The purpose of this section is to present procedures of Central Virginia Community College that apply to the hiring of full-time teaching faculty members consistent with the goals of the institution. Using these procedures the campuses will continue to recommend, and the President will continue to hire, talented and highly qualified individuals so that CVCC students continue to be served by a faculty of superior quality. Further, these procedures will support the College in realizing its strategic goal to increase the diversity of CVCC faculty and staff to reflect the diversity of students being served. These procedures are designed specifically for the College.
Recruitment
Role of the Vice President for Academic Affairs and Student Services
The Vice President for Academic Affairs and Student Services is responsible for assuring that the recruitment and selection process on the campus is consistent with institutional goals and college-wide policies and procedures. The Vice President also has final review and recommendation authority for the campus in the recruitment and selection process and is responsible for recommending all candidates for initial appointment to the College faculty to the President.
Role of the Division Dean
The Division Dean is the employing administrative supervisor of the faculty member to be selected and is responsible to the Vice President for Academic Affairs and Student Services for the initiation of the recruitment and selection process for a specific vacancy on the campus and for coordinating the candidate screening and interview process on the campus. The Division Dean, with the assistance of the Human Resources Manager, makes the initial recommendation for salary placement and academic rank placement in accordance with the VCCS 29 located in the VCCS Policy Manual 3.2.2 and College procedures.
New and Vacant Positions
The President’s Cabinet defines all regular full-time teaching faculty positions that may be filled for the following academic year. The Vice President for Academic Affairs and Student Services notifies Division Deans of the positions that the President’s Cabinet has approved to be filled. Division Deans with assistance from Program Coordinators/Heads, as appropriate, will confer with the Vice President to develop the Position Description and Notice of Faculty Vacancy, consistent with the goals of the institution.
Position Request form
The Notice of Faculty Vacancy must include closing dates and information on electronic advertising preferences. The form must also specify the minimum and preferred qualifications for the position. These electronic advertising preferences may include, but are not limited to, discipline-specific publications, publications of professional organizations and associations, and especially graduate school placement offices.
The Division Dean, through the Vice President for Academic Affairs and Student Services, sends the Position Request form.
Advertising the Position
Advertising the position must relate directly to the unit academic plan, the College Affirmative Action plan, and the hiring goals of the institution.
The Human Resources Office reviews each Faculty Requisition Form and in cooperation with the Division Dean develops appropriate wording and selects the appropriate placement for the position announcement. All CVCC employees will be notified of the position opening and directed to the location of the posting through the Daily Bulletin. Starting salary ranges will be published in the advertisement for each position.
The Human Resources Office will communicate the final version of advertisements including publication dates and sites to the Vice President for Academic Affairs and Student Services and Division Deans. In addition, all advertising information will be posted in the public folder for each position.
The Human Resources Office will actively seek to reach a qualified diverse pool of candidates and may use reasonable methods to do so, including
- Sending position announcements to traditionally minority institutions;
- Selecting diversity oriented publications in which to advertise;
- Convening a group of CVCC minority employees to help with the recruitment and advertising process.
The Application Process
The Application Packet
In order to be in the applicant pool, a candidate’s Application Packet must include all of the following:
- A cover letter of no more than two pages;
- A Curriculum Vita or resume;
- An official state application;
- Unofficial transcripts of all post- secondary education.
Official State Application
Applicants may submit a current Application for Employment electronically. Applicants may download an electronic version of the Virginia State Employment Application. The official Application for Employment requires the applicant’s original signature, which must be obtained by the time of or as part of the interview. The official application may contain supplemental pages as appropriate.
Transcripts
The transcripts submitted by applicants for initial review may be unofficial copies; however, official copies of all post-secondary education must accompany all employment recommendations. The College will accept foreign transcripts only if they have been previously translated and evaluated by an appropriate evaluation agency. Applicants may obtain a list of appropriate evaluation agencies from the College Human Resources Office
Screening of Applicants
Review of Applications
The Human Resources Office conducts a preliminary review of minimum qualifications according to VCCS 29 located in the VCCS Policy Manual 3.2.2 of all applications in a timely manner through the Recruitment Management System (RMS). All qualified applications will be posted in appropriate Faculty Public Folders within ten (10) business days of the job closing date. Human Resources will change the status in RMS detailing the applications being referred are in review by the department. The Vice President for Academic Affairs and Student Services, the hiring Division Dean, and Hiring Committee members for each vacant position will be granted access to the Faculty Public Folder for that position. The Vice President or Division Dean may request access to the public folder containing all application materials, including those of unqualified applicants.
RMS retains a record of all Applications for Employment.
Evaluation of Applicant Pool
CVCC has a responsibility to determine to the best of its ability the diversity status of individuals in the applicant pool. At the close of the announced period for receiving applications, the Human Resources Office will evaluate the applicant pool to determine whether it is representative of diversity based upon the applicants’ availability. The Human Resources Office will report these findings in writing to the Vice President for Academic Affairs and Student Services and the Division Dean, who must defend the status of the applicant pool or extend the search. If the applicant pool is not representative, the Human Resources Office will extend the deadline for applications and expand recruiting efforts. If the pool is representative, the appropriate campus administrator may proceed with the screening and selection process.
Screening Committee
The Division Dean appoints the Screening Committee. The Screening Committee may also serve as the Interview Committee. The minimum composition of the committee should consist of the following individuals:
Division Dean for the available position;
at least one member of the teaching faculty from the position discipline. All full-time faculty in the discipline must be given the opportunity to serve on the committee. If there are no full-time faculty in the discipline, then the discipline may be represented by either a full-time faculty member from the division or an adjunct faculty member from the discipline;
at least one member of the teaching faculty from outside the discipline of the position;
at least one member must meet the Affirmative Action criteria established by the College. (These criteria are available from the Human Resources Office)
A majority of the members of the Screening Committee must consist of full-time faculty of the College.
Division Deans will submit the membership of the screening/interview Committee to the Human Resources Office at least 21 days prior to the application closing date. The Human Resources office will review the membership to ensure compliance with Affirmative Action guidelines before actual screening takes place. The Human Resources Office will notify the Division Dean and the Vice President of acceptance or non-compliance. All appointed members of the Screening Committee must either complete the on-line Interview Training located on the Knowledge Center on the CVCC website prior to the supervisor receiving applications from Human Resources. Training should be completed prior to the faculty application deadline. Every member of the screening/interview committee must have received training within the past two years before serving on the committee. The Knowledge Center will keep a record of when each person has received training that the Human Resources Office can review at any time.
Upon the approval of the Screening Committee by the Human Resources Office, the Division Dean may discuss with the Screening Committee other aspects of the vacancy such as economic considerations, College Affirmative Action plans, unit and College academic plans, institutional hiring goals, and other matters which may affect the recruitment and selection process.
Screening Criteria
The Screening Committee will develop and agree upon the screening criteria and evaluation format which will be used to rate all applicants. The Screening Committee should use criteria consistent with the goals of the institution and with the institution’s goals for diversity in its teaching faculty. The screening criteria must evaluate candidates based upon the minimum and preferred qualifications listed in the Faculty Requisition Form for the position.
In assessing the desired qualifications of the candidate, the Screening Committee should consider as a major evaluation criterion and rating factor the quality of experience of the candidate in addition to other agreed upon criteria.
The Screening Committee will convene to discuss the screening criteria and their individual ratings of the candidates to be interviewed. The Screening Committee will submit to the Human Resources Office the names of the candidates to be interviewed.
In making its recommendations, the Screening Committee will attempt to select a broad, representative group of applicants for interview.
Number of Candidates to be Interviewed
A minimum of three candidates will be selected for interview. Exceptions to this policy may be made by agreement of the Division Dean, the Human Resources Office, and the Vice President for Academic Affairs and Student Services.
Selecting Candidates for Interview
Division Deans provide the names of the individuals selected for interview to the Human Resources Office, which reviews the applications of those selected for interview. The Human Resources Office and the Division Dean are responsible for insuring a broad representative interview pool for each position.
Within five days of receiving notice of the individuals selected for interview, the Human Resources Office provides the Vice President with a complete list of the candidates cleared for interview. If any of the individuals cleared for interview declines to be interviewed, the committee may choose to include other applicants to be interviewed. These individuals must also be cleared by Human Resources
Travel for Out of Town Candidates
When a regular teaching faculty position is allocated and authorized for recruitment, the College will provide $500 per candidate to be used to offset the travel costs of candidates who live more than 100 miles from the campus. The funds will be placed in a central account and expenditures tracked by the Accounting Office. The Division Dean is responsible for obtaining all appropriate information from the visiting candidates and providing the necessary forms to process a travel reimbursement. Candidates to be reimbursed will complete the Travel Reimbursement Form during the interview process. All designated travel funds not expended by the academic division revert to the College.
Interview and Selection Process
Interview Committee
The Screening Committee may also serve as the Interview Committee. Additional members may be added from the following:
student body (non-voting, advisory capacity only);
other teaching faculty, including adjuncts in the teaching discipline; and
college staff
Any additions to the Interview Committee must receive the same interview training as provided in Screening Committee.
A majority of the members of the Interview Committee must consist of full-time faculty of the College.
Role of the Interview Committee
The Interview Committee reviews the screening criteria prior to the application close date and develops a list of interview questions and the topic for the teaching demonstration that must be used for each applicant interviewed for the position. These questions must be submitted to the Human Resources Office no later than ten (10) business days prior to the application close date for review to ensure they meet legal and job-related criteria. The Interview Committee must review the Affirmative Action guidelines on the use of appropriate and inappropriate interview questions.
Information Conveyed to the Candidate Prior to the Interview
The Division Dean or designee contacts the candidates by telephone and by either letter or electronic communication to arrange for the interview. The communication with the candidates must include the date, time, scope, and place of the interview. The communication should include directions to the campus and that a parking permit will be provided. Time permitting, parking permits should be mailed/emailed to the candidates. The Division Dean or designee reviews with the candidates the criteria for the position and determines if each candidate is interested in continuing in the selection process. The Division Dean must provide information about the process to be followed on the day of the interview, including the teaching demonstration. The Division Dean must inform candidates of the teaching aids that will be available to them for the teaching demonstration.
The Interview
All members of the Interview Committee must be present for all interviews. Present may include members who can connect visually through electronic technology, e.g. Skype, compressed video, etc. The Chair of the Interview Committee defines for each candidate the parameters of the session, including the length of the interview. Interview questions will be written and copied for the benefit of the Committee only and should not be given to the candidates prior to or during the interview. Members of the Interview Committee must ask the same prepared questions, preferably in the same order, of all candidates.
Teaching Demonstration
All applicants must give a teaching demonstration of no less than 30 minutes. Students may be invited to attend the teaching demonstration. Committee members will look for evidence of good teaching practices in the teaching demonstration.
The Selection and Recommendation Process
Role of the Vice President for Academic Affairs and Student Services
The Vice President for Academic Affairs and Student Services is responsible for assuring that the recruitment and selection process of faculty is consistent with College-wide policies and procedures. The Vice President also has final review and recommendation authority for the College in the recruitment and selection process.
Steps in Recommendation Process
The Interview Committee deliberates on the strengths and weaknesses of each candidate interviewed. The Interview Committee should consider qualifications, communication skills, and the teaching skills of each candidate as they move toward selection of qualified finalists for the teaching vacancy. The Division Dean completes the Applicant Referral Memorandum (ARM) for all candidates and reviews the ARM with the candidates who they interview and has the candidate sign it. The Division Dean forwards all ARM, screening grids, and interview questions to the Human Resources Office as part of the hiring recommendation packet.
The Division Dean contacts at least three telephone references for the top candidate. With the institutional goals in mind, the Division Dean, with the advice of the Interview Committee, makes either a hiring recommendation to the Vice President for Academic Affairs and Student Services or recommends that the interviews or search be extended. Any candidate recommended for hiring to the Vice President for Academic Affairs and Student Services must submit a Criminal Background Check form to Human Resources office.
The Division Dean completes the Proposal for New Faculty Appointment (Full-Time), and the Human Resources Office completes the Faculty Qualifications Summary. The Division Dean compiles the entire packet of documents, with a cover recommendation, and forwards the materials to the Vice President, who then forwards the package to the President.
Recommendation for Appointment
The Vice President for Academic Affairs and Student Services will review all materials to insure completeness and prepare an appropriate recommendation for the President, to include a summary report of the criteria upon which the selection was based. The final hiring package must contain the following:
- Recommendation from the Division Dean;
- State Application Form;
- Proposal for New Faculty Appointment (Full-Time);
- All selection/interview committee notes, records, and the assessment of strengths and weaknesses for all the candidates;
- Unofficial transcripts of all post-secondary education;
- Summary of telephone references; and
- Applicant Referral Memorandums.
The Job Offer
THE PRESIDENT IS THE HIRING AUTHORITY. ABSOLUTELY NO ONE OTHER THAN THE PRESIDENT IS AUTHORIZED TO MAKE AN OFFER OF EMPLOYMENT.
The President has the right to refuse to accept the recommendation of the Division Dean. If the President exercises this right, it shall be done in a timely manner. The President notifies the Vice President, and the Vice President notifies the Division Dean.
If the President approves the Division Dean’s recommendation, the Human Resources Office emails the Division Dean of the approval with rank and salary offer, and the Division Dean in turn contacts the candidate, informing him/her of the offer of employment and confirming that the candidate is still interested. The President signs a letter approving the hire action and sends it to the Vice President. The Vice President notifies the Division Dean of the approval. The Human Resources Office sends an official offer letter to the applicant.
New faculty members are normally placed at a salary level no higher than the midpoint of the faculty salary range in accordance with standardized criteria of teaching and non‑teaching experience, academic preparation, and other relevant criteria. The President may authorize a salary placement above the midpoint of the faculty salary range in exceptional circumstances related to the quality of College academic programs or to meet other vital College objectives.
The Division Dean notifies the Human Resources Office upon receipt of the signed contract.
The Human Resources Office updates the status in RMS of all applicants applicable to his/her situation. This occurs only after notification has been received from the Human Resources Office that the College’s job offer has been accepted.
The Unsuccessful Search
Positions that go unfilled will remain with the College for a period of one year and may be filled at any time during that year. The Division Dean may request of Human Resources that a targeted recruitment effort be undertaken. At the end of the one-year period, all vacant positions revert to the College General Fund.
Bringing the New Hire on Board
The Human Resources Office contacts the new employee and schedules a new employee orientation and completion of new hire paperwork. The Division Dean ensures that the new hire receives orientation to the College, orientation to the Division, and receives a faculty mentor.
Policy #: CVCC0075
Last Reviewed/Revised: 09/16/2022
Responsible Dept.: Human Resources
Other Policy References: NA