Faculty Hire Guide

Contact: Madeline Byrne
Email: madeline.byrne@ucf.edu
Phone: (407) 823-0098

Updated: March 5, 2020

Please remember the information on this website will be updated when Academic Affairs, Human Resources, Office of Institutional Equity (OIE) and/or the College of Sciences makes changes to the process. For more information regarding specifics please review the latest information from the authorized entity.

Overview
• Requesting a Position Number
• Exemption from Search
• Search and Screening Process
• Short List– needs to be approved by Dean Johnson
• Interviews
• Recommendation to Hire Letter
• Background Check
• Employee ID, NID, UCF email Account
• Employment Agreement, ePAF, & Payroll Sign In
• Supporting Hire Documents
• Employee Orientation

Requesting a Position Number [Return to Overview]
To request a position number, the Position Number Request (PNR) form, located in the COS HR Resource Workbook, should be completed and sent either electronically to cosadmin@ucf.edu or via inter-campus mail, attention COS Admin. Please ensure all appropriate supporting documents (Regional Campus Approval, Search Exemption Form, Administrative Duties, etc.) are included with the submission of the PNR form.

Once the form and appropriate supporting documentation has been received by COS Admin, it will be reviewed. Once approved, a position number will be assigned. The Hiring Official (Chair/Director) will receive an email from COS Admin notifying the approval. The approved PNR form and supporting documents will be attached to the email.

If an update to the originally submitted PNR is necessary, the hiring unit should complete a new PNR, check the “update” box at the top of the form, complete the form and obtain signatures, and send the new form to COS Admin either via email at cosadmin@ucf.edu or via intercampus mail (attn.: COS Admin). After the form is reviewed and approved, the hiring unit will be notified via email and the updated approved form will be attached.

Exemption From Search [Return to Overview]
If it has been determined that a search will not be conducted, it must be noted on the PNR form that an exemption from search is requested and the additional supporting documentation required for that specific exemption reason must be included (see below).

Once the exemption request is approved by the college, it will be sent to OIE for their review and approval (if necessary – see below). Once completely approved, the Hiring Official will receive an email from COS Admin notifying of the approval of both the exemption from search and the PNR form. The approved PNR form, the Exemption From Posting form (if applicable), and any additional supporting documents will be attached to the email. Note: The Request for Exemption From Posting form must be saved in a fillable PDF format and sent electronically to COS Admin at cosadmin@ucf.edu.

Request for Exemption From Posting form supporting documentation

• Visiting, One-Year Nonrenewable
• No additional paperwork needed
• FTE of .50 or less
• No additional paperwork needed
• Named in Grant
• The Exemption from Search Form is required
• Demonstrate requirement to hire the individual to fulfill the deliverable
• Include budget plan identifying the funding source(s)
• Vacancy filled by successful participants in professional development programs (e.g. LEP)
• The Exemption From Search Form is required
• Include a memorandum outlining the request
• Appointment made in the best interest of the university
• The Exemption from Search Form is required
• Include a memorandum outlining the request
• Targeted Opportunity Program
• See hiring guide section dedicated to the Targeted Opportunity Program

Search and Screening Process [Return to Overview]
Once the Position Number Request form has been approved, and if no exemption from search was requested (see exemption from search section above), the hiring unit can proceed with the search process.

Search and Screening Guidelines
OIE publishes Search and Screening Guidelines for faculty searches, which includes information for the hiring official, the search committee chair, and the search manager. Hiring officials, committee chairs, and search managers are also encouraged to contact theOIE office for information prior to the start of the search, or at any time during the process.

Committee Members
The Hiring Official (Director/Chair) selects the Search Committee and the Search Committee Chair. The University’s Affirmative Action Plan recommends that the chair/director should make best efforts to assemble a search committee that is diverse by at least race/ethnicity and gender. Members should be knowledgeable about the discipline or professional field and available for all or at least most of the meetings.

When scheduling the first search committee meeting, please reach out to OIE to have a representative present.

Note: prior to any search committee meeting, a search committee meeting notice should be sent to HR Recruitment either by fax at 407-823-1095 or email to Talent@ucf.edu.

National Advertisement and Position Vacancy Announcement (PVA) Request Form
After the approved PNR form sent back to the hiring unit, the National Advertisement and PVA Request form should be submitted to COS Admin electronically to: cosadmin@ucf.edu. This form will capture the basic advertisement information as well as the recruiting efforts for the position. In addition to the form, the National Advertisement (in a word document) should also be sent to the college.
Within 24 hours the form will be reviewed and sent back to the unit with suggested edits, if necessary. Once the changes are confirmed by the Hiring Official, the college will create the PVA.

Things to consider when creating the national advertisement:

• One Application Pool for Two (2) or More Positions – One PVA can search for more than one position if they are identical. This will allow the committee to use one (1) applicant pool to hire more than one position.
o Indicate in the National Advertisement if the one advertisement will search for multiple positions.
o This information will be recorded on the PVA in the “Special Conditions” area with the following verbiage”
“Applicants who apply for this position will also be considered for position number(s) XXXXXX”

• Application Timeline
o Fixed Timeline – If the search committee knows when the job posting will close, an application deadline can be established.
For E&G faculty positions (except visiting, nonrenewable), the advertisement must post for a minimum of four (4) weeks.
For all other faculty positions, the advertisement must post for a minimum of one (1) week.
o Open Timeline – If the search committee would like to leave the advertisement open with no established deadline that is also possible by not establishing an application deadline until later in the search process.
 Once the search committee has established the advertisement should close, an email should be sent to COS Admin (cosadmin@ucf.edu).
 Note: The Position Vacancy Announcement on Jobs with UCF must be closed prior to sending a Recommendation to Hire Letter to the selected candidate.
o The application deadline on the National Advertisement should NOT come before the deadline on the Position Vacancy Announcement.
• Application Materials
o All Online – The Jobs with UCF system allows applicants to upload all required application materials. If the search committee desires the online submission, that should be noted in the advertisement.
 Note: All materials must be uploaded at the time of application. The applicant cannot upload the documents once the application is submitted.
o Mixed Mode – If the desired method of accepting the required application materials is via mail or email, then the applicant can submit their application through Jobs with UCF and send the other materials to the specified address or email account.
 Note: It will be the search committee chairs responsibility to ensure all documents are received by the deadline.
• Contact Information
o Providing the search committee chairs contact information in the advertisement will help direct applicants to the most appropriate source if they have questions regarding the position.
• EEO Statement
o As an equal opportunity/affirmative action employer, UCF encourages all qualified applicants to apply, including women, veterans, individuals with disabilities, and members of traditionally underrepresented populations. UCF’s Equal Opportunity Statement can be viewed at: http://www.oie.ucf.edu/documents/PresidentsStatement.pdf. As a Florida public university, UCF makes all application materials and selection procedures available to the public upon request.
• How to Apply
o The national advertisement must direct the applicants to apply on Jobs with UCF.
o A “quick link” is provided on the PVA and can be included in the national ad. The link will take the applicant directly to the job positing on Jobs with UCF.

Position Vacancy Announcement – Jobs with UCF (PeopleAdmin)
The University utilizes an online application process through https://www.jobswithucf.com/hr/. This system is used to collect and track applicants and their applications. The system also has the ability to allow the applicant to upload any additional application requirements, if the search committee elects to use that feature.

Once the national advertisement is approved, the college will create the Position Vacancy Announcement (PVA) within Jobs with UCF and will work with Academic Affairs Administration to get it posted. Once the PVA is approved to post, the chair/director and search manager will receive the final copy of the PVA.

Second Advertisement
All faculty positions are required to have a second advertisement posted, in addition to the PVA on Jobs with UCF.
Some available sources that will be automatically created, although the unit is not limited to these (see acceptable ad placements per OIE below):
• Chronicle of Higher Education (job listing) – provost lines only
• CareerSource Central Florida
• HigherEdJobs.com (paid for by college)
• Inside Higher Ed (paid for by University)
• Additional Recommendations for diverse applicant pool by OIE

Acceptable Placements for Advertisement [per OIE]
Acceptable versions of advertisements include: academic or professional journals; publications targeted for ethnic minority groups, women, veterans, person with disabilities; listserves that reach organization members; notices in newsletters; notices on conference placement bulletin boards; letters to accredited degree-granting programs; examination of departmental adjunct pools; contacting all historically Black or Hispanic universities with departments/units in the area of the vacancy; reviewing recent searches of a similar nature and contacting potential applicants; contacting the Career Resources Offices in the state or region for registered alumni in the preferred field; fliers or other approaches to leading scholars or emerging scholars based on scholarly presentations at conferences; and any other contact that might attract a highly qualified and diverse pool of candidates.

Changing a Position Vacancy Announcement [Return to Overview]
To change the content within an already posted PVA, a request should be submitted to COS Admin at cosadmin@ucf.edu. The subject line should be “PVA Change Request.”
The email should describe what is changing and provide any specific verbiage being requested. The college will prepare the appropriate university form and then submit the request to Academic Affairs Administration. Once they have received it, reviewed it, and approved it, the new information will be reflected on the applicant side. The chair/director and search manager will receive a notification.

Track and Review Candidates [Return to Overview]
All applicants are required to apply within the Jobs with UCF, which tracks all applications and supporting documents (when applicable), to be considered for the position.
The search manager can provide the guest ID and password to the search committee OR print all the documents for review (in a secure location). The documents should not be published online using any third-party systems (Google drive, iCloud, etc.)
The search committee chair and/or search manager should document the criteria associated with each “round”, with round 1 looking at the positions minimum qualifications.
Additional considerations when reviewing applicants:

Criteria
When reviewing the candidates, the committee members assess the EEO Summary after round one, when they have determined those candidates meet minimum qualifications. A diverse pool of qualified applicants should be reflected on the log or the pool may need to be supplemented. If the search has reasonably reached the appropriate applicant pool, the search may proceed. If the search is not diverse enough, it should be re-opened to enhance the pool. When the pool is appropriate for consideration, the committee should continue applying criteria as written in all advertising and posting.
Subcommittees
Subcommittees during the early screen rounds are approvable. Two reviewers per candidate is the standard. A procedure calling for written ballots tallied and announced to the full committee allows the full committee to vote, and to exercise the right of inclusion if necessary.
Other notes on Screening Candidates
Incomplete applications – Hold these applications.
If the applicant didn’t complete the application, or failed to answer a request for materials, that fact may be documented as the reason for not advancing the candidate to the next round.
Continued attempts to recruit the candidate are entirely appropriate.
Confidential materials – These should not be accepted.
Hold them in a separate file and notify the candidate that the materials did not fulfill the requirement. Seek the applicant’s release of the materials, or new materials to complete the file.
Withdrawals – The candidate must withdraw application online

Updating Applicants Status in Jobs with UCF
The search manager should update the applicant’s status (Round 1, Round2, Round 3, etc.) in the system as the committee decides who to advance or not advance to the next rounds. Per OIE, at a minimum, the race/gender diversity of the applicant pool must be assessed after screening for the minimum qualifications (round 1). Note: the committee members should never be provided specific race/gender data on any of the applicants.

If the pool is not diverse, the committee should consider additional recruitment or re-review previously eliminated candidates to be sure the selection factors are applied fairly.

OIE published their guidelines on Recruiting a Diverse Faculty which contains more specific information regarding recruiting for diversity.

Short List [Return to Overview]
Prior to conducting interviews, the Hiring Official should submit a list of candidates that the committee has chosen to interview (short list) to Dean Johnson (via email). At minimum, the email should include the EEO Report (generated from Jobs with UCF) and the CV’s of the selected applicants. The short list must be submitted for all faculty employee classifications, EXCEPT Visiting.

Interviews [Return to Overview]
Remember – the short list must be approved by Dean Johnson before the candidate is invited for an interview.

Travel Authorization Request (TAR) Travel Authorization Request
All candidates must be covered under a UCF Travel Authorization Request (TAR). Be sure to coordinate this with the search manager (if appropriate) to collect the information needed to obtain a “Vendor ID.”

Associate Dean/Regional Campus Participation
If the candidate is seeking a Tenure-Earning or Tenured position, a separate 30 minute interview session with an Associate Dean needs to be scheduled. Please be sure to include the candidate’s resume in your communication. If an associate dean is not available to meet with a candidate, it is preferred that another associate dean meet with ALL candidates for that position.

*If the associate dean is serving on the search committee, please schedule a meeting with the alternate associate dean

If the candidate is seeking a position on a Regional Campus, the interview schedule needs to be coordinated with an appropriate regional representative. Contact Pamela Cavanagh for details.

Recommendation to Hiring Official (Chair/Director)
Once the Search Committee conducts all appropriate meetings/interviews, they should make a recommendation to the Hiring Official (Chair/Director). The instructions are included in the college’s letter template.

Recommendation to Hire Letter [Return to Overview]

Template
Please note the template does not need to be used; however, all applicable information from the template should be included in the Faculty-Recommendation-to-Hire-Letter.

Process
The recommendation to hire letter should be printed on department letterhead, signed by the Chair/Director, and sent to the college as a word document. Any additional supporting documents should be submitted at the same time as the recommendation to hire letter. Below are some possible supporting documents:

Hire with Tenure Credit or Tenure
If the recommendation to hire includes credit towards tenure or tenure with hire, the appropriate documentation and the recommendation to hire letter must be sent to Academic Affairs-Faculty Excellence BEFORE the letter can be sent to the candidate.

Hire with Tenure Credit
If hiring with tenure credit, complete the Hire with Tenure Credit form, add the rationale for hiring with tenure credit (separate memo) and send with the recommendation to hire letter to COS Admin (cosadmin@ucf.edu)

Hire with Tenure
If hiring with tenure, complete the Hire with Tenure form, add the rationale for hiring with tenure (separate memo) and send with the recommendation to hire letter to COS Admin (cosadmin@ucf.edu). Note: the faculty votes should be sent to COS Admin in a sealed envelope.

Visiting Non-Renewable
Must include the CV with the recommendation to hire letter

All documents should be sent electronically to COS Admin at cosadmin@ucf.edu.

If approved by Dean Johnson, the college will complete the following transactions:

• Send the letter to candidate via email (and copy Chair/Director)
• Send the applicant affirmation (for visiting, non-renewable appointments)

Provided there are no questions/concerns regarding the letter this should take place within 24 hours. The chair/director is copied on the email to the candidate but the hiring unit is welcomed to check on the status at any time by sending an email to cosadmin@ucf.edu.

Background Check [Return to Overview]
Once the college receives the signed recommendation to hire letter back from the candidate, the college will submit the applicant affirmation to HR Recruitment to initiate the criminal background check. At that time, HR Recruitment will contact the candidate directly to have them fill out the Fair Credit Reporting Act Disclosure Authorization to Release (FCRA) Form (online).

Results will be communicated from the investigative department to Recruitment who will forward the results to the point of contact indicated on the Applicant Affirmation form used to request the criminal background check.

In the event that material turns up on the criminal background check, the results will be emailed to Seresa Cruz directly from HR Recruitment. At that time, the results will be reviewed and appropriate actions will be determined.

Employee ID, NID, and UCF Email Account
Once the selected candidate accepts the terms outlined in the Recommendation to Hire letter, the college will work with the hiring unit to create an employee ID, NID, and a UCF email account. To do this, the college will need a hard copy of the W9 and the candidate’s birth date. That information should be sent directly to Wayneeta King. Once the employment agreement is received approved from Academic Affairs Administration, the hiring unit will receive an email notification including this information.

If for some reason, the employee ID, NID, and UCF Email account cannot be created at this stage, it will be generated when the hiring unit submits the hire ePAF.

Employment Agreement, ePAF, & Payroll Sign In [Return to Overview]

Requesting an Agreement
Once the criminal background check has been completed, COS will create an Employment Agreement and send it to Academic Affairs for signature by the Provost. Once approved, the college will notify the hiring unit via email regarding the next steps and send the employment agreement via intercampus mail for implementation. The Chair/Director should notify the candidate.

ePAF and Payroll Sign In
After the approved employment agreement has been received in the hiring unit, arrangements should be made with the employee to complete payroll sign-in (or schedule an appointment with International Service Center) AND generate an electronic Personnel Action Form (ePAF). HR has generated a checklist (published on their website) outlining the New Hire Faculty Payroll Sign In documents. As of May 2013, these documents should be attached to the ePAF.

Note: the background check was requested by the college prior to requesting the employment agreement and the results should have already been received by the college. If the hiring unit has not received a copy of the results, please contact cosadmin@ucf.edu. Do not request a new background check be completed by HR Recruitment.

Other Hiring Notes
• Hire ePAFs cannot be created prior to 90 days before the effective date (on or after May 10th for an August 8 start date).
• Employees with existing OPS positions should create a hire ePAF using the current agreement information and the edit existing check box should be marked to terminate existing record.
• Employees with existing Faculty positions should create an edit existing ePAF using the current agreement information.
• UCF Global must complete payroll sign in for employees currently working on a visa or needing to request a visa.

Supporting Hire Documents [Return to Overview]
All faculty new hires will need to collect and submit the Faculty Supporting Hire Document package to COS Admin via intercampus mail, with the exception of the Teaching Certification. The Teaching Certification (formally known as SACS) should be submitted through the electronic Faculty Qualifications Management System (eFQMS) within PeopleSoft. Find additional information for the FQMS here.

The hiring unit must submit all Faculty Hiring Package documents within 15 business days of the candidate’s approved employment agreement as well as complete and submit the internal Supporting Hire Documents Checklist (located in the COSHR Resource Workbook). If the employee previously worked in COS, please contact Wayneeta King to see what documents are already on file and what items are needed to complete the package.

The COS Dean’s Office will review the submitted supporting hire documents, pull any additional documents from existing employee files (if applicable), and submit the completed packet to OIE. During the initial college review of the hiring package if any additional documentation is needed from the hiring unit, the college will contact the appropriate individual within the unit to ensure a complete package is submitted to OIE. Once the package is complete and approved by the college, it will be sent to OIE and Academic Program Quality (APQ) for their review and approval. Once they give their final approval, the original hire package will be returned to COS and kept in the employees personel file.

If a hire package is not sent to OIE by the established deadline (no later than 30 days prior to the end of the hiring semester), the employee will be issued a terminal agreement.

In the event that the binder is returned by OIE or Faculty Relations as not approved, COS Will work closely with the hiring unit to resolve the issue, should the error be repairable.

Employee Orientation [Return to Overview]

Human Resources Orientation
To register for the HR Orientation, the orientation notice (included in the payroll sign in packet) will need to be attached to the ePAF (along with the rest of the payroll sign in documents). Once the notice is received in HR Records, they will give it to OD & Training to complete the registration process. For new hires with an effective date of August 8th, there are special orientation dates (listed on the orientation notice). For new hires with any other effective date, orientation dates are on every pay day Friday. There are two Orientation Options:

• Mixed Mode – 3 ½ hour in-person session and 1 ½ hours of online content
• Fully Online – 3 hours of online content

FTCL Orientation
For additional information about FTCL orientation, please see their website, http://www.fctl.ucf.edu/Events/NewFacultyOrientation/

PID and NID
The PID and NID assignments will enable the employee to get a regular, one-semester or annual parking decal from the University Parking and Transportation Services office, gain access to University Library services, as well as give them access to ordering course books and other information to support their transition to the university.

For more information, please direct the new faculty member to the FCTL website at http://www.fctl.ucf.edu/.