The quality of initial appointments is vital to the quality of teaching, scholarship and service to which the University is committed. The following statements of policy for search and appointment are intended to aid deans, the Vice President for Academic Affairs, and others involved in making initial appointments.

Seattle Pacific University gives notice of employment opportunities by appropriate publication and employs the following procedures in evaluating applications. Applications from women and members of ethnic minority groups are strongly encouraged. All faculty recruitment and appointment shall be conducted in the context of SPU’s commitment to faith as expressed in the evangelical Christian tradition. Applications from scholar-teachers from within the Wesleyan and Free Methodist heritage are strongly encouraged.

Announcement of a vacancy is made by the Office of the Academic Affairs after consultation with the dean and faculty of the discipline. Announcements of positions are made in appropriate professional journals, Free Methodist publications , graduate schools in the area of specialty, and other Christian universities. Other announcements may also be recommended by the faculty of the discipline, the dean, or the Vice President for Academic Affairs.

After an opening has been officially approved, applications are received. Application forms, provided through the Office of Human Resources, are available in the school office and in the Academic Affairs' office. In accordance with federal mandate, records of all applications are maintained for one year.

The faculty of each school have established in writing a statement of procedures for screening and interviewing faculty candidates, negotiating these through their dean and the Academic Affairs’ office. The Vice President for Academic Affairs will meet with each group to develop the goals and standards for the search. The faculty members and dean, using the agreed-upon procedures, will present evaluations and a prioritized list of candidates to the Vice President for Academic Affairs, based on candidates' vital Christian commitment, academic qualifications, and apparent teaching ability or promise, and supported by anecdotal records of conversations with two or more references and with the faculty candidate. Candidate[s] for a full-time position will be interviewed by the faculty of the discipline and the school, a faculty interview committee, the school dean, the Vice President for Academic Affairs and the President. Others participating in the interview process may include student representatives. In recommending the candidate to the President, the Vice President for Academic Affairs will give high priority to recommendations from the faculty of the discipline, regarding the candidate's scholarship and teaching skill; from the faculty, dean, and other administrators regarding the long-term promise of the individual to the school's and the University's mission statement as well as the long-term needs of the University; and the faculty interview committee regarding the fit of the candidate's statement of Christian faith and philosophy of Christian higher education with the mission of the University.

For each full-time faculty position the dean of the recruiting school will establish an interview committee of five full-time faculty members representing departments other than the recruiting unit. The same faculty interview committee will interview all candidates interviewed for the position in question and will offer its recommendation for hiring to the dean and Vice President for Academic Affairs.

Special appointment faculty will essentially follow the review and recommendation processes for full-time appointment, excluding emeritus faculty.

Authority to hire faculty is vested in the President by the Board of Trustees. In exercise of this responsibility, full-time appointments are initially made by the President and reported to the Board of Trustees. Final authority to hire and retain faculty is vested in the Board of Trustees [Seattle Pacific University ByLaws , Article I, Section 5]. The President, as the agent of the Board of Trustees, is charged with carrying out the policies and specific instructions of the Board of Trustees. Consistent with this charge, the President makes first-time appointments, reporting these to the Board of Trustees for final approval. While new appointments are subject to all applicable portions of this Handbook, special attention will be given in the original appointment to those items detailed in Section 5. The Board of Trustees, in careful consultation with the President, reserves the right to interview and directly approve or disapprove any candidate for a faculty position at Seattle Pacific University.

Newly hired faculty members without tenure at another institution do not receive credit toward tenure at Seattle Pacific. Persons who have been tenured at another institution or who have held permanent status at institutions which do not grant tenure may be given credit toward tenure at the discretion of the President upon recommendation of both the dean and the Vice President for Academic Affairs (Section 7.2.2).

Rank and salary at time of appointment shall be determined according to Sections 1 and 15.1.

In order to avoid improper influence, favor, lack of confidentiality, or the appearance thereof, the following policy applies to employment of relatives of employees.

The University does not permit concurrent employ­ment of relatives when the employment relationship between the relatives could reasonably lead or appear to lead to business-related conflicts of interest, improper influence, favor or consideration. The University shall not permit concurrent employment of relatives

1. When one relative has, or could have, the authority or practical power to supervise, appoint, remove or discipline the other;
2. When one relative would be responsible for auditing the work of another;
3. When other circumstances exist which could place a relative in a situation of actual or reasonable foreseeable conflict between University and personal interests; or
4. When, in order to avoid the reality or appearance of improper influence or favor, or to insure confidentiality, the University must limit the employ­ment of relatives of policy-level officers of other organizations or individuals with whom it does business.

If it becomes necessary as a result of this policy to terminate the employment of one of two employees, the University will permit the employees to decide which will terminate employment. If the relatives do not promptly decide, the University will decide, balancing the interests of the University and the affected employees.

In no event shall any employee vote, recommend or in any way participate in any decision directly affecting the appointment, retention, tenure, promotion, salary or any other status or term or condition of employment of any relative.

Any person hired by the University must present documentation establishing identity and employment authorization in accordance with the immigration laws of the United States prior to hire and upon request of the University at any time after hire.

Any employee who fails to provide proper documentation upon request shall be ineligible for hire or continued employment at Seattle Pacific University. Such failure shall be just cause for immediate dismissal of any employee, regardless of contract rights.

Contracts for summer session, interterm and in-service programs are offered on a contingency basis in which both the University and the individual faculty member accept some of the risk.