1.7 Confidentiality

Confidentiality is vital in recruitment and retaining strong candidates and preserving the integrity of the search. People who are successful in their current positions and not seeking to change jobs are unlikely to let themselves be recruited without the protection of confidentiality until they become finalists.

All persons involved in a search (i.e., search committee members, hiring unit administrative staff, Department Approver, Executive Approver, etc.) are responsible for maintaining the confidentiality of the search process. Information obtained regarding an applicant must remain confidential throughout the process and thereafter. Under no circumstances should any person give information to any applicant about other applicants.

No search committee member or member of the hiring unit may contact an applicant individually, or discuss the qualifications of an applicant outside the search committee, or call references without the approval of the Search Committee Chair. Furthermore, the status of an application should not be discussed, even with the applicant, without approval from the Search Committee Chair.

Search committee members may not serve as references for applicants in the pool for which they have assumed search committee responsibilities.

For faculty searches, after screening by the search committee has begun, all ranked faculty members in the hiring unit may review and evaluate applicant files and provide input to the search committee; however, non-search committee members must not engage in further screening activities. Faculty members who review applicant files assume the same responsibility as search committee members of maintaining confidentiality of information contained within the files.

For academic administrator searches, only the search committee and the administrators in the supervisory chain will review applicant files. The search committee shall make letters of application and vitae of candidates selected for on-campus interviews available to faculty members in the hiring department, and may also make them available to other members of the campus community as appropriate.