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I. Title of Regulation

3.9007R Staffing of Faculty Positions

II. Objective of Regulation

To establish a fair and equitable staffing process to hire quality faculty while assuring an aggressive commitment to a multiracial, multiethnic, and multicultural faculty.

III. Authority

Board of Trustees Policy, Staffing/Hiring Policy

IV. Regulation Statement

Board of Trustees Policy Statement:

Brookdale Community College is an Equal Employment Opportunity Educational Institution dedicated to achieving and maintaining a professional, highly trained, and diverse faculty and staff.

This policy shall be pursued through an unwavering commitment to diversity, not only as a compliance responsibility but as an active, conscious effort to build and develop diversity within the faculty and staff.

The Board of Trustees has the authority to appoint all personnel employed by Brookdale Community College upon recommendation of the President. Consistent with its policy on Staffing and Hiring, 3.0001, the Board requires that no recommendation be set forth until a comprehensive and impartial recruitment effort has been made to secure fully qualified individuals from a diverse pool of applicants. The Board will be assured, by the President, that such efforts have been sincerely and completely carried out, providing opportunity for reasonable choice among qualified candidates.

Exceptions, although rare, may be made upon recommendation of the President when the unique and/or urgent needs of the College require the immediate appointment of a qualified candidate.

The starting salary for faculty hires will be within the entry-level range (typically up to 5 units of credit) for the “Instructor” level rank. Some flexibility on establishing a starting salary or initial rank for all full-time positions may be allowed in consideration of market factors. If a faculty applicant has more experience than the instructor rank permits, the applicant will be offered a position at the Assistant Professor rank at the minimum of the rank. Any request to hire above entry-level rank from the outset in consideration of market conditions must be justified and approved by the President prior to posting the position.

It is the obligation of every employee of the College to support this policy by adhering to its tenets and by making conscious and active efforts to understand and embrace our diversity efforts to hire and retain a workforce that is reflective of the diversity of our student body.

Positions Covered

This regulation is to be used in filling all full-time faculty positions, whether new or existing.

Although not required to follow this regulation for reassignments, transfers or filling temporary or adjunct positions, it is expected that the College will continue to strive toward the goals of diversity and excellence in the filling of these positions.

Exceptions to extend a temporary assignment beyond one (1) year requires the approval of the Chief Academic Officer (CAO); exceptions to extend a temporary assignment beyond two (2) years requires the approval of the President.

Role of Faculty

Faculty serve a crucial role in the staffing process. Faculty provide input on hiring criteria, identify discipline specific recruitment sources, assist in identifying candidates for interviews, interview and recommend candidates to the appropriate Institute Dean or other appropriate supervisor (Hiring Manager) and the CAO (Recommending Officer), * for potential hire. At each step of the process, faculty provide the expertise and knowledge of their discipline to enable the Human Resources Department to implement the staffing regulations.

(*For Counselor searches, the Hiring Manager is the Executive Director, Student Services and the Recommending Officer is the Chief Student Affairs Officer.)

Time Frame

All parties should be aware that the hiring/staffing cycle may last several months, from pre-determination to Board of Trustee action. The Board of Trustees normally meets once a month, and the Board must take formal action to authorize the hire of faculty upon the President’s recommendation. The scheduling of interviews and the review and recommendation process should be developed with Board meeting deadline dates in mind.   Board materials are due to Human Resources approximately 18 days before the Board meeting date.

Terminology/Definitions

Hiring Manager – The Institute Dean or other appropriate supervisor over the position being filled but may be another employee of the unit.

Hiring Rank – Instructor – Faculty positions shall normally be filled at the “Instructor” rank which is an entry level rank. Applicants are given units of credit for experience, after attainment of their Master’s degree, for Instructor level positions.  Credit shall be given for years of experience above the minimum required, not to exceed 5 units of credit.

Hiring Rank – Assistant Professor – If experience exceeds the hiring range for Instructor rank, the candidate may be hired as an Assistant Professor, at the minimum of the rank.  If market conditions warrant a posting in excess of the Instructor rank from the outset, this approval must be given by the President prior to the approval to post the position. Hiring will be at the minimum of the rank when above the Instructor level.

Interview Committee – Subject to the final approval of the Chief Academic Officer (CAO), the Dean or other appropriate supervisor (Hiring Manager) shall designate the interview committee, including the chairperson. The membership of the committee should be limited to three but may be expanded, not to exceed seven.  Committee membership larger than seven (7) must be specifically approved by the CAO.  Membership should include employees with diverse but relevant backgrounds with a majority having considerable expertise or knowledge of the requirements of the position under consideration.  The committee may also identify discipline specific advertising sources to the HR Employment Manager. Committee membership may include one Brookdale student whose course of study is relevant to the requirements of the position.

The interview committee identifies and interviews selected candidates.  Immediately following the last interview, the committee chair is responsible for summarizing and delivering, in writing, the strengths and weaknesses of acceptable candidates that the committee wishes to forward to the Dean or other appropriate supervisor (Hiring Manager) and Chief Academic Officer (CAO) for consideration. At the discretion of the CAO and Hiring Manager and if time permits, the candidate may be scheduled to meet with the CAO and Hiring Manager prior to an employment offer being made, pending final approval by the Board of Trustees.

Interview Pool – The chairperson of the interview committee and the HR Employment Manager shall review the applicant pool to identify qualified applicants. A diverse pool of qualified applicants will be provided to the interview committee by the Human Resources Department.

Interviews, Preliminary– Preliminary interviews will be conducted virtually and will be sufficiently in-depth to narrow the candidate pool.  This preliminary interview should last approximately 30-45 minutes.  The committee then determines potential hires for formal on-campus interviews/teaching demonstrations.

Interviews, In-Person: Once the candidate pool has been sufficiently narrowed down, potential hires will be invited to the campus for further consideration and screening by the interview committee. These on-campus interviews also introduce the campus and community to the candidate. The in-person interviews should consist of a 30-minute teaching demonstration on a topic that is provided ahead of time to the candidate, followed by follow-up interview questions lasting approximately an additional 30-45 minutes.  Ideally, this step will result in the identification of finalists.  Only acceptable candidates will be forwarded to the CAO and Hiring Manager.  At the discretion of the CAO, a search will continue or be extended if fewer than 3 finalists are recommended or if none of the finalists are acceptable.

Pre-Determination – Prior to posting a position, the Chief Academic Officer (CAO) (Recommending Official) must receive approval to fill a vacant position from the VP, Finance and Operations and from the President.  If market conditions warrant a posting in excess of the Instructor rank, this approval must be given by the President prior to posting the position.

Recommending Official – The Chief Academic Officer (CAO)* has final authority to approve members of the interview committee designated by the Dean or other appropriate supervisor (Hiring Manager).   The CAO also has the authority to identify and recommend approval of the final candidate to the President. Reference checking must be completed before an offer is made.

(*For Counselor searches, the Hiring Manager is the Executive Director, Student Services and the Recommending Officer is the Chief Student Affairs Officer.)

Recruitment Campaign – The recruitment campaign for permanent full-time faculty positions will involve extensive outreach efforts to diverse populations of potential applicants.

Starting Salary/Rank – The starting salary for any hire at the Instructor level will be within the entry-level range (typically up to 5 units of credit) for the “Instructor” level rank.  The starting salary for other ranks shall be for the entry for the rank. Requests to advertise and hire above the “Instructor” rank from the outset must be supported by written rationale from the Chief Academic Officer (CAO), reviewed by Human Resources, and approved by the President. *Military service is treated as related experience up to 4 years.

Travel Expenses – Reimbursement for travel expenses is normally limited to finalists for faculty positions. Fifty percent (50%) of the necessary and reasonable travel expenses incurred by applicants traveling to and from a second in-person interview may be reimbursed by the hiring unit. The necessary and reasonable cost of lodging and meals may be reimbursed at 100%.  If a finalist is asked to return for a third in-person interview, 100% of expenses will be paid by the hiring unit.

Unit of Credit:  The determination made by HR of relevant experience obtained after the Master’s degree. Direct/related experience, full-time/part-time experience, and military service are used to calculate a unit of credit.   A unit of credit reflects 90% of the average of the most recent 4 annual general wage increases.

Vacancy – A vacant position for which recruitment activities have been authorized.

Vacancy Announcement – Vacancies shall be posted for a minimum of ten calendar days.  If positions are designated as “Open until Filled,” a submission date to ensure full consideration will be listed. Postings provide information on the responsibilities and minimum qualifications of the position.

Overview of Key Roles and Responsibilities

Hiring Manager (Institute Dean or another appropriate supervisor)

Human Resources Department

Interview Committee Chairperson

Interview Committee

Recommending Official (Chief Academic Officer or Chief Student Affairs Officer (for counselors)

V. Responsibility for Implementation

College Officers

 

Approved: President 5/98
Revised: 9/2023
Approved:  President, 01/17/2024