Faculty Search Guidelines

In 2013, the academic deans and the Provost’s Office agreed that all colleges and schools put in place search accountability guidelines.

Consistent with the need for individual academic units to adopt practices that work effectively within their own context and culture, the Provost’s Office requires all colleges and schools to put in place formal search accountability measures that actively engage the dean’s office (or an equivalent college-level oversight function, such as a faculty committee) at key junctures in the faculty search process. These measures include the authority to pause searches or modify search efforts if necessary.

The critical interface points include the following:

1. Initiation of the search process – discussion of search goals and recruitment plans.
2. Before inviting candidates to interview, review the quality and diversity of the pool.
3. Before and offer is made,  hold a conversation about the success of the search effort.

The goal of the policy is to ensure that search committees make a concerted effort to diversify pools and shortlists, and bring the best and most diverse faculty to Cornell. Deans are empowered to halt faculty searches that are not yielding sufficiently diverse candidate pools consistent with the Belonging at Cornell framework. Deans are tasked with achieving measurable progress in diversifying their faculties and supporting the success of recruited faculty.