The University of Windsor has been using electronic databases for their Academic Appointments Process since 2000. The process has three stages:

1. Request for the approval of an Academic Appointment (Form 1) submitted by the Chair/Head to the Dean, Finance Budgets, and the Provost for initial approval and advertising;
2. Request for the approval of the Shortlist Candidates (Form 2) following the advertisement deadline date and submitted by the Chair/Head, to the Employmen Equity/Procedures Assessor (EE/PA), then to the Dean and finally to the Presidential Commission on Employment Equity (PCEE) for approval of a shortlist of candidates; and finally,
3. Request for the approval of the Recommended Candidate (Form 3) following the interviews of the shortlisted candidates submitted by the Chair/Head, to the EE/PA, then to the Dean and finally to PCEE.

Checklist for Appointments Committee Chair

All processes are monitored by PCEE to ensure that appointments committees adhere to procedures, fairness and equity in all academic appointments processes and academic decision-making. Deans, Department Heads, Chairs of Appointments Committees, and EE/PAs are given access to these databases by contacting the Faculty Recruitment Coordinator. Training on procedures, fairness and equity are offered annually to all involved in the academic hiring process.

Designated Groups

In accordance with the Federal Contractor’s Program, to which it has been a signatory since 1986, the University of Windsor aims to maintain a workforce reflects the composition of the general labour force in Canada. Specifically, the University’s goal is to promote, support, and enhance employment equity for designated groups experiencing discrimination in the Canadian labour market. These groups, as defined by the Government of Canada, are:

• women
• Aboriginal peoples
• persons with disabilities
• members of visible minorities

The University has expanded the designated group members to also include sexual minorities.

Procedures for Requesting, Short-listing and Recommending a Candidate

Form 1: Request for an Academic Appointment

The procedure for requesting a faculty, librarian or academic ancillary position (new or replacement) begins with the electronic request from the AAU Head to the Dean via a Form 1: Request for an Academic Appointment. Review the flowchart "University of Windsor Appointments Procedures for Hiring Faculty, Librarians and Academic Ancillary Staff" for complete details on the appointments process. This is a workflow process where the Chair/Head and the Dean, as well as others associated with the academic appointment, receive automated email notifications throughout the entire process.

Once the Dean, the Budget Office, and the Provost have all approved the position for advertising, the Chair/Head interacts with the Office of the Provost and Vice-President, Academic to finalize the advertisement and to determine the venues for advertising. For inquiries, please contact the Faculty Recruitment Coordinator or call Extension 1432.

Shortly after the advertisement deadline date, the Chair/Head meets with the Appointments Committee to review the files (CV, letter of appointment, letters of reference and other related documentation) to determine the shortlisted candidates. See more details below about the Form 2: Approval of the Short-listed Candidates

Applicants are directed in the job advertisement to apply online. Each position will have the link to the online application. You are encouraged to self-identify on the online application for consideration under our employment equity program.

It should be noted that all Appointments Committees require a non-voting Employment Equity/Procedures Assessor (EE/PA) to be present. This person monitors the hiring process in regards to equity procedures and designated group members. EE/PAs are solicited by the Faculty Recruitment Coordinator. It is the responsibility of the Chair/Head to inform the Faculty Recruitment Coordinator about any upcoming appointment committee meetings and to ensure that an EE/PA has been assigned. Chairs/Heads are asked not to proceed with their meeting unless there is an EE/PA present. Refer to the Faculty Collective Agreement (Article 30 - Employment Equity).

Form 2: Approval of the Short-listed Candidates

The Chair/Head submits the names of the short-listed candidates for interview on a Form 2: Approval of the Short-listed Candidates to the EE/PA for approval, followed by the approval of the Dean, and finally the approval of PCEE.

It should be noted that PCEE meets every Tuesday at 10:30 a.m. to review files. PCEE submits their comments and/or approval shortly after each weekly meeting.

PCEE requires that the Chair/Head submit for review the shortlisted candidates' Curricula Vitae (CVs), letters of application, letters of reference submitted by the referees and not the candidates, other related documents, and a pre-interview quantitative grid. This is required in order for PCEE to make an informed decision. The grids are required in order for PCEE to determine how the Appointments Committee evaluated and ranked the shortlisted candidates and how a decision was made by the Appointments Committee. The Chair/Head must also comment on how the Appointments Committee applied Positive Obligation toward the designated group members.

Definition of Positive Obligation:

When a candidate is a member of an under-represented designated group, and is in the pool of candidates acceptable for recommendation, and is approximately equal to the other acceptable candidates, then the candidate from the under-represented designated group(s) shall be recommended. When determining approximately equal, consider each committee member’s scores for each candidate, rather than the total group average for each candidate., in order to decide the shortlisted candidates (usually three) to bring on-campus for an interview.

PCEE may recommend to the Appointments Committee to include a member of the designated group (Aboriginal peoples, visible minorities, women, persons with disabilities, and sexual minorities) to the shortlist if PCEE deems that the candidate in the under-represented designated group is considered approximately equal to the higher ranked candidate already on the shortlist.

During the interview process, the Chair/Head will proceed with the interview using the University's general interview procedures and guidelines. This information can be obtained from the Faculty Recruitment Coordinator. All interview expenses that fall within the guidelines will be covered by the Office of the Provost and Vice-President, Academic and are managed by the Faculty Recruitment Coordinator. The departmental secretary arranges the hotel and travel accommodations and submits expenses to the Faculty Recruitment Coordinator for reimbursement.

Form 3: Approval of the Recommended Candidate

After the interviews have been completed, the Chair/Head, the Appointments Committee, and the EE/PA meet to discuss the recommended candidate. The Chair/Head will submit the Form 3: Approval of the Recommended Candidate along with the POST-INTERVIEW quantitative grid and additional comments regarding the evaluation of the interviewed candidate, to the EE/PA for approval, followed by the approval of the Dean, and finally the approval of PCEE.

Once PCEE approves the recommended candidate, the Appointments Committee submits the name to the AAU Council for approval in accordance with the provisions of Senate Bylaw 20 (Accessible via the University Secretariat Senate Bylaws webpage).

After the AAU Council approves the recommended candidate, the AAU Head will discuss the employment conditions and salary with the Dean. The AAU Head shall not contact the candidate about those conditions.

The Dean discusses the employment conditions and salary with the Office of Provost and Vice-President Academic. The Dean returns to the initial Form 1 used when the position was first approved and will complete Section 5, Salary and Negotiations - Letter of Appointment Table. The Dean will fill in the fields required in order to obtain information about the recommended candidate so that a letter of appointment can be produced by the Office of the Provost and Vice-President, Academic.

After the Dean has completed the required information, the Dean submits the salary portion of the table in section 5 to the Office of the Provost and Vice-President Academic for FINAL approval of the position.

The recommended candidate will receive their employment letter via email and will be instructed to enrol online to sign up for a University of Windsor email address and an employee number. This is considered the Seamless Entry Enrolment Process.

Seamless Entry Flowchart

Once candidates accept an academic position and enrol online using our seamless entry process they will receive their employee number, an email account and other useful information that will assist candidates with their relocation to the University of Windsor.