Senate Faculty Search Waivers

The guidelines provided below are the basis for a decision to approve or decline a waiver request. Please utilize to the senate search waiver checklists before submitting search waivers for approval in AP Recruit.

Senate Search Waiver Checklists

Timelines for Review

OFEW reviews Target of Excellent waivers typically within 2 - 3 days of the time they reach our queue and Spousal/Partner Hire and PPFP waivers within one week of the time they reach our queue. If revisions are needed, OFEW will request changes and the review timeline restarts.

Search Waiver Categories

Target of Excellence

A search waiver may be considered for cases where there is an unusual opportunity to hire an individual whose distinctive qualifications and extraordinary promise or accomplishments will contribute significantly to the excellence of the academic and public mission of the University. Three criteria must be met:

  1. The individual would be on the short list of top candidates if an open search was conducted. That is, the individual more than meets the campus's exacting standards of excellence in all areas of review (see APM 210), namely, teaching, research, and service. Evidence of meeting this criterion should include written assessments of the candidate’s excellence in all areas of review. Candidates can assist in this process by providing self-evaluative statements. Efforts to support diversity, equity, and inclusion in any or all of these areas contribute to excellence. Guidance on how to prepare an effective self-evaluative statement regarding efforts to support diversity, equity and inclusion in research, teaching, and service can be found at https://ofew.berkeley.edu/recruitment/contributions-diversity.
  2. The individual is on the market for a very limited time period
  3. The individual fits into one of these categories:
  • an internationally recognized leader in a particular field (e.g., a Nobel Laureate or a Pulitzer Prize winner)
  • a scholar who is a recognized leader in a new and important field of inquiry (this is distinct from an area that the department currently lacks strength in)
  • a scholar who provides a rare opportunity to diversify the research portfolio of a unit
  • a scholar who makes exceptional or extraordinary contributions to diversity and equal opportunity

The request for granting a waiver must show how the three criteria are met, and include why it is not possible to conduct an open search in which the individual would be an applicant. This search waiver is of indefinite duration.

Spousal/Partner Hire

The University of California recognizes that addressing the needs of dual career couples is an essential part of recruiting and retaining the highest quality faculty. A search waiver may be considered if the successful recruitment or retention of a senate faculty member is ultimately dependent on an academic appointment for the individual's partner. The partner hire is contingent on ultimate employment or retention of the associated individual.

A partner hire is not an entitlement. Every partner hire must meet the qualifications and standards of excellence in all dimensions for appointment as a senate faculty member. Evidence of meeting this criterion should include written assessments of the candidate’s excellence in all areas of review (see APM 210), namely, teaching, research, and service. Candidates can assist in this process by providing self-evaluative statements. Efforts to support diversity, equity, and inclusion in any or all of these areas contribute to excellence. Guidance on how to prepare an effective self-evaluative statement regarding efforts to support diversity, equity and inclusion in research, teaching, and service can be found at https://ofew.berkeley.edu/recruitment/contributions-diversity. This search waiver is of indefinite duration.

President’s and Chancellors’ Postdoctoral Fellowship Recipients

A search waiver may be considered if the candidate is a current or former recipient of a UC President’s or Chancellor’s Postdoctoral Fellowship. These UC postdoctoral fellowship programs  support outstanding scholars in all fields whose research, teaching, and service will contribute to diversity and equal opportunity at UC. A list of current and former fellows is available at http://ppfp.ucop.edu/info/fellowship-recipients/index.html. This search waiver is of indefinite duration.

Pilot program to require attestation, disclosure, and reference checking regarding prior misconduct for senate faculty hiring

A signed Authorization of Information Release form must accompany the search waiver request for all senate faculty positions in order for it to be reviewed. We strongly encourage you to review the full program description available in BMAP (short version here).