1. Departments heads will appoint search committees for each faculty position approved for recruitment. Search committees will consist of four to seven faculty members. The search committee membership should include faculty from each rank, one representative from another unit, and a representative of a protected class. The committee chair will be appointed by the department head. Department heads will take an active role in all search committee activities as an official committee member or an ex officio member.

2. Search committee members are not permitted to write letters of recommendation in behalf of candidates applying for the position. Faculty members are not eligible to serve on search committees for positions where their former graduate student advisees are candidates.

3. At the first search committee meeting the department head will clearly present the responsibilities of the position and the department's perspective on qualifications desired of qualified candidates. It is essential that all committee members understand fully the capabilities required in a person qualified for the position. The EEO-AA Officer or his representative will also discuss the EEO requirements of the search process during the first meeting of the search committee.

4. The search committee will review the Position Description and develop criteria for evaluating candidates. The Committee will develop or review the Position Announcement. The department head will be responsible for advertising the position on a national basis to meet EEO criteria. The search committee, department head, and departmental faculty are responsible for identifying possible candidates and encouraging them to resubmit applications.

5. All applications will be sent to the department head so that EEO logs and applicant files are properly established, maintained and secured. Applicant files may be checked out of the departmental office by members of the search committee.

6. Minutes of search committee meetings will be taken by an elected secretary, distributed to committee members, and filed in the official search committee file maintained by the department head.

7. The qualifications of all candidates will be evaluated against the established criteria by all members of the search committee. A composite ranking will be developed from the individual evaluations. An initial ranking may be used to identify candidates that will no longer be considered. Additional information will be gathered on remaining candidates (best qualified) by telephoning competent people who know the candidate's qualifications. A prepared list of questions will be used for all inquiries on all best qualified candidates. Notes of telephone conversations will be made and placed into the applicant's file.

8. Additional evaluations/rankings will be accomplished based on material in the applicant files and reports from telephone inquiries. The committee's goal is to identify the two or three best qualified candidates that will be interviewed and two or three additional candidates who are qualified and could be interviewed if the best qualified candidates are not hired. The search committee should provide an unranked list of best qualified to the department head and recommend that these candidates be interviewed. The department head makes the final decision on which candidates are recommended to the deans and the Vice Chancellor for interview.

9. The department head is responsible for the organization and conduct of the candidate interviews. The search committee, departmental faculty, graduate students, staff, and administrators will be involved in the interview process.

10. Following the interviews, the search committee will meet and evaluate all of the candidates. The committee will provide the department head with a list of acceptable candidates and the name of the best qualified candidate. The department head will also receive feedback from faculty, graduate students, staff and other administrators. The department head makes the final decision on which candidate is recommended to the deans and Vice Chancellor for employment.

11. Candidates receiving doctoral degrees from the University of Nebraska will not be hired unless they are demonstrably better qualified for the position than other candidates.

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