SAMPLE FACULTY/NON-CLASSIFIED SEARCH CORRESPONDENCE

The following are examples of letters for use by faculty and other non-classified position search committees.

1. Applicant Welcoming Letter

The following letter would be appropriate when acknowledging receipt of an application.

Dear _____________:

This letter is to acknowledge receipt of your application materials for the position of __________________________. We appreciate your interest and will give your candidacy careful consideration.

The University of Oregon’s search process is thorough and consequently takes time. We will attempt to keep you informed of our progress as we go through the various review processes.

As a federal contractor, the University of Oregon has federal statistical reporting and affirmative action monitoring requirements. We would greatly appreciate your cooperation in completing and returning the enclosed Applicant Data Request Card. Once you have completed the card, seal it with tape and drop it in the mail. No postage is required. Please note that this information comes directly to the Office of Affirmative Action and Equal Opportunity and not to the search committee.

Again, thank you for your interest in employment with the University of Oregon.

Sincerely,

Chair of the search committee

Consistent with the Jeanne Clery Disclosure of Campus Security Policy and Campus Crime Statistics Act, the University of Oregon is to inform applicants of the university’s annual report on campus safety and security programs. You can obtain a copy of that report by contacting the University of Oregon Department of Public Safety at (541) 346-5444 or by accessing the following website: http://safetyweb.uoregon.edu/safety/crime_stats.htm.

2. Letter for Non-Qualified Candidates

The following letter would be appropriate in replying to candidates who are not qualified for the job based on a review of minimum qualifications.

Dear _____________:

Thank you for your interest in the University or Oregon, and in particular your interest in the College/Department of _______. As indicated in the advertisement, the position requires as a minimum qualification “__________________________.” It appears from your application materials that you do not meet that minimum qualification. As a result, we cannot further consider your candidacy for this position.

We encourage you to consider applying for other employment opportunities with the University of Oregon for which your educational background, experience, and skills are a closer match.

Thank you again for your interest.

Sincerely,

Chair of the Search Committee

3. Letter for Non-Selection of Interviewed Applicants

This letter would be appropriate for candidates who were interviewed either by telephone or on-campus, but who were not selected for the position. This letter should not be sent out until you have definitely eliminated the candidate from further consideration.

Dear _________________:

Thank you for your interest in the _________________ position with the University of Oregon. We appreciate the time you spent interviewing with our department and your interest in becoming part of our faculty/department.

Although you have many of the skills we believe are important to be successful in this position, we have identified another candidate whose skills and experience are a better match with our current needs.

We encourage you to remain informed of employment opportunities with the University of Oregon and to apply for any that are a good match with your interests and career goals. Again, thank you for your time. We wish you well in all of your future endeavors.

Sincerely,

Chair of the Search Committee

4. Letter to Colleague Requesting Assistance in Suggesting Potential Candidates

This is an example of a letter that might be appropriate to send to a colleague, a professional or scholarly organization, or anyone else whom you may be contacting for assistance in identifying potential candidates for the faculty position under consideration. The letter could be modified to apply to other non-classified positions.

Dear ___________________:

I am writing to ask your help in identifying promising candidates for the position identified in the enclosed announcement for a/an [title of position] in [identify field]. We are looking for someone with broad interests in [discipline], but with a focus on [various specialty areas that match current department needs – where positions are defined broadly, rather than narrowly, a department is likely to retain a broader pool of potentially strong candidates, including women and minorities].

With [number] majors, the University of Oregon’s [identify program or major] is [indicate anything that is unique regarding program – its size, focus, cross-disciplinary approach, national/regional recognition, etc.]. Among other things, our program offers/explores [area(s) of focus for the open position]. We are seeking a new colleague who can respond to and build on these interests, in collaboration with the other faculty in the program. She or he will also play an important role in [developing any new undergraduate or advanced degree programs, building collaborative ties with other programs, etc.]

We are strongly committed to diversity within our university community and to building on the diversity of our faculty and student body. As a faculty, we have taken steps to infuse our curriculum and program with a multicultural perspective. Our student body is increasingly diverse; [proportion] of our majors are women and students of color. Consistent with our on-going effort to ensure that diversity is integral to our program, we are especially eager to attract applications from minority and women scholars with wide-ranging interests that are relevant to our program. If you know any such scholars who might be interested in this position, I would greatly appreciate your dropping me a brief note with their names and addresses. If you prefer, you are welcome to provide the information by telephone [number] or email [email address]. I will contact any potential candidates you suggest and invite them to apply.

Thank you in advance for your help. If you have any questions about [program or

department] or about the search, please don’t hesitate to call me.

Sincerely,

[Department Chair, Search Committee Chair, or other faculty member requesting assistance.]