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Faculty Hiring

This page hosts all of the information for hiring full-time faculty.  Use the following links to navigate to a specific area.

Faculty Hiring Workflow Chart

Conducting Faculty Search
Official Transcript Definition
Forms
Offer Letter Templates
Special Instructions for Lambuth Full-Time Hires
International Visiting Scholars
Other Resources

Conducting Faculty Search

The search process is a complex procedure.  It is outlined below and is easily navigable using the following links:

Overview of the Search Process
Quick Checklist for Conducting the Search
Interview Schedule
Candidate's Presentation
Department Chair's Presentation
Dean's Session

Overview of the Search Process

Starting the Search Process 

  1. The committee composes the search plan and ad text.
  2. The assistant or department head initiates the request to fill the position in WorkForUM. Open WorkForUM and initiate a Request to Fill Faculty Position.
  3. Choose the appropriate position number and fill out the request to fill. Be sure to attach the ad text in the Documents section. The department pays the cost of advertising in venues other than WorkForUM and HigerEdJobs.com. Try to use free listservs in your discipline.
  4. Request a Guest User password when you are completing the request to fill. The guest user password will be used by search committee members to log in and view applications. In faculty searches, the applications may be viewed as soon as the applicant successfully submits.
  5. You may choose to put an end date on the search. This will automatically close the pool on that date, and no more people may apply. OR you may choose to check the May Continue until Filled box and indicate a Begin Screening Date in the Special Conditions field. If you go with the second option, you must contact facultyservices@memphis.edu to close the pool before the committee meets to select the interviewees.
  6. Submit the request to Approving Authority. It will be reviewed by Dean, Provost, and Institutional Equity. The department will be notified by email when the position is approved for posting. Faculty Administrative Services activates the posting. There may be a day or two of lag time between the approval for posting and the actual posting. Be sure not to send the ad to any listservs until the posting has appeared on the UofM website.

Approving the Interview Pool

  1. After the search is closed, the committee will meet to select interviewees.
  2. Complete the Applicant Pool Certification. Check "I certify." Fill in the list of places advertised and describe efforts to recruit women/minorities.
  3. The assistant or department head changes the status of selected interviewees to Recommended for Interview—Department.
  4. The assistant or department head changes the status of each person not recommended for interview to Not Hired and enters a rejection reason. If it is necessary to return to the pool later and request permission to interview someone initially in the Not Hired group, this is possible.
  5. After the applicant statuses are changed, call or email the Dean's office. There is no auto-generated email at this point to notify the Dean's office that an action is required.
  6. The pool will be reviewed and approved (or questions asked) at the Dean's level and Institutional Equity. The department will be notified by email when the pool is approved.
  7. Conduct interviews.

Submitting the Hiring Proposal

  1. After the interviews are conducted, the department selects an appointee. The department head should negotiate terms with the selected appointee and compose a draft offer letter.
  2. The hiring proposal must be entered in WorkForUM and approved before the official offer letter may be mailed to the candidate.
  3. In WorkForUM, change the statuses of interviewees who were not selected and enter a rejection reason.
  4. Change the status of the selectee to Recommended for Hire. Then, click on Begin Hiring Proposal.
  5. Fill out the hiring proposal and upload the Draft Offer Letter. Use the offer letter templates available on the Academic Affairs website.
  6. Upload a Reduction in Tenure form, if applicable.
  7. Upload a Moving Allowance form, if applicable.
  8. Submit the hiring proposal and wait for approvals. When all approvals are obtained, the department will receive an auto-generated email stating that the proposal has been submitted to Academic Affairs. This is the signal to mail the offer letter.

Concluding the Hire

  1. After all approvals are obtained, mail the Offer Letter and Moving Allowance form (if applicable) to the candidate. You may want to send this packet by overnight or express mail.
  2. Forward the Offer Letter, Moving Expenses form (if applicable) and Official Transcript to the Dean's office. If letters of reference were not collected in WorkForUM, forward those as well.
  3. The dean's office will forward to Faculty Academic Services.
  4. Faculty Academic Services will "seat" the position and set up an email account for the appointee.
  5. Candidates who were not hired will receive an auto-generated email notification.
  6. If your department decides to cancel the search and not make a hire, any candidates you wish to contact with that decision will need to be handled manually.

Interview Schedule

Each interview candidate is contacted and dates established for the visit.

  • Interviews are often for 1 ½ to 2 days. To reduce airfares, the interview periods are often Saturday through Tuesday, Wednesday through Sunday.
  • The department secures a travel authorization (TA) for each candidate's visit. To facilitate this, the candidate's name, complete home address, and social security number are needed.
  • It helps to have an overall coordinator for each candidate's interview. The search committee usually coordinates the interview.

A schedule is established for each interview and should include meetings with:

  • The College Dean (all candidates' vitae are provided in advance)
  • The department chairperson (provide chairperson the candidate's file on the day of the interview)
  • Each departmental research group, and/or with individual faculty members
  • Graduate students in the area of the search
  • Other relevant groups in or outside of the department

In addition, the schedule should include:

  • Airport pickup and transportation arrangements
  • Meal arrangements
  • A tour of the campus
  • A real estate agent tour if requested by the candidate

A schedule should be posted where faculty and others can sign up for sessions.

The candidate's vita should also be made available in case faculty need to review it in advance of sessions.

Include on the schedule the location of each meeting, the name of the research group, and the name(s) of those dining with the candidate.

A copy of the schedule should be given to the candidate. It is helpful if this could be provided a few days before the visit.

It is recommended that early in the interview the candidate be provided with a packet which includes the documents about The University of Memphis and the department. Most of this type of information is now located on the University's Web site.

Candidate's Presentation

This is the session in which many faculty and students come to learn about the candidate. The presentation usually lasts about an hour, including questions. The following are suggestions for making this a positive experience:

  • In consultation with the candidate, decide if the presentation will be on the first or second day of the visit.
  • Post the title, name of the candidate, time, and room for the session in strategic locations at least two days in advance of the session. You may wish to e-mail this information to the department faculty.
  • Check with the candidate to determine equipment needs (e.g., overhead projector, power point, etc.) and be sure that the equipment is in the room and working properly. It is recommended that the candidate check the room and equipment out in advance of the presentation. You may also have someone familiar with the equipment be available at the presentation just in case of any malfunction of the equipment.
  • Send out reminders to the faculty the day before and on the morning of the presentation.
  • The coordinator of the visit should present a very brief introduction of the candidate including name, academic background, current position, and title of the presentation.
  • Some units may want additional presentations scheduled to discuss specific research agendas and needs.

Department Chair's Presentation

The candidate's meeting with the department chairperson is often the last session on the schedule. In this session, the chairperson may provide specific information about teaching load, salary and benefits, office and research space, startup costs, performance expectations for annual evaluations as well as tenure and promotion, and other related matters. The candidate should be instructed in advance of this session to have some understanding of his/her research space, equipment needs, salary, and teaching expectations.

Dean's Session

A visit is arranged at a time convenient to the dean's schedule. This is usually a half-hour meeting providing the dean an opportunity to simply meet the candidate, gather some general assessment of the candidate's interests and qualifications, and to provide a perspective on the institution from the college level.

Official Transcript Definition

  • An official transcript is one that has been received directly from the institution where the faculty member or is completing his/her highest degree.
  • It must state that the degree was awarded.
  • It must bear the institution's seal or be printed on copy protect paper, and include the date, and appropriate registrar's signature.

If you have any questions or concerns regarding a transcript, contact Faculty Administrative Services at 901.678.3544.

Forms

Faculty Status Change Form
Waiver for Search Requirement for Faculty Form
Tenure Reduction Form
Lapse Request Form
Moving Allowance Form
Extra Compensation for Instructional Purposes Form
Justification Form for Hiring Faculty

Offer Letter Templates

One-Year Offer Template
Tenure Track Offer Template
Lambuth One-Year Offer Template
Postdoc Offer Template
Clinical Offer Letter Template

Special Instructions for Lambuth Full-Time Hires

Lambuth Full-Time Faculty Hiring Procedures/Roles and Responsibilities

  • Home departments (Memphis campus) will conduct the searches.
  • There will be a Lambuth faculty member from the same or a closely related discipline on the search committee. The Memphis campus chair should consult with the Lambuth Dean for the name of a Lambuth representative.
  • Both the Memphis campus and the Lambuth Campus Dean will review the interview pool recommendations submitted by the department chair. The Lambuth Dean will use the guest pass to review the interview pool.
  • The Memphis Dean or Chair (as appropriate for the school or college) will draft the hiring proposal. The Lambuth Dean will review the offer letter for teaching load and other expectations (typically 12 credit hours per semester). If the Lambuth Dean is unavailable, the Lambuth Associate Dean may review the offer letter.
  • Home department (Memphis Campus) will mail offer letter and forward signed offer letter, transcript, and letters of reference (if not uploaded in WorkForUM) to Faculty Administrative Services.
  • Lambuth faculty will report to Lambuth Business Service Center on or before the first day of work to complete I-9, W4, and direct deposit. Instructions will be included in the template offer letter.

Special Instructions for International Visiting Scholars

PROCEDURE FOR INTERNATIONAL VISITING SCHOLARS

The department sponsoring the visiting scholar must provide the following information in order to obtain a U#, UID, and email address for the visiting scholar. This information can be documented in the helpdesk ticket in the comment section:

  • Identifying Information
    1. Passport Number
    2. Full Name of Visiting Scholar
    3. Date of Birth
    4. Visa Type
    5. Sponsoring Department
    6. Reason that U# is needed
  • The Sponsoring Department will forward items 1 and 2 to Faculty Administrative Services by submitting a Helpdesk ticket for a Sponsored Account. Helpdesk login link: https://umhelpdesk.memphis.edu.
  • Faculty Administrative Services will use the information provided in the Helpdesk ticket to provide a U# and UID.
  • The U# will be forwarded to Sponsoring Department in the helpdesk ticket.
  • The Helpdesk will notify the sponsoring department the email address of the visiting scholar.
  • The person submitting the Helpdesk ticket must be a regular employee of the University, not a student worker or graduate assistant. 

Other Resources

AA3013 - Recruitment, Application, and Selection of Faculty
Office for Institutional Equity
WorkForUM