Home > Employment > Prospective Faculty > Search Process

Once a faculty search is initiated, department heads will choose a search committee to determine the criteria to be used to select applicants to be interviewed. Completed applications are then submitted to the search committee for review. The search committee will then compare the credentials of the applicants against the criteria established for the position. Once a committee determines that there are sufficient applicants in the pool to conduct a competitive search, the position will be closed to additional applicants.

The search committee will then contact individuals selected for interview. The interview process may vary, depending on the common practices of each program. For example, search committees may conduct telephone interviews and/or invite candidates to campus. Often the process involves several rounds of interviews.

In order to select the best applicant for a position, the search process may take several months to complete. Commonwealth of Virginia regulations require that faculty searches remain open for thirty days, barring any extenuating circumstances.

Before an offer for a faculty position is extended to an applicant, credentials will be verified. The verification process includes, but is not necessarily limited to, transcripts, reference checks and letters of recommendation.

Advertisements for positions available in the Fall semester of a specific year will typically begin during the Fall of the previous year. For example, recruiting for faculty to fill positions available for the Fall semester 2006 began during the Fall of 2005. Although the searches may begin in the fall, the committee may not begin to review applications until winter break.