What is the search committee charge, and why is it important?
A charge is the opening message to the search committee from the hiring authority (e.g., Department Chair, Division Head, or Dean).
An effective charge contains the following:
– Goals and timeline for the search
– Expectation that all search committee members will maintain strict confidentiality of all committee discussions throughout the process
– Expectations for the committee and its scope of work
Is the search committee in an advisory role to the hiring leader?
From whom should the committee hear to inform their search? For example, will there be listening sessions or discussions with the faculty, staff, postdocs, trainees, etc. of the hiring unit?
What are the expectations for outreach to create a broad pool of qualified applicants who can advance the mission of UW SoM?
At what point will the search committee’s work conclude and transition to the hiring authority? Is the search committee expected to provide a ranked or unranked list of top applicants at that time?
– Relevant availability data for the field or subfield. National databases and academic/professional associations are a good starting point for finding availability data. Two resources to explore are AAMC and NSF databases:
AAMC Physician Workforce Data Dashboard
NSF Survey of Earned Doctorates (see “Detailed Field of Doctorate” tables)
– Discussion of the School’s expectations for running the search process, including the importance of following all university policies
This includes the university’s Executive Order 81, which provides this Statement of Nondiscrimination:
“The University prohibits discrimination in all programs and activities, including education, employment, and patient care, based on an individual’s actual or perceived protected characteristics. Protected characteristics include race, color, creed, religion, national origin, citizenship, sex, pregnancy, age, marital status, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, genetic information, disability, or veteran status. Upon learning of conduct that may constitute discrimination, the University will take prompt and effective action to address it, remedy its effects, and prevent recurrence.”
EO 81, state law, and federal law prohibit discrimination and preferential treatment based on protected characteristics. Search committees cannot use protected characteristics such as race, sex, color, ethnicity, or national origin as a criterion or factor for selecting or not selecting particular applicants, candidates, or finalists.
Moreover, search committees should not attempt to gather data about applicants’ identities that is not part of their submitted application materials (e.g., by searching for applicants’ profiles or photographs on the internet) and search committees should not attempt to determine the size or composition of their lists of candidates for preliminary or final interviews based on protected characteristics (e.g., by using some form of racial or gender distribution quota).