Pre-Screening/Interviewing at Prof. Meetings

University of Massachusetts Dartmouth

Academic Affairs Division

Procedures for Preliminary Screening or Interviewing at Professional Meetings

as a Part of the Faculty Recruitment Process

In light of the University of Massachusetts Dartmouth’s commitment to equal employment opportunity and affirmative action, the University wholeheartedly supports and encourages the development of action programs designed to promote these concepts. Therefore, consistent with Step 3 of the Procedures and Policies for Recruitment, Selection, and Hiring of Faculty, the Search and Screen Committee may choose, as its initial or preliminary screening method, to conduct interviews at professional meetings or conferences. In such cases where the Search and Screen Committee has decided to conduct preliminary interviews at conferences, the following procedures must be followed.

Procedures for these Interviews

(1)  The use of preliminary screening at professional conferences is optional at the discretion of the Search and Screen Committee. If this option is exercised, the Search and Screen chairperson must notify the Office of Equal Opportunity, Diversity & Outreach through the EEO Liaison of its recruitment plan and  strategy

(2)  Once the semi-finalist list is selected by the Search and Screen Committee, it will be forwarded by the EEO Liaison to the Office of Equal Opportunity, Diversity & Outreach for approval, prior to the conference.

(3)  Candidates selected by the full committee as semi-finalists cannot be excluded from consideration if they do not attend the professional meeting interview.

(4)  At least two members of the Search and Screen Committee must conduct the interviews at the professional conference, and all semi-finalists who attend the conference shall be interviewed.

(5)  Each semi-finalist shall be allocated the same amount of time for the interview, and shall be asked the same set of questions which have been approved in advance by the EEO Liaison.

(6)  Statements of strengths and weaknesses shall be written by each interviewer for each semi-finalist. These shall be presented to and discussed with the entire Search and Screen Committee upon return from the conference.

(7)  Semi-finalists selected by the Search and Screen Committee who do not attend the professional meeting will be given video conferencing interviews by, at least two members of the Search and Screen Committee, either just before or immediately after the conference.

(8)  The Search and Screen Committee will select finalists for campus interviews from the list of semi-finalists on the basis of qualifications for the position, including the written assessments of strengths and weaknesses from the professional conference or video conferencing interviews.

(9)  Prior to the selection of finalists (resulting in the elimination of some of the semi-finalists), follow-up telephone interviews of all semi-finalists may be performed at the discretion of the Search and Screen Committee. In the event that follow-up telephone interviews are used to supplement the conference interviews, all semi-finalists will be called.

(10)   Usually a minimum of 4 finalists will be selected from the semi-finalist list for campus interviews. Each finalist is asked the same set of approved questions. Strengths and weaknesses are assessed, based solely on ability to perform the responsibilities of the position, as described in the advertisement. Based on the Search and Screen Committee’s written assessment of strengths and weaknesses for each candidate, the Search and Screen Committee makes recommendations to the Appointing Authority and Department Chairperson, through the EEO Liaison, consistent with the University’s Procedures and Policies for Recruitment, Selection, and Hiring.

(11) The University’s Procedures and Policies for Recruitment, Selection, and Hiring as established, including semi-finalist and finalist interview approvals must be followed.

This policy is effective December 19, 2005.