ACD 505–01: Initial Appointment and Offer Letter

To specify the procedures for offering a faculty or academic professional appointment

Personnel Policies and Procedures for Academic Professionals

Personnel Policies and Procedures for Faculty

President’s Advisory Council (6/25/73)

Faculty

Academic professionals

The initial offer of a faculty or academic professional appointment shall be made by a letter, issued from a dean, the executive vice president and provost of the university, or the president, setting out the terms and conditions of the position being offered. No oral or written communication made prior to or after the notice of appointment that is inconsistent or in conflict with the letter from the dean, executive vice president and provost of the university, or president, or with the appropriate document (Conditions of Faculty Service or Conditions of Professional Service) enacted by the board shall become a part of the conditions of employment.

The offer letter shall include:

1. the department, division and/or center, and the college making the appointment
2. the title, rank (where appropriate), and salary being offered
3. the administrator(s) to whom the person is responsible and a clarification of who evaluates (if a joint appointment)
4. the beginning date of appointment
5. whether the appointment is for an academic or fiscal year
6. any special financial arrangements regarding such matters as start-up funds, summer support, failure to complete the dissertation, or a future revertment from fiscal to academic contract
7. whether the appointment is full-time or part-time
8. whether the appointment of a faculty member is temporary, fixed-term, probationary, or tenured
9. whether the appointment of an academic professional is probationary, continuing, or year-to-year
10. in the case of temporary or year-to-year appointments, the duration of the appointment and a statement that individuals serving in such positions do not accrue time toward sabbatical or tenure/continuing eligibility
11. in the case of probationary appointments, the latest time at which a decision will be made on tenure or continuing status
12. if the appointment is dependent for continuation upon funding from a source other than state appropriations, a statement that the position may terminate when the funding is no longer available
13. for full-time faculty and academic professionals a request that they have an official (stamped with the university seal) transcript documenting their terminal degree mailed from their university to the Office of the Executive Vice President and Provost of the University
14. an explanation of the need to verify employment eligibility through proof of citizenship or proper visa
15. directions to contact the Department of Human Resources for questions about specific fringe benefits

    and

16. the date through which the offer will remain effective.

Enclosures to an offer letter should include information regarding proof of eligibility of employment, Conditions of Faculty Service or Conditions of Professional Service, selected excerpts from the Academic Affairs Policies and Procedures Manual, and Conditions of Administrative Service, where appropriate.