JOURNAL OF HIGHER EDUCATION THEORY AND PRACTICE

The Potential Utilization of the Analytical Hierarchy Process (AHP) for the

Selection of a Tenure Track Faculty Position

Author(s): Raida Abuizam, John J. Lucas

Citation: Raida Abuizam, John J. Lucas, (2013) "The Potential Utilization of the Analytical Hierarchy Process (AHP) for the Selection of a Tenure Track Faculty Position," Journal of Higher Education Theory and Practice, Vol.13, Iss. 1, pp. 27 - 37

Article Type: Research paper

Publisher: North American Business Press

Abstract:

The staffing management area of an office of human resources is simply the process agency responsible

for determining human resource needs in any organization and securing enough talent to carry out the

strategic goals of that organization. The success of any organization is clearly dependent on its ability to

select and acquire talent. Likewise, in academia, the selection of tenure track faculty is also a critical

element for any college or university in carrying out its vision and strategic goals in the higher

education arena. This paper will examine the selection of a tenure track faculty member by using the

Analytical Hierarchy Process (AHP) in order to select the best applicant for a tenure track position. A

pairwise analysis will be developed in order to evaluate three potential applicants based upon four

primary factors including: 1) Ph.D. or ABD; 2) teaching experience; 3) research and number of

publications; and 4) work experience. The paper will conclude with an evaluation of the AHP approach

as a viable selection tool for attaining the best tenure track candidate.