Ladder Faculty Search Procedures

Last updated: March 12, 2024

Important note: Effective academic year 2023-24, all searches must undergo approval using the Faculty Search Reporting Process (FSRP). This applies to all searches started after July 2023 and all searches from last academic year that will result in offers during this academic year. The FSRP approval occurs prior to the campus interview stage of the search. No candidate may be invited to campus prior to the department receiving full approvals of their campus interview candidates in FSRP.

The steps below apply to ladder faculty searches. For the templates and forms needed for these steps, see the Ladder Faculty Searches Document Library.

Note that searches for tenured faculty require that the final candidate(s) undergo the FASTAP 2016 tenure review process. This must be complete before an offer is made.

For Interfolio tips and resources, please refer to the Yale Faculty Administrative Services website.

Yale Department/Program Administrators may refer to the Administrative Staff Resource Folder for additional training resources.

Process:

1. Search Request Procedures

Search Request Submissions

Departments who pursue searches for targets of eminence or opportunity should direct their request to the FAS Dean at fas.dean@yale.edu with a copy to the relevant divisional dean.

  • The department chair submits a search request for the given field(s) and rank(s) using the FAS Ladder Faculty Search Request Form. Search requests for the following year are typically submitted in early spring. In exceptional cases, a search request may be submitted off-cycle after discussion with the relevant divisional dean.

Search Request Review

  • The search request is reviewed by the following bodies:

  • Following this review process, the FAS Dean’s Office informs the department chair about the status of each of their requests. This search approval letter typically is emailed to department chairs and staff by the end of June.

*Note: In cases involving fully joint appointments, a single unit takes primary administrative responsibility for the search process.

2. Search Materials Approval Procedures

This step may not begin until the search request is approved.

The following four search materials (after the initial formal search approval from the FRC) are needed in order for a search to be advertised:

1. Inclusive Search Plan

The department chair prepares a written description of the strategy for ensuring that the search process is inclusive and follows guidelines for best practices for faculty searches, such as the use of gender inclusive language for the search advertisement, dissemination of the ad to the broadest pool of potential search candidates, and ensuring all search committee members are aware of the effects of unconscious bias.

2. Space Plan

The department chair prepares a written plan for the office and (where appropriate) laboratory space that the candidate(s) will occupy along with a detailed enumeration of any additional estimated associated costs: renovations, acquisitions, equipment, and other startup costs.

3. Search Committee

The department chair proposes a search committee: committee chair, committee members, and diversity representative. The Diversity Representative ensures all committee members are informed of diversity best practices for searches, and also provides a written statement for submission with the short-listed candidates for submission in the Faculty Search Reporting Process.

The department/program chair, in collaboration with the FAS Dean of Diversity and Faculty Development, schedules a diversity meeting for all members of the search committee as early as possible in the search process. This meeting must take place in order for the FSRP record to be approved. To schedule this meeting, please email fas.dean@yale.edu.

One member of the search committee must serve as the Diversity Representative, who is responsible for ensuring best practices with diversity in the search were used. In order to be eligible to serve as Diversity Representative, faculty members must complete one training session with the Dean of Diversity and Faculty Development on implicit bias. Please contact fas.dean@yale.edu to arrange for this training.

In addition, all search committee members should familiarize themselves with the resources on best practices for searches available on the FAS site as well as those on the Provost’s Office site.

4. Job Advertisement

All ladder and multi-year instructional faculty searches require placement of at least one advertisement, either online or in print, in a professional journal or professionally sponsored job-listing webpage for at least 30 days. In the case of a position formally approved for a specific Appointment of Special Eminence or Appointment of Special Opportunity, the position must still be advertised if the candidate is not a citizen or permanent resident of the United States (in accordance with the Office of International Students & Scholars’ requirements for Recruitment Advertising Involving International Applicants). Targeted appointments where the candidate is a US citizen or permanent resident do not require an advertisement.

The department/program chair prepares a job advertisement conforming to the position approved by the FRC, using the following guidelines. If the search committee has already been selected, the department chair can consult with the search committee chair.

Departments/programs may use the Position Advertisement Template. Please note that this is an example of an advertisement that conforms to the guidelines below. Departments/Programs may feel free to rewrite as desired, bearing these guidelines in mind.

Below is a list of items that must be included in the posting:

  1. Rank and title of the appointment, and anticipated appointment start date (this may be stated simply (e.g., “July 2018”) or disjunctively (e.g., “July 2018, January 2018, or July 2019”)
  2. Description of the position, which should include:
    • the targeted area(s) or field(s) in which the selected candidate is expected to demonstrate expertise
    • a form or synonym of “teach” and the area(s) in which the selected candidate will be expected to teach
  3. Yale’s EEO statement: “Yale University is an Affirmative Action/Equal Opportunity employer. Yale values diversity among its students, staff, and faculty and strongly welcomes applications from women, persons with disabilities, protected veterans, and underrepresented minorities.”
  4. Educational requirements for the position. Please note that using the wording, “must have a PhD,” will require that selected candidates specifically have a PhD. The alternative statement, “must have met the requirements for a PhD or equivalent degree at time of hire,” allows flexibility for international degrees and ABDs. Similarly, if an area of specialization for the degree is specified, adding “or a related field” is advisable for immigration reasons; if the ad says merely “in psychology,” candidates whose degrees are in cognitive science or neuroscience would not meet the requirements according to the Department of Labor.
  5. Application materials: Required items are a curriculum vitae (CV) and cover letter. A minimum of three reference letters from outside Yale will be required for assistant professors upon hire, but they may be requested at a later stage of the process. (For candidates for appointment to the tenure ranks, external evaluations are solicited by the department as part of the tenure case review procedure.) Beyond these items, the department may request additional materials to assist with the decision process, such as writing samples, a research statement, a teaching statement, sample syllabi, etc. All application materials specified in the advertisement must be documented for a particular candidate before they can be offered the position.
  6. Contact name and information for the position: For the advertisement, this is usually the search committee chair, or someone who can answer specific questions regarding the position for potential candidates.
  7. The date when the review of applications will begin. Two recommended statements are: “Review of applications will begin…” and “To ensure full consideration, please submit all materials by…”
  8. URL for the application submission portal (e.g., Interfolio). During the job advertisement approval process, this may be a dummy URL (e.g., http:/apply.interfolio.com/XXXX).

Search Materials Submission and Approval Procedures - Interfolio

The chair’s assistant (or equivalent) creates the electronic posting of the position in Interfolio, an online service provided and supported by the University. Interfolio allows materials to be collected from applicants and distributed to search committee members for review. It creates an archive of these materials, along with the job advertisement, for FAS Dean’s Office records. However, the Interfolio posting does not take the place of advertising the position in a professional journal or professionally sponsored job-listing webpage.

When creating the position in Interfolio, please adhere the following Search Position Naming Conventions Guidelines.

The chair’s assistant (or equivalent) fills in the following search materials in the corresponding Internal Notes fields in the Interfolio Search Position:

  • Inclusive Search Plan – in the Hiring Plan section
  • Space Plan – in the General Notes section
  • Search Committee – both in the Search Committee list, as well as the names and roles (e.g. Search Chair, Diversity Representative, Member) in the General Notes section after the Space Plan
  • Job Advertisement – in the Position Description section

The chair’s assistant forwards the Interfolio Position for multiple approvals from the dean of diversity and faculty development, the divisional dean, the Office of Institutional Equity and Accessibility, and the FAS Dean’s Office. Notifications will be sent for each approval step in Interfolio, which is trackable in the Activity Log in the Interfolio Position.

*Note: Please see the OFAS Website for a guide on how to create an Interfolio position. When referencing their step 6, please refer to the Internal Notes requirements above.

3. Job Advertisement Procedures

Job Advertisement Requirements and Guidelines

Faculty searches, except in the rare case of a position formally approved for a specific a target of eminence or opportunity, require placement of at least one advertisement, either online or in print, in a professional journal or professionally sponsored job-listing webpage. The advertisement must be posted for a minimum of 30 consecutive days.

Beyond the required placement of the advertisement, a widespread announcement of the position in professional journals, online job lists, newsletters and professional meetings is encouraged to achieve a deep and diverse applicant pool. In addition, departments may contact other departments and schools by letter, email, or telephone calls to call attention to the position.

To limit costs while reaching a broad and diverse audience, departments and programs are encouraged to advertise their positions in online publications. Departments or programs with special cases for advertising in print publications may request permission from the FAS Dean’s Office. The FAS Dean’s Office will typically cover advertising costs up to $2,000. (NOTE: Job posting sites such as Academic Jobs Online and Interfolio are not considered to be professional journals.) 

As a member of the Higher Education Recruitment Consortium (HERC), departments within Yale University can post job openings on the HERC Website free of charge. The HERC website should not be used as the sole source or substitute for traditional methods (i.e. professional/trade websites or print publications) when advertising job openings; rather it should be used in combination with those efforts. Interfolio positions are automatically posted on the HERC website; the department does not need to initiate this. 

Online Advertisement Procedures

  • The chair’s assistant (or equivalent) posts the approved job advertisement, including the final URL for the application submission portal (e.g., Interfolio link) and Yale’s EEO statement.
  • The advertisement must be posted for a minimum of 30 consecutive days. The chair’s assistant collects and saves evidence that the ad has been posted for 30 days for submission with the FSRP record.
    • Preferred method: On the first and last (30th day or later for longer duration postings) days that the ad is live, print the full ad on the webpage to pdf, showing ad content, the name of the national online professional journal or professionally-sponsored job listing, and the date. Repeat weekly during the active ad period. The first and last must show dates at least 30 days apart. 
    • Alternative method: Print the full ad on the webpage to pdf, showing ad content, the name of the national online professional journal or professionally-sponsored job listing, and the date. Include an invoice for the online ad that shows the journal name, initial posting date, and duration of the online posting. The ad and the invoice must have a shared identifier (e.g., ad number, position reference number, etc.) to be connected. 

4. Interfolio Position Maintenance Procedures

Throughout the search process, the chair’s assistant is responsible for updating the position status of the search in Interfolio:

  • Until the job advertisement is approved, the status is Pending Approval.
  • Once the advertisement is approved, the chair’s assistant changes the status to Accepting Applications.
  • When the short-listed candidates for campus interviews have been determined, the chair’s assistant changes the status to Short List / Final Candidate(s).
  • When a final candidate is selected and either accepts a hire and submits back a countersigned offer letter from Yale or declines an offer, the chair’s assistant changes the status to Search Closed with Hire or Searched Closed without Hire, respectively, and closes to archive the position using these instructions on the OFAS Website.

The chair’s assistant (or equivalent) is also responsible for managing the applicant statuses and disposition codes in Interfolio:

  • Applicant statuses
    • Assign the applicant status by checking on the check box to the left of the applicant’s name, and from the pop up bar on the top right, select Status, and select the appropriate status from the drop down menu.
    • Use the Longlist applicant status once the search committee has narrowed the applicant pool down to approximately 20 persons for further review.
    • Use Full / Campus Interview for all candidates the department wishes to bring to campus. These candidates must be approved in FSRP before being invited for interviews.
    • Use Offer Extended for all candidates who have received an offer.
    • Use Hired after a countersigned offer letter is received from the final candidate(s) after the conclusion of the search process. Use Offer Declined for any candidate who does not accept the offer.
  • Disposition codes
    • Prior to submitting the campus interview candidates in FSRP, all applicants not on that list must have a disposition code.
    • All candidates will need a disposition code at the conclusion of a search.
    • See the documentation on the OFAS website for the list of disposition codes.

For tips and instructions related to Interfolio, please reference the tutorials on the Office of Faculty Administrative Services page.

*Note: when updating any statuses or disposition codes in Interfolio, these updates will appear in FSRP after approximately one hour.

5. Field Survey Procedures for Tenure Searches

When an approved search may yield candidates for the tenure ranks, the department may (but is not required to) survey members of the field to identify suitable candidates, either on its own initiative or at the request of the divisional dean or the FAS Dean’s Office. Any efforts to survey the field for nominations must be approved by the relevant divisional dean.

Field Survey Procedures

  • The department chair consults with the relevant divisional dean to identity the set of scholars to survey. The divisional dean must approve the list.
  • The department prepares a letter using the Nomination Request Letter Template to request nominations, including potential self-nominations, from the approved list of qualified scholars.
  • The department sends the letters and collects the responses. 

6. Interview Procedures

If the FAS Dean’s Office or the divisional dean has requested that the department survey the field (step 5 above), the interview list will not be approved until the survey is completed and fully documented.

NOTE: Please remember that all recommendation letters and referee letters should be held in the strictest confidence. Only those faculty members who are allowed to vote on a candidate’s case have permission to view the letters (see the Faculty Handbook Section IV.F.1 for voting policy). The only document that may be shared with those not directly involved with a faculty search, appointment, or promotion is the candidate’s CV.

Longlist Candidates

  • Longlist candidates who will undergo initial interviews via Zoom or at a conference do not generally require approval. The relevant divisional dean will inform the chair if this list must be submitted for approval.

Campus Interview List Approval - FSRP

  • Search committee provides proposed list of candidates for campus interviews to chair and chair’s assistant. Department endorses this list via its customary practice (chair approval or faculty vote, etc.).
  • Chair’s assistant sets position status to Short List / Final Candidate(s) and sets the relevant applicant statuses (for all candidates) and disposition codes (for candidates not advancing to campus interview stage).
  • Chair’s assistant, in consultation with the diversity representative, search committee chair, and/or department chair, as appropriate, fills out the FSRP record for the search and submits for decanal and provostial approval. 
  • FSRP record is reviewed and approved by the FAS Dean’s Office, dean of diversity and faculty development, relevant divisional dean, and the Provost’s Office.
  • Once the record is fully approved and the department chair and chair’s assistant notified, candidates may be invited for campus interviews.

For tips and instructions related to Interfolio and FSRP, please reference the tutorials on the OFAS website.

Interviews

7. Departmental Selection Procedures

This step may not begin until on-campus interviews have been completed for all candidates who were approved and who accepted the invitation. In rare and extenuating circumstances, a department may vote to select a candidate before all invited candidates have been interviewed, but only if more than one offer was approved for the same position advertisement, and only with prior explicit written permission from the FAS Dean’s Office.

Departmental Vote

  • The members of the department eligible to vote (see Faculty Handbook IV.F.1) on the case must have a formal vote to select the final candidate(s) (see the Faculty Handbook). An affirmative vote by the department is required for the case to move forward in the appointment process.
  • Only candidates listed on the approved FSRP record can be considered for the position.
  • For Assistant Professor searches, the department votes to select the final candidate(s) and completes the Department Faculty Vote Form to be submitted to the Office of Faculty Administrative Services in accordance with the FAS Chart of Required Documents at the end of the hiring process.
  • For tenured searches, the department votes to select the final candidate(s), and then after external letters have been received as part of the tenure review process, they vote again and complete the Department Faculty Vote Form to be submitted as part of the candidate(s)’ TAC review case in Interfolio. This should be uploaded in Interfolio (to the candidate’s case, not to the search position) with the other TAC materials at least 3 weeks prior to the TAC review date. The department cannot execute the official vote until the last referee letter arrives and has been read by the committee, or 1 week after the deadline they gave the referees to submit, whichever comes first. To give enough time for review and vote, departments should give a deadline for referee letter submissions by 6 weeks prior to the TAC review date.
  • If the department/program is approved for multiple offers or is considering extending an offer to a candidate if the primary candidate declines, the department should complete a separate vote form for each candidate.

Final Candidate(s) Reporting

  • The chair, supported by the chair’s assistant, emails fas.dean@yale.edu with a copy to the divisional dean and relevant senior associate dean to inform the FAS Dean’s Office who the department has identified for an offer (assistant professor candidates) or tenure case (associate professor with tenure or full professor candidates).

8. Tenure Case Procedures

This step does not apply for assistant professor appointments. For tenured appointments (i.e., at the rank of associate professor with tenure or (full) professor), the tenure review should take place as soon as the department has selected the final candidate(s). In most cases, departments should contact the Assistant Director of Faculty Affairs well in advance (even before the final selection has been made) to reserve a time slot for the case to be heard at the TAC.

All candidates for initial appointments to tenure (i.e., at the rank of associate professor with tenure or (full) professor) must be reviewed for tenure and receive affirmative votes from the appointing department(s) and the relevant divisional/area Tenure and Appointments Committee (TAC) before a formal offer can be made. New appointments follow the FASTAP 2016 tenure criteria and procedures, including the review of least 10 outside referee letters.

For the templates and forms needed for tenure review, see the FASTAP 2016 Document Library.

9. Offer Procedures

This step may not begin until after the department faculty vote. For tenured appointments, this step may not begin until the tenure process for the final candidate(s) has been completed.

Candidate Notification

  • The department may notify the candidate by email or phone that a formal offer letter will be coming. No details of the offer should be communicated at this point.

Offer Letter Creation

  • For science departments and select social science departments, the FAS Dean’s Office will work with the Provost’s Office and the department chair to determine the candidate’s laboratory setup package.

  • For tenured appointments, the offer letter will specify that an appointment is contingent upon subsequent Joint Boards of Permanent Officers (JBPO) and Corporation approval.

  • The offer letter is signed by the department chair and the divisional dean.

Extending the Offer Letter

  • The FAS Dean’s Office sends the candidate an electronic offer letter, with a copy to the department chair and divisional dean. Departments are not authorized to extend offer letters; they must be created and issued by the FAS Dean’s Office.

Offer Letter Acceptance

  • The candidate must send a signed copy of the letter to the FAS Dean’s Office at fas.dean@yale.edu. An electronic scan of the offer letter is sufficient.

10. Onboarding Procedures

These steps may not begin until an offer signed by the candidate has been received.

  • The chair’s assistant (or equivalent) asks the candidate to fill out and return the Data Collection Form (including their social security number).

  • The chair’s assistant (or equivalent) asks any incoming assistant professor to submit verification of their PhD from the degree-granting institution.

  • The chair’s assistant (or equivalent) submits the supporting documents to faculty.admin@yale.edu according to the FAS Chart of Required Documents; the automatic reply email contains a Case Number.

  • The chair’s assistant (or equivalent) hires the candidate in Workday, referring to the Workday training guide Hiring and Contracting Academics and including the Case Number in the comments field.

  • The chair’s assistant (or equivalent) completes the onboarding process for the new faculty member.

Contact

Taylor Mascari

Senior Administrative Assistant