Workshop for Academic Search Committees Explores Better Processes for Recruitment and Retainment

February 4, 2019, @ 10:29 AM

LVAIC Program Director, Charlene Bergstresser, and Moravian College Professor of Business and Economics, Katie P. Desiderio, co-facilitate the LVAIC Workshop for Academic Search Committees.

LVAIC provided a workshop on academic search committees on Friday, February 1 at Moravian College. In partnership with Katie P. Desiderio, Professor of Business and Economics at Moravian College, to work with faculty and staff serving on search committees to fulfill faculty positions.

Structuring this workshop to only serve a small population, this interactive event allowed participants to offer in-the-moment feedback to other participants and each other regarding different aspects of the search process. Areas explored included:

• crafting a reflective position description,
• determining and sharing expectations regarding the role,
• determining and sharing values and cultural markers for the institution and the department,
• creating and sharing assessment and evaluation methods to be used on the candidate once in the role, and
• determining and clarifying any diversity needs for the institution and department.

Attendees discussed successes and challenges in their current search methods, sharing that the most common challenge lies in creating a position description and interview questions able to truly reflect the demands of the position beyond the anticipated capabilities of the candidate. For instance, many higher education positions come with an expectation of participating in campus functions and events outside of the classroom. Finding candidates prepared for the job inside and outside the classroom proves challenging, and the group discussed ways to overcome these difficulties.

Beyond these discussions, participants were tasked with providing sample interview questions used in their current search processes. Each member of the group then shared his or her interview question and received feedback from the group, working through nuances in the wording and phrasing until perfecting the questions to the point of truly reaching the purpose of the question. Working through these questions, participants were offered the chance to role play with their questions, answering the following series of questions thereafter:

1. As an interviewer, did the questions get you the information you were hoping to learn about the candidate?
2. As an interviewee, how did the questions feel as a candidate?
3. As an interviewee, what recommendations would you give to the interviewer?
4. As a coach, were there any observation of things you noticed you would like to share?

After the group worked through these scenarios, all participants received a copy of the Best Practices for Faculty Search Committees: How to Review Applications and Interview Candidates by Jeffrey L. Buller. This workshop served as part of the LVAIC initiative to enhance the skills and expertise of faculty and staff.