Cluster Faculty Initiative
Premise and Objectives
Truly interdisciplinary scholarship is often required to advance knowledge and deepen
understanding in order to address grand societal challenges. Breakthroughs and insights are
often spawned from discipline-spanning collaborations and intentional investments in these
activities. In the past two decades, hiring faculty en masse into multiple departments / colleges,
or “cluster” hiring, has emerged as a practice to successfully bring a critical mass of such
interdisciplinary faculty to universities. Cluster hiring can also be used to address other campus
needs such as fostering collaboration across disciplines and among universities, launching
broad initiatives, broadening and deepening engagement with the community, and enhancing
inclusivity as well as teaching/learning. Engaging in this type of hiring will provide CSUN the
opportunity to build upon existing strengths and spawn new areas of scholarship across
campus. Through this process, we can encourage and grow interdisciplinary initiatives and
collaborations, pave new paths of inquiry, and sustain exemplary scholarship and creative
activities.
In the context of the overarching university priorities, the specific objectives of clusters and
cluster hiring at CSUN are to:
1) Create a critical mass of faculty in existing areas of strength and/or promote new and
promising avenues of scholarship;
2) Meet regional and national areas of need;
3) Facilitate / grow interdisciplinary scholarship and collaboration across campus;
4) Create new, interdisciplinary curriculum, programs, and / or infrastructure to support
student success;
5) Assist in realizing institutional aspirations (e.g., diversifying faculty) and achieving
campus priorities (e.g., growing scholarship and externally funded research);
6) Build community across the faculty and establish collaboration as a value at CSUN; and
7) Serve as a mechanism for faculty retention and support for new faculty hires.
What is a cluster?
A cluster consists of at least three faculty members formed to support interdisciplinary
scholarship, which may emerge from an existing initiative that is active and has gained traction.
New areas of inquiry showing promise of future scholarly activity that places CSUN in a
strategic position of strength are also encouraged. Cluster faculty will be expected to engage in
cross-departmental and / or cross-college interdisciplinary scholarship.
Parameters for the cluster hires:
 Clusters will include new hires and at least one CSUN faculty member (i.e., at minimum,
the cluster coordinator).
 The cluster must include at least three faculty members.
 Cluster positions will be open rank and can be tenure-track or tenured (requiring RTP
review in line with all existing departmental procedures and campus policies).
 Each new cluster faculty is hired into an existing CSUN department. An MOU will be
used to rebalance the workload of the faculty member as required by the cluster.
 In addition to a home department, each cluster faculty will be affiliated with at least a
second department (details of engagement will be articulated in MOU, which will be
ratified by all officially assigned departments). It is encouraged that cluster positions
span two or more colleges.
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All MOUs will be initiated by the faculty member’s home department using departmental
policies, procedures, and practice. All other affected departments will have input into the
MOU. If the appointment and/or affiliation spans multiple colleges, all affected deans,
including the Lead dean, will have to ratify the MOU.
A CSUN faculty member must act as the cluster coordinator (duties defined below). If
necessary, an MOU may be used to rebalance the coordinator’s workload appropriately.
Once the cluster has been created, other CSUN faculty that show a level of scholarship
commensurate with expectations of the cluster faculty can join the cluster. If necessary,
an MOU may be used to rebalance faculty member’s workload appropriately.
Forming and proposing a cluster
A new cluster is proposed by the submission of a proposal by the cluster coordinator(s) and
approval as outlined below. The cluster hire proposal must address all of the following
elements:
1. Cluster description / rationale.
What is the cluster thematic area? What campus needs or priorities does this cluster
address? Why is this cluster appropriate for CSUN at this point in time? How does this
cluster build on existing activities at CSUN or show promise of future success? What other
existing CSUN faculty may be affiliated with this cluster?
2. Position descriptions
Please include a brief description of the particular areas of faculty expertise that support the
thematic area discussed above. Are more than three faculty required for this cluster? If so,
how many and why? What are the desired / anticipated faculty rank and tenure status?
With what departments/colleges will faculty be affiliated? If departments have already been
consulted, please include a letter from the dean indicating so.
3. Potential impact of cluster on CSUN and the field of inquiry
How will this cluster move CSUN forward towards achieving a particular goal and
aspiration? Why would this cluster be successful at CSUN and how would the work within
this cluster help advance the field or help CSUN achieve identified goals / aspirations (e.g.,
enhancing extramural funding, enhancing faculty diversity, etc.)?
4. Cluster coordination
Please identify the cluster coordinator (at least one faculty member) and the lead dean
(roles defined below). The cluster coordinator must work with the AVP for Research and
Graduate Studies and the Dean of the college of the faculty member’s primary appointment
to identify the lead dean for the cluster. This group will make a recommendation to the
Provost, who will select the lead dean for the cluster. What is the plan to ensure that the
cluster functions in a truly interdisciplinary way? How will the cluster produce collective work
that is beyond the capabilities of the individuals within it? How will the cluster activities be
managed? Identify other key faculty, staff, or entities on campus that will support and
coordinate with the cluster.
5. Mentorship / team-building plan
What specific activities will be supported to ensure that the cluster will function as an
effective and efficient team? Ideas include team-teaching, hosting of symposia, regular/ongoing meetings, coordination with centers/institutes on campus and beyond, departmental or
cross-departmental mentoring activities, et cetera.
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6. Resource requirements
Beyond the salary of the cluster faculty, what other resources does the cluster need?
Please identify, in sufficient detail to support decision-making, space and potential
renovation, equipment, potential start-up funds, additional library assets, IT infrastructure,
staff support, and any other resources that are required to support the work of the cluster.
7. Expected outcomes
What specific, measurable outcomes are expected from the cluster hiring? Ideas include
the creation of a new center, increased funding for scholarship, increased collaboration with
community organizations, increased reach into and impact on the region, new curricular
programs, increase in and enhancement of joint grant proposals, projects and publications,
et cetera. Of course, the outcomes must line up with and be limited to the theme of the
cluster (i.e., a cluster that is primarily designed to enhance the scholarship in a particular
field may not require outcomes related to engagement with community and vice versa).
8. Commitment to ongoing assessment
Provide a timeline and framework for evaluating the efficacy of the cluster in achieving the
desired outcomes. What happens if the cluster is not achieving the outcomes? Is there a
contingency plan?
Approval Process
Step 1: The completed cluster proposal is submitted to the identified lead Dean and the AVP
for Research and Graduate Studies (AVPRGS) for preliminary review.
Step 2: The lead Dean and AVPRGS will begin consulting with the affected departments
and colleges named in the cluster proposal (if approvals from these departments
were not submitted as part of the proposal; see earlier discussion). Other faculty
governance structures (e.g., Research and Grants Committee, Faculty Senate) will
be used to garner feedback on the proposals.
Step 3: Once all department, college, and other governance structures have been
consulted, the proposal will be submitted to the AVP of Academic Resources and
Planning to finalize the financial model for the cluster in consultation with the lead
Dean or designee.
Step 4: The completed package will be presented to the Provost’s Council for preliminary
approval.
Step 5: Provost approves the positions.
Proposal Evaluation Criteria:
The cluster hiring proposals will be evaluated based on the following criteria:
 An ability to significantly build on and / or advance the cluster-related theme in one of the
three core areas of teaching, scholarship, and service.
 An ability to achieve or enhance regional, national, and/or international prominence.
 The ability, where appropriate given the nature of the cluster, to attract external
resources and funding for the cluster work.
 The creation and enhancement of interdisciplinary scholarship, education, or service.
 The potential to increase engagement of faculty and senior researchers with students.
 A strong likelihood of improving academic and scholarly benchmarks.
 Creative, efficient, and sustainable use of existing resources and facilities.
 A commitment to promoting diversity among faculty and students.
 A clear hiring, mentoring, and cluster coordination plan that suggests a path to success.
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Modifications to the proposals may be recommended by taking into consideration the larger
institutional context and the evaluation criteria. Selected clusters will be ranked for potential
funding over the next three-year cycle. The Provost’s Council receives and evaluates proposals
based on the established criteria and makes recommendations to the Provost. The Provost
selects the cluster hire proposals that will be supported and funded.
How are the positions funded?
Regardless of the productivity of the cluster, the salary expenses for cluster faculty will be
transitioned over to the home department’s College using the following schedule:
Time Period
Year 1 of cluster tenure
Year 2
Year 3
Source of Funding
100% central
75% central; 25% department/college
50% central; 50% department/college
With 6 cluster faculty positions in this initiative, this schedule
implies that, at the end of year 3, central can invest in a new
cluster with 3 faculty at this point in time.
Year 4
Year 5
25% central; 75% department/college
100% department/college
A second 3-faculty cluster is now available for recruitment.
At the end of this five-year period, the cluster funding will be reallocated either to add new
faculty to existing clusters or to launch new clusters. A review will be conducted at the end of
the five-year period. During this review, the cluster faculty will make a presentation and will
submit documentation on cluster activities to the lead dean(s), the AVP for Research and
Graduate Studies, and the Provost. If appropriate, an external evaluator will be asked to join
the evaluation team. Details on the review process will be provided to the cluster(s) upon their
formation.
In this round, six (6) positions will be created. As long as a cluster is viable, active, and contains
a critical mass of researchers (at least three), it will remain as such and faculty lines within the
cluster will be replenished upon attrition. If the cluster is not active or fails to meet previously
established outcomes, then the cluster theme may be retired and the resources devoted to the
cluster will be reallocated to support other, emerging clusters.
Search and RTP Processes
As mentioned previously, faculty brought to CSUN through this initiative are hired within an
existing department. As such, the department will follow all existing policies and procedures for
forming the screen and search committee. Multiple deans and department chairs can be
consulted throughout the hiring process. The search committee should be elected using a ballot
that includes names of tenure-track from all affected departments and any other department that
has an interest in the cluster theme. The lead Dean and the AVPRGS will serve in an advisory
capacity to the committees. In this capacity, the roles of the Dean and AVPRGS are limited to
providing coordination within the clusters, information about disciplinary breadth of the cluster
faculty, and advice and guidance about the cluster as necessary. The search committee will
maintain all rights and privileges attributed to them during typical faculty searches. In the case
that someone is being recruited to CSUN as a tenured faculty member, she/he will be required
to submit a Professional Information File (PIF). The RTP procedures governing the review of
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existing CSUN faculty will be used to evaluate the cluster faculty candidate for tenure.
Roles of Individuals or Offices
 Faculty Affairs: Responsible for overall management and coordination of cluster hire
initiative (exactly same responsibilities as with regular faculty hiring)
 Lead Dean: General oversight of cluster (including scholarly and academic activities)
assigned to her/his college. Collaborate with AVP of Research and Graduate Studies to
coordinate cluster hires, including the initial screen of cluster areas. Coordinate start-up
packages.
 Cluster Coordinator: Lead contact for cluster; provides sustained focus on and accountability
for the general mission/direction of the cluster and supports the development of the cluster
and cluster faculty.
 Home Department: Faculty in the home department will take ownership of the search and (if
appropriate) RTP committees. However, as stipulated above, committee selection ballots
should include all eligible candidates from all affected departments. The department chair
performs his/her regular duties (e.g., course scheduling, mentoring, faculty development,
etc.) while remaining mindful and helping cluster faculty members manage the additional
responsibilities and commitments to the cluster.
 AVP of Academic Resources and Planning and College Managers of Academic Resources:
Manage the funding and transition of funding for cluster positions from central Academic
Affairs to colleges / departments over the five year period for each cluster and individual
hire.
 AVP of Research and Graduate Studies: Collaborate with the lead Dean to coordinate
cluster hires, including the initial screen of the cluster areas. If appropriate, collaborate with
the lead Dean on start-up packages. Serve with the lead Dean as an advisor to the hiring
committees evaluating cluster faculty.
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