Thank you for your interest in applying for a position at UNCW Library at the University of North Carolina Wilmington (UNCW)! Below are responses to some questions that commonly arise during the application and interview process. Please do not hesitate to reach out to Laura McBrayer (mcbrayerl@uncw.edu), Associate Dean of UNCW Library, with any additional questions.
Current Open Positions
A list of our current open positions can be found on our Employment webpage.
Compensation, Benefits, and Leave
What is the starting salary?
Salary ranges for staff positions are set by the state and UNC system. For library faculty positions salaries are based on a combination of market rate, position requirements, and experience. Library faculty are on 11-month contracts, meaning that salaries are for 11 rather than 12 months of work.
Library faculty receive promotions in rank (based on performance) after the first four and second five years that include pay increases commensurate with teaching faculty promotional increases. UNCW staff position increases are determined by state, UNC, and UNCW budgets and policies. The minimum starting salary for each individual position is included in the posting. The UNC Salary Information Database provides snapshot data for permanent employees, salaries, and titles.
What are the retirement benefits?
All employees have the option of choosing between the Teachers’ and State Employees’ Retirement System (TSERS), a defined benefit plan, or the UNCW Optional Retirement Program (ORP), a defined contribution plan. For both plans, your automatic contribution rate is 6% of your eligible pay. UNCW contributes 6.84% to ORP participants, while the TSERS rate changes annually. For more information, see UNCW’s retirement benefits page.
What leave does this position accrue?
SHRA staff positions accrue 9.33 hours per month of vacation leave (this amount increases based on years of state service) and 8 hours per month of sick leave. EHRA faculty and EHRA non-faculty positions accrue 26 days per year of personal leave (prorated for 11 month faculty positions) and 8 hours per month of sick leave. Other types of leave, such as community service and bonus leave, may be available. Employees also enjoy 12 paid holidays and 8 hours of Personal Observance Leave per year.
Status, Evaluation, and Contracts
Do librarians at UNCW have faculty status?
Yes, librarians are non-tenure-track fixed-term faculty. Library faculty fully participate in UNCW faculty governance, including membership on Faculty Senate and on faculty committees.
How do library faculty contracts work?
Library faculty, with the exception of senior leadership, are on 11-month contracts, with the month of either June or July off-contract. Senior leadership faculty (the associate directors) are on 12-month contracts. Library faculty are awarded one-year contracts for their first four years and then five-year contracts thereafter. Library faculty positions are permanently funded positions; contract renewal is based on performance (see “How are library faculty evaluated?” below for more information). Librarians are hired at the rank of Assistant Librarian; the first five-year contract includes a promotion to Associate Librarian and the second five-year contract includes a promotion to Librarian. Promotion in rank includes pay increases commensurate with teaching faculty promotional increases. Library faculty employment policy is available upon request.
How are library faculty evaluated?
Library faculty are evaluated annually by their direct supervisors. Evaluations conducted by the supervisor will include a review of the Library faculty member’s annual workload plan with annual goals and the supervisor’s own knowledge of the faculty member’s overall performance. Five-year contracts are awarded after a peer-review self-evaluation in addition to evaluation by the supervisor and Dean of the Library.
What are the evaluation criteria?
Criteria are recommended by an elected Library Faculty Welfare Committee with input from the library faculty body, and subject to final approval from Library and Academic Affairs administration. Performance criteria are guided by annual library faculty workload plans with annual goals and position responsibilities. Workload plans may include three types of effort: Teaching (defined as the professional responsibilities required of the faculty member’s functional role), Research (defined as maintaining professional qualification through scholarly and/or professional engagement), and Service (engaging in professional, university, or library service). Library faculty members may choose, in consultation with their supervisor, a professional, research, or service concentration with corresponding variations in percentages of workload effort. The typical split in weighted workload is 80% teaching/ 10% research / 10% service. More detailed information about performance criteria is available upon request.
How are library staff (SHRA and EHRA non-faculty) evaluated?
Full Cycle Performance is the standard performance management program for all SHRA and EHRA non-faculty employees at UNCW and across the UNC System. It is based upon institutional goals as well as individual goals set annually by the employee and supervisor. More information can be found on the Full Cycle Performance website.
Application and Interview Process
What do I need to include in my application?
The posting for each position should indicate what components are required in your application packet. We encourage you to contact Laura McBrayer (mcbrayerl@uncw.edu), Associate Dean of UNCW Library, if you have any questions about what should be included.
How and when will I be notified about my application status?
You will receive an email from the chair of the search committee if you are being invited for a preliminary interview. UNCW Human Resources will notify you if you are not moving to the interview stage. Please feel free to contact Laura McBrayer (mcbrayerl@uncw.edu), Associate Dean of UNCW Library, at any point during the process if you have questions about the status of your application.
How long does the search process take?
The search committee begins its review of applicants after the job close date. A typical length of time between when the job closes and when an offer is made is about 3 months, but this varies for each search. You are welcome to contact the search committee chair at any point during the process if you have questions about the status of the search.
Does the library use AI to evaluate job applications?
No, the library does not use AI to evaluate job applications. Each application is evaluated by a search committee. Search committee members receive direct access to application materials.
What do interviews for library faculty positions look like?
Preliminary or first-round interviews typically last between 20-40 minutes and take place over Zoom or phone. Final interviews may be on campus or remote via Zoom. If the interview is on campus, UNCW Library will pay for your transportation, lodging, and meals during your interview process.
Final interviews are typically one full day, sometimes up to a day and a half. They include a presentation to the full library staff (and potentially some non-library UNCW faculty or staff who may work with the successful applicant), in addition to a variety of meetings that may include the search committee, potential supervisor, library administration, position’s department, and library faculty writ large. If the interview is on campus, it may also include a tour of the library, the campus, and Wilmington. We also build in time for breaks and meals.
While the above components are standard, search committees also have some discretion as to the structure and content of the interview. All parts of the interview process are intended to provide you with as many opportunities as possible to assess UNCW Library and UNCW, in addition to the library’s evaluation of candidates.
What do interviews for library SHRA and EHRA non-faculty positions look like?
Depending on the position, the interview may have both a preliminary or first round stage, as well as a final interview. Preliminary or first-round interviews typically last between 20-40 minutes and take place over Zoom or phone. Final interviews may be on campus or remote via Zoom. The library does not pay travel expenses for staff position interviews. Final interviews typically include meetings with the search committee, potential supervisor, library administration, and position’s department.
Professional Development and Research Support
Do library employees receive support for professional development?
All library permanent employees have an allocation of up to $1500 for faculty and $1000 for staff per year for professional development, including conference registration and travel, training, and webinars. Allocations are reviewed annually and are dependent on the library and university budget. Additional leadership development opportunities are provided by UNCW Human Resources and Academic Affairs. The Office of Research and Innovation awards various grants for research. Employees are also encouraged and supported in applying for funding through conference scholarships, travel grants, etc.
Are there tuition benefits?
All UNCW employees can take three classes per academic year tuition-free at any UNC system institution. No dependent tuition benefits are available. Course enrollments must be approved by one’s supervisor to ensure that courses are completed outside of work time.
Connection and Belonging
What connection and belonging efforts are ongoing at UNCW Library?
UNCW Library is committed to ensuring that our educational, social, and work environments are equitable, inclusive, supportive, accessible, and welcoming to all students, faculty, staff, and the broader UNCW community. As library workers, we affirm the American Library Association’s Code of Ethics and uphold principles of intellectual freedom and the dignity and rights of every person. As a public university, UNCW supports mutual respect, acceptance and open-mindedness among students, faculty, staff and the broader community.
What is the Seahawk Respect Compact?
As members of the UNCW student body, staff, faculty and administration, we aspire to the following:
In the pursuit of excellence, UNC Wilmington actively fosters, encourages, and promotes inclusiveness, mutual respect, acceptance, and open-mindedness among students, faculty, staff and the broader community.
- We affirm the dignity of all persons.
- We promote the right of every person to participate in the free exchange of thoughts and opinions within a climate of civility and mutual respect.
- We strive for openness and mutual understanding to learn from differences in people, ideas and opinions.
- We foster an environment of respect for each individual, even where differences exist, by eliminating prejudice and discrimination through education and interaction with others.
Therefore, we expect members of the campus community to honor these principles as fundamental to our ongoing efforts to increase access to and inclusion in a community that nurtures learning and growth for all.