Hiring now

Thank you for your interest in the UW Tacoma School of Education and in our positions. The following are common Frequently Asked Questions about our search process.  

Q: I would like to get on a call/meet with the search committee and/or Dean to discuss my application and my qualifications for your advertised position. What are the next steps? 

A: Due to high interest in our positions, and to maintain equity and fairness in our process to all stakeholders, the Dean is unable to meet with individual applicants 1:1. The same is usually true for the search chair/co-chairs. 

For general questions about a position, the School of Education, or UW Tacoma, you may call our main line at 253/692-4430 during our regular business hours or send an e-mail to uwted@uw.edu. Either the committee chair/co-chairs or the Office of the Dean staff will respond to you within 2-3 business days. 

Q: I would like someone in the School of Education to review my cover letter and materials prior to submitting my application. Related: I would like to send the Dean my materials directly and request an interview with her to discuss the search. What are my next steps?

A: We regret that we are unable to review applicant materials and provide feedback to applicants, as we need to maintain an equitable and fair process for all applicants.

Moreover, applicants must directly submit their materials to the online platform specified in the job ad (e.g., Interfolio, Workday, etc.) and preferably by the priority review date to ensure the highest consideration. We are unable to accept materials outside of this process. Any materials sent to any individual employee, including the Dean or the committee search chair/co-chairs, is not considered an official application. 

The Dean also is not part of the search committees out of respect for our team’s governance protocols. Search committees conduct most search-related business from start to finish on behalf of the School of Education’s faculty and staff. Therefore, out of respect for the committee, as well as to avoid perceived or real conflicts of interest, the Dean is unable to adjust our standard search process to accommodate requests such a separate interview.

We encourage applicants to carefully review the published job description, including all the stated qualifications. We also strongly encourage applicants to research more about the School of Education and UW Tacoma. It is vital that cover letters clearly summarize how applicants meet all minimum qualifications and align their professional experiences with the stated needs in the published job ad. 

Q: I see an advertised position for a tenure-track assistant professor in your school. I have been a tenured associate professor at Great University for 3 years. If I am offered the position, can I be considered to come in to the School of Education with tenure at the rank of associate professor?

A: If a position is advertised for a certain rank, such as a tenure-track assistant professor, we are unable to modify the terms for any candidate of choice offered the final position. The above includes qualified candidates who currently are above rank and/or have earned tenure at another university. The candidate of choice who formally accepts an offer will come in at the published rank.

However, if a faculty position is clearly listed as open-rank or mixed-rank, qualified applicants should research our unit’s promotion/tenure criteria and the UW Faculty Code & Governance, and as/if appropriate, clearly note the rank they are applying for in their cover letter and describe how they meet all of the stated qualifications. 

Final determinations about faculty rank and/or tenure are made by the School of Education’s voting faculty following the conclusion of all finalist visits. The voting faculty make a recommendation to the Dean and the Executive Vice Chancellor for Academic Affairs.

For a staff role (classified or professional), we are unable to modify any position’s published classification or grade, as these were reviewed and approved by UW Tacoma’s HR team before it posted. We also are unable to convert an advertised staff position into a faculty position. 

Q: How can I get updates about the status of the search?

A: We maintain general updates on our Hiring Now page. Applicants who will not advance in a search will see an update in the system to which the application materials were submitted, which may include a disposition-code change/status update and/or an automatic e-mail notification. 

For semi-finalists, we communicate status updates as the committee recommends and confirms finalists. For finalists, upon the conclusion of all capus visits, there are a few governance discussions and protocols that must occur before the hiring manager is able to extend a formal offer. For competitive faculty searches, voting faculty meet with the Dean to discuss/vote on the rank and viability of each finalist at a special meeting. 

Once a written offer letter is returned and processed by a candidate of choice, the search chair/co-chair will notify other finalists to inform them of the final outcome of the search.

We commit to ensuring updates are provided in the timeliest manner to applicants, candidates, and finalists. We appreciate your patience and understanding. 

Q: I applied for the position and I am disappointed that I did not advance in the search. I published 5 books, received my doctorate from one of the best education programs in the nation, etc. How can I obtain feedback about why the committee did not advance my candidacy?

A: We have dozens, and at times, hundreds of qualified applicants who apply for our open positions that require our search committees to make difficult choices from the time they screen applicants to when they recommend finalists. If you were not advanced in a search, it is because the committee decided to pursue other applicants whose background, expertise, and professional experience more closely aligned with the School of Education’s and UW Tacoma’s unique context. It also is likely that among several exceptional applicants/candidates, the committee selected individuals with uniquely qualifying credentials, such as those who hold certain types of credentials not held by other core faculty, an exceptional scholarly record, research interests in areas/subareas that will enhance the strengths of our school, and so forth. 

We are unable to provide feedback to applicants/candidates who did not advance in the process. However, we encourage any interested individuals to keep reviewing UW Tacoma’s job boards (faculty and/or staff) and to consider us for future opportunities.