Welcome to the Search Process!
The Office for Diversity, Equity & Inclusion (ODEI) offers this Best Practices for Recruiting a Diverse Workforce webpage as an additional resource to assist hiring managers and search committees engaged in the search process. We aim to provide you with strategically planned recruitment efforts that will best ensure a well-populated, diverse pool of qualified applicants. This site summarizes best practices identified nationally for search committees to ensure and promote equal employment opportunity and enhance academic excellence.
Search Committee Ethics & Integrity
Searches are an opportunity for WCU to demonstrate high ethical standards and integrity. An effective search is an opportunity for WCU to show itself favorably to many groups and individuals. To attract the highest quality candidates, to retain for the duration of the process the candidates who are most competitive, and to fulfill the responsibility to treat candidates confidentially and ethically, the search committee must commit itself to the following:
- Create a collegial environment that respects the rights and dignity of all persons.
- All information concerning the applicants and candidate pool is extremely confidential.
Maintain in strict confidence permanently:
- All information about candidates secured during the search process (e.g., names, written materials, references).
- The identity of individuals who have expressed interest in exploring this opportunity, including individual qualifications, merits and application materials.
- All search committee discussions, both during the process and after its completion.
- Promptly disclose any real or potential conflicts of interest. No member of the search committee should intend to become an applicant. Search committee members should refrain from any discussions and evaluations of any prospects or candidates with whom you may have a real or potential conflict of interest.
- Receive candidate permission prior to reference checking. Any breach in confidentiality could damage the reputations and livelihoods of the candidates, applicants, and WCU.
- Represent WCU as a whole, not as individuals or group stakeholders. Departments will want to include on the search committee individuals who have broad perspectives and a commitment to equity and diversity.
- Understand that decisions must be made without regard to any biases of individuals based on protected class and non‐job related selection criteria.
- Understand that the search committee's role is to recommend candidates to the Hiring Manager/Dean who has final authority to select a candidate of choice.
- Understand that search committee members may be removed from the search process if these confidentiality obligations are breached or failure to act in a professional manner. Understand that should a search committee member be removed, all the terms above are still applicable and binding upon termination of the search committee.
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