POSITION REQUEST GUIDELINES for ACADEMIC AFFAIRS
Part-time and Full-time Faculty and Academic Support
Academic departments and programs should make requests for faculty and staff positions within the context of a
comprehensive staffing analysis. Each position requested should have a distinct rationale that places the request in the
overall context of program staffing. Department chairs and program coordinators should prepare requests that address
the following:
• Section I: Brief program enrollment analysis
. The Staffing Committee will have data on numbers of majors/minors
and course enrollments. In this section, explain any features of your curriculum that the committee should consider,
such as curriculum bottlenecks, particular features of the academic program that are relevant to staffing (e.g. the
SYE), your department/program’s course offerings that fulfill graduation requirements, and changes that you have
seen as we have implemented the new graduation requirements.
• Section II: Brief analysis of anticipated leaves and course reductions. This section should report on all anticipated
sabbatical, FYP, and professional leaves in the department or program, and on all anticipated course reductions
resulting from FYP participation, chair, program coordinator, or grant project director compensation, or accrued
SYE credits.
• Section III: Three-year history and projection of FYP and FYS participation. This section should report on the
department’s or program’s past and planned contribution to FYP/FYS staffing (with each discussed separately). The
normal assumption is that a department or program will contribute faculty to the FYP and FYS in a proportion
commensurate with its size. If your department departs from this norm, you should address how and why you depart
from it. If you have not contributed to the FYP in the past 3 years, please discuss why this has been the case.
• Section IV: Description of position requested. This section should offer a description of the position being
requested. Please note: You should define the position as broadly as possible, as this will allow you to generate
the largest and most diverse pool possible. Consider ways in which your program would benefit from diverse and
inclusive pedagogies and scholarly agendas.
• Section V: Rationale. This section should provide a brief rationale for the position being requested. The rationale
should address how the position contributes to the department’s or program’s curriculum, and how it connects to and
supports interdisciplinary programs (Letters of support from programs should be included. Such letters should
specifically address how the position will enhance the program and expected enrollments for the program).
If the position being requested is to replace a faculty member, whether one on leave or leaving the university,
please answer the following questions:
If the position being requested is to replace a faculty member in the areas that they teach
currently, what is the recent enrollment history of the person(s) being replaced?
What courses will be offered by the new faculty member/visitor?
Based upon program requirements and enrollment history, what is the anticipated enrollment
in each course?
If the request for the replacement is not approved, what is the contingency plan?
Other questions that must be addressed in your rationale: