Tenure Track Faculty Hiring

Purpose:

To provide the College with procedures and guidelines for tenure track faculty hiring that is in accordance with University and College policies.

Review and Responsibility:

• Responsible Party: Director, NSM Business Operations
• Review: Every two years, on or before August 31

Approval:

• Director, NSM Business Operations - Fred McGhee
• Dean, NSM - John Bear
• Date of Dean's Approval: 09/01/2008

Recruiting may not begin and a position may not be announced until the Provost Office has approved Request to Recruit.

Checklist for Tenured and Clinical Faculty Folders

Summer Agreement - Tenured/Tenure Track Faculty

I. To Initiate a Search (For tenured, tenure track and clinical faculty)1, 2

1. Complete the Request to Recruit form.
   • Use the Affirmative Action Plan to identify underutilization categories and enter that information in the Underutilization section of the Request to Recruit form.
   • Assemble a diverse search committee when hiring tenured or tenure track faculty. (This may require choosing faculty from outside the department.)
   • Use niche planning guidelines to assist in preparing a justification of the position.
2. The announcement must use the wording "The University of Houston is an equal opportunity/affirmative action employer. Minorities, women, veterans and persons with disabilities are encouraged to apply."
3. Submit the Request to Recruit, signed by the department chair, with attached announcement for the position, to the Dean's Office. From there, the Dean’s Office will forward to the Provost Office.
4. The Provost's Office will send the request to the Affirmative Action Office for approval.
5. When the Request to Recruit tenured or tenure track faculty has been approved by the Provost, the position may be announced and the search may begin.
6. When the Request to Recruit clinical faculty has been approved by the Provost, the position may be advertised.
7. The search1 should be conducted with particular attention to under-utilization of women and minorities in the department.
8. The chair of the departmental faculty search committee is responsible for acknowledging the receipt of applications and for sending out University of Houston Self Identification forms (provided by the Office of Affirmative Action).
9. It is important to note that a faculty member may not be appointed to a tenure track position without a national search. Therefore, if a decision is made to move a faculty member from a non-tenure track position to a tenure track position, a search must be done before the appointment will be approved2. In the event that the non-tenure track faculty member was originally hired as the result of a national search, another search will not be required.
10. If search has not been completed by fiscal year end, a Request to Continue Search must be completed prior to August 31st. A new Request to Recruit Form will be required if the Request to Continue Search Form is not completed prior to August 31st.

II: Request to Make an Offer

No offer letter may be sent until the Request to Make an Offer has been approved by the Provost.

1. Complete the Request to Make an Offer form, including signatures of the department chair and attach:
   • CV of candidate to whom an offer is to be made.
   • If the request includes an offer of tenure, provide the department vote on tenure including: number of faculty voting; number voting in favor of tenure; number voting against tenure; and number abstaining.
   • Candidate's transcript with degrees posted (translation services available at Span Tran)3.
   • Offer letter, signed by dean, using suggested wording.
   • Separate justification letter if the candidate does not have the terminal degree in his/her area4.
2. Seek approval of the startup package from the Vice President for Research. The startup package is a separate negotiation between the department and the Vice President for Research. If the request for startup is not approved by the Vice President for Research the dean or the chair may assume responsibility for the startup offer.
3. Submit the Request to Make an Offer to the Dean's Office for submittal to the Provost's Office. Template of a Request to Make an Offer.
4. When the Provost has approved the Request to Make an Offer, the form is returned to the Dean's Office. When the approved request has been received, the approved offer letter may be sent to the candidate.
5. If the offer is declined, submit a Notification of Refusal of Offer form to the Dean's Office for submittal to the Provost's Office or submit electronically to the Provost's Office and forward a hard copy to the Dean's Office.
6. If the offer is accepted, submit an Acceptance of Offer form to the Provost's Office. The Acceptance of Offer form must include the selectee's signature indicating that all pertinent (departmental and/or college, UH) Promotion and Tenure policies have been received. (The hiring process is not complete until this form and the candidate's transcript, showing all degrees earned, have been received in the Provost's Office).

III: After Provost Approval

1. Offer Letter to include the following is sent to faculty candidate: Faculty Employment Acceptance Form, University of Houston Promotion and Tenure Guidelines, Faculty Pay Option Form, and Handling the 90-day wait for Insurance for New Employees.

IV. Acceptance by Individual

1. The following information is sent to faculty candidate: MAPP 02.02.05 - Moving and Relocation Expenses, List of Contracted Moving Vendors, and a Cover letter highlighting important sections of MAPP 02.02.05.

V. NSM Standards for Reappointment, Promotion & Tenure

NSM Standards for Reappointment, Promotion & Tenure

Footnotes:

1. A search is not required when hiring research, visiting, or other non-tenure track faculty, with the exception of Clinical Faculty who should be hired according to the procedures for hiring tenure track faculty.
2. In the event that a research, visiting, or other non-tenure track position, was hired as the result of a national search, an additional search is not required as a condition for appointing that person to a tenure track position, but the other steps in the process must be followed.
3. The candidate may not begin employment at the University of Houston until a transcript has been received showing all degrees earned to date.
4. Should the department or college wish to employ a faculty member without the terminal degree in the teaching discipline, the hiring department must provide compelling reasons for hiring such a person. The justification must be signed by the department chair and the dean and must accompany the Faculty Folder. Final permission to make an offer is given only after rigorous review of the search process and scrutiny of the credentials of the candidate by the Provost.