Department Chair Tenured/Tenure-TrackOffer Letter Template

Date

FacultyNameAddress

City,State,Zip

DearDr./Mr./Mrs.LastName:

It is mypleasure to offeryouanappointment to the position of Chair withthe Department ofname ofdepartmentat theUniversityof North Texas.Thisletter confirmsthatyou beappointedat the rank ofassistant/associate/professorwith a twelve-monthbasesalaryof $amountfortheacademicyear20XX-20XX. At such time as you would leave the chair position and return to faculty, your salary as assistant/associate/professorwould be reduced to a nine-month pay basis of$amountwith the addition of any merit increases received during your appointment as chair calculated on the nine-month base salary, and contingent upon the provisions outlined in university policy 06.009 “Tenured Administrators Returning to Full-Time Academic Status.”

You are expected toattend NewFacultyOrientation in Augustandyourcollege/school ordepartmental facultyorientationsand/orrequired facultymeetings. Duringthe academicyear there will be otherannounced mandatorytrainingsessionsthatwill beveryuseful toyou,andyour participationwill be expected.Faculty are expected to deliver instruction utilizing various modes, including teaching in person, on-line, or hybrid, as required by program needs.Yourclassdutieswillcommence on month, date,yearof firstdayof classes.

Add oneofthefollowing two options below for tenured/tenure-track appointments:

Tenure-trackappointments:

This is a tenure-track appointment. Thisappointmentwill be reviewedandmaybe renewedannuallybythe Universityduringtheprobationaryperiod,whichwill normallynot exceed6years.Assumingfull completion ofthe standardprobationaryperiod, adecision concerningyourtenure will be made no later thanMay31, 202x. However,yourprobationaryperiodmaybeextended in accordancewith universitypolicyand in this event the decisiondate regardingyourtenure will be extendedaccordingly. Youmayalso apply, in consultationwithyour department,for earlypromotion andtenure when warranted byoutstandingperformance.

Tenuredappointments:

The ProvostandVice Presidentfor Academic Affairswillrecommend to the Board ofRegents at

itsmonth meetingthatyou be granted tenure withyour initialappointment.

Addanyofthefollowing additionalinformationregardingfunds,salary, and/or reimbursements,if applicable:

  • Youwillreceivean augmentation for serving as chair, which is based on the number of faculty in the department as of September 1 each academic year. The current augmentation for the department is $amountper month, which calculates to $amountper year.
  • Start-upfunds of$amount will be available foryour scholarlyorcreativeactivities, and should be expensed by xx/xx/xxxx.
  • The amount of $amountwill be available to meetyour officecomputingneeds.
  • We willprovide $amountin salaryfor thesummer20XX.
  • The University of North Texas will reimburse your moving expenses up to $amount. Please note federal income, Social Security and Medicare taxes will be deducted from your moving expense reimbursement. All moving expense reimbursements must comply with State of Texas and UNT System guidelines, and must be accompanied by receipts. Receipts must be submitted within one year of start date.
  • Youwillreceive $amount travelallowance forattendingprofessionalmeetings.

Add the followingstatement ifanyoftheaboveadditionalinformationwasadded to the offerletter:Start-up funds and other financial commitments will be reimbursed to the department’s budget as expenses are incurred. In makingexpendituresandfilingfor reimbursements,youwillneedto complywithrequisite State of Texas, universityanddepartmentalprocedures,guidelinesandprotocols.

Add this paragraph ifthetenure-track appointment is beingmadecontingent upon receipt oftheterminaldegree:

Shouldyoube unable tocompleteyour degree byyourUNT employment start date,yourappointmentwillautomaticallyrevert to atemporaryannualappointment at the rank ofinstructor. The instructorappointmentwill not counttowardtenure. Asaninstructor,youwillreceive anine-month base salaryof$amount.Your rankand salarywill change at thebeginningofthenext semester followingconfirmationthat all requirementsfor the terminaldegree havebeencompleted; however,your tenureclockwillnot begin until the fallsemester followingconfirmation ofthe terminaldegree. Should the degree not be completedbyMay31, 20XX (orother specifieddate), thisappointmentwillterminate May31, 20XX.

For Associate or AssistantProfessor appointmentshiredwithouttenure, please add thefollowing:Youwill receiveaJuniorFacultySummer ResearchSupportAward based onyoureligibilityasanewlyhired juniorfacultymember. Youwillreceive $5,000in the form ofsummer supportfor 20xx from the Office oftheProvost andVice Presidentfor AcademicAffairs. Thisawardmaybe usedfor summer salary,equipment,travel,etc. asyou deemappropriate. Theexpectations for these summer support fundsare that theybeapplied toactivitiesthathelpyou jumpstartyourscholarlyefforts hereatUNT.Uponrequest, this awardmaybe deferred until the summer of20xx.To beeligible to receive this fellowship,employmentmust be continuedat UNT during20xx-20xx. All funds should be expensed by the end of year two (August 31, 20XX).

Ifyouchoose to receivethis award in theform ofcompensation,your department willpreparethe paperwork to authorizeyoursalaryfor the20xxsummer period.Under the terms ofthefellowship, the combinedtotal of allfundsreceivedfromUNT duringthesummer periodmaynot exceedone-third ofyour nine-monthsalary.

ForAssistantProfessorappointmentshiredwithouttenure,pleaseaddthefollowing:Youwillbeeligibletoapplyfora$1,000awardtowardsparticipationinatopnationalorinternationalconference,performanceorshowcasevenue,mostrelevanttoyourfield,tobeusedduringeitherthesecond-orthird-yearofyourappointment.Yourapplicationshouldbesubmittedatleasttwomonthspriortotheconference.Youareexpectedtomakeapresentationofsuitablenatureinyourfield(i.e.,atalk,performance,displayartwork)atthevenueaswellasbegintoformthenetworksandcollaborationsthatareinstrumentaltobecomingmorevisibleinyourfieldandaidingyouinamuchstrongercareertrajectorytowardssuccess.Youwillbeexpectedtocompleteabriefreportwithin 4 weeks of returningfrom this conference.

Additionally,followingasuccessfulcompletionofyourthirdyearreview,youwillbeeligibletoapplyfor$4,000towardsa‘CreativeandResearchEnhancementActivityTimeforEngagement’(CREATE)awardwhere youwillspendatleast4weeksengagedinresearchandcreative activitywithanewcollaboratoratthenewcollaborator’shomeinstitution.ThelocationmustbeoutsideoftheDFWarea.Theprojectshouldbeinanew areaofresearchandcreativeactivityandnotbeacontinuationofyourdoctoralproject.CREATEisnotprovidedforteachingorserviceactivities ordevelopment.Anadditional$1,000willbeprovidedifyoupursueCREATEataninstitutionthatisconsideredtobeintheTop20ofyourfield(documentationdemonstratingthiswillberequired).Yourapplicationshouldbesubmittedatleasttwomonths priortotheproposedCREATEperiod.TwobriefreportsdetailingyouractivitiesandthescholarlyorcreativeoutputyouproduceasaresultoftheCREATEvisitwillberequired;thefirstwithin4weeksofyourreturnand thesecond within 1year.

Thisappointment is contingent uponyour receiptof properauthorizations to work in the UnitedStatesasdocumented onthe FormI-9.Youwill not be permitted to work at UNT withoutproper authorizationandyouwill beresponsiblefor providingtheinstitution withverificationthatsuchauthorizationhasbeenobtained on or before month, date and year (first day faculty are expected to report to UNT). Shouldyou becomeineligible or unavailableto continueyourfacultyappointmentatanytime because ofyourimmigrationstatus,youremploymentmaybe terminatedimmediatelyin accordance withfederalandstate law and universitypolicy.

Insurance coveragebytheUniversityof North Texas requires a60-daywaitingperiod fromyourhire date. Insurance coveragewill be effective the firstdayofthecalendarmonthfollowingcompletion ofthe60 days.

Add this paragraph ifpaid healthcoverage is an option:

Given the mandated 60-daywaitingperiod for health coverageafter joining UNT, theuniversitywillreimburseyoufor the cost of anequivalent policycoveringyouandyour familyfor 60 daysoruntil coverage as aUNT employee begins.The reimbursementamount maynot exceed thestate/employer contribution rate for the selectedcoverage level effective atthe beginningofyouremployment. Originalreceiptsindicatingpayment must be provided to the name of departmentin order foryou toreceive the insurance reimbursement.

EmploymentatUNT is contingent upon asatisfactorycriminal historycheck. Iftheresults ofthe criminal historycheckindicate thatyouwouldbe unable to successfullyfulfillyourresponsibilities,youwill be notified,and this offerwillbecome null and void.

I wish to callyour attention to the enclosed NewFacultyOfferLetter Addendum. Itis included to makeyouaware of selected universitypolicies,procedures,andexpectationsthatrelate to newfaculty. This information should helpacclimateyou to theUNT community.

Please understandthat the information in theaddendum is alsosubject to beingrevised orupdatedbytheuniversityin the future. Please note that the provisionsappropriate foryouwillgovernyour appointmentandfuture revisions orupdates mayapplytoyouaswell. Ifyou haveanyquestions,Iurgeyouto contactme atarea code andphone number, ormyadministrative assistant, Ms./Mr.name ofDean’s Assistant,atarea codeand phone number,or anyone in the dean’s office,atarea codeand phonenumber.

Thisletter and theattached addendumwill serveas assurance ofthis institution’scommitment toyourappointment in accordancewith thedescribed terms. Nopreviouswritten or oralcommitmentwill be bindingon theUniversityexceptasspecified in this letter andattachedNewFacultyOfferLetterAddendum.

I am enclosingtwo copies ofthis letter, the FacultyCriminal HistoryCheck AuthorizationForm,andthe NewFacultyOfferLetterAddendum. Please respond to this offer bycompletingtherelease formand bysigningonecopyofthis offer letterin the space provided and returningboth documentsbymonth, date andyear(14 days from date of offer letter) to:

Melissa DeLozier

Office ofthe ProvostandVice President forAcademic Affairs1155 UnionCircle #311190

Denton,Texas 76203

Ilook forward to workingwithyou in thecomingyearand/or other closing or personalremarks.Sincerely,

Dean’s Name

Dean,college/schoolEnclosures

I accept the offerasdescribed in this letter andasgovernedbytheappropriate provisions oftheNew FacultyOfferLetter Addendum andauthorize theUniversitytoconduct acriminal historycheck.

SignatureDate

Name (printed)