6.1 General Guidelines Regarding Reference Calls

Information from references shall be solicited in good faith, in an unbiased manner, given appropriate (not sole) weight, and not used as a pretext for discrimination. Questions shall focus on the candidate’s job-related experience, qualifications, and accomplishments. Search committees shall ask the same basic questions about each candidate so that all candidates can be evaluated fairly. Written notes shall be taken by the individual interviewing the reference and shall  be retained in the search files. No "off the record" information may be solicited.

For positions for which diversity leadership skills are a requirement (see Section 7.4) the candidate's professional references should include people well-situated to evaluate past performance or future potential in this area. Such references might include heads of diversity programs with whom the candidate worked, department chairs, heads of commissions and councils, directors of women's and ethnic studies departments, or directors of multicultural student services programs.