C. Faculty: Recruitment and Selection

1. Hiring Policies, Procedures, and Responsibilities

The recruitment and selection of new members of the faculty is a joint effort of the deans of the colleges, directors of the schools, department chairs, and the academic administration. The process used for hiring faculty is as follows:

1. Once approval for a position is established, the dean/director submits a proposal to the provost.
2. An interview committee is formed and chaired by the relevant dean/director or department chair.
3. A search is conducted by the Human Resources office by posting the position on the university website. Additional employment websites may also be used as requested by the provost.
4. Applications and/or resumes received from the website posting will be forwarded to the interview committee by the Director of Human Resources for review and follow-up.
5. The candidate is invited to interview, first with the hiring committee, then with the Provost.
6. The candidate is recommended for hire to the provost
7. The Director of Human Resources officially offers the position to the selected candidate

2. Proposals for the Hiring of New Faculty

Process for proposing the hiring of a new faculty member:

1. Deans/Directors should submit a proposal for a new faculty position to the Provost.
2. Proposed faculty positions should not be discussed with potential candidates until the position is approved by the Provost.
3. Positions are open and shall remain budgeted until filled, or when the Dean/Director and/or the Provost officially close the search.

3. Candidate Search and Preliminary Evaluation

It is the responsibility of the dean/director to oversee the search for a faculty member to fill an open position in their area.

Candidates should submit a résumé or curriculum vitae along with an application form (available on the staff & faculty portal under the HR tab – Administrative Documents). The dean/director should verify all degrees and references listed by the applicant. All candidates will be evaluated according to the criteria above. Candidates may also be required to submit a personal statement that includes their teaching philosophy and view of their role in the Christian community of Rochester Christian University.

4. Recommendation of Candidate(s)

After a pool of candidates has been generated, the dean/director, in consultation with faculty within the school, should recommend their top two candidates to the provost for further consideration, and coordinate the scheduling of a formal interview between the candidate(s) and the provost.

5. Formal Interview

The formal interview is designed to allow both parties to determine whether there is a proper fit. The following agenda is recommended:

1. Campus tour
2. Attend chapel
3. Interview with the dean/director, department chair, and provost
4. Meet with departmental faculty
5. Meet with the director of HR
6. Teach a class (with departmental faculty invited)
7. Make a scholarly presentation for the campus community

6. Pre-Employment Screening

Candidates will be pre-screened as outlined in the Employment section of the Rochester Christian University policy manual. To access it directly, see: RCU Policy Manual.

7. Offer extended

In consultation with the Dean/Director and the Provost, the Director of Human Resources will officially extend an offer of employment through a written contract.