Procedures for Faculty Recruitment and Hiring

Rev. 6/2014

Approved by CD on June 19, 2014
Effective as of September 1, 2014

Procedure for Hiring Full-Time and Visiting Faculty

1. Department Chairs are required to submit their recommendations for new full-time faculty and/or visiting faculty to the Dean’s Office in accordance with School Bylaws and University Procedures.

2. In cases where the requests entail opening new FTE lines, the Dean submits the requests to the Provost, with a rationale based on student enrollment figures and teaching needs. In cases where the FTE is available, the Dean informs the Provost of the position to be opened, and proceeds with the advertising of the position[s].

3. The Dean’s Office is in charge of sending requests to post the ads on the LAU website and on the websites of relevant associations of higher education whenever possible. All correspondence regarding full-time positions would be handled by the Dean’s Office, unless otherwise requested by the Dean. All files should be sent to an email address specified by the Dean.

4. The Dean forms a search committee for the advertised positions in each department, and appoints the chair of that committee in consultation with the Department Chair. The Dean may form one search committee to consider applicants to different positions in different departments or may form separate committees for different positions. Search committees shall include a minimum of three full-time faculty members from the school. Representation on such committees should be from both campuses for schools that operate on both campuses.

5. At the end of the review process, Search Committee Chairs shall submit to the concerned Deans (with a copy to the Department Chair) their final recommendations, in addition to the meeting minutes, and the CVs of the shortlisted candidates. It is recommended that Search Committees submit a shortlist of 3 candidates for each position, except in cases where no qualified candidates were identified. In cases where search committees shortlist less than three candidates for the position, they should provide a clear justification for their decision.

6. All shortlisted candidates should be invited for a video-conference interview at the first stage, to be attended by the Dean and/or Department Chair and the Search Committee members. Following the first stage interview process, the Dean and/or Department Chair shall consult with the Search Committee members to determine the list of finalists for the position. Finalists may be invited for a second stage interview, to give a public lecture at the university, whenever feasible. Candidates for Visiting Professor may be exempted from this second stage interview.

7. At the completion of the review process, the Department Chair makes a nonbinding recommendation to the Dean, which includes ranking of the finalists; after consultation with the members of the search committee. In cases where the finalist[s] were invited to give a public lecture, the Department Chair should also consult with the faculty members who attended the lecture.

8. The Dean submits his/her final recommendation to the Provost. The Dean may elect to recommend no one to the position, if justified by the feedback he/she received and other pertinent considerations. Alternatively, in the case of applicants for a full-time position, the Dean may recommend hiring the finalist[s] for a Visiting Professor term.

9. It is the Dean’s prerogative to negotiate the offer with the selected candidate, in line with university and school standards, following preliminary consultations with the Provost. Once agreed upon with the candidate, the Dean informs the Provost and following his/her approval, initiates the employment process.

10. Following receipt of the Employment Form, the HR Office would be in charge of following up with the candidate and securing all required documents/degrees before completing the employment process. The HR Office would also be required to provide the candidate with all the information pertaining to benefits, accommodation, travel, etc.

11. A record of the selection process should be kept in the Dean’s Office.

12. Current full-time faculty who wish to transfer to another academic unit or discipline should apply in the same way outlined above. This would require applying in due course to available openings in the department/discipline of choice.

13. Faculty who were initially hired as Visiting Professors, may apply to a tenure track full-time position, if there is an opening for one, following the same procedure outlined above. Their application would be treated on equal basis among the pool of other applicants.

14. In special cases where confidentiality is of utmost importance, the President may authorize the Provost to handle the recruitment process in coordination with the respective Dean, without following the regular procedure.

Procedure for Hiring New Part-Time Faculty Members

1. The Department Chair sends a request to the Dean for new part-time faculty, supported by a rationale. Upon approval by the Dean, the Department Chair forwards an advertisement for the position[s] to be posted on the LAU website.

2. The Dean appoints a committee including the Department Chair concerned, along with a minimum of two full-time faculty members in the field.

3. All correspondence regarding part-time positions should be directed to the Department Chair Office, unless otherwise specified by the Dean.

4. At the end of their review process, the Department Chair shall submit to the concerned Dean the final recommendations, in addition to the meeting minutes, and the CVs of the shortlisted candidates. The Dean may approve or reject the recommendations for part-time faculty for cause.

5. In case of approval of the recommendation, the Department Chair shall be in charge of following up with the HR office to complete the hiring process of the new faculty member.

6. A record of the selection process should be kept in the Dean’s Office.

7. All new part-timers must provide the Human Resources office with a copy of their highest degree and official transcripts of record or any other required documents, prior to hiring. The HR Office may seek independent verification of the authenticity of these credentials.

8. In exceptional cases, when immediate need for new part-time faculty arises, the Department Chair may rely on the available pool of qualified candidates, to select the one he/she deems to be most qualified to fill the position. The selection and hiring of such candidates on a very short notice is subject to the final approval of the Dean.