Except as otherwise provided in this chapter, all academic departments will follow departmental and college bylaws for conducting the search for and the hiring of new faculty for tenure-track faculty appointments. In general, selection of new tenure-track faculty follows the following process.

3.1.1. Authorization to Search

The dean or other appropriate administrator must obtain authorization from the Provost to begin a search for a tenure-track faculty position. Factors considered by the Provost in determining whether to authorize a search for a tenure-track position include demonstrated need of the academic department’s academic program and availability of funds for the position. The tenure- track position may be a new position or an existing position that is or is expected to be vacant. The authorization by the Provost of a search for a new or existing tenure-track position does not necessarily mean that an appointment will be made to the position.

3.1.2. Commitment to Diversity

UTC is fully committed to diversity in recruitment at all levels. Efforts must be made by the academic department to advertise position vacancies in an effort to obtain a diverse pool of qualified applicants. For each search, the Director of the Office of Equity and Inclusion (“OEI”) will be contacted to advise the academic department as to appropriate search procedures that should be followed.^[1] Prior to an appointment being offered for a position, the Director of the OEI must certify that appropriate search procedures have been followed in the search for the position.

3.1.3. Search Process

A thorough search and careful selection should precede any departmental recommendation of appointment to the dean. The department head should consult with the departmental faculty members to develop a plan for the search process. Under normal circumstances, the departmental faculty members or a faculty member search committee should identify the needs of the program, the characteristics needed in a new faculty member, and a timeline of the procedures to be followed in conducting the search and screening candidates. The department head and the departmental faculty members should approve the plan. The departmental faculty members should have the opportunity to help determine the kind of person needed, the search procedure to be followed, the basic pool of candidates, the persons to be selected for interview, and to provide an assessment of candidates interviewed. At each of these stages, final responsibility for the departmental recommendation rests with the department head.

3.1.4. Certification of English Language Competency

No individual shall be appointed to a teaching position or recommended for tenure in such a position unless the department head, in consultation with the departmental faculty members, certifies in writing to the Provost that the individual can communicate effectively with students in the English language. Individuals who teach courses that are conducted primarily in a foreign language are exempt.^[2] The certification form is available on the UTC Academic Affairs website here.

3.1.5. Recommendation to Appoint

A departmental recommendation of appointment for a tenure-track position shall be made by the department head to the dean. If the dean agrees with the departmental recommendation, the department head and dean shall forward the recommendation to the Provost. Each recommendation should be accompanied by a full set of the candidate’s credentials and any required forms or certifications. Following a departmental decision to recommend an appointment of a candidate to a position, there may be informal discussions concerning rank, salary and other terms of employment between the department head or dean and the candidate. Such discussions serve merely to shape and influence the recommendations of the department head or dean and do not constitute a binding commitment by UTC.

3.1.6. Official Notification of Appointment

Official notification of appointment is made by letter from the Provost. The letter of appointment must specify:

1. the rank at which the faculty member is being appointed;
2. the faculty member’s initial salary and related financial conditions;
3. the faculty member’s probationary status, indicating that he or she will be advised annually on his/her reappointment status and progress toward tenure and promotion;
4. the length of the faculty member’s probationary period (i.e. the academic year during which a tenure decision must be reached); and
5. the faculty member’s general duties and expectations.

Only the letter of appointment from the Provost to the candidate regarding the terms and conditions of the appointment is binding on UTC. Any other representations concerning the terms and conditions of the appointment, whether oral or written, are not authorized by UTC and not binding on UTC.

The new faculty member’s written acceptance of the letter of appointment, together with execution of normal UTC employment forms, completes the initial appointment to employment between UTC and the faculty member.