All full-time unclassified positions require the participation of a search committee in the selection process; the use of a search committee is recommended and encouraged for all part-time unclassified positions, as well.

No committee has a greater ability to make profound and substantive changes in a department than a search committee. Membership on such committees should be reserved for individuals who thoroughly understand the requirements of the position to be filled and who are committed to the mission and goals of the hiring department, school or college, and the university.

The search committee should be composed of individuals from diverse backgrounds in order to provide a variety of perspectives, as well as sensitivity to affirmative action issues. When possible, women and minorities from within the hiring unit should be represented on all search committees. Since these individuals, however, tend to be asked frequently to serve on an array of committees, this may not always be feasible. In such cases, the individuals appointing the committee may wish to enlist the aid of women and minorities either from departments within the school or college or from related academic or administrative areas.

SEARCH COMMITTEE RESPONSIBILITIES

The search committee chair requests instructions from the department/unit head or appointing authority as to:

1. The desired number of finalists to be recommended by the committee.
2. The preferred method for ranking of finalists, either by designating a top group of candidates or by rank ordering the individuals within the top group.
3. The desired date by which the committee should submit its recommendations.
4. The responsibility, if any, of the committee to contact the finalists' references.

The chair of the search committee should monitor all steps of the search process to ensure adherence with the goals and principles of affirmative action and a process that provides equality of opportunity for all applicants. Each member of a search committee is expected to support the university's commitment to affirmative action.

Other committee responsibilities include:

1. Familiarity with UO Policy Statement 3.140: Faculty Recruitment, Selection
2. Development of selection criteria
3. Campus visits and interviews

FIRST MEETING OF THE SEARCH COMMITTEE

A representative of the Office of Affirmative Action and Equal Opportunity is to be invited to the first meeting of the full search committee to discuss the committee's affirmative action responsibilities and to answer any questions about search procedures.

Also at the committee's first meeting, a time-table is developed for the committee's work. Procedures are established in regard to:

1) The recruitment strategy. Review the memo from the Office of Affirmative Action and Equal Opportunity which may detail and identify the populations for targeted recruitment. Revise recruitment strategies as appropriate to target specific underutilized group members.

2) Initial screening of candidates. All candidates who meet the announced minimum qualifications should be advanced beyond the initial screening to the next level of screening.

3) The weighting of evaluation criteria and the determination of voting and ranking methods to advance candidates to the pool of finalists.

4) Confidentiality.