The University’s intellectual community is defined by its faculty and other academic appointees. The Office of the Provost collaborates with deans, department chairs, and faculty search committees to identify and recruit bold thinkers and field-defining researchers.
 
Academic Searching and Screening Policy
This academic search policy guide is intended to help units attract large and diverse applicant pools for every open academic position at the University. It also enables department chairs, deans, directors, and the provost to monitor the search and screening processes that preceded a request to the provost for authority to offer an academic appointment.
 
Guidelines on Faculty Appointment, Reappointment, & Promotion Cases
These guidelines apply to appointments to the University Faculties, that is, individuals who are or will be appointed under University Statute 11.1, which includes tenure-track faculty members.
 
Guidelines on Senior Instructional Professor Appointment, Reappointment, and Promotion Cases
These guidelines apply to academic appointments within the Senior Instructional Professor track under statute 11.2.4.2.2
 
Guidance for using Search Firms
The University of Chicago’s process for engaging with and utilizing search firms for all academic and staff searches, including officer searches, ensures that the search is compliant with the University’s equal opportunity and affirmative action obligations. To achieve compliance with these obligations, all units must adhere to the University’s process when using a search firm for any academic or staff search. 
 
Any questions or requests for the referenced attachments should be directed to the Director of the Office for Affirmative Action, Scott Velasquez
 
Search Materials
These materials will aid you in conducting a thorough and compliant search that generates a broad and diverse applicant pool of excellent candidates. 
  • Sample Search Plan: A step-by-step guide for units to help them conduct effective, compliant searching and screening processes.

  • Searching for Excellence: This 90-minute in-person training provides actionable steps to improve faculty search processes based on learnings from research and practices developed through the National Science Foundation ADVANCE program.

  • Faculty Search Support Videos: These videos share suggestions on how to approach the search and screen process in order to attract and retain diverse, excellent individuals. 

  • Faculty Recruitment Innovation Fund: This program provides financial support to units that appoint tenure-track and School of Medicine-track faculty to build skills, practices, and processes aimed at attracting candidates from groups historically underrepresented in the academy. 

  • Ability-Status Accommodations

    • During the Interview Process: Sample message providing applicants with information for the interview including disability accommodations 

    • Conducting the Campus Visit: Suggestions for creating a successful campus visit from the planning stage through the actual visit and post-visit follow-up 
 
Programs and Resources