The Selection Committee is a group of individuals that are responsible for assessing the relative merits of applicants and selecting the best candidate for a particular position. The Committee should be balanced and diverse in its composition, with members representing the different interests of the University community. This ensures that the Committee’s deliberations are free from bias, and that the best person is appointed to the job.
Selection Committees are typically comprised of people from all levels of the organization, such as supervisors, peers, managers and functional specialists. These diverse perspectives will help the committee assess the applicant pool. It is important that the Committee members have a clear understanding of what the position entails and the skills and competencies required, so they can assess candidates against this ideal profile.
It is also important that the Selection Committee be able to work together as a team, so they can come up with the best possible decision. This is achieved through an open and respectful process, where everyone has the opportunity to contribute their views.
Choosing an at-large bid is a complex task, and there are many factors that the Selection Committee must consider. The NCAA lists a few: winning percentage against division-one teams, strength of schedule and opponents’ winning percentage. But there are so many other things that the committee must think about: road records, head-to-head results, key player injuries and imbalanced conference schedules — to name just a few.
Another challenge for the Selection Committee is to balance their personal evaluations of candidates against the overall quality of the pool. This is especially difficult if there are many strong candidates with similar qualifications and experience. A good way to avoid this pitfall is for the Selection Committee to have a well-defined definition of what “excellence” means in this role, and to make sure that all candidates meet that definition.
In addition to the definition of excellence, the Selection Committee should have a clear understanding of the Code of Conduct, which is based on five core values: inclusion, fairness, respect and excellence. This code applies to all committee members, including those who are not directly involved in the interview process but who may be consulted for information and/or advice on the candidate pool or final decisions.
The Selection Committee should discuss any potential conflicts of interest or commitment with the chair, who will recommend an appropriate course of action in keeping with the Conflict of Interest and Commitment policy. If a member believes that they cannot objectively evaluate a particular candidate, it is generally recommended that they step down from the committee. Any such deliberations should be documented in the recruitment file. It is also recommended that all Selection Committee members complete the online Training Module prior to their first meeting. This will familiarize them with the rules and procedures of Selection Committee, and ensure that their deliberations are free from bias and that the best person is appointed to the position.