A. Appointment to Benjamin Peirce Fellow

(1)   Description

A Benjamin Peirce Fellowship is a non-tenure-track position in the Department of Mathematics that is held by scholars who possess significant promise as researchers and a strong record of teaching undergraduate or graduate students. The appointment of a Benjamin Peirce Fellow is for a period of three years. Benjamin Peirce Fellowships are not renewable; however, those who choose to take unpaid leaves during their time as a Benjamin Peirce Fellow may be given the option of extending their Benjamin Peirce Fellowship by an equivalent amount of time, depending on curricular needs and budget constraints, and with approval by the Department Chair. In such cases, appointments as Benjamin Peirce Fellows cannot ordinarily exceed a maximum of 5 years total. Benjamin Peirce Fellows are expected to have completed all requirements for the doctorate before their appointment start date. In addition to their research activities, Benjamin Peirce Fellows are ordinarily expected to teach, advise, and perform limited departmental service.

 

(2)   Search Flowchart: Benjamin Peirce Fellows

BP Fellow Flowchart

 
(3)   Steps: Appointment to Benjamin Peirce Fellow

 

Step

Explanation

1

The department chair writes to the divisional dean, requesting authorization for a search

The letter should specify the curricular need for the appointment and the specific field sought.

2

The divisional dean reviews the request

The divisional dean reviews individual requests in light of divisional priorities and resources (including space). If the search is authorized, the divisional dean will provide a written response to the department, setting out the conditions of the search.

3

The department advertises the position and makes inquiries at other institutions

  • All advertising copy must be reviewed and approved by the assistant dean for the division before it is submitted to the appropriate journals and other venues. Advertisements and inquiries should describe the position broadly and should list a date after which the department will stop accepting applications, or the department can encourage candidates to apply by a specific date, while indicating that applications will be reviewed until the position is filled. At least one form of the advertisement should be published in print. Advertisements should clearly state required documents and must indicate that Harvard is “an equal opportunity employer and all qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, sex, gender identity, sexual orientation, religion, creed, national origin, ancestry, age, protected veteran status, disability, genetic information, military service, pregnancy and pregnancy-related conditions, or other protected status.”
  • The dossier for the finalist must include a teaching/advising statement that describes the candidate’s philosophy and practices related to undergraduate (and as, relevant, graduate) teaching and advising and teaching materials (e.g., any teaching awards, representative course syllabi, and teaching evaluations). The advertisement should ask all candidates to submit with their original application materials a teaching/advising statement and a research statement. The department may request the other teaching materials later in the process.
  • The dossier for the finalist must also include 3 letters of recommendation. The advertisement should ask candidates to submit contact information for references with their original application materials. The advertisement should also ask candidates to include in their cover letter comments on any efforts to encourage diversity, inclusion and belonging. 
  • Harvard is required to solicit and record, when available, each applicant’s gender and racial/ethnic information. Applicants are not required to provide demographic information.

4

The department follows its standard procedures to review candidate(s)

 

5

The case statement is finalized by the department chair

The finalized case statement, prepared and signed by the department chair and the chair of the search committee, should include the following:

  • A description of the search, including procedures for establishing a list of candidates, steps taken to identify candidates from diverse populations, including women and minorities (e.g., copies of advertisements and letters expressing interest in such candidates), total number of applicants, and a description of the review procedures used in the department. Please address the demographics of the pool as displayed in the Departmental EEO Report. This report displays aggregate demographic data from the search.
  • A description of the finalist’s teaching/advising qualifications, including any contributions related to diversity, inclusion, and belonging.
  • A comparison of the candidate with all other leading candidates (in particular, women and minorities), and reasons why the other leading candidates were not chosen.
  • Describe the teaching needs that the appointment would address. 
  • A summary of the department's discussions of the case.

Note: The finalized case statement should be made available to the faculty in the department involved in the review.

6

The candidate’s dossier is prepared by the department and sent to the assistant dean for the division and the assistant dean for faculty development

Note: The department should secure from applicants at the short-list stage (or from the finalist, if the department’s process does not include a short-list stage) a draft course title, course description, and syllabus for the course(s) that the candidate(s) intend to teach during their first semester, for approval. This information will be included in the finalist’s dossier. (Obtaining this information is not necessary for candidates who would be teaching established courses such as certain language or mathematics courses, etc.)

  • Please securely send one electronic copy of the dossier to the assistant dean for the division and the assistant dean for faculty development. Please follow HUIT’s recommended practices for secure document transfer (e.g., Accellion Kiteworks, encryption, etc.), which can vary by user platform. For a full checklist of what the dossier should include, please see below.

Note:  The divisional dean/SEAS Dean and/or their designee and the Dean for Faculty Affairs and Planning can ask for changes to the dossier at any time.

7

After approval by the divisional dean, the department issues the offer letter to the candidate

Once approval for the appointment has been granted, the department should ask the individual during the hiring process to confirm the department’s understanding of what the course title, description, and syllabus are. 

The Office for Faculty Development drafts the offer letter to the candidate in consultation with the department chair and the divisional dean.

8

If the offer is accepted, the appointment is processed in the Aurora system by the department

  • The department sends 1 electronic PDF copy of the final dossier and signed offer letter to the Appointments Office in the Office for Faculty Affairs via Aurora. Note: This copy is in addition to that submitted to the assistant deans in Step 6.
  • The department delivers the original I-9 form and any necessary payroll documents to Central Payroll.
  • The department administrator will remind the faculty member to sign electronically the Harvard University Participation Agreement by the start of their appointment.


(4)   Dossier Checklist: Benjamin Peirce Fellows

Please securely send an electronic copy of the preliminary dossier to the assistant dean for the division (AD) and the assistant dean in the Office for Faculty Development (AD(OFD)). Please follow HUIT’s recommended practices for secure document transfer (e.g., Accellion Kiteworks, encryption, etc.), which can vary by user platform. To facilitate storing and sharing of files, please name the file as follows: a) alpha-numeric characters only (no dashes, commas, slashes, etc.).  b) [Last Name] [First Name] [Department Name] Benjamin Peirce dossier [Month, Date, and Year of dossier submission, expressed numerically: XX YY ZZ]. E.g., Smith John Mathematics Benjamin Peirce dossier 1 4 15.  c) If a dossier is revised and resubmitted, please repeat the original title, followed by “rev” and [Month of resubmission] [Date of resubmission] [Year of resubmission]. E.g., Smith Mathematics Benjamin Peirce dossier 1 4 15 rev 1 15 15.

After the offer is finalized, please send an electronic PDF copy of the final dossier to the Appointments Office in the Office for Faculty Affairs via Aurora. Departments should retain documents according to practices recommended by Harvard Archives at https://grs.harvard.edu/ (please log in).

______1.     Case statement. See description in Step 5 above.

______2.     The Departmental EEO Report displaying aggregate demographic data from the search.

______3.     The department’s request for search authorization and the divisional dean’s letter approving the search request.

______4.     The candidate’s cover letter, including comments on any efforts to encourage diversity, inclusion, and belonging.

______5.     The candidate’s curriculum vitae, including bibliography.

______6.     Teaching materials (including teaching awards, representative course syllabi, and teaching evaluations).

______7.     A teaching/advising statement describing philosophy and practices related to undergraduate (and, as relevant, graduate) teaching and advising.

______8.     Course title, course description, and syllabus for the course(s) the candidate intends to teach during their first semester.

______9.     A research statement.

_____10.     3 letters of recommendation.

_____11.     Evidence of the candidate’s completion of the requirements for the doctorate, if the degree is not in hand or was received in the last three months.

Note: The candidate should not solicit student letters, and any unsolicited student letters will not be included in the dossier.

To be added after the appointment is finalized:

_____12.     A copy of the offer letter and all subsequent emendations to it.

_____13.     A copy of the candidate’s letter of acceptance.

Please deliver the original I-9 form and any necessary payroll documents to Central Payroll.