Hiring and New Faculty Procedures

The following information can be used in reference to the hiring process used within the College of Arts and Science. The processes and policies are in conjunction with the Department of Human Resources (HR) who oversees the hiring of all employees on campus.

Background Checks (Through TrueScreen)

Background checks need to be requested for the following circumstances:

  • New employees
  • Returning employees with inactive assignments of one year (1) or longer
  • Returning employees who were “terminated” in HR’s system
  • Current employees going from a temporary (adjunct) to a permanent (tenure/tenure track) position
  • New student employees (who are not Federal Work Study)
  • Returning student employees with inactive assignments for a year or longer

 

Directions to Request Background Check:

Supervisors request a background check by sending an email with the name, last name and email of the individual to the Dean’s Office Executive Assistant, Carla Wilson (wcarla@sandiego.edu).
Before initiating the background request, send an email to the individual the request is being created for to let them know.  The supervisor/requestor must also be CC’d in the email.  The email template is included below. Once the background check clears, an email notification is sent to the supervisor/requester. 

 

Email sent to new (or returning) employee:

Good afternoon, [NAME]
My name is Carla Wilson and I am the Dean’s Special Projects Assistant for the College of Arts and Sciences.
I am delighted that you have accepted a position with the University Of San Diego. I will be processing your contract.  In the meantime, please be aware that part of the hiring process at USD includes a pre-employment background check which needs to be completed prior to the final hiring.  You should be receiving an email from our background screening vendor, Truescreen, Inc. in the next day or so asking you to go to their Application Station Web Site to provide personal information and to sign an electronic release to authorize the background check.  Your timely response to that email is critical since the background check cannot begin until you provide the requested information.
New Hire Paperwork (with Human Resources):
In addition to your background check, you will need to complete new hire paperwork with Human Resources.  It is best to complete this prior to your start date as it only takes 15-20 minutes.  You will need to bring acceptable forms of identification with you.  I have attached the list of accepted documents for your convenience.
 
Human Resources is located in Maher Hall Room 101 and are open 8:30 AM to 5:00 PM Monday through Friday.  There is no need to schedule an appointment and you can stop by at any time during their regular business hours.
Please feel free to contact me at any time if you have further questions or concerns.
I look forward to meeting you soon.
Thank you,
--------------------------------------------------
CARLA M. WILSON  
Dean’s Special Projects
University of San Diego, College of Arts and Sciences
5998 Alcalá Park
Founders Hall, Room 114
San Diego, CA 92110-2492
(619) 260-4545 [office]
(619) 260-4600 x4326 [direct]

Signature Routing

SIGNATURE ROUTING

To ensure that paperwork is processed as efficiently as possible, please follow the signature routing identified below.

FOR Department Action Forms (DAFs) & Personnel Requisitions (PRs)*:

  1. Hiring supervisor
  2. Department Chair
  3. PI (Only if charged against grant funds)
  4. Catherine Cornell, Budget Manager
  5. Megan Kyle, Grants & Contracts (Only if charged against grant funds)
  6. Rondi Stein, Assistant Vice President for Academic Administration
  7. Human Resources

FOR STIPEND REQUESTS:

  1. PI (Only if charged against grant funds)
  2. Catherine Cornell, Budget Manager
  3. Dean Norton
  4. Megan Kyle, Grants & Contracts (Only if charged against grant funds)
  5. Rondi Stein, Asst VP for Academic Administration
  6. Payroll

FOR AP FORMS:

  1. Payee
  2. PI (Only if charged against grant funds)
  3. Department Chair/Supervisor
  4. Catherine Cornell, Budget Manager
  5. Megan Kyle, Grants & Contracts (Only if charged against grant funds)
  6. Accounts Payable

*PLEASE NOTE:

  • PRs are used for STAFF new hires or rehires provided a background check has cleared.
  • DAFs are used for making changes to: salary/funding/supervisor/hours

Hiring Students

To ensure the efficiency of the student hiring process, please follow these steps:
  • Check with Human Resources to determine if the student has previously worked at USD.  This can be done by calling the mainline (x4594) or by emailing the receptionist at the front desk.
  • Determine if they need a background check and New Hire Paperwork (NHPW). If they are a new employee or have not worked at USD for over a year, they will need to go through the whole hiring process.
  • If the student is currently working at another place on campus, please ascertain that their combined hours will not exceed 25 hours a week. This is particularly important when coding the number of hours as any assignment that will take the student over 25 will be denied by Human Resources.
  • If they are returning to a position they previously had, if it’s within a year, they can be reactivated by DAF. If this applies, then no additional steps are required.  Otherwise, proceed to the next step.
  • To request a background check, please email Carla Wilson (wcarla@sandiego.edu) with the name and email of the student.
  • Carla will send an email (requester will be copied) with the steps to complete the background check and NHPW.
  • Once the background clears, Carla will notify the requester that the student can be hired. 
  • When that step is completed, a Personnel Requisition (PR) will need to be completed with all required information. 
  • Please be sure to reflect the actual hours a student will be working.
  • Ensure the forms have the necessary department and supervisor signatures
  • Please retain a copy for your records.
  • If needed, please ask Carla for a template that highlights the information that must be included prior to Catherine Cornell’s approval.  As any missing information will cause a delay.
  • When the PR is approved by Catherine, Carla will retain a copy and automatically route the PR to the Provost office.  From there, it will be taken to Human Resources.
  • Make sure the student completes their New Hire Paperwork within the first three days of their start date. However, it is recommended that they complete this step prior to their start date as this facilitates the process.
  • Once the student begins working, please have them complete their Kronos timecard online. This will ensure that the student stays within the allowable 25 hours a week for ACA

Personnel / Hiring

Faculty Recruitment/Searches

  • Authorization to Recruit: The Authorization to Recruit Form is intended for internal routing within the College (will include link to the form).

*Hiring Diverse Faculty (Rough Draft)-Sample from Math Department

In order to ensure that we have a diverse candidate pool in our hiring process, the Department plans to:

- Advertise for the position widely in order to attract a diverse pool.  The department may (depending on funding) advertise through the following organizations/magazines:

- The Mathematical Association of America (MAA), the American Mathematical Society (AMS), the Association for Women in Mathematics (AWM), the Society for the Advancement of Chicanos and Native Americans in the Sciences (SACNAS), the National Association of Mathematicians (NAM), the Journal of Blacks in Higher Education, the Magazine for Minority Americans in Engineering and Science (MAES), Diverse Issues in Higher Education, Foundation focused on increasing Hispanic access to STEM Fields from college through the Ph.D. (SHPE), McKnight Doctoral Fellows Program, Pre-doctoral, Dissertation and Postgraduate Ford Foundation Fellowship Program, National Physical Science Consortium Graduate Fellowships in Mathematics, Science and Engineering. Contact the chair of the Mathematics Department and the school newspapers of some colleges that graduate mathematics Ph.Ds. from underrepresented minorities. For example:
Tennessee State University, Jackson State University, Clark Atlanta University, Howard University, Morgan State University. University of Maryland, University of Texas, El Paso, and University of Texas, Austin, Arizona State University, Cornell University, Rice University, University of Iowa, and other schools through the Alfred P. Sloan Foundation Graduate Scholarship Program.
 
- Attend the SACNAS conference in October and share information about the position at appropriate panel presentations.

 

Recruitment and Retention

Recruitment refers to our support of and participation in efforts across the university to diversify our students, faculty, staff, and administration. Retention refers to our support of and leadership in developing effective strategies, practices, and policies that ensure that the university is a stimulating, embracing, and engaging place.

Affiliates of the Center for Inclusion and Diversity that shape our recruitment and retention efforts:

  •  All Nations Institute for Community Achievement (ANICA)
All Nations Institute for Community Achievement (ANICA) is a network of USD students, staff, faculty, and alumni dedicated to the educational success of American Indians. We work together to build relationships, partnerships, and programs that promote higher education and strengthen tribal communities. We view our actions as vibrant examples of decolonization that engage, support, and empower American Indian communities.
 
  • Diverse Faculty Recruitment Task Force: A Targeted Approach
 
In August 2010 Executive Vice President and Provost Julie Sullivan formed a task force to enhance faculty diversity through more effective search and recruitment. The task force is charged with developing faculty recruiting guidelines and a toolkit, as well as developing and launching in-house training sessions. The guidelines are meant to support faculty search committees in recruiting ethnically and culturally diverse candidates who will contribute to the university in meaningful ways.
 
  • Student Outreach and Recruitment (SOAR)
SOAR is a student organization committed to engaging in diversity recruitment efforts, diversity retention efforts, and promoting diversity and inclusion at the University of San Diego. The organization welcomes people from different races, ages, genders, sexual orientations, religions, socioeconomic status and ability/disability.
 
  • LGBTQ Faculty and Staff Association
This LGBTQ Employee Group meets periodically for networking. Membership is confidential.
Contact: Dr. Lori Watson, pwatson@sandiego.edu, X4091
 
  • Black Student Retention and Recognition Committee (BSRRC)
 
  • Black Graduate Students Association (BGSA)

 

Recruitment Toolkit

 *Please use the following link: http://www.sandiego.edu/documents/provost/FacultyRecruitmentToolkit2012-13.pdf

 

Links for Additional Resources:

Flow Chart For Faculty Searches
New Faculty Transition Checklist
New Faculty Member Action List
Chair's Timeline/Important Dates

Protocol On Missed Classes

  1. In the world of work, our contact hours are few, and every effort should be made to meet classes. It is not acceptable to miss a class, do nothing about it and not report it.

 

  1. If a professor cannot meet a class, and knows this ahead of time, they should arrange for someone else to teach it. There is a professional golden rule: cover for others because you will need them to cover for you. If doing so is impossible, something should be planned for the students to accomplish during the professor’s absence.

 

  1. If a professor must cancel a class at the last minute and cannot arrange for someone else to teach it, they should 1) send a class email to the student, and 2) inform the EA to post notice for the students. (Class emails are at the bottom of your class lists posted in your MySanDiego, but you should have your students update them early in the semester.)

 

  1. If a professor teaches a class during hours when no-one in the department is around and cannot meet a class at the last minute, they should 1) send a class email and 2) inform security, who can post notice

 

  1. Whenever any classed is missed, the professor should inform the EA. It is not necessary to contact the Dean’s Office. It is the professor’s responsibility and the department’s business (hence this protocol).

Drawdown Forms

Drawdowns

Departments that are approved for an equipment request or faculty that receive an award (FRG, Teaching & Learning Grant, etc.) will need to complete a drawdown in order to receive their funds.  The process is completed in this order:

 

Department/faculty member spends the award using the department’s funds;

Once the charge hits the department budget the following is submitted to the CAS Budget Manager (please cc the Dean’s Special Projects Assistant):

 

Drawdown Form

NOETIX line showing the charge against the department budget 

CAS Budget Manager will then move the funds to the Department’s budget.