Category: Recruitment

This post outlines common reasons that Interfolio job ads are returned to units by the Academic HR (AHR) and International Scholars Operations (ISO) teams. Please review closely to ensure your ads accurately address all of these common pitfalls.

For more details and examples, check out the OAP Interfolio Ad Creation Training.

Returns by the AHR Team

Ads are commonly returned by the AHR team when they do not adhere to the guidance below.

• Position descriptions must include the following details:
  • Position title must be drafted in the correct order: rank, position, area of specialization
    • For example: Clinical Assistant Professor of Thoracic Surgery
  • FTE must be included: full-time, part-time, or specific FTE percent
  • Service period must be included: 9 or 12 month
• Tenure status should be explicitly stated: tenured, WOT, tenure eligible, or not tenure eligible
• Location should include the city and state where the selected candidate will work.
  • Note that only listing a specific building or medical center such as Harborview does not meet the guidelines.

Internal Notes must include the following required information:

• Position ID field: Hiring plan number, if applicable.
  • If the position is not on the hiring plan, enter “n/a”
• Hiring Plan field: Description of where the ad will be posted (1- and 2-DEP/UNDEP only)
• General Notes field: Unit’s affirmative action goals and good faith efforts to reach underrepresented demographics
  (Note: Internal Notes content does not appear in the published ad but are used to ensure compliance with University recruitment policies.)

Returns by the ISO Team

Ads are often returned by the ISO team if the Qualifications section does not align with the following guidance:

• Requirements should be included in the Qualifications section, not in the position description.
• Qualifications section should only include minimum requirements, attributes that a candidate must have to be considered for the position.
• Position requirements should be concrete and able to be documented for USCIS paperwork.
• Preferences must not be included. Review the training linked above or contact the ISO team for tips and examples.

Job Description Examples

1- DEP/UNDEP Example: Applies to positions eligible for permanent residence. These ads are reviewed by AHR and ISO.

The Division of Cardiology, Department of Medicine, School of Medicine is seeking a full-time cardiac imaging specialist to join our academic section of cardiac imaging. This individual will primarily provide cardiac imaging services in the University of Washington (UW) Heart Institute to patients at the University of Washington Medical Center in Seattle, Washington, the main teaching hospital and quaternary medical center in the UW Medicine system. Primary duties include performance and interpretation of advanced echocardiographic imaging examinations. The successful applicant would be appointed to the full-time faculty at the University of Washington at the rank of Assistant or Associate Professor (without tenure due to funding), commensurate with experience. University of Washington faculty engage in teaching, research and service, and the successful candidate will supervise trainees in imaging labs, serve as a research mentor for trainees, provide research mentorship and attend on clinical services and in cardiology clinic. This position has an annual service period of 12 months (July 1 – June 30). Anticipated start date will be July 1, 2021.

3-DEP/UNDEP Example: The unit is responsible for ad content for 3-DEP/UNDEP positions.

The University of Washington School of Law in Seattle, Washington is seeking Affiliate Instructors to fill instructional needs in the JD and Non-JD programs. The affiliate track is part-time, non-benefits eligible on a 12 month basis. Teaching assignments are determined quarterly and for 3-6-9 month terms. Compensation is set by a salary schedule and delivered in the quarters in which the successful candidate teaches. When not in paid teaching status, the candidate will switch into courtesy unpaid academic status and will enjoy access to certain UW resources such as the libraries and gym. This is an open-rank search and successful candidates will be appointed commensurate with experience. These teaching opportunities are in the traditional JD doctrinal courses, several experiential programs, clinics, and other degree programs and concentration tracks including trial advocacy. Instructional needs may arise spontaneously, and all applications will be reviewed for open teaching needs at the time the application is received. Reappointments are contingent upon instructional needs, performance and funding. The anticipated start date is August 1, 2021.

Tracking COVID-19 Impact through Interfolio FS

OAP has developed a few new features in UW Interfolio Faculty Search system to help units track the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on recruitment efforts.

New Position Statuses
Two new position status options – “Search Delayed – COVID-19” and “Search Cancelled – COVID-19” – are accessible via the Status drop-down menu near the top of the position page. While use of the position status feature is optional, we hope these new options will help units to better monitor and analyze recruitments during this challenging time.

New Disposition Code
Additionally, a new COVID-19-related disposition code has been created and added to the disposition matrix. Units can use the new “Review Suspended – COVID-19” code to disposition applicants who were still under consideration when the recruitment was cancelled due to COVID-19. Any applicants who were reviewed and taken out of consideration prior to the cancellation should be dispositioned using the standard disposition codes. All applicants need to be assigned a disposition code before a search is closed with or without hire, or canceled due to COVID-19.

For UW Interfolio Faculty Search resources, visit the user guides and our newly updated Interfolio FAQ page on the OAP website.

Overview

In April, the University of Washington’s voting-eligible faculty approved legislation to amend the UW Faculty Code and establish a new professorial teaching track. Select UW lecturers, senior lecturers, and principal lecturers who meet specific eligibility criteria set forth in the approved legislation will convert to assistant teaching professor, associate teaching professor, and teaching professor ranks, respectively. Not all lecturer titles are eligible to convert, so units should not notify faculty or otherwise alter appointment/reappointment letters at this time. The Office for Academic Personnel and Faculty (APF) is working with the Integrated Service Center (ISC) to plan for and centrally-manage the conversion of eligible academic personnel into this new track with the goal of completing the conversion on September 16, 2020.

Planning for Recruitment

Units who prioritize as a critical hire the continuation of an active competitive recruitment for a Lecturer Full-time, Senior Lecturer Full-time, or Senior Lecturer Part-time, must include the proposed hire on their 2020-21 hiring plan submission. This step must be taken regardless of whether or not it was a requirement on their 2019-20 hiring plan. Such recruitments should be included in the hiring plan request using the currently recruited lecturer title(s). Until approved on your 2020-21 hiring plan, these recruitments remain subject to the provost’s restricted hiring protocols as communicated to deans and chancellors.

Units who wish to recruit in the newly created professorial teaching track (assistant teaching professor, associate teaching professor, teaching professor) must include the proposed hires on their 2020-21 hiring plan, which is subject to review and approval by the provost.

In the coming months, APF will follow up with more details about how the conversion will work, how to approach new professorial teaching track hires, and what academic units can do to support a smooth transition.