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Faculty, Teaching, and Research
Faculty Appointments

Scope:

Faculty

Policy Statement

Policies and rules relating to faculty appointments, promotions, tenure, etc., are codified in The Faculty Manual.

Faculty Pre-Appointment Policies.

An offer for appointment to a full-time faculty position can be made only after the following procedures have been observed:

  • The dean has received authorization in writing from the Vice Chancellor and Provost (or designee) to search to fill an existing faculty vacancy or a new faculty position. If the search does not lead to an appointment in a given academic year, the dean must seek permission to continue the search the following year.

  • The Vice Chancellor and Provost (or designee) and the Office of Human Resources has approved the Search Plan proposal authorizing recruitment and the Hiring Proposal authorizing an offer of appointment to the approved candidate.

Letter of Appointment-Faculty.

When a candidate for a faculty position has been selected, a letter of appointment must be issued. The letter of appointment is a contractual commitment of the University, as the employer, to the faculty appointee. Its terms and coverage must, therefore, be phrased with care to assure conformity to University policy and practices with respect to faculty appointments. The letter, if it is for a benefit-eligible position, must be approved by the Vice Chancellor and Provost.

Guidelines for Faculty Appointment Letters at Syracuse University

Guidelines for Faculty Appointment Letters at Syracuse University published by the Office of Academic Affairs, presents model letters and important information on faculty appointments. The letter of appointment should clearly state the following:

  • Rank - If rank is to change for any reason (e.g., completion of doctorate) during the term of the appointment, the particulars of this rank change must be stated in the letter of appointment.

  • Department and School or College - the academic unit(s) to which the individual is attached.

  • Salary - Academic-year base salary or annual base salary.

  • Terms of Employment - Including the effective date, the length of appointment (e.g., one, two years subject to renewal; one year only, etc.) and full-time or part-time status.

  • Retirement Benefits - For eligible faculty members, the letter should indicate that under the terms of the present University TIAA/CREF contract the University makes a fully vested annual contribution of an amount equal to 11 percent of the salary.

  • Other Benefits - The appointment letter should not normally attempt to specify other benefits such as medical plans, life insurance, remitted tuition or dependency tuition. Rather, the Human Resources website should be referred to in the body of the letter.

  • Time in Rank - If years of previous service are to be credited toward time in rank required for promotion, they must be specified in the initial appointment letter; otherwise no such years may be credited. Special requirements such as completion of doctorate by a certain date and any other requirements in force at the time of appointment must be mentioned.

  • Employment Eligibility - For U. S. citizens and permanent residents, the letter must state that the appointment is conditional upon the individual's satisfaction of federal requirements for proof of eligibility for employment specified in the Immigration Reform & Control Act of 1986. For foreign nationals, the letter must state that the appointment is contingent upon the individual's obtaining a non-immigrant visa from the U. S. Citizenship and Immigration Services, allowing him or her to be employed by S. U.

  • Tenure Status - Including a statement of the amount of credit toward tenure, if any, transferred from prior full-time academic appointments. For faculty members eligible to waive years credited towards tenure, the appointment letter must inform them of their option.

  • Duties - The letter should indicate the initial responsibilities of the individual as well as the general expectation that the faculty member will be expected to teach (including advising), conduct research, and contribute service to the University.

  • Set-up Commitments - If commitments for equipment or special resources are made as part of the appointment, the amounts and the office or officer making the commitment must be specified. All officers making a commitment of resources toward an appointment must initial the appointment letter.

  • Moving Expense Coverage - If moving expenses are to be reimbursed to the faculty member, this should be stated in the appointment letter. Faculty hired with a full-time appointment may request aid from the Office of Academic Affairs in defraying the costs of moving household goods to Syracuse. Eligible individuals are tenured or tenure track faculty appointees with the rank of instructor, assistant professor, associate professor or professor. Non-tenure-track and adjunct faculty members and lecturers are not eligible under the plan. Moving expenses will be paid in accordance with the following schedule:

    • Up to 499 miles from Syracuse - $ 700 maximum
    • 500 to 1399 miles from Syracuse - $1,100 maximum
    • 1400 miles & over from Syracuse - $1,500 maximum

    The maximum allowance may be made up of any combination of the following items: packing; crating; insurance at the maximum of $1.25 per pound coverage; over-the-road transportation by commercial carrier or rental charges for trucks (including gasoline) and trailers; unpacking; uncrating; unloading; storage costs and costs of moving to and from storage; cost of temporary accommodations in Syracuse (contribution to rental cost only); and disconnecting and connecting electric and gas appliances.

    Moves are expected to be completed and all expenses submitted to the office of the dean or administrative officer no later than six months from the date of appointment. Any exception to this policy requires approval of the Vice Chancellor and Provost (or designee). Costs reimbursed by the University in connection with the move to Syracuse are reported by the University to the Internal Revenue Service.

Academic-Year Appointment

The normal full-time faculty appointment at Syracuse University is for the academic year which begins one week before the first day of classes in August and ends on the day of Commencement in May. Such an appointment involves an academic-year base salary payable in 18 semimonthly installments, with the first payment on August 31 and the last on May 15. Unless the 24 payment option is chosen, August 31 and May 15 will be half payments and there will be 16 full payments September 15 through April 30.

Annual Appointment in Academic Administration

Academic deans, some department chairpersons, and other individuals with faculty rank who hold regular and continuing 12-month appointments will have an annual base salary payable in 24 equal semimonthly installments, July 15 through June 30.

Summer Appointment of Faculty

If the faculty member is given employment at the University during any portion of the summer period by a supplemental contractual agreement, compensation will be separately negotiated at a salary rate, which may or may not be the academic year base salary rate, but in any event it may not exceed the base rate applicable in the fiscal year during which the service is performed.

Policy Administration

Links to Procedures and Related Information

Amended: October 2005

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