Procedures for Faculty Recruiting and Hiring

Requesting Adjunct Positions

  1. After discussing the need for an adjunct faculty member with their Dean, the chair/program director should complete the Adjunct Request Form and submit it for evaluation by Academic Affairs. If the department does not already have an open posting for adjunct instructors in PeopleAdmin, it should submit the Request to Create an Adjunct Faculty Posting to the Office of the Deans. Interested candidates may submit applications through that posting.
  2. After receiving approval for the adjunct position, the chair/program director should identify the person to be hired (either an adjunct previously hired or a new adjunct from the PeopleAdmin posting), ensuring that that individual is qualified and credentialed to teach courses for college credit (an appropriate graduate degree OR at least 18 hours of graduate credit in the appropriate area OR experience that the chair can describe in a compelling way to justify the hire).
  3. The chair/program director should request transcripts (both graduate and undergraduate) and a C.V. from the candidate to evaluate academic qualifications, unless these materials are already on file, and send these materials to the Dean for hiring approval.
  4. Academic Affairs will carry out a background check and then issue a formal contract to the adjunct instructor.
  5. Signed contracts should be returned to the Office of the Deans. Individuals who are being hired for the first time or hired again after an extended absence should arrange to meet with the Administrative Assistant in the Office of the Deans to complete the paperwork necessary for employment. To that end, they will need to bring a valid driver’s license, a social security card or valid passport, and a voided blank check for establishing direct deposit of pay.

Requesting Full-time Faculty Positions

This section applies to both new positions and to the offering of new contracts to non-tenure-track (NTT) faculty members whose contracts have expired.

  1. The department chair/program director should discuss the proposed position request with their Dean to understand this request in the context of institutional priorities and initiatives. This includes the offering of a new contract to an existing NTT faculty member. Note that it is not necessary to submit a request to replace a tenure-track faculty member who leaves the university before tenure; ordinarily, a search to replace is automatically authorized in these circumstances.
  2. The department chair/program director completes either a Request for Tenure Track Faculty Position (form to be linked next year) or a Request for Non-Tenure-Track Faculty Position (form to be linked next year) as appropriate. An approved tenure-track request does not automatically come with approval for a position to serve as a placeholder during the search; as a result, if the department needs a position while the requested search is being conducted, it should submit a separate request. The completed request should be returned to the program area Dean by February 1.
  3. NTT faculty requests (both new positions and new contracts) are reviewed and considered together by the Provost and Deans, along with faculty members appointed by the Provost, who will make a collective decision before the Position Allocation Committee considers requests for tenure-track faculty positions.
  4. Tenure-track requests are forwarded by the Dean to the Administrative Assistant in the Office of the Deans who will add the signed form to the materials awaiting review by the Position Allocation Committee (PAC), which typically meets several times to consider these requests. The Chair will be invited to meet with the committee to explain the request and answer any questions.  PAC makes recommendations to the Provost, who in consultation with the Chancellor, will make the final decision on approved positions.

Conducting the Search (See also Faculty Handbook information on Search Procedures)

For non-tenure track faculty who will be employed for one year only, a formal search is not required.  However, a new contract to the same non-tenure track faculty is not allowed without a formal search.

While ordinarily, non-tenure track faculty searches are local or regional, a department may request a national search for a non-tenure track faculty position; if approved, the search should follow procedures for a national search, described below. In all other cases:

Non-Tenure Track Faculty Searches which are local or regional

  1. The department chair/program director will establish a Search Committee in accordance with the procedures outlined in Section 2.4 of the Faculty Handbook. The Search Committee will include at least one external member, who is a full and integral member of the search committee and should be involved at all stages of the search. The department chair/program director may ask the Dean to appoint the external member. Each member of the search committee will receive training to ensure that search committee members are mindful of both explicit and implicit bias. Candidates’ Diversity Statements should be read by all members of the committee when reviewing applications.
  2. The Search Committee Chair should complete a Request to Initiate a Non Tenure Track Faculty Search form, including language describing preferred expertise, fields, and responsibilities unique to the position. (Note: template for a non-tenure-track ad.) The Dean will incorporate this language into a position advertisement which will also include more general content, including a description of the university and its priorities in all faculty hiring decisions.
  3. Upon approval by the Affirmative Action Officer, the Dean, and the Provost, the position will be posted on PeopleAdmin on the UNC Asheville website. Candidates may be identified through advertisements on the UNC Asheville website, in local or regional media, or through personal contacts. Please note that acceptable candidates must have an appropriate graduate degree OR at least 18 hours of graduate credit in the appropriate area OR experience that the chair can describe in a compelling way to justify the hire.
  4. Any search expenses for local or regional searches, such as advertising, are the responsibility of the department. Travel expenses are ordinarily covered by the candidate unless the Provost approves otherwise in advance.

Tenure-track Searches (and national Non-Tenure Track Faculty Searches)

  1. The department chair/program director will establish a Search Committee in accordance with the procedures outlined in Section 2.4 of the Faculty Handbook. The Search Committee will include at least one external member, who is a full and integral member of the search committee and should be involved at all stages of the search. The department chair/program director may ask the Dean to appoint the external member.Each member of the search committee will receive training to ensure that search committee members are mindful of both explicit and implicit bias. Candidates’ Diversity Statements should be read by all members of the committee when reviewing applications. Candidates’ Diversity Statements should be read by all members of the committee when reviewing applications.
  2. The Search Committee Chair should complete a Request to Initiate a Faculty Search form, including language describing preferred expertise, fields, and responsibilities unique to the position. (Note: template for a tenure-track ad.) The dean will incorporate this language into a position advertisement which will also include more general content, including a description of the university and its priorities in all faculty hiring decisions.
  3. Upon approval by the Affirmative Action Officer, the Dean, and the Provost, the position will be posted on PeopleAdmin on the UNC Asheville web site. All postings are automatically sent to The Chronicle of Higher Education, HigherEdJobs.com, Inside Higher Ed, and Diverse Issues in Higher Education. Departments are responsible for posting advertisements to other approved professional outlets and submit payment requests to the Administrative Assistant in the Office of the Deans.
  4. After applications are reviewed, the Search Committee Chair will forward at least six completed applications to the Dean and the Provost for interview approval, indicating their top three choices (unranked) and providing a rationale for those choices based on applicant’s potential contributions to teaching, scholarship, and service, as well as to university objectives in diversity, undergraduate research, and interdisciplinarity.
  5. Upon approval, the Chair will schedule three candidates for on-campus interviews. Search Committee members must each complete an online module on Moodle or meet collectively with a representative from Human Resources about search protocols and procedures before campus interviews take place.

On-campus Interviews

  1. Arrangements for on-campus interviews are made by the department/program assistant. Interview schedules should be arranged as far in advance as possible in order to receive the lowest possible airfare. Departments/programs should contact the Provost’s Office to ensure the Provost will be available during the visit before finalizing the time for campus interviews with the candidate. Without prior approval from the Provost, expenses for non-tenure track faculty searches are ordinarily covered by the candidate.
  2. For tenure-track searches, expenses are reimbursed from appropriate accounts in Academic Affairs. Reimbursements should not exceed either actual costs or the maximum in-state subsistence allowance, whichever is less, for a period of time not to exceed three days (see website for the Controller’s Office for more information on reimbursement policies). No reimbursement is provided for travel expenses for spouses/partners of candidates. Please note that faculty are not reimbursed for transporting a candidate to/from the airport, hotel, or meals.
  3. Candidates should make their own flight reservations, to be reimbursed after the interview is complete. Departments should use ChromeRiver to process travel expenses, except for meals with candidates during their interview; requests for reimbursement for these expenses should be submitted to the Administrative Assistant in the Office of the Deans.
  4. Meals: Candidates receive reimbursement for meals at the per diem rate during travel. Meals with candidates during their interview are reimbursed using a discretionary fund and are subject to the following restrictions:
    • Academic Affairs will pay expenses for the candidate and no more than two faculty members for each meal. For on-campus lunches, Academic Affairs will pay for the candidate, two faculty members, and two students. Expenses for meals for additional faculty members or students may be covered by departmental discretionary funds.
    • Meals should be in line with in-state subsistence rates.
    • Reimbursement is granted for no more than one alcoholic beverage per person during an evening meal. Any additional alcohol or tax associated with alcohol will not be reimbursed.
    • Gratuity up to 20% of allowable expenses will be reimbursed (gratuity over 20% will not be reimbursed).
    • For reimbursement please submit an itemized receipt for each meal expense, along with either a check request or through Bulldog Buyway, to the Administrative Assistant in the Office of the Deans.
  5. On-campus interviews should include a teaching demonstration and meetings with at least the following individuals:
    • Faculty in the department
    • Member of the Faculty Senate (contact the Faculty Senate Assistant for the list)
    • Recent member of the Committee of Tenured Faculty (contact the Faculty Senate Assistant for the list)
    • HR benefits: please contact benefits@unca.edu to request benefits materials be sent to departmental administrators for distribution to interview candidates.
    • Dean
    • Provost and VC for Academic Affairs

Completing the Hire

  1. Once the Search Committee has evaluated candidates who had campus interviews, the Chair should send the feedback of the Search Committee to the Dean and Provost, indicating strengths and weaknesses and identifying which candidates are acceptable for hire, unranked. The Chair is encouraged to have a conversation with the Dean to provide further information. Based on this feedback, the Provost will determine whether an offer should be extended, in consultation with the Dean and the Search Committee.If search results in the hiring of a foreign national who requires visa sponsorship, the department must retain ALL search materials including a list of all applicants, finalists, those brought to campus, reasons why others were rejected, and other items that will be used in an eventual visa filing.
  2. Once the Provost has determined whether to extend an offer, a criminal background check will be completed, along with any other relevant background checks (e.g., educational credentials, social media check). After this review, the Provost will determine whether to offer the position to the final candidate or authorize the Dean to do so. The offer will include provisions for start-up funding and any other considerations.
  3. Once a candidate verbally accepts the offer, the prospective faculty member receives a Letter of Offer from the Office of Academic Affairs which includes the details of the offer.  The prospective faculty member is encouraged to sign and return the Letter of Offer by the date indicated in the letter.
  4. When the signed Letter of Offer is received by Academic Affairs, a background check will be conducted. Upon receipt of a clear background check, the prospective faculty member will receive a New Employee Information Packet from the Office of Academic Affairs with information about payroll, email accounts, etc.  Please note that state funds cannot be used to pay moving expenses. Angie Irvin, Academic Affairs Personnel Specialist, will assist the prospective faculty member with his/her required paperwork and complete all background checks prior to the first day of employment.