HERC:  A  consortium  of  500  higher  education  

institutions  that  share  a  commitment  to  

recruiting  and  retaining  the  most  talented  
and  diverse  faculty  and  staff  and  assisting  
dual-­career  couples.

The  National  and  regional  Higher  Education  Recruitment  

Consortia  (HERC) include  colleges,  universities,  teaching  
hospitals,  research  laboratories,  and  government  agencies  that  
collaborate  on  recruiting  and  retaining  the  most  outstanding  and  
diverse  faculty,  staff,  and  administrators.  

Frequently  Asked  Questions

Q.  What  is  a  HERC?
A.  HERC  stands  for  Higher  Education  Recruitment  Consortium.  Founded  in  2000  by  the  University  of  California,
Santa  Cruz,  the  Northern  California  HERC  was  the  first  to  be  established.  Now  HERCs  have  developed  in  11
regions  throughout  the  U.S.  and  represent  508  member  institutions.  Regional  HERCs  were  formed  in  order  to
advance  the  efforts  of  their  member  institutions  to  recruit  and  retain  outstanding  and  diverse  faculty  and  staff
and  to  assist  dual-­‐career  couples.  

A  core  aspect  of  each  regional  HERC  is  a  website  that  is  free  to  jobseekers  and  features  comprehensive,  searchable  
staff  and  faculty  job  listings,  email  job  alerts,  a  resume/CV  database  for  jobseekers,  dual  career  searches  and  
resources,  and  regional  diversity  and  relocation  information.    The  website  helps  jobseekers  narrow  their  search  in  
specific  regions  and  helps  dual-­‐career  jobseekers  find  positions  within  a  commutable  distance  of  their  
spouse/partner.  This  resource  is  advertised  widely  with  a  specific  emphasis  on  reaching  women  and  minority  
jobseekers.  Additionally,  regional  HERCs  convene  on  a  regular  basis  to  share  best  practices  and  information  about  
recruitment  and  retention  issues.

The  regional  HERCs  are  given  support,  consultation,  web  and  print  templates,  and  other  materials  and  know-­‐how  
by  the  National  Higher  Education  Recruitment  Consortium  (HERC),  a  project  of  the  Tides  Center  a  not-­‐for-­‐profit  
501(c)(3)  organization.  the  National  HERC  facilitates  national  strategic  initiatives  that  help  the  regional  HERCs  
accomplish  their  goals  and  promotes  HERC-­‐wide  visibility  through  marketing,  advertising,  and  partnership  
development.  

Q.  What  are  the  benefits  of  forming  a  HERC  in  our  region?
A. There  are  several  benefits  to  forming  and  belonging  to  a  HERC,  including:
‡Becoming  featured  on  the  most  comprehensive  higher  education  employment  website  in  your  region  
‡Having  access  to  a  tremendous  dual-­‐career  resource  for  faculty,  staff,  and  students
‡Receiving  unlimited  access  to  posting  staff  and  faculty  jobs  
‡Reaching  job  seekers  directly  with  e-­‐mail  job  alerts  and  by  searching  the  CV/resume  database
‡ƌŽĂĚĞŶŝŶŐĂŶĚĚŝǀĞƌƐŝĨLJŝŶŐLJŽƵƌŝŶƐƚŝƚƵƚŝŽŶ͛ƐĂƉƉůŝĐĂŶƚƉŽŽů
‡Gaining  coverage  in  press  releases,  media  events,  and  marketing  and  advertising  efforts  
‡Networking  with  other  institutions  at  members-­‐only  meetings
‡Exchanging  information  on  best  practices  in  recruitment  and  retention  at  member  meetings  and  free  webinars
‡Being  involved  in  the  only  organization  that  brings  together  human  resources  and  faculty  development  
professionals.
 ³HERC  is  a  must  if  your  institution  cares  about  
dual-­‐career  couples,  diversity,  employment  
outreach,  and  learning  cutting-­‐edge  recruitment  
ƒ†”‡–‡–‹‘•–”ƒ–‡‰‹‡•Ǥdz
-­ Amy  Diamond  Barnes
Executive  Director  of  Human  Resources
Washington  &  Lee  University  

Q.  How  do  we  know  that  HERC  works?  How  do  regional  HERCs  measure  success?
A.  Data  collection  and  evaluation  are  important  to  the  National  HERC  and  the  regional  HERCs.  While  several  
measures  have  been  devised,  this  receives  ongoing  development.  Here  are  some  key  ways  the  regional  HERCs  
measure  success:
Website  statistics ʹ Each  member  institution  from  a  regional  HERC  can  view  the  number  of  visitors,  job  searches,  
job  views,  and  emails  sent  to  users,  top  referring  websites,  user  registration  survey  results,  and  exit  survey  results.  
The  number  of  visitors,  searches,  registered  users,  and  emails  sent  have  increased  over  time  for  each  regional  
HERC.  HERC-­‐wide  we  are  receiving  over  1  million  average  monthly  visitors.  
Member  institution  reporting ʹ Some  regional  HERCs  require  or  suggest  that  member  institutions  add  the  
regional  HERC  website  to  their  employment  application  so  that  they  can  track  the  applicants  and  hires  they  make  
as  a  result  of  HERC.  
Membership  rates ʹ Each  regional  HERC  can  track  the  number  of  members  that  belong  to  their  regional  HERC  and  
how  that  number  changes  from  year  to  year.  The  majority  of  the  regional  HERC  have  seen  their  membership  
numbers  increase  over  time.  
Meeting  attendance ʹ Each  regional  HERC  can  track  the  number  of  members  that  attend  the  regular  membership  
meetings.  For  most  regional  HERCs  this  number  has  increased  over  time.  
Anecdotal  reports ʹ Sometimes  jobseekers,  dual  career  couples,  faculty  or  staff  at  member  institutions,  or  others  
will  write  to  a  regional  HERC  Director  or  member  institution  representative  with  a  success  story  about  ways  in  
which  HERC  has  helped  them  with  a  job  search,  a  difficult  recruitment,  or  by  providing  a  forum  to  network  and  
share  ideas  with  colleagues.
Cost  savings  ʹ Through  partnerships  the  National  HERC  has  created,  members  have  saved  thousands  of  dollars  in  
discounts  and  keep  track  of  these  at  the  institutional  level.  

Q.  What  does  it  cost  to  form  and  operate  a  HERC?  How  much  does  each  member  institution  contribute?
A.  During  the  period  of  evaluating  whether  to  form  a  HERC,  there  are  two  primary  expenses.  Firstly,  the  travel  
expenses  for  the  National  HERC  Director  to  come  present  at  an  initial  meeting  of  member  institutions  ($1,000  ʹ
$2,000  depending  on  meeting  location)  and  secondly,  the  cost  of  the  initial  meeting  ($1,500  ʹ $2,500).  This  is  the  
most  optimal  way  to  interest  campuses  in  your  region  to  join.  The  National  HERC  Director  is  also  available  to  do  a  
custom  webinar  for  campuses  in  your  region  to  generate  initial  interest.  This  would  enable  your  region  to  save  on  
this  initial  expense.  

Once  a  decision  is  made  by  regional  institutions  to  form  a  HERC,  regional  HERCs  are  funded  through  membership  
dues  from  the  participating  institutions.  The  National  HERC  Director  can  provide  you  with  a  sample  operating  
budget.  The  main  expenses  are  the  annual  affiliation  dues  to  the  National  HERC  which  for  HERCs  with  10  or  more  
members  is  a  flat  fee  of  $25,000  or  for  HERCs  with  9  or  fewer  members  is  $2,500  per  campus.  

Costs  per  member  institution  will  vary  depending  on  the  how  many  members  your  HERC  has,  because  core  
program  costs  are  divided  among  the  members.  All  regional  HERCs  have  created  a  tiered  membership  structure  to  
allow  institutions  with  fewer  financial  resources  to  pay  at  a  lower  tier  and  those  with  more  financial  resources  to  
pay  at  a  higher  tier.  For  example,  in  a  30  member  HERC  with  three  tiers,  the  lowest  tier  may  pay  $2,500,  the  
middle  tier  may  pay  $4,000,  and  the  highest  tier  may  pay  $6,000  in  order  to  cover  the  regional  HERC  program  
expenses.  Some  HERCs  base  tiers  on  enrollment  size,  while  others  base  the  tiers  on  a  more  complex  set  of  criteria.  
Decisions  about  setting  tiers  are  made  at  the  regional  HERC  level  and  the  National  HERC  Director  is  happy  to  
consult  with  you  during  your  budget  development  process.  
 "Holy  Cross  made  two  faculty  hires  from  New  
England  HERC  during  our  first  year  of  
‡„‡”•Š‹’Ǥdz

-­‐Tim  Austin,  PhD,  VP  for  Academic  Affairs  and  Dean,  

College  of  the  Holy  Cross

Q.  What  do  the  affiliation  dues  that  the  regional  HERCs  pay  to  the  National  HERC  cover?  What  kinds  of  support  
and  assistance  does  the  National  HERC  provide  to  the  regional  HERCs?
A.  The  affiliation  dues  are  included  in  the  core  annual  program  expenses  for  each  regional  HERC  and  entitle  
regional  HERCs  to  consultation  as  needed  from  the  National  HERC  Director;  use  of  the  HERC  name,  logo,  print  and  
web  design  templates;  inclusion  in  all  National  HERC  advertising  and  marketing  campaigns;  inclusion  on  the  
www.nationalherc.org  website;  inclusion  in  all  National  HERC  conference  participation;  inclusion  in  the  National  
HERC  Advisory  Board;  access  to  all  website  software  and  design  upgrades;  and  invitations  to  participate  in  regional  
HERC  Directors  meetings.  

Q.  What  are  some  of  the  initial  steps  for  forming  a  HERC  in  our  region?
A. Some  of  the  initial  steps  for  moving  forward  the  formation  of  a  regional  HERC  are:
Identifying  the  lead  institution(s) ʹ HERCs  are  initiated  by  one  or  more  prominent  institutions  in  a  region.  The  lead  
institution(s)  are  responsible  for  early  start-­‐up  expenses,  initial  meeting  coordination,  hiring  and  managing  a  HERC  
Director,  signing  agreements,  and  hosting  the  initial  HERC  regional  kickoff  meeting.  The  lead  institution(s)  should  
ŐĞƚƚŚĞƐƵƉƉŽƌƚŽĨƚŚĞŝƌWƌŽǀŽƐƚ͛ƐKĨĨŝĐĞĂŶĚ,ƵŵĂŶZĞƐŽƵƌĐĞƐKĨĨŝĐĞƚŽŵŽǀĞĨŽƌǁĂƌĚǁŝƚŚƚŚĞ,ZŝŶŝƚŝĂƚŝǀĞ͘
This  may  mean  getting  a  commitment  for  seed  money,  approval  for  hiring  a  HERC  Director,  signing  agreements,  
and  having  letters  of  invitation  go  out  under  their  signature.  Regions  that  choose  to  have  multiple  lead  institutions  
may  find  it  helpful  to  develop  a  MOU  that  outlines  the  roles  and  responsibilities  of  the  lead  institutions.  The  
National  HERC  Director  can  provide  a  sample  MOU  that  can  be  used  for  this  purpose.

Defining  the  region ʹ HERC  regions  typically  are  divided  along  state  or  regional  lines  in  order  to  create  a  name  and  
identity  that  will  resonate  with  jobseekers  (e.g.  Northern  California,  New  England,  Upstate  New  York).  Within  each  
HERC  region,  there  are  sub-­‐regions  divided  by  state,  county,  or  area  lines.  Each  sub-­‐region  should  have  institutions  
that  are  within  a  commutable  distance  (typically  2  hours  maximum  commute  time).  You  can  visit  the  regional  
HERC  websites  for  examples.  Domain  names  should  be  purchased  early  on  to  avoid  another  entity  purchasing  the  
name.  

Conducting  initial  member  institution  research ʹ Compile  a  list  of  potential  member  institutions.  Being  as  
inclusive  as  possible  in  terms  of  campus  types  and  sizes  is  strongly  encouraged.  The  following  websites  
www.ipeds.org  and  www.50states.com  have  comprehensive  listings  of  colleges  and  universities  of  all  types  by  
state.  When  compiling  an  a  list,  it  is  helpful  to  have  the  names  of  the  President/Chancellor,  Provost,  VP  of  Human  
Resources,  Human  Resources  Director,  and  VP  of  Faculty  Affairs.  These  are  the  individuals  that  will  receive  the  
initial  communication  about  HERC  and  be  asked  to  assign  the  appropriate  individuals  to  attend  the  inaugural  HERC  
meeting.  

Hosting  an  informational  meeting  ʹ The  informational  HERC  meeting  is  the  single  most  important  communication  
ǀĞŚŝĐůĞĨŽƌĚĞǀĞůŽƉŝŶŐLJŽƵƌƌĞŐŝŽŶƐ͛ĨŽƵŶĚŝŶŐ,ZŵĞŵďĞƌŝŶƐƚŝƚƵƚŝŽŶƐ͘dŚĞŵĞĞƚŝŶŐŝƐƚLJƉŝĐĂůůLJĂϯ-­‐4  hour  
introductory  and  planning  meeting  held  at  one  of  the  lead  institutions.  The  meeting  includes  presentations  by  
representatives  from  the  lead  institutions,  the  National  HERC  Director,  Q  &  A,  and  an  overview  about  nuts  and  
bolts  of  membership  including  timeline,  membership  dues,  membership  benefits,  and  expectations  of  members.  A  
membership  deadline  should  be  set  for  no  longer  than  one  month  following  the  inaugural  HERC  meeting.
 DzŒ—•–™ƒ–‡†–‘…‘‡–‘™Šƒ–ƒ™‘†‡”ˆ—Ž
service  you  are  providing.    I  used  to  go  online  
and  check  various  sites  for  new  listings  a  couple  
of  times  a  week.    But  to  have  one  come  to  me  is  
phenomenal.  Thanks  for  all  of  your  ‰‘‘†™‘”•dzǤ

-­ Kimberlee Caledonia,  academic  job  seeker

Q.  What  is  the  timeline  for  forming  a  HERC  and  launching  a  website  in  our  region?
A. Based  on  experience,  early  fall  is  the  best  time  to  launch  a  regional  HERC  website  because  of  the  academic  
recruitment  cycle.  It  is  important  to  have  the  website  loaded  with  jobs  when  the  site  is  announced  to  the  public.  
During  the  start-­‐up  phase,  it  is  critical  to  have  a  singular  person  at  the  lead  institution  devoted  to  moving  the  HERC  
project  forward  in  months  1-­‐4.  They  would  be  responsible  for  researching  potential  campuses,  sending  out  
invitations,  coordinating  phone  follow-­‐up,  preparing  a  budget  and  invoices,  coordinating  a  regional  HERC  
operations  committee,  handling  HERC  business  up  until  the  time  a  permanent  regional  Director  is  hired,  and  
training  the  new  Director  (if  it  is  not  them).  
Your  region  can  consider  the  following  as  a  loose  timeline:  
Month  1  
Get  approvals  from  lead  institution(s)  to  move  forward  with  a  HERC  and  define  your  HERC  region,  purchase  your  
domain  name(s)
Month  1-­‐2  
Develop  list  of  institutions  and  individuals  to  invite  to  inaugural  meeting  and  send  invites
Month  1-­‐2  
Host  regional  HERC  inaugural  meeting
Month  3
Follow-­‐up  with  membership  packets  to  institutions  that  express  interest  in  joining  HERC  
Month  3  
Hire  your  HERC  Director
Month  4  
Create  a  regional  HERC  Advisory  Board  and  vote  for  a  National  HERC  Advisory  Board  representative  and  alternate
Month  3-­‐4  
Review  and  sign  affiliation  agreements  with  the  National  HERC  and  software  vendor  
Month  4-­‐5  
Bill  regional  HERC  members
Month  4-­‐6  
Develop  website  and  associated  marketing  materials  with  design  team  and  solicit  appropriate  photography  and  
relocation  and  diversity  links  from  member  institutions.  This  requires  participation  from  member  institutional  
representatives.
Month  6  
Pay  National  HERC  affiliation  dues
Month  6-­‐8  
Soft  launch  of  website,  training  of  administrators  on  job  entry,  data  migration  protocols.  Jobs  are  easy  to  keep  up-­‐
to-­‐date  on  the  website  either  through  manual  entry,  data  migration  from  an  applicant  tracking  system,  or  
spidering.  This  requires  participation  from  member  institutional  representatives.
Month  9-­‐10  
Hard  launch  website
Month  10  
Media  event,  press  releases,  advertising  campaign,  internal  marketing  of  HERC  to  member  institutions
Ongoing  
Membership  development,  ongoing  marketing  efforts,  quarterly  meetings,  development  and  maintenance  of  new  
ŝŶŝƚŝĂƚŝǀĞƐ͕ƉĂƌƚŝĐŝƉĂƚŝŽŶŝŶEĂƚŝŽŶĂů,ZĚǀŝƐŽƌLJŽĂƌĚ͕ĂŶĚƉĂƌƚŝĐŝƉĂƚŝŽŶŝŶƌĞŐŝŽŶĂů,ZŝƌĞĐƚŽƌ͛ƐŵĞĞƚŝŶŐƐ
 "Dual-­‐career  issues  continue  to  be  an  increasing  
challenge  in  faculty  hiring.   The  NorCal HERC  web  
site  is  an  important  resource  for  us  -­‐ jobs  found  
through  HERC  have  been  key  in  our  ability  to  
recruit  several  faculty."
-­ Pat  Jones,  Vice  Provost  for  Faculty  Development  &  Diversity
Stanford  University

Current  Regional  HERCs

Q.  Who  can  I  speak  with  about  forming  a  HERC  in  our  
region?  Can  I  get  references  from  existing  regional   Greater  Chicago  Midwest  HERC
HERC  Directors  or  members  about  their  experience? www.gcherc.org
A. The  National  HERC  Executive  Director  is  the  founding   Metro  New  York  &  Southern  Connecticut  HERC
Director  of  the  first  HERC  in  Northern  California  and  has   www.mnyscherc.org
ten  years  of  experience  managing  a  regional  HERC  and  
helping  HERCs  launch  in  other  regions.  She  is  available  to   Michigan  HERC
answer  your  questions,  provide  information,  and  attend   www.michiganherc.org
your  first  HERC  meeting.  Her  contact  information  is:
Mid-­‐Atlantic  HERC
www.midatlanticherc.org
Nancy  Aebersold
Executive  Director New  England  HERC
National  HERC,  a  project  of  the  Tides  Center www.newenglandherc.org
t)  831.336.4406
e)  nancy@nationalherc.org   NJ  -­‐ Eastern  PA  -­‐ DE  HERC
www.njepadeherc.org
You  might  also  find  it  helpful  to  speak  with  HERC   Northern  California  HERC
Directors  in  other  regions.  If  you  are  interested  in   www.norcalherc.org
hearing  about  HERC  from  the  perspective  of  a  member  
institution,  feel  free  ask  the  National  HERC  Executive   Southern  California  HERC
Director  for  the  contact  information  of  a  member.   www.socalherc.org

St.  Louis  Regional  HERC

www.stlrherc.org

Upper  Midwest  HERC

For  more  information  visit:   www.uppermidwestherc.org
www.hercjobs.org Upstate  New  York  HERC
www.upstatenyherc.org