Conducting the Interview

  1. Refer to “Questions To Ask and Not To Ask During the Interview” and “Interviewing Persons with Disabilities” as a helpful guidance.
  2. Encourage candidates to ask questions; answer them as candidly as possible.
  3. Do not attempt to ignore a candidate’s gender or ethnicity out of politeness. During the course of the interview visit, the candidate should meet other members of the campus community with similar backgrounds (search committee members, other department members, people that s/he would be working with), and the committee should be prepared to respond to concerns or questions that relate to the number of women or persons of color on campus and in the community, opportunities for advancement, the quality of life on campus and in the community, and professional, educational, and personal opportunities for her/his spouse and children where applicable.  The committee should think about these issues in advance and be prepared to answer them or to refer the candidate to others who are prepared to meet with the candidate to provide such information. This information is available from the Office of Human Resources, the Office of the Provost or the Dean’s office.
  4. In Faculty searches, discuss the standards for promotion and tenure with all tenure track candidates. Be specific about expectations concerning research, teaching and outreach/service.
  5. Inform candidates of the process and timeline for making a decision. Ask if there are any mitigating circumstances, other offers, extended travel plans, etc., of which the committee should be apprised. Offer the candidates the name and telephone number of the search committee chair, in the event they have further questions about the position.