Faculty Recruitment

The following guidelines are used when recruiting faculty for tenure-track positions:

A. The dean, in consultation with the program director, identifies a faculty position and generates a request to initiate recruitment. Provost’s Council grants recruitment approval and priorities, ideally by June 30.  The vacancy announcement will be drafted as broadly as possible with the input of the Executive Director of DEI. The job requisition and Announcement of Vacancy is posted by the Dean’s office and is approved by Dean, Provost, and HR, in Paycom. Recruitment includes advertising in disciplinary venues, the Chronicle, Inside Higher Ed, and Higher Ed Jobs, Mennonite periodicals, and other outlets as appropriate.   Applicants are asked to submit a cover letter, curriculum vitae, transcripts (unofficial acceptable), and names of three references via Paycom.     

B. The dean appoints and chairs a (school-wide) search committee in consultation with the program director. The search committee should include members with different perspectives and expertise and with a demonstrated commitment to diversity, equity, and inclusion. Whenever possible, the committee should include women and underrepresented minorities. Inclusion of students and a faculty or staff member from outside the program is at the discretion of the dean. The committee and HR reviews Interview Dos and Don’ts together. All members of the search committee attend a faculty recruitment workshop to learn about unconscious bias and strategies for fair evaluation of candidates. The search committee discusses and defines specific criteria on which candidates are being evaluated. 

C. The respective dean’s office receives all applications. Those that are incomplete will be asked to submit the required documents in order to be considered. Candidates with complete applications will receive an email via Paycom from the dean acknowledging receipt and indicating the anticipated timeline for the process. The search committee reviews the pool of candidates and identifies those of interest by considering academic credentials, experience, etc. 

D. A select number of applicants from among the applicant pool are chosen to participate in a phone or Zoom interview with the search committee. Prior to the Zoom interview, the dean sends the Personal Statement of Faith and Life form to the candidates who have been invited to participate in the interview. Links included in the form are: EMU Mission, Vision and Values Statements, Confession of Faith in a Mennonite Perspective (Mennonite Church USA, 1995; available at http://mennoniteusa.org/confession-of-faith/ ) , Shared Convictions of Global Anabaptists (Mennonite World Conference, 2006; available at Shared Convictions ), Life Together: Commitments for a Community of Learning.  

The candidate is advised to be prepared to converse generally about any of these materials during the phone interview. The candidate is asked to return their response to the Personal Statement of Faith and Life to the dean’s office no later than two weeks after the interview. Best practices indicate that each phone interview be as similar as possible to the others by following the same interview format and asking the same questions. A discussion should take place immediately after each interview. When the Zoom interview process has concluded, the applicants who will move on to the next stage should be told their references will be contacted soon. References will be contacted by the dean’s office to request a letter of recommendation.

E. Based on the search committee’s formal ranking and rationale of the Zoom interview and applications, the dean will invite two candidates to campus for an interview. Occasionally, a third candidate is invited if the candidate is local and the visit will not incur much expense. Written candidate responses to the Personal Statement of Faith and Life should be on file prior to arranging the interview. Details regarding the candidate’s visit to campus are handled by the respective dean’s administrative assistant.  

While on campus, each candidate will participate in both formal and informal interviews with faculty, students, search committee, provost, and president. Each candidate’s CV, cover letter, and faith statement should be shared with the president, provost, and search committee members. The candidate’s CV and cover letter (but not the faith statement) may be shared upon request with interested EMU community members. Providing opportunities for input from faculty outside the program is encouraged. Every effort is made to ensure that candidates meet a diverse group of people during their visit to campus.

Candidates should teach a class period and conduct a scholarly presentation, both of which are open to anyone on campus. Every effort is made to ensure diversity in the audience for the job talk. Candidates are evaluated not only on potential teaching and academic strength but also on their commitment to the mission and philosophy of the institution. The Personal Statement of Faith and Life form and links included in the form are reviewed with the candidate at the interviews. The candidate will not meet with HR; instead, the current year’s benefit summary will be provided. Each candidate will meet with the respective dean who will share the salary range for the position.

F. After the campus visit, the search committee evaluates the relative strengths and weaknesses of the candidates. Information gained from the references (either by letter or phone) should be included in the evaluation. The committee conveys a ranked order of the candidates, with rationale, to the respective dean. Final salary and academic rank are determined by the respective dean in consultation with the provost according to the Faculty Compensation and Contract Policies and are conveyed by the dean to the candidate. The program director or seminary dean defines the load. If a candidate is recommended for hiring, the respective dean consults with the provost for agreement to hire. The provost may consult with the president if needed. The respective dean extends the invitation in writing to the candidate.

G.     Upon acceptance of an offer: 

• HR conducts a background check as soon as the offer is accepted. HR will communicate the results to the dean.

• The hiring recommendation of tenure track only positions are taken to the Board of Trustees for final approval, and the candidate is informed in writing of the trustee action. The provost approves non-tenure track employment offers, and Board of Trustee action is not necessary.

H. Other applicants in the pool are notified by the dean’s office that the position has been filled.

I. The search committee will evaluate the search process (e.g. what went well, what can we do better, etc.).

Faculty Appointment

Tenure-track

A. All new tenure-track faculty members are appointed initially for one year. Pending satisfactory performance, two succeeding one-year contracts are issued prior to the offer of a three-year contract. New tenure-track faculty appointments are made by the Board of Trustees upon recommendation of the president, following review of the prospective faculty member’s vita and faith statement by the Academic Excellence Committee of the Board of Trustees.

B. When faculty vacancies occur and new positions must be filled between trustee sessions, the president is authorized upon a personal interview and review of vitae and faith statement and upon recommendation of the provost and respective dean, to employ a faculty member for an initial one-year contract. The initial employment for one year shall not be renewed until the Academic Excellence Committee and the Board of Trustees has affirmed the president’s initial one-year employment contract.

C. The awarding of tenure is contingent upon completion of the terminal degree (Ph.D. or equivalent, e.g., D.N.P., M.F.A. or J.D.). For professional programs EMU values professional credentials if accompanied by extensive practical experience.  Therefore, EMU accepts the M.S.W., M.B.A. to meet this requirement.  Additional exceptions may be made in individual cases in any program where other qualifications are deemed more important and achievement of university standards are not placed in jeopardy.[1]

D. The affirmation by the Board of Trustees of the president’s recommendation for faculty appointments shall constitute approval for subsequent appointments beyond the first year with the understanding that all six-year contracts must be approved by the Board of Trustees.

Adjunct and Short-term

The university also employs adjunct and short-term faculty. Appointment of adjunct and short-term faculty is made by the respective dean, with recommendation by the program faculty as appropriate. Short-term and adjunct faculty are a valuable resource and are encouraged to participate as fully as possible in program activities in addition to their primary teaching responsibility. They are also invited to participate in broader university life, such as chapel and assemblies, monthly faculty meetings and public events, as schedules permit. Short-term and adjunct faculty appointments are made on a year-by-year basis and are not subject to the procedures outlined above. Individuals hired for adjunct or short-term teaching assignment are responsible to furnish the office of the respective dean with an up-to-date curriculum vitae and official transcripts for all graduate work.

EMU offers a variety of short-term faculty titles to provide programs flexibility in meeting their teaching, research and program needs. Alternative titles may be offered as appointments at the discretion of the deans, with authorization by the provost.

Professional Librarians

Professional librarians at Eastern Mennonite University hold faculty status but without an academic rank designation. As such, professional librarians must meet the academic requirements of faculty teaching at the baccalaureate level. Salaries for professional librarians are calculated on the administrative scale for a 12-month contract. The director of libraries, who reports directly to the provost, supervises all library staff. All professional librarians will have an annual performance evaluation conducted by the director of libraries. With faculty status professional librarians are eligible to apply for professional development opportunities and sabbaticals. 

Annual Review Assessment

Note Regarding Annual Faculty Assessment: All faculty members complete an annual assessment of performance and set goals for growth. An annual interview with the dean occurs so that the faculty member may gauge their own progress toward the review criteria, as well as toward goals for teaching, scholarship, and professional development.  Annual review documents are maintained in the faculty member’s official file in the provost’s office.

Non-tenured:  Annual contract non-tenure-track faculty may be awarded successive three-year contracts after three successful years of teaching and service or scholarship. Contract Review Process for Faculty in Consecutive 3-year Non-tenure Contracts. 

EMU Policies and Procedures Related to Faculty Credentialing

• Related policy: Faculty Employment and Promotion Policies 

• Form: Faculty Justification to Teach

• Guidance on Writing Faculty Credential Justifications

• SACSCOC Guidance on Instructor of Record

Responsibilities for Faculty Credentialing

Search Committee Chair Responsibilities

The Search Committee Chair will

• Understand and follow EMU’s faculty hiring and appointment policies and procedures throughout the search, selection and hiring process.

• Ensure that accurate documentation accompanies the hiring of every faculty member.

Prospective Faculty Member Responsibilities

It is the responsibility of the prospective faculty member to provide the university with all of the documentation needed to verify their credentials.

This documentation includes, but is not limited to:

• Official transcripts for post-baccalaureate degree(s) attained. Only transcripts from an accredited college or university will be accepted for credentialing faculty members. Transcripts from outside the United States must be independently evaluated for equivalency using one of the university-approved providers. EMU has approved the companies below to provide credential evaluation services for degrees from foreign institutions:

  • Educational Perspectives

  • A2Z Evaluations

  • Educational Credential Evaluators, Inc.(ECE)

  • Global Credential Evaluators (GCE)

  • International Education Research Foundation

  • Josef Silny

  • World Education Services (WES)

  • EMU does not accept authentication reports from:

    • TheDegreePeople.com

    • ForeignCredentials.com

• If a hard copy transcript is submitted for a faculty member, then a hard copy transcript must be retained by the provost’s office. Scanned transcripts cannot be accepted as original.

• If a password protected, electronic transcript is submitted by the employee, not only must the transcript be retained and printed off in color, but the transmittal page (and any additional emails) must be retained by the provost’s office as well.

• Copies of appropriate licenses or certifications. Faculty members teaching in disciplines that require licensure and/or certifications must acquire and maintain documentation, including issuing agency and expiration date, of those credentials to be placed in the personnel files in the provost’s office. It is the responsibility of the faculty member to acquire and maintain proper licensure or certification and to provide/update documentation of such licensure and/or certification in a timely manner.

• Curriculum vitae. Must be current at the time of application. This will be submitted to the provost’s office.

• Verification of work experience related to teaching (as needed). If the applicant/prospective faculty member is qualified to teach based on alternate credentials, that individual must provide, when requested, satisfactory documentation for all criteria used to meet the alternate credentialing requirements. A curriculum vitae or resume is not sufficient documentation. Verification examples are provided in the next section.

• Cost. The cost to obtain official transcripts and copies of licenses and certifications is borne by the prospective faculty member.

Current Faculty Members Responsibilities

The current faculty member will be responsible for providing:

• Official transcripts. If a faculty member is hired in anticipation of, but prior to having fulfilled all requirements for a particular degree (such as a Ph.D.) the individual will provide the official transcript of the pending degree within 15 working days after it is awarded.

• Copies of appropriate licenses or certifications. It is the responsibility of faculty members teaching in disciplines that require licensure and/or certifications to update documentation of such licensure and/or certification, including issuing agency and expiration date, in a timely manner to be placed in the personnel files at the department level and/or in the provost’s office.

• Verification of work experience related to teaching (as needed). If the teaching assignment changes, the faculty member must provide satisfactory documentation for all criteria used to meet the alternate credentialing. A curriculum vitae or resume is not sufficient documentation. Verification examples are provided in the next section.

• Cost. The cost to obtain official transcripts and copies of licenses and certifications is borne by the current faculty member.

Dean's Office Responsibilities

The dean’s office and/or associate provost office will:

• Ensure course information is completed in Jenzabar J1 no later than the tenth day of classes of the semester. All course sections must have an instructor of record identified. Special Topics courses must also have a title that identifies the content/focus of the course of study.

• Validate the credentials of the faculty member and verify that the credentials are consistent with EMU policy and the university’s regional accreditation guidelines.

• Collect/maintain all required materials (transcripts, CV, etc.) for the official faculty file. These documents should be retained in hard copy and scanned into Jenzabar J1 document master according to documented procedures. 

• Submit to the provost's office written justification if the degrees represented by the official transcripts are not directly related to the teaching assignment (see Guidance on Writing Faculty Credential Justifications). Validation of expertise must not just be the teaching discipline but in the specific area/topic being taught. The written justification for use of alternate credentials must explicitly address how the individual’s accomplishments constitute a level of preparation for the instructional assignment/particular course comparable to that of a person holding a graduate degree in the teaching field. It is understood there are certain subject areas/emerging disciplines where limited graduate programs, degrees and courses are available. Appropriate experiences and qualifications include:

  • a minimum of 18 graduate semester hours in the teaching discipline (official transcript)

  • demonstrated competence, effectiveness and capacity in the teaching discipline including as appropriate (documentation of a combination of):

    • professional licensure and certifications (including issuing agency and expiration date)

    • professional and/or artistic accomplishments (copies of programs and/or critical review)

    • additional coursework (official transcript with courses identified beyond qualifying degree; CEUs from relevant workshops attended)

    • undergraduate and graduate degrees (official transcripts)

    • in-field work experiences (reference letters on agency/institution letterhead-see explanation below; letters of agreement or acknowledgement; copies of contracts)

    • research/publications (full citation and, if requested, publication tables of contents or first/title page)

    • relevant grants (official notification of award)

    • exceptional achievements

    • honors and awards (copies of award with date and awarding agency/institution)

    • continuous documented excellence in teaching (copies of evaluations or peer review or supervisor’s summative reporting of evaluative/review process)

    • similar activities to those listed above that may be combined to verify the instructor’s expertise.

  • In some instances, it may be necessary to link appropriate experiences directly to the course objectives/student learning outcomes in a course syllabus. If used, the course syllabus would identify key course objectives and explain the evidence for concluding that the individual is prepared to meet those objectives. The documentation should show how the prospective/current faculty member’s experience and accomplishments have prepared him or her to effectively deliver the instructional assignment, focusing on accomplishments across a career but with particular weight given to recent and current work.

• Collect original documentation to validate any alternate credentials. A curriculum vita (CV) or resume is not sufficient documentation of qualifications. If in-field experience is noted on the CV/resume, documentation must include letters (emails accepted) from former employers. The letter must document the reference’s position and organization. The reference must provide information on the applicant including but not limited  to:

  • Position title and responsibilities (especially those related specifically to the job for which individual is being hired)

  • Job performance, including performance strengths and weaknesses

  • Collegiality and interpersonal skills

  • Relationships with and evaluations by students

  • Other information deemed important by the hiring unit.

    The same level of detail is required for publications, certificates, licensures, etc. on the CV if they are being used to verify a faculty member’s qualifications to teach a specific course. The Faculty Credentialing Coordinator will review the submitted documentation for compliance.

• Maintain all alternative documentation in Jenzabar J1 and submit materials as needed to the provost’s office.

Provost's Office Responsibilities

The provost's office will:

• Maintain a faculty roster ensuring that faculty members meet the criteria specified in EMU policy and the university’s regional guidelines (SACSCOC Sample Faculty Roster)

  • Review and certify the credentials of each faculty member

  • Request additional information from the dean if the documentation provided is not sufficient or available in the personnel file

  • Review submitted documentation to determine compliance

• Collaborate with dean’s offices to ensure justifications and documents are appropriate for all faculty in their assigned courses and to ensure accurate representation of faculty and their credentials (publication of websites, etc.)

• Answer questions related to faculty qualifications and credentialing.

Responsible Party

The Provost is responsible for this policy.

Policy Review

This policy and procedures statement is to be reviewed every three years or sooner as necessary.

Distribution

Employee Handbook