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Instructions to CMNS Search Committees for Faculty Positions
November 2005; updated January 2011

1. Search committee members have been selected to serve based on their experience and knowledge of the particular position, as well as unit, college, and campus needs.  Additionally, their experience, perspectives and professionalism are expected to ensure that the review and assessment of candidates will be open, broad and thorough.  It is the responsibility of the committee chair to see that those expectations are fulfilled.
2. Search committee members are encouraged to continue identifying qualified candidates until the position is filled.
3. Materials are to be regarded as confidential, unless otherwise indicated by the candidate.
4. In general, candidates who do not meet the minimum requirements for the position should not be considered seriously for the position.
5. Please acknowledge receipt of application materials in writing, and inform candidates of the time line for the search process.
6. As you review candidates, please do so with an eye toward their experience and qualifications only—without any form of bias on the basis of religion, race, inferred age, sex, ethnic background, or evidence of physical disability.
7. After determining the initial interview pool, please forward a copy of the list of potential interviewees to the College Equity Officer.  Also, please inform, in writing, those candidates not selected for an interview.  Tell them either that their application is no longer being considered, or that although they have not been selected for the initial round of interviews, their application will be held in reserve pending the final selection of a candidate.
8. It is recognized that faculty searches may stretch out over a long period.  Therefore, it may be a challenge to maintain a high level of consistency in the process.  In principle, all candidates who are interviewed should appear in the same forum, face similar questions, and receive the same information about timing and parameters of the final decision.  The committee should strive to meet this challenge.  Also, if additional interviewees are identified, those names should be forwarded to the College's Equity Officer.
9. The committee should document its activities and deliberations.  Qualifications of interviewed candidates should be summarized and the reasons for the selection of finalists to be forwarded to the chair/director should be indicated in the minutes that accompany the final report.

The Campus' Equity procedure for faculty searches may be viewed at: http://www.president.umd.edu/EqCo/docs/Guidelines.pdf