SAMPLE OFFER LETTER: TENURED FACULTY POSITION
NON-Departmentalized College/School
<Date>
XXXXXXXXX
XXXXXXXXX
XXXXXXXXX
Dear <Candidate’s
name>:
I am pleased to inform
you that the University
Administration has authorized me to offer you
an appointment with tenure to the faculty of the College/School of
____________________ at The University of Texas at Austin, with the rank of
__________________. Your
appointment will be effective _____________ with a nine-month academic rate
of $_____________.
This appointment is subject to review and
approval by the Board of Regents of The University of Texas System. All faculty, administrators, and staff
are subject to the relevant provisions of the Rules and Regulations of the Board of Regents and the Handbook of Operating Procedures of The
University of Texas at Austin and to applicable state and federal law. The
salary figure above is subject to all deductions required by federal and state
law and, if permitted by law, such other deductions as you may authorize.
Include the following if the offer includes
an appointment to an endowed chair/professorship as holder:
The College/School has
also recommended to the Administration that you be appointed as the holder of
the
with a nine-month salary supplement of $ ,
also effective ,
200X. An additional $
in discretionary funding will be available annually from the Chair/Professorship and may be used,
at the direction of the dean, for professional development and other
support. The level of discretionary
funding assigned annually is determined by the availability of funds and takes
into account recent performance of the holder. If your college/school has a fixed term
policy: In accordance with the
College's/School's endowed position policy, this appointment will be for a
fixed term of years with the expectation of renewal on
confirmation of continued academic leadership and productivity.
For appointments to be effective in the fall, include the
following.
Contingent on your being in residence at the
first of the fall semester, we will appoint you for the period August 18-31, at your proposed nine-month academic
rate. This appointment will allow
time to prepare for assumption of your faculty duties and to attend the
University-sponsored orientations on teaching and benefits, discussed below.
If applicable and modify to fit local circumstances.
The College/School is
providing $
in start-up funds to assist you in setting up your research program. Start-up funds are to be used primarily
for equipment purchases but, if more flexibility is necessary, you may seek
approval from the dean for other research support expenses, such as staff
salaries and operating expenses.
These funds, under certain limited circumstances, may be used for travel
but not for your own salary compensation.
These funds should be expended within years of the initial appointment unless
an extension is authorized.
As a new faculty member, you will be provided
with your choice of either a laptop or desktop computer.
Include the following paragraph on Moving
Expenses where relevant:
The
College/School will reimburse you for moving of household goods on a documented
basis and for reasonable expenses necessary for one or more trips to Austin for
personal relocation purposes up to a maximum of $ .
For information about relocation services provided
through the Office of Human Resource Services, contact Carmen Guerra at
1-800-687-7148, who will arrange for a relocation coach to be assigned to you. Expenses for moving household goods and
personal effects may be paid as an out-of-pocket reimbursement or directly to
the moving company. Expenses that
meet the criteria set forth in IRS Publication 521 (http://www.irs.gov/publications/p521/index.htm) are
non-taxable.
Instructional
assignments are determined by the dean, and the normal teaching load in the
College/School is . Your teaching duties are expected to be
in the area of .
For each of two semesters during the first year of employment, you will receive
an adjusted workload to allow time to develop instructional materials for
courses you will teach. With the
permission of the dean, it is possible to maximize time devoted to quality
teaching and time devoted to research and scholarly efforts within an academic
year by requesting an adjusted teaching load across two semesters so that one
is light and the other heavier. In
addition, you may focus additional time on your research and scholarly efforts
by paying all or part of your salary from external grant funds.
The week before classes begin each August, the Center
for Teaching and Learning offers the UT Austin Faculty Orientation Seminar. You
will receive an invitation to attend this two-day event, which covers a broad
range of topics designed to acquaint you with teaching at the University,
provide you with a research orientation, and give you an opportunity to meet
some of your new colleagues.
If your college/school hosts an orientation for new faculty,
please mention it here.
The enclosures cover important information for
new faculty members at The University of Texas at Austin, including an overview
of retirement and other benefits. You will be entitled to all employee benefits
authorized by the state legislature. Human Resource Services will provide
you with full information on available University services and resources at the
New Employee Welcome/Orientation, which you should attend as soon as possible
upon your arrival. As a new employee you have 31 calendar days from the
initial date of your appointment <insert expected
start date, e.g.,( August 18); (January
16)> to enroll for
insurance coverages.
This
offer is contingent upon satisfactory completion of all pre-employment
screening requirements. These include (1) completion of the
form and provision of documentation required by the Federal Immigration Reform
and Control Act to verify employment eligibility to work in the United States;
(2) a background check for security sensitive positions, which include all
faculty positions; and (3) satisfaction of a credentialing requirement that is
a criterion for institutional accreditation. The first must be satisfied within three working days of the
start date of your appointment and will be handled upon your arrival. To meet the last two requirements,
please complete and return both the enclosed Background Check Request Form and
the Official Transcript Authorization for New Faculty form to the department
for handling. The enclosures contain additional
information on these requirements.
We are enthusiastic about having you as a member
of our faculty and hope that the terms of this offer are satisfactory to you. Please indicate your acceptance of this appointment by
signing the original of this letter and returning it to me. The copy should be retained for your
records. Should you have any questions concerning the offer you can contact
me at (512) .
Sincerely,
<Name>
Dean
Enclosures: Attachment
A to PM 3.110, Information for New Tenured and Tenure-Track Faculty Members
HOP
§ 3.15 Academic Titles and Tenure
HOP
§ 3.17 Recommendations Regarding Faculty Compensation,
Faculty
Promotion, Tenure, Renewal of Appointment or Non-renewal of Appointment
Background Check Request Form
Official
Transcript Authorization for New Faculty
cc: Executive Vice President and Provost Steven W. Leslie
I accept this offer of appointment and I attest
that the credentials reflected in the curriculum vitae submitted with my
application are correct:
_______________________________________ __________________
<Type Candidate’s Name>
Date
