Dear Campus Community:

During my listening tour, I heard many concerns about the search/hiring process and how complicated it has become.  In the last few years, we have benefited greatly from a more controlled process that has helped us shrink our workforce and exercise financial restraint during challenging times.  However, there is no doubt that the process has become overly complex and burdensome at times.  

Hence, I asked the Provost's Office, the Office of Human Resources (HR), and the Office of Equal Opportunity and Access (OEOA) to recommend changes that would simplify and streamline some of the processes.  I am very pleased to announce that a number of efforts are under way to make our hiring more expedient and more transparent and to remove duplicative approval processes.

The following changes already have been made, effective August 16:  

-    Elimination of the Hiring Request Form for most positions on campus (exceptions will focus on newly created positions that are state funded and have not been approved in a hiring plan)

-    Elimination of Provost's Office approval for salary offers that are higher than the range indicated in the hiring process, except when offer is 15% greater or more

-    Fewer approvals on all OEOA forms (i.e., Search, Finalist Notification, Summary, Waiver, and Appointment Change)

-    Simplification of the Search, Finalist Notification, and Summary Form content

-    Eliminating departmental Affirmative Action Officers (search committee members will serve as diversity advocates)

Coming soon, additional improvements include:

-    Simplification of the Hiring Request Form content

-    Electronic routing for approvals of proposed salaries over $90,000 and for new administrative positions

These modifications represent significant changes in our search and hiring processes that should enhance your ability to find the most qualified and diverse individuals for positions in your unit, in a more efficient way.  Both HR and OEOA will be hosting workshops and training to familiarize you and your staff with these new policies and procedures.  

I am grateful to the campus community for the feedback I have received.  And I am very pleased that the hardworking staff members in HR and OEOA have been so responsive in making these changes.

Sincerely,

Phyllis M. Wise
Vice President, University of Illinois
Chancellor, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign


For more information, please visit the following links:

Guidelines and Procedures for Academic Appointments:  http://oeoa.illinois.edu/NewSearchManual/search_guidelines_and_procedures.pdf

Academic Human Resources:  http://ahr.illinois.edu

OEOA Workshops:  http://oeoa.illinois.edu/SearchManual_Training.html