2,520: Faculty Search Rules

Revised: December 2020

The University of Nevada, Reno is committed to Equal Opportunity/Affirmative Action in recruitment of faculty. The University adheres to all federal and state laws and regulations and it is our policy to hire the most qualified applicant. The following policies have been established to ensure a fair and equitable search process that conforms to applicable laws, regulations and policies. 

Search Models

Faculty Search with a Search Committee

This search is characterized by the use of a search committee of peers and constituents. The search committee will be selected by the appointing authority. This model is typically used for Academic Faculty searches; however, it is also an option for Administrative Faculty searches.

1. Search committees should be diverse and include representation from under-represented groups.
2. Search committee members and search coordinator must disclose any relationship with candidates to the search chair. This includes, but is not limited to teacher/student, research collaboration, professional association or personal relationship.
3. All state-funded searches must be open for a minimum of four weeks.
4. All faculty level search committee members and search coordinators are required to attend the Implicit Bias/Search Committee training. All other search committee members are encouraged to attend the Implicit Bias/Search Committee training.
5. The following Recruitment/Outreach Guidelines must be met by the search committee:
   1. Advertisement/posting in two external sites, including at least one diversity publication/website.
   2. Fifteen additional contacts by the committee to include:
      1. Individuals (professional contacts)
      2. Institutions of higher education
      3. Listserves
      4. Discipline publications (journals, newsletters)
6. For administrative positions, minimum qualifications must match the Administrative Faculty Job Description Form for the specified position.
7. The EEO Summary Report must be distributed to the search committee by the search coordinator before interviews are conducted.
8. The screening process (including interview questions) must be job-related to the position and standardized for all candidates.
9. Human Resources approval is required at the following stages of the process:
   1. Initial job requisition (request for fill)
   2. Screen (requesting interview)
   3. Offer
   4. Pre-employment checks
10. The search coordinator must disposition the candidate(s) in Workday whenever a candidate is declined or declines an interview or a job offer.
11. The Manager or Chair is required to request approval for a salary offer over Q2 for new or existing employees with approval from  the Administrator in the Executive Role (Example: Academic Faculty: Dean to Vice Provost, Faculty Affairs). For divisions, over Q2 is approved by the appropriate vice president.
    • Academic Faculty Q2 requests are submitted via email to the Office of the Provost (provostoffice@unr.edu) for approval by the Vice Provost, Faculty Affairs
    • Administrative Faculty Q2 requests are submitted through Team Dynamix
12. Campus interviews must be conducted with at least two finalists unless waived by the Human Resources department.
13. References must be verified/checked for the candidate selected for the position.
14. Required documents must be uploaded to the Search Committee, in Workday, at the conclusion of the search. Any documents that are not able to be uploaded to e-SEARCH must be retained by the department for three years.

Exceptions to these policies must be approved by the Office of the Provost.

Administrative Search Process without a Search Committee

The search is characterized by the hiring manager assuming the responsibility for all aspects of the search.

The hiring cycle, reporting structure, and hierarchical relationships are very different for academic and administrative faculty. The traditional search and recruitment process for administrative faculty is grounded in the academic model of shared governance and peer evaluation. The responsibilities of positions in administrative departments can be varied, and administrative departments do not have the same shared governance.  Therefore, the process for recruiting and hiring administrative faculty may be different than for academic faculty. The appointing authority for the open administrative faculty position approves the type of search model for the recruitment.

Below are the minimum requirements for administrative searches.  The hiring manager or appointing authority may involve additional input at any point during the process.

1. The Workday applicant is used for all searches.
2. The hiring manager may independently decide on the appropriate recruitment plan which must include:  
   1. Posting the position on at least two advertising outlets in addition to the outlets provided by Human Resources. At least one of these sites must be diversity targeted.
   2. Consultation and/or discussion with the hiring authority, department and/or Human Resources regarding diversity recruitment and how to attract diverse candidates.
   3. The hiring manager is encouraged to engage department faculty/staff and human resources in the sourcing of candidates.
   4. All state-funded positions must remain open for a minimum of 4 weeks.
3. The hiring manager may independently review all applications and decide which candidates are selected for first interviews. Interviews must be approved by Human Resources. 
4. The hiring manager may independently complete the first interviews and select candidates for campus interviews, which must include a minimum of two candidates unless waived by Human Resources.  
5. The campus interview process must include the opportunity for a representative group of peers and/or constituents to meet with the candidates and provide feedback to the hiring manager.
6. Once the hiring manager has made a selection, an Offer must be routed in Workday. 

Internal Searches

Academic Faculty

In general, academic faculty may not be promoted or hired through an internal search process. In certain situations, an internal search may be conducted for academic faculty if approved by the Office of the Provost.

1. The dean may request through the Executive Vice President & Provost and Human Resources approval for an internal search for an assistant or associate dean within the college.
2. All eligible faculty within the appropriate unit (generally tenured faculty) may apply and will be notified through internal communication. Applicants will apply via the mechanism prescribed by Human Resources.
3. The search will be advertised within the unit and ample time allowed for faculty to apply.
4. The dean will make a recommendation to the Executive Vice President & Provost.
5. Successful applicants must meet the minimum qualification and possess the required credentials for the position. 

Administrative Faculty

An internal search for an administrative faculty position may be conducted for Compensation A-D (external competitive searches are required for compensation grade E). The following process will be used in such requirements.

1. A dean or vice president may request to conduct an internal search. The request must be sent to the Associate Vice President, Human Resources outlining the rationale for an internal search.
2. Administrative and academic faculty who have held their current appointment for one year and classified employees are eligible to apply and will be notified through internal communication. Temporary faculty, letter of appointment faculty, graduate assistants and temporary classified employees are not eligible to compete in an internal search.
3. Applicants will apply via the mechanism prescribed by Human Resources.
4. The search will be open for two weeks before a review of applicants begins.
5. The department manager/director/dean will make a recommendation to the vice president or dean.
6. Successful applicants must meet the minimum qualifications and possess the required credentials for the position.
7. If warranted, a salary increase may be approved to a maximum of 10% or to the minimum of the compensation grade. All salary considerations should be reviewed in the context of equity with similar positions in the immediate unit and across the University.