It is usually a good idea to identify the members of the departmental search committee immediately after receiving the permission to search. Membership should be considered carefully, and not a result of a call for volunteers. Membership should include faculty from related specialty areas, as well as broad representation from across the department. If the department is unable to find 4-5 members of the committee from within the department, the Chair may approach faculty from cognate disciplines.
Each time there is a search, all faculty members on the search committee must participate in STRIDE facilitated sessions at three key moments in the search process: (1) while drafting the job ad, (2) prior to evaluating applications, and (3) before interviewing and selecting candidates. In practice, all those involved in the search process (especially faculty voting on candidates) should be sure to have gone through STRIDE training at least once. Best practices suggest regular training is worthwhile to combat implicit bias.
Every member of the search committee must participate in an initial session on planning the search, including recruitment, that offers participants time and opportunity to draft (or begin drafting) the required documents, especially the position announcement (ad) and the rubric or rubrics for evaluating applications.
Just-in-time workshops: In addition to mandatory sessions, STRIDE will facilitate discussions about different aspects of the search process, at different points in the semester. The first discussion (usually mid-May): preparing the position announcement (job ad), rubric, and Recruiting Plan, including identifying potential implicit biases in recruiting. Later on (early fall): using the rubric(s) to evaluate and discuss candidates; interview and selection processes.
Prior to review of any applications, departments will arrange a STRIDE session on evaluation of applications for all faculty members to increase awareness and avoid issues of implicit bias in their evaluation of applicants.
STRIDE consultations: Departments can arrange for a STRIDE consultation on specific issues of the search process. STRIDE Fellows are available to come to the Department to meet with the full faculty or with search committees on best practices and interviewing and selection of candidates, e.g., searches with an internal candidate, developing appropriate interview questions, etc.