent women and minority graduates from your department. This activity begins with recruiting outstanding women and minority doctoral students and retaining them in UMass's graduate programs. Establishing postdoctoral programs for members of these groups both from UMass and other institutions would allow them to gain experience and to grow professionally.

Maintain close contact with women and minority

graduates of UMass and encourage them to recommend this University to their students for both graduate training and for faculty positions.

Contact women and minorities who have received significant grants or professional recognition and ask for names of promising women and minority scholars.

Use a personal approach in recruiting candidates. Often outstanding potential candi-dates do not apply for advertised positions; they must be approached by a member of the search committee. If an individual declines a nomina-tion or does not respond to your letter of inquiry, you may wish to telephone the person to determine if his or her reasons for declining can be addressed and resolved.

Invite women and minority scholars from other institutions to participate in department spon-sored symposia and visiting professorships. A one-year visiting professorship to replace a faculty member who is on leave will not only assist a department in meeting its instructional responsibilities but will also strengthen the link between the department at UMass and a similar department at another institution.

Consider for the position women and minorities who have held part-time or temporary positions in you department.

Inform the National Urban League and the national offices of Black sororities and fraterni-ties of available positions.

Inform alumni publications at universities where women and minorities are well represented of available positions.

Consider contacting the affirmative action office of other universities, for some of them maintain lists of women and minorities at their institutions who are looking for academic employment elsewhere.

If your department is developing plans for creating an endowed chair, it may wish to consider the possibility of recruiting an eminent scholar whose interests lie in women's and minority studies. This may, in turn, attract other women and minorities to your department.

If women and minorities are under represented nationally in your discipline, efforts should be taken to recruit aggressively women and minority graduate students into the field so that the pool of candidates will be greater in the future. In addition, a national approach to the problem should be undertaken. A department may wish to lobby in appropriate professional organizations and within confederations such as the Committee on Institutional Cooperation to develop a national strategy to recruit women and minority students into the field.

USING REFERENCES

Reference checks are used to find out patterns of strengths and weaknesses which indicate whether the candidate will fit the demands of the position. Single responses, whether positive or negative, should not determine the survival of the candidate in the search process. Reports from search committee chairs to the Equal Opportunity Office about reasons for elimination of candidates indicate a practice of eliminating protected group members from further consideration after fewer negative reports than are necessary to eliminate other candidates.

The recent literature on recruitment, including recruitment in higher education, encourages search committees to abandon the traditional practice of procuring letters of recommendation in the initial stages of a search. Telephone reference checks after receipt of applications allow the committee to ask questions about information not provided in the candidate's application such as how the candidate completes specific tasks enumerated in the vitae. There is no requirement that any specific number of references must be contacted by phone or by letter. The committee may choose to contact only the references of the finalists to be interviewed or any larger aggregate of applicants. If the search committee makes telephone calls to references, the committee should develop a standardized protocol of questions, record the answers, and include the notes in the candidate's file. Finalists should be notified that phone calls will also be placed to others knowledgeable about the candidates. Telephone calls to friends or colleagues at other institutions from which the candidate comes are discouraged unless the candidate has given permission. As a courtesy, the request to not contact the current supervisor may be honored until the committee is ready to select those

finalists to interview on campus. At that time if permission is not granted to contact the supervisor, the candidate may be eliminated from further consideration and notified of same.

Alternately, the committee may request a short list of candidates to provide letters of

recommendation by a specific deadline. The committee should notify candidates if letters are not received. When the search committee chooses to contact the references to request the

letters of references, the committee should:

1. Provide a Position Description 2. Request reference to identify

relationship to candidate 3. Indicate the deadline date for the

letter 4. Acknowledge receipt of letter

Important:

1. If a candidate is eliminated from further consideration based upon a reference check, the source and the specific information procured should be documented in the candidate's file. Upon the candidate's request, federal law requires disclosure of all information received or procured regarding the candidate unless the applicant has waived his/her rights by returning the Waiver of Right of Access to Letters of Recommendation form.

2. To complete the initial personnel file, any candidate who is selected for interview provides names, addresses, and phone numbers of three references who will send letters of recommendation directly to UMass (unless the letters have been previously submitted in the

application process). The references will be contacted directly by the search committee.

EVALUATING PROTECTED GROUP APPLICANTS

The search committee must demonstrate sensitivity to the effects that protected group status may have on the develop-ment of a professional career. External barriers to education and employment as a result of prejudice may account for sig-nificant differences in the application from a woman or a minority or a veteran, dis-abled, or older applicant. Because protected group members may not have had equal access to similar opportunities, they may appear to be less qualified than other candidates. Hence, recognition of their contributions to diversity in the wor-kforce should be considered in the application review. However, the commit-tee is cautioned that inquiries into the explanations for the existence of particular differences may lead inadvertently to questions which are illegal to ask (e.g. marital status).

Search Committees should weigh the following factors in evaluating applications from women, ethnic minorities, persons of disability, veterans, and persons between the ages of 40 and 70:

Selection of doctoral training program may result from being "place bound" due to partner's school choice or career site, from financial considerations, or may result from past discrimination by highly competitive institutions.

Delay or interruption in training or career development may reflect family responsibilities, including childbirth and caring for children.

Publications which appear in alternative journals rather than in traditional ones may reflect a decision by the applicant to contribute to the new forms of scholarship (e.g. feminist) related to their group membership.

Traditional vitae tend to emphasize experience rather than potential. References may more accurately describe the applicant when potential and competencies are elicited.

Institutional racism may contribute to

inadequate college preparation which may result in initially poor undergraduate performance or may significantly delay professional prepara-tion. Institutional racism may result in fewer career opportunities.

Selection of training program may result from financial considerations, from a perception of institutional hostility toward people of color, or from a perceived lack of opportunity to pursue a career in the face of institutional or other barriers. Selection of a profes-sional program may also reflect an unwillingness to attend an institution with few minority students or faculty or from hesitancy to leave family and cultural support group. Interruption in academic careers may occur more often than in the case of other candidates.

Selection of academic programs and employment record may relate to physical accessibility of the campus and job site and the ability of the school or employer to accommodate a physically challenged person.

Interruption in studies or employment may result from restorative medical procedures or reoccurrence of chronic disorder.

Later starting time in college may result from prior military service or break in employment history to complete military service. Initial grades in college may be lower, reflecting the adjustment of a nontraditional student to college life.

Unstable job history following military service may reflect an adjustment to the boredom of entry level, single responsibility positions after holding military positions with multi-faceted responsibilities. The veteran may "job hop" to find the equally challenging position.

Delay in training or career development may reflect addressing family responsibilities before career development.

Career changes may arise from better understanding of self or from updated training.

Applicant may be accommodating a partner who is relocating to this area.

ON-CAMPUS INTERVIEWS

The search committee should identify the objectives for the on-campus visit, spending time on thinking about the information that needs to be exchanged between the candidate and the committee and the hiring official. What information does the committee need to determine if the candidate will succeed in the position? What information will the candidate need to decide if s/he will accept the position and commit energy to UMass for the next period in her/his career?

The experts on interviewing from search firms and personnel agencies suggest several guidelines which run counter to the usual interviewing practices on this and other campuses:

1. One of the primary objectives of the interview is to interest the candidate in the position and UMass. The candidate's information needs should be addressed first. Acceptance of an invitation to interview does not indicate automatic acceptance of an offer, if made. Highly competent candidates, particularly women and minorities, are in demand.

2. Interviews should be held with fewer people for longer periods to allow time for both the candidate and the interviewers to get past introductions and into discussion of philosophy, personal agendas, the tasks of the position to be filled, the candidate's motivation and work

style.3. The longest interview should be

with the hiring official to allow both parties to decide if they would want to work together.

4. Direct involvement in the interview by affected constituencies to assure that their needs and interests are represented is a vital part of the selection process and helps assure the candidate's success once hired.

5. If at all possible, the candidate should perform some task during the interview which is a part of the regular position responsibilities. (e.g. give a lecture).

In accordance with unit policy, the department chair or search committee chair develops the itinerary for the interview and makes the necessary contacts with the candidates. Internal candidates should follow an identical interview schedule to that which external candidates follow. The search committee chair confirms in writing all agreements regarding interview sched-ule and expenses incurred by the candidate during the interview such as transportation to and from the airport, meals, accommodations.

The search committee chair should provide the candidate with relevant printed information about the University before the interview (i.e., department brochures, policy manuals, annual reports; admissions materials for students; and a current Collegian).

The search committee chair should also inform all interviewees about important issues which face the hiring unit and/or University in a timely manner, so that the candidate can prepare responses and questions for the interview. Such issues might in-clude: unit reorganization, enrollment, definition of program priorities, major funding efforts, branch campus activity.

In order to address the personal needs of the candidate, the search committee chair asks the candidate if there is some specific person, place, or activity which might be included during the visitation. Responses may include access to a librarian or computer services to discuss resources. Others may wish to tour the area or to meet with potential research collaborators. Some may request time for physical activity.

Information sought during the interview cannot include any inquiries concerning race, creed, color, national origin, marital status, age, disability, sexual orientation, religion, gender identity, or veteran status unless there is a direct relationship to meeting specific work requirements. For example, a wheel chair user may be asked what modifications are necessary in the work site to accommodate the laboratory research activities. Any candidate can be queried as to ability to meet specific work schedules and travel schedules rather than asking how a partner and children will adjust to the candidate's time away from home. The committee must avoid asking a female candidate if she would be comfortable supervising men or a male candidate if he would be comfortable supervising women. See Pre-Employment Inquiry Guides.

The interview schedule usually includes

four components:Formal interviews

Search committeePerson to whom candidate would reportDean

Semiformal interviews chaired by members of search committee

Colleagues/peersSuperviseesStudentsUnit staffInterested constituencies

Informal interviews

Personal time for candidates

The formal interviews should allow for some common questions or some common basis for evaluating all the candidates. However, interviews with each candidate should provide opportunity to fill information gaps in the materials already collected in the individual's file. Interviewers must avoid asking questions which are viewed as discriminatory by preparing positions before the interview. Some query about the candidate's experience in promoting the profes-sional development of women, minori-ties, protected veterans, and individuals with disabilities should be included. The Equal Opportunity & Diversity Office will provide the search committee with prototype questions. Likewise, information should be given to all candidates about UMass's commitment and activity to promote the careers of women, minorities, protected veterans, and disabled individuals. The search committee may determine by role or personality who will ask each question and who will be the recorder.

The search committee determines the degree of confidentiality which will be maintained during the formal

interviews and will inform the candidates of their expectations.

The semiformal interviews chaired by members of the search committee provide opportunity for interested persons from within and outside the hiring unit to meet the candidate and contribute to the hiring decision. Participants are expected to be consistent in their participation and to submit a review form at the close of the interviews. Semiformal interviews might include meals, e.g., lunch with junior members of the department, with graduate students without other faculty present, or with office staff. The structure is one of question and answer, and the candidate should be encouraged to seek information from

these interviews.

The informal interviews provide opportunities to discuss nonacademic qualities of the candidate, the University, and the community and to explore the subjective issues of collegiality. The format might be conversation during transportation to and from the airport, a reception for department or unit members and their guests, a tour of the community by someone other than the hiring authority or future supervisor. Here is the opportunity for a candidate of minority or disability status to meet members of the same protected group if the candidate wishes to establish identity with that group.

SAMPLE CANDIDATE COMMUNICATIONS

Acknowledgment of Application – forSearches Using the UMass System’s

Electronic Application System

Dear _______________:

Thank you for your interest in applying for our available _______________ position in the Department of _______________ at the University of Massachusetts Amherst. The search committee will review all completed applications after the application deadline and will communicate with you regarding the progress of the search.

I wish to inform you that UMass employs only U.S. citizens and lawfully authorized non-U.S. citizens, and all new employees must demonstrate employment eligibility verification as required by the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services. In addition, University of Massachusetts Board of Trustees policy requires all new employees to pass a background review that includes a criminal history check as a condition of employment. Information about this policy and about the UMass Amherst Annual Security Report can be found at: https://umass.interviewexchange.com/jobsearchfrm.jsp.

Thank you for your interest in the University of Massachusetts Amherst.

Sincerely,

Susan JamesChair, Search Committee

Acknowledgment of Application – forSearch Firm Led Searches or Other

Searches Not Using the UMass System’s Electronic Application System*

Dear ______________:

I wish to acknowledge receipt of your application for the position of ______________ at the University of Massachusetts Amherst. The search committee will review all completed applications after the application deadline and will communicate with you regarding the progress of the search.

UMass is an Equal Opportunity and Affirmative Action Educator and Employer. In order to implement Affirmative Action policies and procedures in hiring and to provide valid information regarding these efforts when requested by governmental agencies, we request that all applicants for positions complete the enclosed Equal Opportunity/Affirmative Action Information Request form and the Waiver of Right of Access to Letters of Recommendation form. Failure to comply will in no way disqualify you from consideration for employment.

I also wish to inform you that UMass employs only U.S. citizens and lawfully authorized non-U.S. citizens, and all new employees must demonstrate employment eligibility verification as required by the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services. In addition, because of its commitment to providing a safe and secure environment for all of its students, faculty, staff, and residents, UMass requires all new employees to pass a background review that includes a criminal history check as a condition of employment.

Thank you for your interest in employment at the University of Massachusetts Amherst.

Sincerely,

Susan JamesChair, Search Committee

*The following forms must accompany this communication: Equal Opportunity/Affirmative Action Information Request form, Voluntary Self-Identification of Disability form, and Waiver of Right of Access to

Letters of Recommendation form, for faculty or for professional staff. Current versions of these forms are available only upon request from the Office of Equal Opportunity and Diversity.

SAMPLE CANDIDATE COMMUNICATIONS, CONT.

Letter of Rejection to Unsuccessful Applicant+

Dear ____________________:

Thank you for your interest in the position of ____________ at the University of Massachusetts.

The search committee has fully evaluated your application in terms of the qualifications for the position. We believe that other applicants are more suited to the particular needs of UMass at this time and regret to inform you that your application is no longer being considered.

I appreciate your interest in employment at the University of Massachusetts and wish you the very best of luck in securing a rewarding position.

Sincerely,

Susan JamesChair, Search Committee

Letter of Rejection After Interview+

Dear __________________________:

Thank you for agreeing to come to UMass for an interview in the search process to fill the vacancy of (Position Name).

Unfortunately, I must inform you that we have offered the position to another candidate whose professional goals more closely match the demands of the position as we currently envision it.

Thank you for exchanging good ideas with us, and we wish you success in your future.

Sincerely,

Susan James,Chair, Search Committee

+Additional, effective sample rejection communications can be found within the Amherst campus’ current Applicant Tracking System.

EO&D: March 2017

IT'S ALL IN WHAT YOU ASK:

SOME QUESTIONS SEARCH COMMITTEES MIGHT WANT TO USE*

Search committees often have difficulty determining if a candidate is aware of and responsive to minority and women's issues and to issues involving the disabled and other groups requiring sensitive treatment. When prospective employees are asked, "Are you concerned about and supportive of these issues?", they will invariably give an affirmative reply. Unfortunately, that gives little indication of their level of concern or commitment. Asking some of the questions listed below may help you gain a better understanding of a candidate's position on these issues. Many of the questions suggested below do not have a "right" or a "wrong" answer. These questions should be asked by both men and women on the search committee because having only women or minority persons ask questions about these issues may give a candidate the impression that equity issues are not important to the institution as a whole. Many candidates will not have prepared answers to these questions in advance. These questions will, therefore, be useful in drawing out the candidate's opinions rather than the "correct answer".

Parentheses are used to indicate that one or more of the following words are missing: Minorities, Blacks, Hispanics, Native-American; Women; economically disadvantaged persons; disabled persons; veterans or disabled veterans; homosexuals, gays, lesbians; protected groups; affirmative action groups, etc.

How have you demonstrated your commitment to ( ) issues in yourcurrent position?

Which of your achievements in the area of equity for ( ) gives you the most satisfaction?

How would you demonstrate your concern for equity for ( ) if you were hired?

In your opinion, what are the three major problems for ( ) on your campus?

How are general issues in higher education related to ( ) issues? What is the link?

Describe activities--include articles, interviews, and speeches--in which you have taken part that demonstrate a public commitment to equity.

In your current position, have you ever seen a ( ) treated unfairly? How would/did you handle it?

In your current position, what is your relationship to the affirmative action officer? Have you ever sought his or her help in recruiting?

How many of the top people at your current or previous institutionare ( )? What did you do to encourage hiring more ( )?

Which committee at your current institution would you consider the most powerful? How many ( ) are on it? How many ( ) have you appointed to it?

How did/would you deal with faculty members or employees who say disparaging things about ( )?

What scholarship about ( ) have you read lately?

Have any students ever complained to you about sexual harassment or discrimination in any work with professors or staff? If so, how did you respond?

* Adapted from It's All in What You Ask, Association of American Colleges Project on the Status and Education of Women. Bernice R. Sandler, Project Director.