Inclusive Search and Selection Procedures

A diverse and inclusive community is vital to all individuals and is essential to our academic mission and institutional excellence at Ithaca College. Therefore, the College embraces diversity as a guiding principle and is committed to promoting an environment where diverse perspectives are honored and leveraged in our student-focused curriculum contributing to a culture of innovation, scholarship and excellence.

Ithaca College’s vision of becoming the standard of excellence for residential comprehensive colleges by fostering students’ intellect, creativity, and character is directly related to its mission to attract a diverse body of faculty, students, and staff. Ithaca College is committed to attracting, recruiting, retaining, and supporting a diverse faculty, staff and student body and we acknowledge that commitment is crucial to our sustainability as an institution of higher education.

All members of the College community are encouraged to achieve excellence in their chosen fields and to share the responsibilities of citizenship and service in the global community. Members of a high quality and diverse faculty and staff serve collectively and individually as role models in many ways. Some students will benefit from faculty and staff with whom they share gender or ethnic origins. All students benefit from a faculty and staff dedicated to exploring ideas and information from diverse intellectual approaches based in part on ethnic, racial or cultural differences. The creation of this academic climate will not be easy or once achieved, always comfortable; however it will lead to the strongest possible academic environment.

The responsibility of producing a campus community with such attributes is vested in the faculty and administration. Thus, faculty, administrators, and staff play multiple roles in recruiting potential faculty, administrators, and staff; and in nurturing persons who become members of the Ithaca community. To attract high quality and diverse faculty, administrators, and staff will require much more than traditional techniques. The following diversity conscious search and selection procedures are the first essential component of a multifaceted series of programs and initiatives to attract, develop, and retain diverse faculty, administrators, and staff.

The conduct of a search process has inherently opposing tensions, which relate directly to issues of ethics and confidentiality. In the interests of avoiding any notions of inequality in its conduct, the search committee should maintain accurate records and information which should be available for review and scrutiny, i.e. how each member evaluated each candidate, what information references volunteered about the candidates etc. is important to encourage open and honest dialogue in the applicant review process. However, one of the best ways to avoid any perceptions of inequity is to publicly and aggressively seek outstanding underrepresented candidates. Nonetheless, all deliberations and related communications are confidential and members are not authorized to share documents, observations, or opinions about a particular candidate with any individual outside of the Committee. This prohibition applies to personal conversations as well as publications and disclosures made on community or social media websites

The need for new or replacement positions should be identified as early as possible. Outlined further in this document are considerations that will need to be addressed in preparation for the search process. The Office of Human Resources is available to discuss issues such as position, salary administration, job description, advertisement development, scope of search, and other relevant issues. To fill a vacancy, an online requisition must be submitted. The requisition is routed for review and approval before being posted by the Office of Human Resources. Each approver/reviewer is expected to respond to the approval request within 1-2 business days.

Circumstances occasionally arise that cause a department to request a modification to the usual search and selection process. Internal searches are permitted only when previous experience at Ithaca College is essential or when extremely unusual or exigent circumstances arise related to the vacancy. Rationale to conduct an internal search should be entered into the appropriate field in the online Recruitment Request. For internal searches, departments should provide a list of individuals who will be involved in candidate screening and selection, a detailed plan for advertising the position, and the expected timeline for conducting interviews and concluding the search. As with all other vacancies, advertisements for internal searches may not be posted prior to receiving approval. If the internal search yields only one applicant, the search is not valid and the position must then be posted externally.

Search committees are to be diverse, with regard to gender, race, ethnicity, sexual orientation and identity inasmuch as that is possible. Faculty search committees should include representation from different subfields and ranks and must include one faculty member from another planning unit that has some interaction with the planning unit searching to fill the position, however, this faculty member need not come from outside the given school. All administrator and salaried staff search committees must include one faculty or staff member from outside of the searching unit that has some interaction with the position for which the position is being conducted. Direct reports of the position being searched should not serve on that particular search committee. Research shows that the inclusion of an external member on the search committee is correlated with greater success in hiring underrepresented candidates as insights from different perspectives can enrich the discussion of the search committee, leading to a more robust conversation that helps all search committee members. Moreover, the inclusion of an external member on the search committee shows candidates that Ithaca College is a collaborative college that works beyond departmental or programmatic silos.

Search committees and search committee chairs are selected according to the method specified in the bylaws or other governing rules of the appropriate faculty, school, or unit, as appropriate. If no method of selection is specified, the senior level administrator/department chair shall appoint the search committee and the search committee chair. Since search committees play a pivotal role in diversifying our faculty and staff, they should include individuals who: 

• have broad perspectives and a commitment to diversity and building an inclusive candidate pool,
• have a good sense of the role, field, students, and other key stakeholders,
• have resources and/or connections to broaden the diversity of recruitment outreach and the candidate pool,
• have experience in searches that have been successful in recruiting underrepresented group candidates,
• acknowledges and takes measures to combat implicit bias,
• will speak up and ask for evidence when colleagues are not honoring the agreed upon process,
• will make the process welcoming and inclusive for all candidates.

It is important to remember that search committees are critical to the future of Ithaca College as hiring decisions have long-lasting effects on our faculty, staff, and students.

The role of the search committee is to engage in an active search. To search requires proactive placement of advertisements, contacts with other institutions, attendance at professional conferences, maintaining contact with potential future candidates and networking with colleagues in order to net the broadest possible pool of applicants. The committee is also expected to actively broaden the diversity in the pool, which requires an intentional commitment to using an inclusive lens at each stage of the process.

Regardless of whether the search committee is elected or appointed, the search committee should be provided with a specific charge. The President, Provost, or respective Vice President, Dean, department chair/head or their designee must provide instructions to the search committee as to the scope and nature of its responsibilities, making a clear distinction between the activities of the search committee in the earlier stages of the process and those of the hiring supervisor in the final stages of the process which culminate in the selection of a successful candidate.

Search committees must be apprised of Ithaca College’s expectations for inclusion and diversity in the search process as well as with federal equal opportunity guidelines. All search committee chairs are required to attend training on inclusive search procedures provided by a representative from Human Resources in order to ensure that each committee chair understands the procedures and expectations. If a search committee chair attends this training in a given academic year and chairs a search in the next academic year, he/she will not be required to attend the training, but would be required to attend if chairing a search in subsequent years.

The search committee chair should schedule an initial search committee meeting where he/she and members of the committee develop a recruitment plan and establish a timeline consistent with their charge. They must also establish the selection criteria and procedures for screening, interviewing candidates, and keeping records. In order to maintain a fair, equitable and legal search process, it is important that the same evaluation criteria be applied to all candidates. Once you have formed your search committee, prior to reviewing applications, it is important to come to a consensus on what and how a candidate will be assessed and stick to it. Attendance requirements/expectations and any additional responsibilities for search committee members should also be clarified.

Some points that need to be established early in the process are:

• Qualifications: a consensus of interpretation
• Criteria for evaluation process: evaluation tools, such as rubric
• Interview questions: weight and assessment, strategic questions to be asked to
• Focus of priorities and departmental needs: ideal candidate
• Sense of preferred itinerary: this way you can engage individuals and offices early
• Outreach plan: diverse focus of outreach sources and inclusive ad language
• Manner in which decisions will be made and disagreements will be handled

Using inclusive language can help shape your applicant pool. For example, adding language such as the “expectation of managing diversity in the classroom” or “experience working with diverse populations of students” may help widen your message. It is important to know the needs of your department, identify areas of opportunity, and to craft ad language that will be impactful and attractive to those communities.

Things to think about when crafting your ad in an effort to be more inclusive:

• Do the qualifications include competencies in diversity management?
• Do you make connections to academic initiatives (such as IC 2020)?
• Does the position require a PhD or is the PhD a preference?
• Are you using language like “strong record of scholarship” vs. “distinguished or nationally recognized?”

Examples of inclusive ad language include: 

• The College is especially interested in qualified candidates who can contribute, through their research, teaching, and/or service, through diversity, to the excellence of the academic community.
• Applicants whose work incorporates a global perspective, and a demonstrated commitment to issues of diversity in higher education are particularly encouraged to apply.
• We are seeking outstanding candidates with a demonstrated commitment to supporting, empowering and retaining students from underrepresented groups.
• Candidates who have a demonstrated commitment of embracing diversity as an integral part of the educational experience are preferred.
• Faculty candidates who share our pedagogy focus of Diversity, Equity and Inclusion, are encouraged to apply.
• Ithaca College has a strong commitment to principles of diversity and, in that spirit, actively encourages applications from groups underrepresented in higher education.
• The School of ________ and the Department of ________ have explicitly endorsed efforts to increase the diversity of its ranks, and accordingly, candidates from groups currently underrepresented in the School are encouraged to apply. Successful candidates should possess specific competencies and demonstrated expertise in multicultural settings.
• The School of _________ (or Department of _______) is committed to increasing the diversity of the campus community and the curriculum. Candidates who can contribute to that goal are encouraged to apply and to identify their strengths and experiences in this area.
• The Ithaca College is committed to the development of a multicultural environment. We seek greater diversity in our faculty and staff to broaden our academic experience. We value input of multiple viewpoints and perspectives across the university; our goal is to create an academic community that is rich with cultural, social and intellectual diversity.
• Diversity is a core value of the School of ________ at the IC. We believe that the educational environment is enhanced when diverse groups of people with diverse ideas come together to learn. Applicants whose work incorporates a global perspective and a demonstrated commitment to issues of diversity in higher education are particularly encouraged to apply.

All advertisements MUST include the following diversity statement: “Ithaca College is building a diverse academic community and encourages members of underrepresented groups to apply. Experience that contributes to the diversity of the College is appreciated."

SAMPLE JOB POSTING (As it would appear on the Ithaca College website):

JOB SUMMARY: Ithaca College’s Department of XYZ invites applications for a tenure-eligible Assistant Professor position from candidates with a specialty in XYZ to join a collaborative, growing department beginning August 16, YEAR. The position involves teaching undergraduate and graduate courses in XYZ; teaching courses in other areas such as XYZ appropriate for the candidate’s expertise and the department’s needs; supervising field experiences; conducting and publishing research; and participating in service to the department, campus, community, and profession. - ADDITIONAL INCLUSIVE LANGUAGE (see examples above) SHOULD BE ADDED HERE -

QUALIFICATIONS: PhD in XYZ or related field preferred at the time of appointment. However, ABD candidates who have made significant progress towards completion of the degree are also strongly encouraged to apply. College teaching experience and a proven record of teaching excellence also required DEPARTMENT DESCRIPTION: The XYZ Department ….

COLLEGE DESCRIPTION (cannot be edited): At Ithaca College, a comprehensive residential campus community of 6,500 students, we strive to be at the forefront of the higher education landscape. Our strategic plan, IC 20/20, positions us to offer a distinct integrative learning experience that makes students ready for the personal, professional, and global challenges of our age.

We seek candidates who embrace integrative learning and want to be a part of this exciting time in Ithaca College history. We encourage creative collaboration and innovation in our faculty and staff, providing support and resources for them to grow in their fields and lead students to their own innovative ideas and achievements.

We welcome different ways of thinking and look for candidates with unique points of view and life experiences. We are inclusive of individuals with a wide range of cultural, personal, and professional backgrounds, talents, and skills. Our campus is a vibrant and rewarding community where diverse minds can learn, succeed, and excel.

Nestled in the heart of New York State's scenic Finger Lakes region, Ithaca College sits atop South Hill overlooking picturesque Cayuga Lake and is just minutes away from the city center. Combining small town warmth and charm with the vibrancy of a college community, the thriving and culturally diverse city of Ithaca has been rated by Kiplinger’s as one of the top 10 places to live in the United States.

To learn more about Ithaca College, visit us at ithaca.edu.

INSTRUCTIONS FOR SUBMITTING APPLICATIONS: Interested individuals should apply online at Ithaca.edu/jobs and attach a cover letter, CV/resume, one representative course syllabus, and a list containing the contact information for five professional references (OR A VARIETY OF OTHER MATERIALS DEPENDENT UPON WHAT YOU WOULD LIKE TO REQUEST). The cover letter should include discussion of the candidate's teaching philosophy, relevant experience and scholarly interests, and how these relate to the position description above. Under separate cover, please arrange for three letters of recommendation to be sent to: Search Chair, Department of XYZ, Ithaca College, Ithaca, NY 14850. Questions about the online application may be directed to (607) 274-8000. Review of applications will begin immediately. To ensure full consideration, complete applications should be received by DATE.

DIVERSITY STATEMENT (cannot be edited): All advertisements MUST include the following diversity statement: “Ithaca College is building a diverse academic community and encourages members of underrepresented groups to apply. Experience that contributes to the diversity of the College is appreciated."

SAMPLE PRINT AD COPY:

JOB TITLE - DEPARTMENT

Tenure-eligible position available for candidates with a specialty in XYZ to join a collaborative, growing department beginning August 16, YEAR, to teach undergraduate and graduate courses in XYZ and other areas appropriate for the candidate’s expertise and the departmental needs. Interested individuals must apply online at http://www.ithaca.edu/jobs. Questions about the online application may be directed to the Office of Human Resources at (607) 274-8000. Review of applications will begin immediately. To ensure full consideration, complete applications should be received by DATE. Ithaca College is building a diverse academic community and encourages members of underrepresented groups to apply. Experience that contributes to the diversity of the College is appreciated.

The Office of Human Resources serves as the primary point of contact for questions regarding the online application process and this information should be included in the advertisement. Departments may provide search chair contact information in their advertisements for inquiries about the position itself.

The recruitment outreach plan is typically developed by the search chair, hiring supervisor, and members of the search committee. The plan should include the following items:

• a list of major professional meetings and conferences (if any) where recruitment will take place,
• a list of discipline specific journals, publications, websites, and list servs where the ad will be placed
• a list of placement services, laboratories, and programs at other institutions/organizations where the notice will be sent to attract graduates of directly related programs or passive candidates in the field of expertise,
• details regarding what specific efforts will be made to attract underrepresented groups and what additional outreach will take place,
• a list of five individuals that the search committee will personally contact/call in an effort to solicit interest and/or get nominations of candidates from underrepresented groups who meet or exceed the preferred qualifications for the advertised job,
• dates of any and all outreach.

It is imperative to have a comprehensive advertising plan that compliments the rest of your recruitment outreach plan. Countless discipline-specific websites, publications, and journals exist. Departments are expected to research and place these advertisements as appropriate, keeping in mind that the costs for these postings are the responsibility of the hiring department. When using electronic media, a paper copy of the posting must be retained for the search file.

The Office of Human Resources has institutional subscriptions and will advertise job postings on Inside Higher Ed, Higheredjobs.com, and the Upstate New York Higher Education Recruitment Consortium (UNY-HERC.org) websites and diversity-focused websites such as Diverse Issues in Higher Education and Latinos in Higher Ed. Departments are expected to advertise in additional discipline-specific sources to enhance the quality and diversity of the applicant pool. The Office of Human Resources also maintains a listing of recruitment resources.

Additional strategies to assist you when recruiting: 

• Make personal contacts with minorities and women at professional conferences and invite them to apply.
• Go beyond the ‘usual’ range of institutions from which you recruit.
• When contacting colleagues, specifically ask for recommendations of candidates from groups that are underrepresented in your department, in addition to other recommendations.
• Utilize directories and rosters of prestigious fellowship programs at both the dissertation and postdoctoral levels that support individuals from diverse backgrounds (i.e. Ford Foundation Fellowship Program, American Association of University Women, Minority Fellows Program of the American Sociological Association, Minority Scholarship Award sponsored by the American Physical Therapy Association).
• Contact faculty members from racial, ethnic or gender groups that are ‘underutilized’ within your academic unit to seek their knowledge of prospective candidates. Specifically ask your contacts, if they know any qualified women or minority candidates who fall within one of more of these underutilized groups.
• Consider candidates who may be currently under-placed and thriving at less well-ranked institutions.
• Send announcements and request nominations from departments in Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs) and Hispanic, American Indian, and Asian serving institutions.
• Place announcements in newspapers, journals, and publications aimed specifically at underrepresented groups.

Once advertisements have been posted, applicants will begin to submit applications online. Applicants will receive an acknowledgement email from the Office of Human Resources once they have completed their online application. This is the last auto-generated system communication applicants will receive from until the position has been filled. Any further communication should be discussed with the Office of Human Resources for consistency.

The Office of Human Resources serves as the primary point of contact for questions regarding the online application process. Departments may provide search chair contact information in their advertisements for inquiries about the position. Responses to direct inquiries should be consistent and about the position or status of the position, not a candidate’s specific application or their specific status at that point in time. Please consult with the Office of Human Resources regarding any specific candidate application questions.

1. The applicant pool will consist of all persons who have completed the application process, including the attachment of any required documents, via the online application system for the advertised position. Search committee members will review application materials online.

2. The search committee evaluates the applicant pool by adhering to the specifics of the advertisement and pre-determined selection criteria. Applications from individuals who lack the minimum qualifications for the position as advertised will not be considered. The committee is cautioned to be mindful of biases in the screening process that could inadvertently screen out well-qualified applicants with non-traditional career paths, non-traditional research interests or publications, and those from Historically Black Colleges and Universities or other minority-serving institutions.

To ensure that applicants are evaluated with inclusion in mind, remember to be open minded about:

• Interruptions in degree programs or work careers; for example, to care for a parent or child because of a disability;
• The reputation of degree-granting or employing institutions, as star employees have come out of lesser-known institutions (institutional reputation alone, however well deserved, should not preclude consideration of applicants from other solid schools);
• Careers begun in or including government, business, voluntary service, or other non-academic settings, which are often sources of first time employment for women, minorities, veterans, and persons with disabilities, as well as necessary employment options for trailing spouses in dual career couple relocations; and
• The value and transferability of skills and experience acquired in these varied settings.

3. Traditional selection criteria, i.e. teaching and scholarship, should be used to evaluate all candidates for faculty positions. Consideration of a potential hire’s contributions may also include the ability to diversify the curriculum and pedagogy, expand the parameters of research on diversity-related topics, and attract targeted funding for diversity-related research. It is important to recognize that diverse paths and experiences can make positive contributions to a candidate's qualifications. Acknowledge the value of candidates who are "less like us" and consider their contributions to our students, who are increasingly more diverse. Make sure the process allows each member of the search committee to contribute to the evaluation of all applicants.

Here are some examples of questions to consider throughout the evaluation process: 

• Are women and racial/ethnic minorities subject to different expectations or standards?
• Are candidates from institutions other than the major research universities being undervalued?
• Have accomplishments, ideas, and findings of women or minority candidates been undervalued or unfairly attributed to research directors of collaborators?
• Are negative assumptions about whether women or minority candidates will “fit in” to the existing environment influencing evaluation?

Step we can take to help eliminate or alleviate bias in the screening process: 

• Learn about and discuss research on bias
• Develop evaluation criteria prior to evaluating candidates and stick to it (as outlined above, this begins at or before writing the job ad)
• Value a diversity of experiences by looking beyond traditional markers of academic excellence (e.g. unconventional career paths; articles published in specialized journals that cater to diverse audiences, applicants with undergraduate or graduate degrees from colleges or universities that attract racial/ethnic minorities, etc.)
• Take your time with each application. The brochure “Reviewing Applicants: Research on Bias and Assumptions” suggests at least 20 minutes for each application and that the review of applications should be conducted at a time when reviewers are not busy, distracted or under time constraints. When we screen too quickly, we tend to over value candidates who are “just like us” (Bensimon2000)
• Evaluate the candidate’s entire application (i.e. don’t depend too heavily on part of the application and try to consider the entire package)
• Be able to defend every decision; be accountable to your colleagues; and periodically evaluate your judgment

4. No candidates may be eliminated from consideration prior to two weeks after the date of the posting of the final advertisement. The College expects search committees to identify candidates for interview in a manner that is consistent with the diversity of the respective discipline. Evaluation of candidates should not be based on arbitrary criteria nor conducted in a manner that disparately excludes underrepresented group candidates.

Remember to:

• Include everyone in the conversation
• Recognize it is everyone’s job to eliminate bias, so avoid asking one or two people to look out for bias
• Avoid making up stories. We have a tendency to make up stories about CVs and as we see from the research those stories can preference some and discriminate against others.
• Be open to being biased. Just like it sounds. If we can’t admit we have a problem, then we will continue to make the same bias mistakes and expect different results.

5. Once the search committee has selected a “short list” of candidates, the search chair, hiring supervisor (or designee) will change the status of those selected and provide rationale for their selection. Applicants who will not be considered further at that time (even if they are considered alternates who might be considered later) must be designated as “not selected” in the system. After all status changes have been made, the search chair must submit this request for review (request contribution) via the online employment system. The search chair will be notified once the list of candidates has been approved to ensure that the process has been as inclusive as possible.

6. It is expected that the approval request will be responded to within 1-2 business days. Candidates should not be contacted without prior approval.

7. Interviews at the semi-finalist level are expected to include at least one question related to diversity/inclusiveness in the given discipline. (i.e. for faculty, this may include a question about the candidate’s teaching of a given discipline at the college level).

1. The commitment to diversity is a factor in this decision process and therefore efforts to include qualified women and minorities in the final pool are encouraged for job categories, titles, and departments or units with historical underrepresentation of certain groups.

2. There must be at least two finalists chosen for each position. If the search does not have at least two finalists, the search committee must determine whether or not to conduct additional outreach to solicit more applications or close the search. If a department cannot come up with at least two finalists, the search must be closed and reopened with different parameters in order to bring in 2-3 finalists for each position. The typical finalist pool includes three candidates. Departments are not authorized to bring in a fourth finalist without prior approval of the appropriate Vice President who will consider requests for a fourth finalist visit as an exception to the procedure, therefore, such requests must have compelling reasons.

3. Once the search committee has selected finalists, it will change the status of those selected to “selected for finalist/on-campus interview” in the online system and provide rationale for the selection. The other candidates who will not be moving forward in the process and any new applicants who will not be considered further at that time (even if they are considered alternates who might be considered later) must be designated as “not selected” in the system. A reason for non-selection must be provided for any candidate who has gone through a “selected” status (i.e. selected for further review, selected for phone interview). These candidates will be designated as “review/interview, not selected.” After all status changes have been made, the search chair must follow step 5 a. or b. as outline above under “Evaluating the Applicant Pool.”

4. It is expected that the approval request will be responded to within 1-2 business days. Candidates may not be invited for interviews without prior approval.

5. It is strongly suggested that underrepresented candidates are provided the opportunity to meet other members of the campus community with similar backgrounds and that the committee be prepared to respond to concerns and questions that are specifically related to the candidate’s background. Such questions might relate to the numbers of underrepresented faculty/administrators on campus, opportunities for advancement, the quality of life on campus and in the community, and opportunities (professional/personal) for partners and/or children. Accordingly, when planning campus interviews the search committee should consult with the Office of Human Resources to incorporate such opportunities into their schedule.

6. Finalist interviews should take no longer than one working day unless approved in advance. The interview schedule should include the appropriate administrator and provide opportunities for informal interaction between the candidate and non-search committee members, such as faculty, staff, and students. When candidates are required to fly in for the interview, they should be scheduled to fly in the day before and ideally have dinner with the chair of the search committee or his/her designee and up to two other members of the search committee the night before the finalist visit if that is possible. Ithaca College will provide overnight accommodations the evening before the on-campus visit and the evening after as per the needs of each candidate, depending on their geographic and other considerations. See Appendix A for specific parameters surrounding finalist interview schedules and costs associated with searches within the Division of Educational Affairs.

7. When departments have internal candidates as finalists, the departments must conform to these guidelines as closely as possible in order to ensure equitable treatment of all the finalists.

A guide for all interview and screening questions is to make them all job-related and to ask them consistently among all candidates. Develop search criteria and interview questions based on job duties and qualifications, and use the same criteria and questions for each applicant interview. It is also important to inform all persons who may be interacting with each candidate — such as student members of the interview panel, or departmental employees who may provide assistance during the search but are not on the committee — of the Guidelines for Pre-Employment Inquiries.

Why is a diverse focus important in the interview process? 

• Effective interviewing increases the likelihood of effective hiring, thus reducing the cost of turnover and employee relations issues. Identify key competencies for success for the position and criteria for evaluation, the premiere elements in structuring effective interviewing questions.

1. Developing Preset Interview Questions

For candidates, preset questions ensure equal evaluation and fair treatment. Each candidate is given the same opportunity to demonstrate his or her knowledge, skills, and abilities. Use the following guidelines to ensure consistency during interviews of finalists:

• Schedule interviews and events to ensure consistent treatment of all candidates, including internal candidates.
• Develop a group of core questions based on the position-related criteria by which the candidates are to be evaluated.
• Use core questions with all candidates to allow comparative judgment and ensure that crucial position-related information is obtained.

Aim questions at discovering what the candidate can bring to the position and limit them to issues that directly relate to the job to be performed. In addition, the following considerations will help you to develop preset interview questions:

• Focus on the candidate's ability to perform the essential functions of job and avoid making assumptions based on perceived race, color, ethnic background, religion, creed, sex, marital or familial status, age, disability, national origin, citizenship, veteran status, sexual orientation, or criminal background.
• Assess the candidate's qualifications for teaching, research, and service (or other applicable qualifications) within a diverse environment.

2. Develop a list of behaviors or characteristics that would fall within each critical competency profile and/or a rubric built on the criteria a candidate will be evaluated against. A Value for Diversity is a critical competency that you can align your interview questions with and can be added to your rubric or assessment tool. Once you are aware of the characteristics a candidate should possess, you will be able to formulate your interview questions more effectively. A list of characteristics that would encompass “Value for Diversity” is provided below, as well as a list of sample questions to ask in the interview.

Characteristics individuals who value and support diversity display

• Manage all kinds and classes of people equitably
• Effectively leverage the contributions of all races, nationalities, cultures, disabilities, ages, and sexes.
• Support equal and fair treatment and opportunity for all
• Initiate diversity program or activities
• Discourage inappropriate language in the workplace
• Contribute to a welcoming environment for individuals regardless of their background or culture
• Able to support, teach and empower all students while managing and acknowledging needs of historically underserved groups in higher education
• Able to effectively communicate with people of all races, nationalities, cultures, disabilities, ages, and sexes
• Proactively manage and promote diversity through hiring, retention and promotion activities
• Lead and positively impact diversity in the workplace and community

Potential interview questions with a diversity focus 

• [Provide the Ithaca College Statement on Diversity] How has your experience and background prepared you to be effective in this environment with this diversity philosophy? 
• In this position, how do you think you might be able to support the College’s philosophy toward diversity?
• How have you integrated multiculturalism as part of your teaching pedagogy? 
• Tell me about a time when a needed to provide a student/peer of a different gender, race or ethnic background with mentoring or support. 
• What do you see as the most challenging aspect of a diverse working environment? What steps have you taken to meet this challenge? 
• How do you support traditionally underserved and underrepresented students in your teaching? 
• What kinds of experiences have you had working with others with different backgrounds than your own? 
• Tell me about a time you had to alter your work style to meet a diversity need or challenge? 
• How have you handled a situation when a colleague was not accepting of others’ diverse backgrounds? 
• What does it mean to have a commitment to diversity and how would you develop and apply your commitment at this institution? 
• What was/is the diversity value at your current/former employer? What impact did you make on this value? 
• What efforts have you made, or been involved with, to foster diversity competence and understanding? 
• What have you done to further your knowledge about diversity? Have you included diversity in your professional development? How have you demonstrated what you have learned? 
• What kind of leadership efforts would you make to ensure a commitment to the diversity initiative? 
• What strategies have you used to address diversity challenges? What were the positives and negatives?

3. Create opportunities for candidates to meet with other faculty, staff, or community members who share similar backgrounds. The Office for Human Resources can assist with these efforts.

4. Create a welcoming interview itinerary

• The campus interview process can be stressful for any candidate. Communication before, during and after the interview process is recommended to make the candidate feel comfortable and welcomed. This can help reduce the anxiety that interviews can cause and in turn allow you a better assessment of the candidate’s interpersonal skills. 
• Candidates should be invited to participate in an on-campus interview with advance notice as possible and allowing more notice time for any search that a candidate would need to travel a distance farther than an hour to attend. Not all positions have available funds for travel but where available and appropriate, it is encouraged to offer to cover the candidate’s travel expenses. 
• An itinerary should be sent to the candidate within a timely manner. This itinerary should include details on who the candidate will be meeting with and what times. Candidates should be ushered throughout the process and should not be expected to find their own way. All candidates should have a consistent interview structure and we recommend that they be given opportunities to during identified schedule times to meet with various representatives of their choosing. Departments are encouraged to create a template email with a listing of departments that would be willing to speak to the candidate regarding their particular perspective of the Institution. This is particularly important for underrepresented candidates. They may have questions on services to help make informed decisions on the potential for their success and acclimation within this culture and climate. 
• Departments must communicate with any departments or individuals who may potentially serve as a College representative and meet with candidates to see if they would be available for this meeting. The Office of Human Resources can serve in helping departments by meeting with candidates and/or suggesting others across campus to serve in this capacity.

5. Candidates should only be assessed by individuals who have consistently interviewed all of the candidates. 

6. It is a best practice to communicate with the candidate throughout the next steps of the process, including if they have not been selected for the role. Remember, though the candidate is not your choice in this search, they may be a viable candidate in a future search and/or recommend your 
institution to their colleagues. 

The hiring manager, dean, department head, or administrator makes the offer to the candidate. When a candidate accepts or declines the position the status of the candidate must be changed in the online system. If the candidate declines the position, the hiring supervisor must change the status of the 
second choice candidate to Recommend for Hire and await approval. 

If your selected candidate wants to negotiate or has questions you may not be able to answer, don’t begin the process with “No”, keep in mind that at times allowances can be made through the Dean’s, Provost and/or office of Human Resources.

It is recommended to ask the questions of these partner 
offices and this makes the candidate feel valued. If the candidate is asking, we can assume this is an area of concern for them and ultimately can be a factor in retention. 

Remember to communicate with the candidate throughout the negotiation. Serve as a resource for the individual and keep in mind, though monetary rewards are important, providing the candidate with a complete picture of the advantages of working at the College is key.

Keep in mind that individuals relocating from other areas may have a disadvantage in securing housing, connecting to networks and establishing themselves as part of the local community, this is especially challenging for candidates of color who come into this community that is predominantly one racial and ethnic majority. 

The Office of Human Resources, through its offices of Diversity and Inclusion and Talent Management, can provide relocation resources and assistance to all candidates. These resources can include rental listings, moving companies and area information. 

The office of Human Resources also provides assistance to trailing partners seeking employment in the area through their Dual Career Program.

Unsuccessful candidates must be notified that the position has been filled immediately following confirmation that the selected candidate has accepted the position. Candidates who received a phoneinterview or face-to-face interview must be personally notified by the search chair or hiring supervisor 
by telephone PRIOR to any public announcement of the appointment. Other candidates may be notified by an automatic email sent directly from the online system. This should be coordinated with the Office of Human Resources.

Rating sheets and all other interview and selection materials — derived from all sources — are important documents that should be retained in a central departmental location/file. All notes become part of the official record. Be advised that even casual comments noted in margins are grounds for written evidence of discriminatory evaluations. The College requires these materials be maintained for a period of three years plus the current search year.

The hiring department should be deliberate in welcoming new hires by providing assistance to ensure a smooth transition and enhance the probability of the candidate's success in the new position. The department head should identify someone who will be willing to serve as a mentor and participate in other professional development activities. Networking along gender and ethnic lines is an effective way to deal with problems of isolation and should be valued and supported. Placing additional diversityrelated demands or expectations, such as extra advising or committee work, on minorities or women 
should be avoided.

According to studies, 90% of employees cement their opinion about a company within the first six months of employment. A comprehensive onboarding approach is key to keep employees engaged throughout their career, reduce turnover and increase employee job satisfaction.

Successful onboarding doesn’t just address new hires or the first few weeks of employment, but encompass the entire employment cycle of the employee from pre-hire to career pathing, advancement and succession.