Carnegie Mellon University

Writing the Position Description

1. The minimum statement about diversity required for advertising any position at Carnegie Mellon is one of the following:

“Carnegie Mellon University is an equal opportunity employer and is committed to increasing the diversity of its community on a range of intellectual and cultural dimensions. Carnegie Mellon welcomes faculty applicants who will contribute to this diversity through their research, teaching and service, including women, members of minority groups, protected veterans, individuals with disabilities, and others who would contribute in different ways.” 

or 

“Carnegie Mellon considers applicants for employment without regard to, and does not discriminate on the basis of, gender, race, protected veteran status, disability, sexual orientation, gender identity, and any additional legally protected status.” 

or

“Carnegie Mellon is an EEO/Affirmative Action Employer -- M/F/Disability/Veteran. We particularly encourage applications from candidates who have a demonstrated track record in mentoring and nurturing female and under-represented minority students.”

or

“Carnegie Mellon is an EEO/Affirmative Action Employer -- M/F/Disability/Veteran” (short for print ads)

It is recommended that online ads go beyond the required statements to indicate a welcoming environment for diverse candidates and CMU's Equal Opportunity Services can assist with this aspect of ad writing. For example, the Higher Education Recruitment Consortium, (HERC) of over 30 member institutions located in the tri-state region offers resources for dual-career job seekers and you can include the following statement and link: 

“Carnegie Mellon University seeks to meet the needs of dual-career couples and is a member of the Higher Education Recruitment Consortium (HERC) that assists with dual-career searches.”


2. The advertisement for the position should ideally contain language about the department’s commitment to diversity in research, education and service. In order to facilitate equitable evaluation of applicants on diversity issues, departments can encourage all applicants to include their past or potential contribution to diversity and inclusion goals in their cover letter, e.g. their approaches to teaching or mentoring women or underrepresented minority students. Past or planned contributions to diversity can be listed as a desirable qualification in the ad, particularly in the longer web version.


3. Detailed web advertisements should include the following in the position description to guide applicants and support effective, consistent committee evaluations:

  • the potential rank(s)/title(s);
  • the deadline for submitting applications or, if the search committee does not impose a deadline, the date when the screening of applications will begin;
  • the core responsibilities of the position;
  • the necessary qualifications (e.g. a Ph.D. in a closely related field, evidence of excellence in research); and
  • desirable qualifications (e.g. ability to secure research funding, ability to collaborate with a team, experience in teaching or mentoring students or junior colleagues, contributions to diversity through research, teaching or service).

Recommended Resources

Crafting the Position [.pdf] (Columbia University, pp. 17–19) — includes sample language

Faculty Hiring: Qualifications and Job Attributes (University of Oregon)

Guidelines for Writing Faculty Job Advertisements that Sincerely Welcome Broad Application of Qualified Candidates [.pdf] (U. of Washington)