Policy Statement
The quality of initial appointments is vital to the pursuit of excellence to which Pratt Institute and its academic departments and schools are committed. Consequently, the following statements of policy are deemed important guidelines to professional recruitment:

• to assist Pratt Institute in maintaining an outstanding faculty and in creating a professionally challenging atmosphere for the individual faculty member, the Institute is highly selective in making initial appointments; and
• in recruiting new faculty members, the Institute conforms to the letter and the spirit of equal employment opportunity. (see CBA, article 5)

Search Procedures
Once a full-time faculty position has been approved through the budget process, it will be the responsibility of the departmental faculty and chair, in consultation with the dean, to define the criteria and eligibility for the position. Once the position is defined, the dean and the chair will work with the Institute’s human resources officer to publicize the opening nationally and to establish administrative procedures for the recruitment process.

In accordance with the terms of the collective bargaining agreement (article 22.2), if a faculty member with CCE and with expertise in the field of the open position applies for the position, that faculty member will be among the finalists for the position. If the faculty member with CCE is awarded the full-time position, he/she will be given the same rank which he/she held as a part-time faculty member.

In accordance with the terms of the collective bargaining agreement (article 16), the departmental peer committee or a search committee approved by the department will review all applicants for any approved full-time faculty position and forward a recommendation of qualified candidates to the chair. The chair reviews the recommendations of the peer committee and forwards his/her recommendations to the dean. The dean will consult with the provost as needed, and then make the final appointment. No representative of the schools may make any final commitment to a prospective faculty appointee without the written approval of the appropriate dean, who must have prior written approval from the provost.

Appointment Procedures
All full-time faculty appointments are made by the dean of the appropriate school, following review of the recommendation of the faculty and chair, and following consultation with the provost.
All initial full-time faculty appointments are probationary and are for one year only. Regardless of the level of appointment, all new faculty will receive a letter of appointment. The information that should be conveyed in the dean’s letter of appointment includes the following:

• the starting date and the termination date or length of the period of appointment;
• the salary;
• a general statement of the responsibilities of the position, and the terms of evaluation;
• any special arrangements or agreements, such as credit for previous service.

Once the new faculty member accepts the appointment, the Office of Human Resources, in conjunction with its new-hire orientation, will provide him or her a copy of the collective bargaining agreement and a copy of this handbook.

A copy of the letter of appointment will be retained on file in the office of the dean and the original will be maintained in the Office of Human Resources.

Orientation
The chair will provide the new faculty member with an orientation to the programs and policies of the department or school.

Personnel File
See CBA, Article 19
The personnel file is kept in the Office of Human Resources. The contents and availability of faculty personnel files are described in the collective bargaining agreement.