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The Search Committee

  1. Unless otherwise established in consultation with the Associate Provost and Dean of Faculty, the Division Chair or Department Chair will chair the search committee and take the initiative in seeking candidates. Both the Division Chair and Department Chair will serve on the search committee. The search committee will normally consist of three to five faculty, including at least one faculty member from outside the division. In addition, the same two to three students should be involved in the on-campus interviews of all candidates for a particular position, if possible. The President, Provost, Associate Provost and Dean of Faculty, and the Dean of Community and Commitments are ex officio members of all search committees. As the search proceeds, the search committee chair should keep the Associate Provost and Dean of Faculty apprised of important developments.
  2. When constructing the search committee, aim for diversity (e.g., people of color, women, men, LGBTQIA+ faculty, senior and junior faculty). 
  3. Myra Gordon suggests that the search committee chair should be committed to diversity and willing to do the work to find qualified candidates from historically underrepresented groups (p. 190).
  4. Keep in mind that diversity includes Appalachian identity as well as race, gender, ethnicity, sexual orientation, etc. Remember as well that diversity issues may differ in different departments. Encourage the committee (the chair must model this) to be open to doing business a different way.
  5. The search committee chair should submit the prospective search committee names to the Provost and/or Associate Provost and Dean of Faculty and the Dean of Community and Commitments, copying the Division Chair if applicable, for consultation and approval before the search process begins.