Under exceptional circumstances, a department or another academic unit may propose to the appropriate Dean the appointment of a faculty member without the usual search process. If the appropriate Dean approves a request for an exception to the requirement for a search, the review of a candidate may proceed and must follow the standard procedures of review by faculty in the department or academic unit, by faculty committees (TPAC, CMFA, PHFA), and by senior academic administration. Search waivers for tenured, tenure track, and teaching track positions must be reviewed and approved by the appropriate dean, the VPDI, and the Provost or their designees.

Departments must initially request approval for a search waiver. These requests must include:

• a complete job description for the position, including research and teaching responsibilities;
• a detailed, written justification of the circumstances requiring a search waiver, including the prospective candidate's CV.

After approval of the search waiver, the department should follow the same review processes they apply for applicants to any comparable position (including research or teaching presentations, solicitation of letters of recommendation,  review of written or other materials, individual or group meetings with department members, faculty discussions, and votes on a potential offer). Should the department vote to recommend an offer to the candidate, a standard dossier of materials should be submitted to the Dean, including:

• candidate materials, including cover letters and/or statements, publications, teaching materials; as in all searches, candidates should address in their materials (cover letter or statement) how they would contribute to the research and/or teaching missions of our diverse and inclusive university community;
• all available letters of recommendation documenting the national/international prominence of the candidate's research;
• complete minutes of the department's meeting on the candidate, together with the department's vote;
• a cover memo from the chair summarizing the discussion and recommending that an offer be made to the candidate.

The request for an offer will be reviewed by the dean, the provost, and the VPDI. Once approved, offer procedures are the same as for an offer resulting from a search.

If the offer carries tenure, or is at the Associate Professor or Professor rank, the case will need to go to the appropriate faculty body (TPAC, CMFA, PHFA) for review after the Dean has approved.