Faculty Hiring Manual 2023–24
Section 2: Getting Started

2.4 Creating the Position Posting for ROCS (Recruitment, Onboarding, and Classification System)

After a search has been approved, the Hiring Unit will create the position posting for ROCS. The ROCS posting must include key information about the research and teaching expertise needed for the position, and it can include a statement about the department’s and university’s academic priorities and values. The position posting serves as the basis for (and is often functionally identical to) a recruitment or job advertisement that will be circulated on university, school, and departmental websites, in professional publications among colleagues and both formal and informal professional networks.

When developing a position posting, Hiring Units should consider the following:

• What is the rank and what are the area(s) of specialty?
• What are the required and preferred qualifications and experience?
• What application materials are required, and what materials are optional? Required materials generally include a resume or curriculum vitae, a cover letter, a sample of scholarly work, a description of the applicant’s teaching philosophy, a description (either in the cover letter or as a separate document) of how the applicant’s career to date has contributed to institutional goals of advancing diversity, equity, and inclusion, and professional letters of reference.²
• What are the essential duties, functions, and responsibilities for the position, including research, teaching, and service? If the position is part of a joint hire or cluster hire with other units, committees should ensure that the position posting is as clear as possible about necessary expertise, qualifications, and expectations for research, teaching, and service and the opportunities the appointment will offer.
• What possible new skills, perspectives, and approaches might the new hire bring to the department, contributing to innovation and creativity?
• What information about the Hiring Unit, program, school, and wider university will be relevant to include to attract a broad pool of qualified applicants?
• Any other relevant information that is required in the position posting (see below).

The position posting may include value propositions for potential new applicants (i.e., what the department, school, campus, and university offers to advance the applicant’s career and will help them flourish in a new community). Postings may include details on active and thriving research areas, unique research resources, innovative curriculum and teaching opportunities, collaborative networks, mentoring programs, associated centers or institutes, and any formal or informal affiliations that might be relevant or related to faculty and student groups.

Hiring Units may also include a brief statement regarding their commitment to diversity, equity, and inclusion. Sample statements include:

• The university and the School / Department of ______ have a strong commitment to advancing equity, diversity, inclusion, and access in higher education and strongly encourage diverse applicants to apply.
• Each member of the university and Department/School of _______is committed to working to build and sustain an equitable and inclusive university where cultural diversity is celebrated and valued. We believe diversity benefits and enriches the development of all of our students, staff, and faculty in our Beloved Community and encourage diverse applicants to apply.

The final posting that will be placed in ROCS must include:

• A description of desired research, instructional, and/or clinical areas;
• The expected rank or ranks and appointment track (tenured or tenure track, nontenure track, clinical, etc.);
• An accurate and clear description of the full range of responsibilities and duties for the position;
• Any minimum qualifications (e.g., degree-level, board certification, etc.);³  
• Any minimum level of experience;
• Any additional qualifications that may be welcome or desirable;
• A list of required materials and a list of references;⁴
• A brief description of the school and university;
• Corporate Compliance Responsibilities (for RBHS positions); and
• The university’s EEO statement⁵

Postings must be published in ROCS by the Hiring Unit’s Posting Authorizer (typically a department Business Manager or similar position). The Posting Authorizer publishes the posting by advancing it to the “Posted” workflow state in ROCS. Posting Authorizers are responsible for ensuring that all applicants are “dispositioned” and appropriately updated throughout the recruitment process.⁶

All positions must be posted on ROCS unless they meet one of the limited exceptions to the posting requirement. Hiring Units should contact UHR and the Office of University Labor Relations prior to deciding if a position meets one of these limited exceptions and does not need to be posted.

Once posted, ROCS will automatically generate a Posting Number for reference. After a position is posted in ROCS, it must be published publicly on the university’s career site for a minimum of 5 days before an offer can be made.

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² Asking candidates to address their professional efforts toward advancing diversity, equity, and inclusion in the academy or at their institutions can add an important dimension to their file, much like similar statements about teaching experience and effectiveness, publication records, prizes, and other markers of academic distinction.
³Minimum required qualifications should be distinguished clearly from preferred qualifications, which may also be included. When appropriate, qualifications should be designated as preferred rather than as required.
⁴ All required materials must be submitted through ROCS and not to search committees directly.
⁵ All positions posted in ROCS will automatically include the Rutgers University Non-Discrimination Statement
⁶ “Dispositioned” means that Applicant Reviewers advance applicants to the appropriate state upon rejection or withdrawal e.g., “Not Selected for Interview,” “Interview-Not Selected,” “Withdrawn,” “Cancel/Offer Declined,” etc. Upon completion of the recruitment process, the Posting Authorizer must confirm all applicants are dispositioned and then advance the posting to the appropriate workflow state i.e., Filled, Canceled, etc. A generated email will be sent to rejected applicants (i.e., Not Selected for Interview and Interview-Not Selected) after the posting is advanced to Filled.