The following change effective January 2022 does not apply to the School of Medicine. The School of Medicine continues to handle its own non-tenure-track hires.
Overall goals:
- Oversight of language in visiting offer
- Offers to be reviewed in the Office of Academic Affairs (acadhr@iupui.edu)
- A more equitable and inclusive approach for visiting employment, since this is an important part of faculty recruitment and retention; “visiting” is a common pathway to a career in academia (outside of School of Medicine, there were 41 visiting lecturers, 9 clinical, and 10 tenure-track visiting in 2020).
- Some positions to require a search.
- More consistent planning for search and staffing
- Distinguishing between emergency fill-ins, emergency hires while a search is planned, non-tenure-track/non-permanent but non-visiting positions.
- Avoiding personal and legal problems when people misinterpret their visiting positions.
Starting with hires effective January 2, 2022:
- All offer letters must be approved by the Office of Academic Affairs before hire.
- Units may hire in visiting positions without a search but only for a brief period and also with plans for a regular search. This is best for positions where the need is stable but the position needs someone right away; an immediate no-search visiting hire gives time for a regular search for a non-visiting/permanent person.
- All other visiting positions must involve a search. This is best for positions where the ongoing need is uncertain. Search waivers may still be requested.
- If the need is uncertain but may last 2-3 years or more, units should hire clinical or lecturer faculty on one-year regular appointments.
Any hires that become effective on or before January 1, 2022, are not covered. Any search processes that began before January are not affected, but hiring that takes place after January 1st is subject to review of offer letter.
Visiting positions are appropriate in two different sorts of circumstances, explained in IU policy ACA-14:
- The need for the position is established and ongoing, for a reasonably stable period of time, but the position needs filling quickly—sudden resignations—or temporarily—replacements for sabbaticals or other leaves. This is an established line.
- A visiting hire will be allowed, without a search, but it will be time-limited, the offer must be approved by the Office of Academic Affairs, and it must be accompanied by a search plan for a permanent hire or indication that the need is temporary.
- The need for the position is uncertain as it involves a program whose demand is not entirely clear—an existing program that appears to be growing or diminishing, or a new program that is in development. This is an uncertain line.
- A visiting hire requires an open search for the visiting position. People who are selected after an open search may serve for 1-2 years. When the unit is ready (no more than two years in the future), it should plan on permanent search and hire or abandon that line.
Without a Search, Visiting Hire:
- Units may identify and select individuals of their choice without any requirement for a search.
- An offer packet must be sent to the Office of Academic Affairs at ude[dot]iupui[at]rhdaca for approval by EVC Johnson:
- Description of duties, including rank/status/qualifications.
- Candidate CV
- Draft offer letter. The draft offer letter must be for no more than one or one and half academic years (depending on when it starts), with no reappointment. It may indicate that the person is welcome to apply for a permanent position in a regular search.
- A faculty vacancy search timeline or an explanation that the position will go away (e.g. filling in for someone on leave).
With a Search, Visiting Hire:
- Units will use the faculty vacancy process, indicating it is a visiting position. Use the vacancy approval form, search committee, PeopleAdmin posting, e-docs (vacancy, interview, and offer), and discipline-appropriate advertising.
- The offer packet sent via eDoc Lite will contain:
- Position description as advertised
- Candidate CV
- Draft offer letter. The term may be 1 or 2 years, or, 1 year with possible reappointment for a second year. If the candidate is qualified for a “visiting assistant professor” position, it may be useful to note whether work completed during the appointment will count as “in rank” should the person apply for and obtain an IUPUI tenure-track appointment.
- If there is an unexpected problem, EVC Johnson may approve a third and final year.