1. The term of the PRC is from July 1 through June 30.

2. It is the obligation and responsibility of all eligible faculty librarians to serve ULS by at least standing for election to the PRC. This means that no one may remove his/her name from the ballot unless physically unable to serve (e.g. on leave). Current chairs of Faculty Assembly committees may be exempted, and the Vice President/President Elect of the Faculty Assembly is not eligible. Not eligible for election by virtue of their positions are the Director, Associate Director, Assistant Directors, and Personnel Librarian, or their equivalents. Non-eligible faculty librarians may vote in the PRC election.

3. Faculty librarians who have received letters from the Provost stating that they have been granted Expectation of Continuing Employment as of a date on or before July 1 in the year of the election (or the beginning of the term of the PRC for that year) are eligible to be on the ballot. Librarians who have received letters from the Provost stating that they are granted Expectation as of a date after July 1 of that year, and librarians whose reviews for Expectation have been completed but who have not yet received letters from the Provost are not eligible. In other words, eligible librarians must have Expectation as of the first day of the PRC term.

4. Librarians with joint appointments with other parts of the University (for example, and academic department) are eligible to run for election if they have Expectation and their primary appointment is in ULS. This specification agrees with the Faculty Handbook. Those running the election should be able to determine where the individual's primary appointment is by asking either the librarian in question or the Personnel Librarian.

5. If elected, the librarian is expected to serve his/her full term and to do his/her share of the work of the committee. Elected librarians who do not fulfill these responsibilities--unless physically unable to do so--will have a letter from the PRC chair giving the details of this behavior sent to their supervisors, and it may also become part of their personnel files.

1. The PRC chair consults with the Director on a chair and membership for each search committee. The search committee chair is drawn from the current PRC. In advance of the consultation the PRC chair may or may not poll the full PRC to determine if any member has interest in chairing a particular search.

2. The PRC chair consults with the appointed search-committee chair on the makeup of the remainder of the committee, including any suggestions that the Director may have offered. The search committee will generally consist of the position supervisor; two or more faculty librarians, at least one of whom has achieved expectation of continuing employment; a ULS staff member; and the Personnel Librarian, serving ex officio. The Director should contact any outside faculty members who are to be appointed. In general, search committee members should have skills or knowledge that will help assess applicants for a given position and, when possible, have minority representation.

3. Once the search has been approved to proceed, the PRC chair (preferably by phone) asks proposed members to serve on the search committee, determining that they will be available for the committee work during the projected timeline of the search. Staff members should obtain permission from their supervisors before agreeing to serve.

4. The PRC chair then sends an appointment letter (or e-mail) to all the search committee members, and informs the Director and Personnel Librarian by cc of the e-mail or a written list of the members. (Sample appointment letter, Attachment C, Part 2.)

1. The search committee chair confers with the PRC chair on the make-up of the committee, and reports the search committee's progress to the PRC chair.

2. The search chair calls all meetings of the committee, including identifying and reserving meeting space.

3. The search committee must meet before the closing date of the position and at a time when the Affirmative Action officer can also be present. This meeting agenda will include: affirmative action orientation; establishment of a time-line for the search; review of the criteria in the ad; discussion of additional criteria or weighing of the existing criteria to consider while reviewing applications.

4. Begin reviewing applications as they are received (distributed to all committee members by the secretary).

5. The committee meets as soon as possible after the closing date to identify a pool of candidates for telephone interviews. An efficient way to do this is to have all committee members submit a list in advance to the chair of their top picks. The chair can then merge the lists to determine if there is a core of candidates identified by all or most of the committee members. Applicants not identified by anyone can be dropped from the pool without discussion. Depending on the length of the combined lists, candidates with a single mention may also be dropped unless the person who chose them wants to champion their cause. Candidates with multiple mentions can be debated and discussed to derive the telephone interview pool.

6. The chair and committee members conduct telephone interviews (using an agreed set of questions), interview the references, write interview notes, and distribute notes to all members of the committee. The secretary sets up interview schedules after the Director approves the pool of interviewees. Remember that e-mail is not a confidential medium, so notes or documents concerning personnel matters should not be transmitted via e-mail.

7. The committee next meets to discuss impressions from telephone and reference interviews and come up with a short list for on-site interviews.

8. The chair prepares a report for the Director evaluating all the candidates in general terms, and recommending the top candidates (approximately three) to be brought to campus for interviews. Give the original report, as well as a copy, to the Personnel Librarian who will attach all necessary documentation before giving the original report to the Director. [Sample first report, Attachment C, part 3.]

9. The committee then prepares interview questions for candidates and determines if it would like to have the candidate prepare a demonstration or presentation of some kind for the committee or for a wider audience. Questions should comply with Affirmative Action guidelines.

10. As the secretary sets up interview dates, the chair should announce candidates and invite participation in any open meetings via all-staff e-mail postings.

11. The chair and other committee members should participate in different events of the interview day of each candidate. The chair of the committee should introduce the candidate at any events where non-committee members are present.

12. After all interviews, the committee meets to decide on recommendations for the outcome of the search.

13. The chair prepares a final report and circulates it to all committee members for comment, then revises and recirculates as necessary. The final report summarizes the qualifications (strengths and weaknesses) of all the candidates brought in for on-campus interviews. This report should not recommend one candidate over another, but should compare acceptable candidates and can state that certain candidates are unacceptable and explain why. Give the original report, as well as a copy, to the Personnel Librarian who will attach all necessary documentation before giving the original report to the Director. [Sample final report, Attachment C, part 4).

1. The librarian undergoing review ("the candidate") will prepare a dossier [suggested dossier format, Attachment C, part 5] including a current Curriculum Vitae (CV) [Suggested CV format, Attachment C, part 6] and submit it to the Personnel Librarian. After the entire review process has been completed, this dossier will be returned to the candidate.

2. The candidate should not solicit letters for the review. Persons to be solicited for letters should be contacted only by the chair of the PRC as part of the Level II review. The candidate, in discussion with the PRC coordinator of the review, may suggest individuals the PRC might solicit for letters, but no more than half the solicitations may be to individuals suggested by the candidate. Names of suggested referees should include their titles, addresses, phone numbers, a brief statement of each referee's qualifications to comment on this review, and any professional or other links between the referee and the candidate.

3. The dossier may include selected unsolicited letters of appreciation or commendation. In addition, the dossier should contain other well-chosen documentation the candidate that will enable the Level I review subcommittee to assess the candidate's job accomplishments, professional growth, and service.

1. Every review consists of two levels: the Level I review subcommittee examines the candidate's dossier, and solicits other information it deems necessary to make its recommendation; the Level II review is conducted by the PRC itself with access to the dossier and the full personnel file. The Level I review subcommittee is to consist of five librarians from the candidate's department who have expectation of continuing employment; supervisors and supervisees of the candidate are excluded. In the event that a committee cannot be formed on these terms, the requisite number of members may be achieved by adding librarians who have comparable positions in other departments and who hold expectation of continuing employment. The meaning of "comparable" will naturally vary in a system as large and complex as the ULS. However, the following hypothetical groupings illustrate how a Level I review committee may be formed whenever librarians outside the candidate's department must be included. These examples are not exhaustive but merely illustrative and for guidance:

The candidate does not have the option of removing one or more members from the subcommittee.

2. The PRC coordinator for the review will charge the subcommittee, informing it of the nature of the recommendations it is asked to make (for reappointment, promotion to a specified rank, and/or expectation of continuing employment). Each subcommittee member is responsible for reading the dossier of the candidate (access by appointment with the Personnel Librarian).

3. Because the Level I subcommittee has access only to the candidate's dossier, and not to the personnel file or supervisor's reviews or letter, the subcommittee is expected to draw on its members' experiences and knowledge of the candidate's work. It may request further relevant information (which the chair of the subcommittee should solicit) from others who have knowledge of the candidate's work, and may interview the candidate. An interview should engage the candidate in discussions about the nature and meaning of the work, possible future trends, and major accomplishments, allowing the subcommittee to observe the candidate's professional knowledge and attitude, his/her enthusiasm for and commitment to academic librarianship and such intangibles as we might value in our colleagues with expectation of continuing employment.

4. Once it has gathered all the information it needs, the subcommittee will analyze and evaluate the candidate's strengths and weaknesses for reappointment, promotion, and/or expectation of continuing employment, based solely on the candidate's activities since appointment in the expectation stream. The subcommittee will then write a report that contains its recommendations. The subcommittee should reflect both the strengths and weaknesses of the candidate in its report. If all the members can not agree on the substance of the report, one or more members may submit a minority report. The report need not specify each and every line of the librarian's job description; rather, it should provide an overview of the candidate's job responsibilities, a description of the evidence at hand for the quality of the work, and a summary of each category of evidence (e.g. peer evaluations, unsolicited commendations, instructional materials, the narrative statement, etc.). For professional development, it should identify the professional areas (e.g. technical services, Web-based resources, etc.) in which the candidate has been engaged, explain the importance of the candidate's activities, and assess the outlook for continuing contributions in the future. For service, the report should provide an overview of the candidate's service contributions in the ULS, highlight service contributions made outside the ULS, and place these contributions in the context of what is expected from someone at this stage of the career. The subcommittee chair will submit the final version of this report, along with any original documentation of evidence it has gathered beyond the candidate's dossier, to the PRC's review coordinator.

5. Each subcommittee member is responsible for attending and participating actively in all meetings of the subcommittee.

6. The subcommittee member elected as chair is expected to accept the appointment and fulfill the responsibilities. The chair of the Level I review subcommittee should communicate closely throughout the review process with the PRC's Level I review coordinator.

7. All subcommittee members must respect the confidentiality of all subcommittee discussions and documents.

1. At least four months before the Level II review due date, contact the faculty librarian undergoing review and advise on content and nature of the dossier and CV, and offer advice and information about the review process. This is especially useful for librarians facing a first reappointment review.

2. Establish a timeline for the review. The review process (including the Director's and Provost's actions) needs to be completed six months before the candidate's third- or sixth-year hiring anniversary; therefore the Level II report is generally due at least six weeks earlier. Confer with the candidate to determine a realistic target closing date for the dossier (ideally at least one month before the Level II due date). This becomes, in essence, a deadline for the candidate to have all material prepared for the dossier, and determines the dates for all other phases of the review process. This date can be adjusted if necessary. Inform the Personnel Librarian and PRC chair of the target date and any subsequent changes.

3. Inform the supervisor of the candidate, with copy to the Associate/Assistant University Librarians (ADs). Request in writing that the supervisor submit a letter for the candidate's personnel file focusing on the accomplishments and criteria appropriate to the level of the review to be conducted, and inform him/her of the due date for the letter. This is an opportunity to remind the supervisor that the supervisor's review letter is not the same as the annual performance appraisal (to which the PRC also has access), and serves a very different purpose. (Sample letter to supervisor, Attachment C, part 7.)

4. Discuss with the PRC chair whether referees should be contacted for the Level II review. If so, consult with the candidate and review materials already in the dossier or personnel file (access by appointment) to identify potential referees (both at Pitt and elsewhere) who could be asked to contribute objective letters commenting on the candidate's skills, professional contributions, service, and other accomplishments which are pertinent to the rank in question. Convey the list of potential referees (along with their titles, postal and e-mail addresses, and phone numbers) to the PRC chair, identifying which ones were suggested by the candidate; no more than half the letters solicited by the PRC should be from individuals suggested by the candidate.

5. Suggest to the PRC chair appropriate potential members for the Level I subcommittee.

6. Once the Level I subcommittee has been appointed, convene it. (Remember that ULS secretaries can not assist in scheduling meetings or in handling other aspects of the review process.) Inform the subcommittee of the relevant portions of the Guidelines and of the timeline for the review (including the due date for the subcommittee's report), instruct it to elect its own chair, and answer any questions about the contents or nature of the Level I review. The coordinator (unless he/she is also an appointed member of the subcommittee) should not participate in the subcommittee's deliberations.

7. Upon receipt of the candidate's dossier by the Personnel Librarian, inform the members of the Level I subcommittee (if the Personnel Librarian has not already done so) that they should schedule an appointment with the Personnel Librarian to read the dossier. (This may occur before the first meeting of the subcommittee, although ideally the subcommittee members should have been instructed first in the current interpretations of the Guidelines and procedures of the review.)

8. Maintain contact with the subcommittee chair, and keep the PRC Chair informed of the progress of the Level I review. Respond to any questions that the subcommittee might have about its deliberations, or refer questions if necessary to the PRC chair.

9. Receive the report of the subcommittee, submit it to the Personnel Librarian, and inform the PRC chair so he/she can arrange a full PRC meeting to conduct the Level II review.

10. At the PRC's Level II review, take notes on the discussion, draft the Level II report and circulate to all PRC members for comment. Revise report as needed after it is discussed in the full PRC and prepare a final copy for the PRC Chair to transmit to the Director.

11. Respect and safeguard the confidentiality of all contents of the candidate's dossier and personnel file, as well as all Level I and Level II review discussions and reports.

1. The Level II review committee consists of the entire PRC.

2. For the Level II review, the PRC members examine the candidate's dossier; the personnel file containing all annual reviews and job descriptions since the candidate's appointment in the expectation stream, any reports from previous reviews for reappointment and/or promotion, any referees' letters solicited for this review, and the supervisor's letter written for this review; and the Level I subcommittee report. Sometimes for first reappointment reviews and usually for final reappointment reviews, outside referees' letters will be solicited. The list of names of possible referees may come in part from the candidate, but no more than half the letters solicited may come from referees suggested by the candidate. Typically, a review for expectation of continuing employment or for promotion to Librarian III or IV should have six or more referees' letters. For reviews of departmental library heads, the referees should include the relevant University of Pittsburgh academic department chair and other relevant faculty members. The PRC chair contacts the potential referees; a copy of the solicitation letter and all original replies received are placed in the candidate's personnel file. Experience shows that it is prudent to request more than the number of letters you ultimately hope to secure, and to request them several weeks in advance of the Level II review.

3. When all the documentation is complete and the Level I review report has been submitted to the Personnel Librarian, the review coordinator informs the PRC chair, who notifies the PRC members to schedule a time with the Personnel Librarian to read the dossier and personnel file. The PRC chair schedules a meeting to conduct the Level II review.

4. The PRC meets, discusses the review, and votes. The review coordinator drafts the PRC's Level II report, submits it to the PRC members for comment, revises the draft and submits the final report to the PRC chair, who sends it to the Director and Personnel Librarian with a cover memo.

1. Obtain lists from the Personnel Librarian of all searches anticipated for the year; all upcoming reviews through December of the following year; all ULS librarians, their departments, and whether they have achieved expectation of continuing employment; and all ULS staff and their departments. These lists are essential for scheduling the work of the PRC and determining eligible candidates for the search and review subcommittees.

2. Sit on the ULS Faculty Assembly Executive Committee (FAEC), as specified in the Faculty Assembly Bylaws.

3. Report on PRC activities as appropriate (Faculty Assembly, FAEC, ULS News, etc.).

4. Submit annual report to the President of the Faculty Assembly by May 31 [Faculty Assembly Bylaws].

5. Serve on or chair search and review subcommittees as required.

6. Observe and ensure confidentiality of meeting deliberations and individual communications with anyone involved in PRC processes, as appropriate.

7. Call the first meeting of newly elected PRC so it can elect its new Chair for the following year.

1. Call meetings of the full committee as business dictates.

2. Identify and reserve meeting space.

3. Prepare agenda and preside at meetings.

1. Consult with the ULS Director and each search committee chair on the membership for each committee.

2. Once a search has been approved to proceed, ask the proposed members to serve on the search committee, and determine that they will be available for the committee work during the projected timeline of the search. The Director should contact any outside faculty members who are to be appointed.

3. Send an appointment letter (or e-mail) to all the search committee members, and inform the Director and Personnel Librarian by cc of the e-mail or a written list of the members. (Sample letter of appointment, Attachment C, Part 2.)

4. Monitor the progress of the search, insofar as it may affect the assignments of PRC members.

1. Inform full PRC committee of upcoming reviews and allow members to exempt themselves from service for those reviews for which there will be a real or perceived conflict of interest. Likewise, inform the Associate/Assistant University Librarians of the list of reviews anticipated for the PRC's term, and of any changes to that list.

2. Appoint (or accept volunteers for) a coordinator for each review from among the PRC members.

3. Consult with the Director and the coordinator on the membership for each Level I subcommittee.

4. Inform the members of the Level I subcommittee of their appointment in writing, with cc of e-mail or a written list of the members to the Director and to the Personnel Librarian. (Sample letter of appointment, Attachment C, Part 8.)

5. Monitor the progress of each subcommittee through timely contact with each coordinator.

6. Once the subcommittee's Level I report is received, schedule full PRC meeting for the Level II review and inform PRC members to schedule reviews of the relevant materials in the office of the Personnel Librarian.

7. Consult with the review coordinator and the Director to determine whether referees' letters should be solicited, and from whom. Normally for a sixth-year review, at least six letters are expected, no more than half of them from referees suggested by the candidate. The candidate is not informed of the list of referees. Write letters to the identified referees, being specific about the purpose of the request, what it is they should address (enclosing a copy of the relevant sections of the Guidelines), where it should be sent and when it is due. Note that their participation is voluntary. (Sample letter to referee, Attachment C, Part 9.) Transmit a copy of the chair's letter soliciting the evaluation, along with originals of all received letters of reference, to the Personnel Librarian for placement in the candidate's file.

8. Conduct the Level II review.

9. Once the review coordinator's report on the Level II review has been approved by the full PRC, write a cover memo transmitting the Level II report to the Director, cc the Personnel Librarian. The Level II report should include a list of all requests sent out to referees, a brief statement of each referee's qualifications, why she/he was selected and by whom (the candidate or the PRC), and an explanation of any lack of response.

9. Make certain that all the original documents concerning the review are on file with the Personnel Librarian, including a) Level I report of the Subcommittee, b) Level II report of the PRC, c) PRC chair's transmittal letter, and d) any documents requested as part of the review process including statements from the candidate and outside letters of reference.

ON PITT ULS LETTERHEAD OR VIA E-MAIL

TO: [Names of Librarians, Staff Members, Faculty, others]

FROM: [Name], Chair, Peer Review Committee

DATE:

SUBJECT: Search Committee for [XYZ] Librarian

Dear Colleagues,

[Name] (Chair)

[Name] (Supervisor)

[Name] (Staff)

[Name of librarian]

[Name of librarian]

[Name of faculty] ([Name of Department or Program])

[Name] (Personnel Librarian)

cc: Rush Miller

ON PITT LETTERHEAD

TO: Rush Miller

FROM: [Name], Chair, Search Committee for [XYZ] Librarian

DATE:

SUBJECT: First report on search

cc: [Personnel Librarian]

ON PITT ULS LETTERHEAD

TO: Rush Miller

FROM: [Name], Chair, Search Committee for [XYZ] Librarian

DATE:

SUBJECT: Final report on search

NAME

Contact information

PITT ULS LETTERHEAD OR E-MAIL

TO: [Name]

FROM: [Name], PRC Review Coordinator

DATE:

SUBJECT: [Third-Year/Sixth-Year] Review for [Name of librarian]

ON PITT ULS LETTERHEAD OR VIA E-MAIL

TO: [Names of Librarians]

FROM: [Name], Chair, Peer Review Committee

DATE:

SUBJECT: Level I Review Subcommittee for [Name]

Dear Colleagues,

Dear Colleague,

This memo will inform you of your assignment to the Level I [first (third-year)/final (sixth-year)]

Thank you for your service in this important process.

cc: [Personnel Librarian]

[Director]

ON PITT ULS LETTERHEAD OR VIA E-MAIL