SAMPLE OFFER LETTER: TENURE-TRACK FACULTY POSITION
Departmentalized College/School
<Date>
XXXXXXXXX
XXXXXXXXX
Dear <Candidate’s
name>:
I am pleased to inform you that the Dean of the
College of has authorized me to offer you a
tenure-track appointment to the faculty of the Department of at
The University of Texas at Austin, with the rank of Assistant Professor. Your
appointment will be effective _____________, 200X, with a nine-month academic
rate of $ . For offers contingent on degree completion: In the event that
you do not complete all Ph.D. requirements by August 18/December 31, 200X, the
appointment will be at the rank of Instructor, at 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 employees 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 laws. The salary figure above is subject to
deductions required by state and federal law and, if permitted by law, other
deductions that you may authorize.
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 has agreed to provide $
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 via the department chair 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
the dean authorizes an extension.
Include
the following paragraph on Moving Expenses where relevant:
The <college/school> will
reimburse you for the actual expenses of moving your family and household goods
on a documented basis and for the reasonable expenses necessary for one or more
trips to Austin for personal relocation purposes up to a maximum of
$ . 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.html)
are non-taxable. Please present receipts to <Dept Contact Name>
in the departmental office for reimbursement. We can also assist you in
accessing the relocation services offered by Human Resource Services.
Please let us know if you are interested in pursuing this option.
As a new faculty member,
you will be provided with your choice of either a laptop or desktop computer.
Instructional assignments are determined by the department
chair, and the normal teaching load in the department 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 department chair, 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 holds an orientation
for new faculty, please also mention it here.
Tenure-track faculty members may apply for a Summer
Research Assignment (SRA) through the Faculty Development Program administered
by the Office of Graduate Studies.
The program gives preference to junior faculty for SRAs, which provide
the equivalent of two months’ salary following the first academic year of service. Information about this and other
internally funded awards programs administered by the Office of Graduate
Studies and the Office of the Vice President for Research can be accessed via http://www.utexas.edu/research/resources/funding/.
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 the 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>
Department Chair
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
Dean <Name>
I accept this offer of appointment and attest
that the credentials reflected in the curriculum vitae submitted with my
application are correct:
Date:
<Candiate’s Name>
