Faculty Searches at a Christian University: Ethical and Practical Considerations

In the space of four years, the School of Theology at Seattle Pacific University made eight faculty hires. But for various reasons, three of the eight hirees did not prove to be good "mission fits" for the institution. Suspecting that the regrettable outcome of these searches lay not in the persons hired, but in the deficiencies of the hiring process itself, the school thoroughly revamped its method of recruiting new faculty. This essay describes the new method that was devised by the school's three department chairs in consultation with an organizational psychologist, a method implemented for the first time in 2006-2007. It argues that a successful search depends on three things: (a) the articulation of a clear set of criteria for determining what will count as a "good mission fit," (b) the compilation of a variegated array of informative documents, which address the aforementioned criteria, and (c) the utilization of a prearranged search protocol, with a clearly delineated division of labor among the stakeholders and an efficient method of collecting, synthesizing, and reporting all that is learned along the way. The article contends that there are both practical and ethical reasons that a Christian institution of higher education should use such an admittedly expensive and labor-intensive method of faculty recruitment. (Contains 1 table and 8 footnotes.)