Letters of intent/Offer
letters/Initial
complement letters
plus a little about
appointment letters
Chairs 201, December
1
st
,2017
What is wrong with this LOI?
• – from a 2016 LOI letter
• Dear Dr X, “we are pleased to offer you a full time
ladder rank faculty tenured position at the
University of California, Riverside …….”
What should it have said?
• Dear Dr X, on behalf of the Department of Y, I am
writing to advise you that your proposed
appointment as associate professor (with tenure) in
the Department of Y within the college of Z,
effective ----, is under review by the Provost and
Executive Vice Chancellor. This communication is
designed to outline our intent for your
appointment and the start-up resources that will be
made available to you after your appointment is
approved. An appointment letter will be sent to
you from the Provost’s office upon completion of
the necessary review process.
Should we add something like?
• The Provost’s review process includes input from
both the Senate Committee on Academic
Personnel, a group of 10 faculty members, who
review all proposed appointments above beginning
Assistant professors, and the Vice Provost for
Academic Personnel. This process is an important
part of shared governance at the University of
California, but it does mean you should allow a few
weeks before expecting to receive an appointment
letter from the Provost.
What about step?
• Pros – you can calculate O/S and see how you feel
about that in regard to equity (although you can do
that for several potential scenarios)
• Cons – if CAP recommends a lower step (even with
same salary) this is off-putting to candidate. Only
faculty coming from other UCs usually care about
step anyway.
What needs to be there
• Need to address teaching expectations. Say what is
normal and indicate any period of reduced teaching
load.
• Why are some tenured professors coming in with
multiple years without/ with reduced teaching?
• Do we need to address service expectations? These
come as a big shock for faculty outside UC.
What shouldn’t be there
• Open-ended arrangements or any implication that
anything is permanent such as an endowed chair or
specific space.
• Your teaching load will be reduced by 1 class per
year for your service as GGG
• Needs to say for the duration of your appointment
as GGG
• You will receive 2 months summer salary
• Needs to say for the duration of your appointment
as GGG, or for first 2 years, or whatever. Etc.
