When considering candidates for invitation to campus, Chairs should make telephone or email checks with referees who wrote letters for applicants to ensure appropriate selection. One good way to do this is to call to inquire, not about the applicant’s qualifications, but whether the referee believes there is a good fit between the applicant and the position. Notes of such conversations should be kept and summarized for the Search Committee’s review.
Typically three invitations are made at one time, but the number may vary as a function of the quality of the applicant pool, funds available for the expenses of visits, scheduling circumstances, and a variety of other factors. The Search Committee Chair should consult with the Provost to determine the most effective and efficient strategy for scheduling candidates.
The decision on which applicants shall be invited to become candidates is made by the Search Committee, in consultation with and subject to approval by the Provost. In reporting the Committee’s recommendation, the Search Committee Chair will make clear to the Provost whether the recommendation was unanimous or divided.
All identifiable applicants from historically marginalized groups in the final field of applicants must be identified to the Provost’s Office, and the Search Committee must be prepared to explain why any such candidates are not included in the final selection of candidates.
