BRYN MAWR COLLEGE

Office of the Provost

Department chairs are expected to request approval for interim slots during the annual prospective review of department's staffing and curriculum plan, which takes place in the fall of the year preceding the academic year in which the interim appointments are needed.

Once the Provost has reviewed the staffing and curriculum plans and the departmental budget requests, the Provost or the Associate Provost will notify each chair in writing of the position(s) which have been funded. Chairs are advised to discuss search procedures with the Provost or the Associate Provost and to submit drafts of their advertisements before posting the latter with professional organizations. Unlike searches for tenure track and continuing non-tenure track positions, neither the Committee on Appointments nor the faculty diversity liaison need be involved. Chairs might, however, want to contact the latter for advice on best practices.
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The Faculty Search budget has modest amounts available for interim searches. Departments must obtain advance approval for expenditures, as noted in the section on campus visits, below. Bills and journal entries for approved expenses should be sent to the Provost's Office, c/o Barbara Burns. The Faculty Search budget will not cover the cost of office supplies, stationery, stamps, and duplication costs; these should be borne by the department.

Departments are urged to consider using their professional networks to locate candidates, given the cost of placing advertisements in professional journals. For one-year positions, full and particularly part-time, should ideally be confined to the region. Chairs should confer with the Provost about any advertising they may consider it advisable to undertake. Expenses for any ads, which must be approved by the Provost in advance, are covered by the Faculty Search budget.
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The department chair is responsible for maintaining application files and organizing their review by colleagues. Applications should be acknowledged by a card or letter sent to the candidate's home address whenever possible; include in the letter a request for information related to the College's goal in recruiting minority candidates. Applicants should be kept informed about the status of their candidacy as the search proceeds.
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Who should be invited to the campus
Campus visits are required for candidates for positions involving more than three courses. They are not necessary for part-time interim appointments. The general practice is to invite two or three candidates to campus for interviews. Before inviting candidates for campus visits, however, chairs should seek the Provost's approval for the candidates' visits. The Provost will review the dossiers of candidates and then send written approval for the specific visits.

Making travel arrangements
In the event that the Provost authorizes bringing candidate(s) in from a distance, chairs are urged to make travel arrangements as far in advance as possible in order to get the best fares and insure timely delivery of the tickets to the candidate(s). As soon as chairs invite candidates to the campus for interviews, they should send their names and the proposed dates of their travel to the Provost's Office and the deans' offices. Please note that reimbursement is for economy air fare or unreserved coach rail fare, as is the case with all college travel. If the candidate is combining the visit at Bryn Mawr with other travel, personal or professional, the candidate should pay the extra fare and then submit receipts for reimbursement of Bryn Mawr's share to the College (care of the search committee chair).

Whom the candidate(s) should meet
While on the campus visit the candidate should meet all members of the department or program. Candidates for full-time positions should also meet the Provost or Associate Provost and the appropriate Deans. All Arts and Sciences candidates meet with the Undergraduate Dean or her designee. Candidates for positions in Arts and Sciences departments with graduate programs also meet with the Graduate Dean. Copies of the candidate's resume, letter of application, letters of recommendation, and a schedule of the candidate's visit should be sent to these administrators prior to the campus visit.

Chairs should be sure that candidates have clear and complete information in advance about what is expected of them and whom they will meet during the campus visit. If a lecture is scheduled, chairs are advised to invite colleagues from other departments to hear the lecture and meet the candidate; to make posters and to use the Campus Events Calendar.

Campus Visits' Costs
The College will only reimburse for reasonable entertainment costs and not more than $300 per candidate visit. That $300 includes the candidate's lodging and meals, and any meals and snacks involving members of the search committee, department, and students. To keep costs under control, lunch meetings with candidates should take place on campus and involve small groups. Students may take the candidate to one of the dining halls. Meal tickets for dining with students may be obtained from the Provost's Office (care of Barbara Burns). Dinners in restaurants with candidates should be limited to small groups and to $30-$40 per person. If chairs have any questions about policies regarding on-campus visits, about the payments of bills, and the reimbursement of expenses, they should call Barbara Burns (5055) or write to her.
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The Provost or Associate Provost will provide candidates with information about faculty benefits and research support programs during their interview with candidates. NB. Interim faculty members are eligible for less professional support than are tenure track and continuing non-tenure track faculty. A fact sheet on the College is prepared annually and may be useful for departments and candidates alike.
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Before requesting the reappointment of an interim faculty member, the chair should review that individual's teaching evaluations and apprise the Undergraduate Dean of the intention to request reappointment of the Provost. When the chair is ready to recommend that a specific individual be appointed or reappointed to fill the approved slot, the chair should make that recommendation in writing to the Provost or Associate Provost, including in the recommendation the information noted below. The recommendation should state clearly and/or include:

• Name of the individual
• Highest degree attained and current position
• Curriculum vitae
• Reasons for hiring, for example
  • leave replacement for name
  • approved single course
  • replacement for name, who is teaching a College Seminar
• Names/numbers of courses to be offered, and the semester(s) in which the course(s) will be offered
• Anticipated enrollment
• If there have been any discussions of salary range or rank, please explain these briefly. (N.B. these decisions are the Provost's responsibility.)
• Whether the individual has taught at the College before
• Current address, telephone number, and e-mail address and fax numbers, if available, at which the individual may be reached.