STEP 1: POSITION APPROVAL & ANNOUNCEMENT

Note:  For Non-Faculty Exempt positions, a review of the position description should be done by the hiring manager to ensure that it accurately reflects current department needs. See “Job Descriptions and Announcements” section below.) The description should accurately reflect the duties of the position yet be written broadly enough to encourage a wide and inclusive candidate pool.  If changes are needed, an action to "Institutional Update/Review a Position" in Yourfuture prior to initiating the recruitment.
 

Position Request Approval

All job announcements must be approved by the Vice President and the Director of Human Resources to insure it is in compliance with affirmative action and equal opportunity objectives. All positions are announced in area newspapers by the Marketing & Communications Office. 

AA/EEO Statement

The following standard statement MUST be included in every position announcement:

If special accommodations for application are necessary because of a disability, please request them by contacting ________.

Black Hills State University is an Affirmative Action/Equal Opportunity Employer (or AA/EOE)

Inclusive Language

Black Hills State University's commitment to diversity is indicated it its Core Values, including embracing the multi-dimensions of human differences.  To demonstrate this commitment and to increase the applicant pool, one of these additions should be included with the standard statement:

Consistent with the University’s commitment to diversity, persons from traditionally underrepresented groups are strongly encouraged to apply.

BHSU is committed to a learning environment that actively seeks to support students, faculty and staff from diverse backgrounds.

Qualifications

All qualifications must be strictly job related. The announcement should distinguish between required and preferred qualifications. Degree requirements should be clearly defined.

If a specific discipline(s) are mentioned, an applicant who holds a degree in a different discipline may not be considered. For example, if the announcement requires a doctorate in Psychology, an applicant with a doctorate in medical sciences cannot be considered. To avoid problems/questions at the screening stage of the search, consider using phrases like:

Doctorate in Psychology or equivalent -- instead of PhD in Psychology.

To demonstrate BHSU’s commitment to diversity and inclusion, you may choose to use a phrase such as:

Experience with a variety of teaching methods and/or curricular perspectives.

Demonstrated success working with diverse faculty and student populations.

Experience working in a diverse workplace.

To provide more latitude in decisions on rank , it is suggested that the following language be used as appropriate:

Faculty rank is commensurate with qualifications and experience.

ABD’s may be considered at instructor level with expectation of completion of doctorate degree within one year.

Additional Materials/Documents
It is standard practice to request a letter of application, curriculum vita or resume, brief biographical sketch, statement on research and teaching, and names of references. Do not request letters of reference, as the content may adversely impact the committee’s ability to be objective in their evaluation of the candidates. You may also want to ask candidates to provide a description of their experience with diversity issues, teaching diverse student populations, or working in a multicultural environment.

Deadlines
The deadline for faculty and/or NFE applications should be no sooner than 14-30 days after the position announcement appears in a national publication. To preserve the option of accepting late applications or extending the search, use statements such as the following:

Applications received by (date) will be assured consideration.

Review of applications will begin (date). The search will remain open until the position is filled.

Late applications will not have to be discarded, regardless of qualifications, and re-advertising is less likely to be necessary.

Note: It is important that all applications received be treated uniformly.  If the recruitment is "open until filled," and an application received on the same day the department is prepared to make an offer, the application must receive the same screening and consideration as the other applicants.

Any additional advertising and mailings (i.e., mailings to other institutions outside the state or advertising with placement services or professional associations and/or journals) is the responsibility of the committee or department after approval of expenditures by the Dean/Department Head. These recruiting expenses will generally be charged to the recruiting department.