Faculty Hiring, Mentoring and Tenure
Faculty Strategic Hiring Initiative, 2007-2008
TO: Deans, Department Chairs, Program Chairs/Directors, and Center Directors
(Deans: Please forward to appropriate Associate Deans and Chairs of Cluster Hire Search Committees)
FROM: Laurie Beth Clark, Vice Provost for Faculty and Staff
RE: Faculty Strategic Hiring Initiative, 2007-2008
I am pleased to announce the continuation of the Strategic Hiring Fund of one million dollars per year that the Provost's Office will use to help fund the initial years of high-priority faculty hires. The funding will be available to provide assistance for recruitment and retention, on a case-by-case basis, in the following categories:
Tenured or Tenure-Track Minority Faculty
Funding is available for recruitment or retention of targeted minorities defined as Hispanic, American Indian, Alaskan Native, Black, Asian and Pacific Islander (in areas where they are under-represented). Funding for the Anna Julia Cooper Post-Doctoral Fellowship is available when the fellowship offer is coupled with the offer of an assistant professorship.
Tenured or Tenure-Track Women
Funding is available for recruitment or retention of women in areas where they are under-represented. Priority will be given to recruitment or retention of women in the sciences and engineering.
Dual-Career Couples
Dual-Career Couple funding may be used to recruit or retain a tenure-track faculty member by hiring the spouse/partner into a faculty tenure-track or tenured position or a long-term academic staff or classified position. (Priority will be given to dual-career hires that will contribute to faculty diversity; ie., where hiring the partner/spouse will help in hiring or retaining a targeted minority or woman faculty member.)
Placement Assistance
For placement into non-faculty lines, Laurie Mayberry, Assistant to the Provost, is available to help partners of faculty and academic staff members connect with employment opportunities and resources on campus and in the Madison community. She can be reached at 262-5246 or via e-mail at mayberry@wisc.edu.
Funding Plan
- Allocations will be made on a rolling basis throughout the year.
- Allocations will be made to increase hiring flexibility to help provide competitive salary or to enhance start-up packages.
- The amount of strategic hiring assistance will be determined on a case-by-case basis. Ordinarily, the department or college will share the initial costs of the hire and the Provost's Office funding will be available for no more than three years. Funding will only be available for those who provide continuing appointments for these individuals.
- When salary funding is provided, the associated fringe benefits will be included.
Method of Applications
A preliminary request for funding may be initiated by the chair, but the formal request must be submitted by the dean or designated associate dean of the appropriate school or college. Preliminary approval for funding may be given by the Vice Provost for Faculty and Staff following a phone conversation or an e-mail request that outlines the basic terms of the funding request. This should be on record prior to sending a formal written request.
Once the offer has been accepted by the candidate, the dean or designated associate dean should send the funding request to the Vice Provost for Faculty and Staff,117 Bascom Hall, to activate funding. The letter may be prepared by the chair, but it must be submitted by the dean or designated associate dean of the appropriate school or college. Final approval will be given once all supporting documentation is received and reviewed.
The funding request memo should include the following information as a brief summary:
- Identify the strategic hire category or categories (minority, dual-career couple, women in science and engineering);
- State why (related to both position and candidate) the hire is especially strategic;
- State the terms requested (percent of salary, years of support) and the long-term plan for continued funding;
- State the salary, title, start date for the hire, and salary basis (C or A);
- Provide other sources of funding offered in the package including the Provost's Office place in the offer;
- Prioritize this request in relation to others that have or will be submitted by the school or college;
- Describe, in narrative form, the efforts the school/college is making to recruit and retain faculty in the specific category (minority, dual-career couple, women in science and engineering) of the strategic hire that exceed Provost Office contributions.
- Include the date in which the offer was accepted by the candidate.
For further information, please contact me at 262-5246 or lbclark@wisc.edu.
cc: John D. Wiley, Chancellor
Patrick Farrell, Provost
Bernice Durand, Vice Provost for Diversity and Climate
Robert Mathiew, Chair, University Committee
Darrell Bazzell, Vice Chancellor for Administration
Charles Hoornstra, Interim Director for Legal Services
Carla Raatz, Director, Office of Human Resources
Luis Pinero, Director, Equity and Diversity Resource Center
Laurie Mayberry, Office of the Provost
10/29/07