Academic Affairs

VP&S Tenure Track Search & Recruitment Process

VP&S Tenure-Track Faculty Search and Recruitment


The Vagelos College of Physicians and Surgeons (VP&S) is committed to recruiting outstanding tenure-track and tenured faculty who will advance the College’s academic and research mission. The goal is to attract highly creative and collaborative scholars and scientists and to position them for long-term success at VP&S.


Tenure-track faculty recruitment should reflect VP&S’s strategic priorities and commitment to a robust, objective, and broadly competitive search. Recruitment decisions should consider not only the academic excellence and potential of candidates, but also the institutional resources, mentorship, and environment necessary to support their independence, productivity, and progression toward tenure.  To support departments and other hiring units in this important work, we are providing resources and guidance designed to promote consistency, clarity, and best practices throughout the tenure-track faculty search and recruitment process.

Process

Identify and propose the recruitment need 

The Department Chair identifies the need for a tenure-track recruitment and presents the proposed recruitment to the Dean's Office as part of the annual planning process.  Centers and Institute recruitments should be coordinated with the potential appointing department(s).

Obtain approval to recruit

Proposed recruitments are evaluated for alignment with VP&S strategic priorities and resource requirements. Final decisions regarding approved tenure-track recruitment slots are made through the Dean’s Office. Approved slots are tracked as part of the VP&S tenure-track recruitment plan. 

Develop the search plan and search committee (Faculty Search Initiation in Hrcules) 

The search plan establishes the framework for conducting a faculty search before recruitment begins. It documents the strategic rationale and goals of the search, the proposed advertising and outreach strategy, and the approach that will be used to evaluate applicants and develop the initial shortlist, interview pool, and finalist pool. 
For tenure-track Assistant Professor recruitments, the hiring unit establishes a search committee of at least five tenured faculty members, including at least one faculty member from outside the Department. Searches involving multiple departments, Centers, or Institutes should include appropriate representation from all participating groups and potential host departments. 
The Office of Faculty Affairs (OFA) reviews and approves the search plan before the search begins.  

Conduct a broad and competitive search

The position is broadly advertised to identify the strongest candidates, even when the hiring unit has identified a potential candidate before beginning the search. The search plan should identify how and where the position will be posted and advertised based on departmental Standard Search and Evaluation Procedures (SSEPs). 

6. HPC Shortlist Review 

The HPC Shortlist Review provides the Hiring Priorities Committee (HPC) with early visibility into the candidate pool before interview invitations are extended. Once the search committee has identified candidates for potential interviews, the department should submit the HPC Shortlist Submission Form to the Office of Faculty Affairs (OFA), along with the required supporting materials. 
The submission should summarize the overall applicant pool and provide information on each shortlisted candidate, including the candidate’s qualifications, strengths and areas for consideration, and potential strategic contribution to the department and school. This early review also allows HPC to identify potential overlap or alignment with other VP&S searches and consider opportunities from a broader institutional perspective. 

7. Evaluate candidates and conduct recruitment visits 

 

The search committee evaluates applicants and identifies candidates to invite for further consideration. Selected candidates give in-person seminars that are open and advertised to the CUIMC community, with efforts made to engage faculty and others with overlapping expertise or interests. For Center- and Institute-led searches, top candidates are reviewed with the relevant Department Chairs before recruitment visits are coordinated. 

8. Identify the finalist and submit for HPC review 

 
 

Once the search committee has identified its finalist, the department submits the finalist to the HPC for academic review. The submission should include the finalist’s CV and relevant application materials, along with an assessment of the candidate’s qualifications, strengths, and areas for consideration. 
The department should also provide information on the other shortlisted candidates who were interviewed, including a brief summary of the search committee’s impressions and key observations from the interview process. This information provides context for the selection of the finalist and allows HPC to consider the finalist in relation to the broader candidate pool. The HPC conducts the academic review of the selected finalist for the tenure-track appointment. 

9. Develop the resource and faculty success plan 
For each proposed recruit, the hiring unit provides sufficient detail regarding the space, start-up support, and other resources available to support the candidate’s competitiveness, productivity, and development toward independence. For candidates requiring a defined path to scientific or scholarly independence, the Chair outlines a strategy for independent publications and grant funding, including how dependencies or overlap with mentors, collaborators, or former laboratories will be managed. For joint, interdisciplinary, or internal hires, the plan should also address appropriate boundaries and safeguards for independence. 
The hiring unit also establishes a mentoring plan that identifies the candidate’s mentor(s), mentoring structure, and expectations for ongoing guidance and review. The plan should support the candidate’s academic development and progress toward tenure, including research, publications, grant support, career development, and other relevant milestones.. 
The Office for Research meets with the finalist and works with the Department and other relevant entities to assess and coordinate the research resources necessary to support the proposed recruitment. For physician-scientist recruitments, the Office of Clinical Finance also reviews and assesses the clinical resource needs associated with the recruitment. 

10. Obtain final authorization to make a tenure-track offer 
The HPC provides its recommendation to the Dean’s Office. The Dean’s Office makes the final decision about whether a candidate may be offered a tenure-track position. 

11. Offer Letter Preparation, Review, and Approval 
Once the appropriate approvals to proceed with an offer have been obtained, the department should prepare the offer letter using the applicable approved offer letter template. All offer letters must be submitted via Hrcules to the Office of Faculty Affairs (OFA) for compliance review to ensure alignment with applicable policies, title structure, tenure-track requirements, and the terms approved for the appointment. 
An offer letter may be extended to the candidate only after it has been reviewed and approved by both OFA and the Dean’s Office. Departments should not provide a formal written offer, or otherwise communicate that a formal offer has been approved, until these reviews and approvals have been completed. 

Target-of-Opportunity Recruitments 
VP&S also recognizes that opportunities to recruit exceptional faculty may arise outside the annual planning cycle. A Chair or Director may propose a target-of-opportunity recruitment to the Dean’s Office at any point during the year. If the Dean’s Office approves proceeding, the Office for Research initiates an expedited HPC review, and OFA is notified to ensure that the appropriate faculty appointment processes are initiated. 

Workflow - process of switching from @cumc to tenure track

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