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The following policies, processes and documents are provided to aid in the process of hiring new faculty.

Target of Opportunity Hire for Diversity Policy

The Target of Opportunity Hire for Diversity policy provides a framework and support for enhanced diversity and academic excellence to Loyola University Chicago through the timely hiring of outstanding faculty at any time during the calendar year. Such a hire contributes positively to the excellence of the university and its mission, benefits the curricular and academic climate for students, and advances the goal of increased faculty diversity. 

A department or school may identify a candidate for an opportunity hire and present a nomination proposal to the Dean. A candidate might come to the attention of university members through searches, visiting faculty positions, or networking through professional associations, conferences and the like. The nomination should demonstrate how the hire would contribute to the university’s goals to diversify the faculty body and the academic/research goals to address our society’s most urgent and complex problems. The department chair should provide written evidence to the Dean that the department overwhelmingly supports the nomination. 

Criteria for an opportunity hire are: 

  1. The candidate is exceptional in their discipline, with a record or promise of excellence in scholarly or creative work that would make it highly likely that they would emerge as a top candidate in a conventional search. 
  2. The candidate will help the university fulfill its mission by increasing the number of faculty from historically underrepresented groups. 

Nominations that receive the endorsement of multiple departments are especially welcome and will be considered as strong evidence of the candidate’s potential. The nomination will be presented to the Vice Provost for Faculty Affairs and the Provost for review and final approval. The creation of an opportunity hire position is at the discretion of the Provost. Funding for such positions is dependent on budget availability and is determined by the Office of the Provost. The target of opportunity hire position will normally not affect the unit’s ability to request new lines. 

Hiring Protocols

General Hiring Protocol for New and Replacement Tenure-Track and Non-Tenure Track Positions.

I. PROVOST APPROVED FILLING FACULTY POSITION

II. DEAN/DEPARTMENT CHAIR INITIATE THE SEARCH PROCESS

a. Form Search Committee (see guidance on Search Committee Composition)

b.  Upon forming the search committee, all search committee members must complete the Inclusive Hiring course in the LUC Enterprise Learning Hub. 

Note: Faculty and staff members may have already completed this course in the Learning Hub. They should check their completed courses in the Learning Hub to determine if they need to complete the training. If a faculty or staff member on the committee have not completed the Inclusive Hiring Training, the Search Committee chair should send a list of committee members who need the training to the Associate Director for Faculty Affairs to request access to the Inclusive Hiring Training course for those committee members.

In addition to completing the Inclusive Hiring course, we strongly encourage all committees to review the resources on Diversity and Mission in Hiring.

c. Search Committee creates Position Announcement (see guidance on Creating an Inclusive Job Advertisement)

d. Dean/Department Chair/Search Committee Chair can also request a Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Liaison (DEIL) to consult at any stage of the search process. Please contact Associate Director of Faculty Affairs to request a DEIL. For more information on Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Liaisons, click here.

e. Search Committee completes New Faculty Hiring Plan.

Note: The New Faculty Hiring Plan includes a requirement to provide IPEDs data. Please use Guide to Using Summary Table in IPEDS for additional support.

f. Send the New Faculty Hiring Plan to Lakeside Faculty Administration (faculty-admin@luc.edu) or Health Sciences Administration (hsc-faculty-admin@luc.edu). When sending plan to Faculty Administration, please use the following subject line: Faculty Hiring Plan_School/Department/Program_Academic Year of the Search.

  • Example: Faculty Hiring Plan_SOE Research Methodology_ 2023-2024

VP for Faculty Affairs must review and approve Hiring Plan before the Position Announcement can be posted.

III. ANNOUNCE THE POSITION

a. School/College administrators submit position announcement in PeopleAdmin. Administrators must include search committee names in this submission. All search committee members will receive login information via email to access applications via https://www.careers.luc.edu/hr.

b. Faculty Affairs Specialist will review position announcement and post to the Loyola University Chicago Career website: https://www.careers.luc.edu, Chronicle of Higher Education, and Inside Higher Education. Please see Creating an Inclusive Job Advertisement for guidance on where to post position announcement. Hiring Unit should note that all recruiting materials in any venue must carry the EOE tagline: “Loyola is an Equal Opportunity Employer”

c. Search committee may distribute position announcement after announcement appears on the LUC careers website. Search Committee Chair must keep a log of every online announcement or posting of the vacancy on listservs (e.g. professional organizations, journal sites, discussion boards, etc.). All postings and ads may be requested for review by government agencies overseeing labor practices and/or immigration issues when we hire international faculty members.

IV. SEARCH COMMITTEE REVIEWS AND EVALUATES THE APPLICANT POOL

a. Search Committee Chair monitors applications to determine when there is a strong applicant pool and review of applications can begin. Search Committee chair or designee should respond to applicant inquiries. Questions regarding technical issues with LUC careers site can be referred to Lakeside Faculty Administration (faculty-admin@luc.edu) or Health Sciences Administration (hsc-faculty-admin@luc.edu). 

b. Applicants must apply electronically via www.careers.luc.edu.

c. Search Committee should develop a process for reviewing applications to identify candidates for screening interviews. Typically, committees will invite 5-6 candidates for screening interviews.

Tip: Use Candidate Evaluation Tool to identify candidates for screening interviews.

d. Deans/Department Chairs should evaluate the short list of candidates for screening interviews to ensure that it includes diverse slate before the interview process begins.

e. The Committee should determine how interviews of short-listed candidates will be performed. As a best practice, we recommend virtual interviews to ensure equity given the substantial costs associated with travel.

Please note that recruitment costs are covered by Dean’s office. Contact your Dean's office/business manager first when seeking approval for campus interview expenses.

f. The Search Committee should create a screening interview protocol that will be used with all screening interview candidates. Committee must ask the same questions to all candidates. Please see this helpful guide on Interview Questions to Avoid.

g. After completing screening interviews, Search Committee should select slate of finalist candidates for on-campus interviews.

V. ON-CAMPUS INTERVIEW PROCESS

a. Dean must approve candidates for the campus visit. To request dean approval, provide the following candidate materials to the Dean: a) candidate cover letter and b) candidate CV.

b. Prior to making their campus visit, the committee should notify candidates that they should prepare to discuss their understanding of the University mission and how they will contribute to Loyola’s diversity, equity and inclusion efforts during their campus visit.

c. Make sure everyone interviewing is aware of the “do's and don'ts” of interviewing (i.e., what constitutes fair and legal pre-employment inquiries).

d. All inquiries, whether on forms, during interviews, meals, or any session with candidates (or requests for information concerning applicants), must comply with Federal and State law.

e. Assign a host and make comprehensive travel arrangements for the candidate. The host is responsible for the candidate’s visit and makes sure he/she arrives at each meeting on time. As the search committee plans the agenda, ensure that candidates have an opportunity to meet with faculty that share similar research/teaching interests and with available members of the candidate’s affinity group.

f. Know the procedures for travel expenses and reimbursement so you can advise candidate. Note: Travel and reimbursement forms are the same forms and receipt requirements as your professional travel reimbursement.

VI. HIRING UNIT PROVIDES FINALIST EVALUATIONS AND DOCUMENTATION TO DEAN

The Search Committee Chair or designee should provide the following materials to the Dean after the completion of on-campus interviews:

a. Strengths and weaknesses of each candidate. Search Committee should not rank the finalists with labels like "our 1st, 2nd, and 3rd choices." The dean should be able to read the evaluations and, in consultation with the search committee chair and/or department/program chair, determine the candidate to whom the initial offer should be made. 

b. Candidate Evaluation Tool. Please compile one evaluation tool per candidate—not one from every committee member.

c. Search Committee Diversity Narrative - Search Committee Chair can populate the demographics of the applicant pool using PeopleAdmin.

d. Search Committee Chair should submit one single pdf file for each finalist to the Dean. The single pdf file should include: a) candidate CV, b) candidate evaluation tool, c) summary of candidate strengths and weaknesses. Along with these files, the Search Committee Chair should also submit the Diversity Narrative.

VII. DEAN HIRING RECOMMENDATION TO PROVOST 

a. The Dean should send an email to the Provost that includes a written recommendation of whom to hire for the position. Dean should attach the Diversity Narrative and single pdf file for each finalist (as described above) to this email. Please copy VP for Faculty Affairs on the email to the Provost. 

Your recommendation might look something like this:

The School of XX interviewed NN candidates for consideration for this position. The search committee, which was chaired by Professor XX, has concluded its deliberations and forwarded their assessments of the finalists.

After personally interviewing each of these candidates, reviewing the evaluations forwarded by the search committee, and discussing each candidate with the committee, I believe Candidate A is qualified for the position, as noted below.

Candidate A: Dr. A has excellent academic credentials, and has spent many years doing…. Dr. A has a Ph.D. in ZZ and is interested in returning to the Midwest. We believe Dr. A is a particularly strong fit for several current needs in the school because ofour focus on …. She has NN years of teaching experience, with special expertise in YY.

The committee found her research and scholarly work highly impressive, and her teaching and research strengths include … She stated that one of the primary reasons that our position appealed to her was our focus on transformative education. We believe she can contribute to our mission in the following ways...Based on her past successes with grantsmanship, the committee believes she would be successful in bringing new grants to Loyola. The committee believes she demonstrates high potential for faculty leadership...

The dean should provide a similar assessment of Candidates B & C or an explanation of why you believe Candidate B and/or C should not be considered for the position.

b. The Dean's recommendation to the Provost must also include the details of the offer to the candidate. Offer details must include:

  • Appointment Rank (e.g., Assistant/Associate) and Track (e.g., TT or NTT)
    • Start date (e.g., August xx, 20xx) and academic year
      Note: if a faculty employment start date is other than the start of the academic year, a Request for Adjusted Hire Date Form must be submitted
  • Base salary and Start-up funding
  • Moving expenses reimbursement up to $3000.00
    • Note: expenses beyond $3000 must be covered by School/College
  • Mid-Probationary and Tenure review years, including years of credit towards tenure
    • If applicable, the Dean may offer additional funds to support the start-up of the candidate's research program. These are funds beyond those normally provided by the academic unit, such as funding for labs and major equipment. 
  • Teaching Responsibilities

c. Other agreements between the candidate and the academic unit that are idiosyncratic to the hire (e.g., additional research funds, additional moving expenses) must be communicated separately by the academic unit to the candidate.

VIII. FIRST OFFER TO CANDIDATE

a. Subsequent to the Provost’s approval of the aforementioned recommendation, depending on the school/college, the Dean or Department Chair may handle the offer negotiations directly with the candidate. All initial offers should be made verbally. If a candidate insists on or desires a written communication, even as part of an initial offer, it must be made clear that the written communication does not represent a formal contract.

b. When discussing teaching responsibilities during the offer/negotiation process, please make clear to the candidate during the offer/negotiation process the instructional responsibilities expected of a faculty member. Language for a tenure- track faculty offer should read something like:

  • "Your teaching responsibilities will be those normally expected of a research active faculty member in NN department/school, which is 5 courses per year."
  • It could also include a modifier, such as:
    "During your first year, you will have a one-course reduction from the normal load to help you.... develop courses/start up your lab/etc."

c. Start-up funding: If applicable: the Dean may offer additional funds that will be provided during the first year to support the start-up of the candidate's research program. These are funds beyond those normally provided by the academic unit, such as funding for labs and major equipment. 

d. When the Dean's negotiation with the candidate is completed, please email Provost and VP for Faculty Affairs with the details of the final offer and the acknowledgment that the candidate has accepted.

IX. APPOINTMENT LETTER TO CANDIDATE

a. To generate the formal faculty appointment letter, the Dean or designee must submit the faculty appointment details to the New Faculty Appointment Request Portal. Only the Provost can issue appointment letters.

Please be sure to fully complete the New Faculty Appointment Request form. If required information is not included on the form, the appointment letter request will not be processed.

Once the completed New Faculty Appointment Request is submitted and reviewed, Faculty Administration will send the candidate the appointment letter and copy the Dean.

X. CLOSING THE SEARCH

After the appointment letter has been signed and returned to Lakeside Faculty Administration (faculty-admin@luc.edu) or Health Sciences Administration (hsc-faculty-admin@luc.edu), the Search Committee Chair or designee should contact Faculty Administration to request closing the search. In this request, please include the following information:

  • Link to Position Posting on LUC Careers webpage
  • Names of candidates who were interviewed and not hired

Candidates who were not hired will receive an auto-generated message informing them that they did not get the position. It is ideal if the Search Committee Chair contacts the finalist candidates who were not hired before requesting the closure to let them know they were not hired.

XI. REMINDERS

• If your chosen candidate will need to speak to someone about his/her work status in the U.S., the International Student and Scholar Services office is available for consultation. You can contact that office directly with any questions by emailing isss@luc.edu.

• Faculty appointments are subject to the terms and conditions of the Faculty Handbook, the published policies posted on Loyola University Chicago’s website, and the various written documents of the University, its schools, and academic departments. Please note that faculty appointments are conditional, pending the completion of a background check (we outsource this to a company called HireRight), and continued appointment of faculty members is subject to meeting appropriate authorization as required by the US Immigration and Naturalization Reform Act of 1986.