Sample Offer Letter Professoriate (for VA between 7/8thS - 8/8ths)
Revised April 2018
To be sent on School of Medicine department letterhead stationary
[Date]
[Name
Address
Address]
Dear [name of candidate]:
[I am/We are] pleased to offer you [if UTL untenured, “an untenured”, otherwise ‘a’] position as [rank] of [department] in the [Medical Center Line], [University Tenure Line], [Teaching Line], [Research Line]. This appointment is coterminous with your employment by and funding from the Veterans Affairs Palo Alto Health Care System (VA), as well as the School of Medicine’s continued affiliation with the VA. The term of this appointment is at [7/8ths or 8/8ths] full-time effort for a term of [written number] years and may be considered for renewal for [written number] years.
The Stanford University School of Medicine is world-renowned as a premier institution for the education of future leaders in biomedical research and medical practice. We are delighted to extend you an offer to join us as a faculty member at the School of Medicine, where you will find outstanding colleagues, a dynamic environment, smart and engaging trainees, and an opportunity to be successful and grow professionally. We provide excellent compensation including a competitive salary and a generous benefits package.
Because the issues related to this offer require specific and detailed description, we have placed specific terms and requirements of employment in the Appendix which, taken together with this letter, is the “Offer,” representing the entire agreement between us regarding your relationship to the Stanford University School of Medicine. This Offer supersedes and replaces any prior negotiations, agreements or understandings, whether written or oral.
As is the case for all Stanford faculty, this appointment is subject to normal reviews and approvals of the School of Medicine and the University, and [I/we] anticipate your appointment will be effective by ______[realistic start date]. Should you have questions at any time during the appointment process, please do not hesitate to contact your departmental contact listed below. Please note that housing assistance and tuition benefits are not available until your faculty appointment is approved by the University.
[I am/We are] delighted to extend you this Offer to join us as colleague, both in the Department of [name] and Division of [name] and at the Veterans Affairs Palo Alto Health Care System. Our exceptional faculty, students and staff all contribute to make Stanford an immensely rewarding place to be. We look forward to welcoming you as a colleague and to supporting you in attaining your professional goals.
Your contact person is [name of departmental contact], who can be reached at [phone] or [email]. To indicate your acceptance of this Offer, please sign this letter and the enclosures, and return them to [name of departmental contact] by [insert date two weeks hence].
Sincerely,
[Name], Department Chair [Name], Division Chief
I have read and understand and accept this Offer:
______
Signature of [Name] Date
Enclosures: Appendix
14
APPENDIX
This Appendix outlines the terms and requirements of your employment. Information on certain health, welfare and retirement benefits is available from the Stanford University Benefits Office (https://cardinalatwork.stanford.edu/benefits-rewards). Information on certain benefits available to faculty can be found at http://med.stanford.edu/academicaffairs/professoriate/newfaculty/orientation.html. For a wide range of additional information about Stanford University and the Stanford School of Medicine, please refer to the web addresses on the last page of this Appendix.
Expectations and Responsibilities
As a condition of your appointment as a faculty member, you are subject to and are expected to comply with all applicable University policies and procedures, including but not limited to those in the University Faculty Handbook, the School Faculty Handbook, and the Research Policy Handbook. Further appointments and/or promotions may be possible subject to the criteria in the School’s Faculty Handbook (as well as subject to the School’s affiliation with, your employment by, and funding from the VA). [Include for non-UTL appointments:] Appointments in the [Medical Center Line] [Teaching Line] [Research Line] are not eligible for tenure.
Appointment and Assignment
[If this appointment includes an appointment as chief of a division at the SOM, include:] I am also pleased to note your appointment as Chief of the Division of [name] in the Department of [name] at the Stanford University School of Medicine for an initial term of [#] years. You will receive a separate appointment letter from your chair describing the terms and conditions of your appointment as Chief, an appointment which serves at the discretion of the Dean and is renewable at the discretion of your departmental chair and is not coextensive with your faculty appointment.
[If there is also a formal appointment in a physician leadership position at the VA, include:] We will also proceed with your appointment as [title] of VA Palo Alto Health Care System. That involves a separate appointment process, where the appointment will continue at the sole discretion of the appointing officer and is not coextensive with your faculty appointment.
[If there is also a formal appointment in a physician leadership position at SHC or LPCH, include:] We will also proceed with your appointment as [title] of [Stanford Health Care/ Lucile Packard Children’s Hospital Stanford]. That involves a separate appointment process, where the appointment will continue at the sole discretion of the appointing officer and is not coextensive with your faculty appointment.
Your duties will be [list duties, including clinical care, teaching, scholarship, and administrative activities, as applicable, and include % effort in each area. Start with the most important area or where the candidate will spend the most time. Include details such as outpatient clinics, inpatient care, numbers of patient contacts, procedures, etc. courses to be taught, demonstrable scholarly progress with contribution to the advancement of clinical medicine, etc. If there is any administrative role, including a division chief, SHC/LPCH or VA role, the responsibilities, % effort and initial term in years and if it is renewable, must be specified. Total duties should not exceed 100% effort.]
Although there may be changes in the proportionality of how you spend your time, it is essential that you and your department chair engage in ongoing and explicit communication to ensure the fair evaluation of your contributions to the University.
Other duties, responsibilities or expectations as a member of the department include [committees, meetings, administrative functions, etc. as applicable].
Due to fluctuating programmatic needs or other circumstances, your responsibilities and allocation of resources may be subject to change. Should that occur, we will discuss how best to achieve your goals and ours at that time.
Compensation
Salary
Your FY 201_ annual salary, effective [date], is $_____, prorated from your actual start date. Your annual salary will be paid twice monthly, less applicable payroll withholdings. Your salary is composed of a base component and a variable component. The base salary is set by academic rank and cannot be reduced during your appointment except for the reasons stated in the Policy on Security of Appointment in the University’s Faculty Handbook. For the rank of [rank], base salary is currently $______[add either $66,000, $84,000, or $110,000] per year.
Salary is reviewed annually, with changes based on your performance and in accordance with the overall annual salary program promulgated by the Provost and the School of Medicine. Changes in salary generally occur annually and are effective for the start of the fiscal year. Because the base salary is set by rank, annual merit adjustments are made to the variable salary, which is not subject to the Policy on Security of Appointment in the University’s Faculty Handbook, and therefore may fluctuate up or down annually.
[If Research Line, add: “As a member of the Research Line Professoriate, it is expected that between eighty and ninety-five percent of your compensation will be supported from research grants and other sponsored projects by the end of the third year of appointment. A minimum of five percent effort is presumed to be dedicated to activities other than research and should be funded through sources other than grants and contracts. ”]
Administrative Supplement
[If applicable, add:] In addition, you will receive an annual Administrative Supplement of $ ______for your role as [specific title and role], prorated from your start date. Administrative supplements are determined by the Dean based on the level of commitment and complexity of the administrative role and may be discontinued when satisfactory performance ceases or for programmatic reasons at the Dean’s discretion.
Incentive Plan
[If applicable, add:] You will also be eligible to participate in the Department’s incentive plan. The extent, if any, of a personal incentive payment to you will be determined in accordance with the Department’s incentive plan. The annual bonus and targets will be prorated, calculated and paid based on a fiscal year cycle, with the exception of any periods of paid or unpaid leave.
Salary Parity
Because you are appointed to the VA, you will be eligible for salary parity if your Stanford appointment salary is greater than your total VA salary during each fiscal year. The salary parity payment is calculated as your Stanford appointment salary (base and variable salary, plus administrative supplement, if any) less your VA salary (VA salary plus VA special pay) earned during the fiscal year. Your Stanford parity salary will be estimated at the beginning of each fiscal year and paid on a twice monthly basis and a final reconciliation will be performed at the end of the fiscal year.
Compensation Committee Approval
[If total salary compensation (base plus variable plus any administrative supplement) equals or exceeds $750,000 or the total annual incentive equals or exceeds $500,000), add:] It is important to point out that this compensation package is contingent on approval by the Provost and the Compensation Committee of the Board of Trustees. [I/We] will pursue approval as soon as possible.
Benefits
A faculty member with a 7/8ths or 8/8ths FTE assignment at the VA receives all employee benefits (e.g., health insurance, retirement) from the VA. The VA provides comprehensive benefits, including medical insurance, life insurance, sabbatical leave, and generous retirement plans. To learn about your VA benefits, please contact the VA Human Resources Management Service at (650) 858-3951.
In addition, a faculty member with a 7/8ths or 8/8ths FTE assignment at the VA is eligible to choose from a limited menu of Stanford University benefits, including health, dental, vision, supplemental life insurance, long-term disability insurance, Accidental Death and Dismemberment Insurance, and Long-term Care Insurance. You have 30 days from the date of your appointment to enroll in any University benefits.
Faculty members with a 7/8ths or 8/8ths FTE assignment at the VA are also eligible for the University’s Tuition Grant and sabbatical leave. Faculty status also brings membership in the campus community with its rich cultural, athletic, social, and educational resources. In recognition of the high cost of living in the Bay Area, the University provides faculty with generous housing programs designed to assist in the purchase of a home. After your appointment as a regular faculty member is approved, you will be eligible for the University benefits, including University housing programs described in more detail below.
Eligibility for the Stanford benefits described above requires your continuing assignment as a 7/8ths or 8/8ths faculty member at the VA, an assignment which is coterminous with VA funding, as well as your provision of service to Stanford University.
To learn about your Stanford faculty benefits, contact the Stanford Benefits Office by phone at (650) 736-4102 or at their web site: https://cardinalatwork.stanford.edu/benefits-rewards. They will assist you in signing up for New Faculty Orientation and accessing the Benefits Enrollment web site. Be sure to contact them no later than two weeks before your start date. If you do not enroll for benefits within thirty days after your start date, you will automatically default into a core program of limited benefits.
The University also provides expert assistance with child care, elder care giving and other work and family support. For information, please contact the WorkLife Office at 3160 Porter Drive, Palo Alto, CA 94304, at (650) 723-2660 or at their web site.
Faculty members with a 7/8ths or 8/8ths FTE assignment at the VA must also document their employment services to the University in order to be eligible for these University benefits. Therefore, in conjunction with your annual department review you will be required to provide a written report detailing the duties you have performed for Stanford over the course of the prior year. Examples of such service include, but are not limited to, attendance at departmental meetings, research conferences and clinical rounds, serving as principal investigator on Stanford research projects, covering call at Stanford University Medical Center (SUMC), mentoring junior faculty assigned to the SUMC, and teaching Stanford residents and medical students. Failure to comply with this requirement will result in termination of your eligibility for the Stanford benefit programs described above.
Housing and Relocation Information
Housing and relocation information and assistance is available regarding rental resources, information on the housing market, cities, neighborhoods, schools, etc., as well as moving company vendors. Please contact Ken Jenkins, Relocation Specialist for the School of Medicine: (650) 704-0618, , http://med.stanford.edu/relocation.
Stanford University provides a number of excellent housing programs designed to assist faculty in their purchase of a home. After your appointment as a regular faculty member is approved by the President, you will be eligible for the housing programs that are in effect at the time you apply. Housing and other programs are subject to eligibility and program guidelines which are subject to change from time-to-time.
Prior to making an offer on a property for which you plan to use University housing programs, you must contact the Stanford University Faculty/Staff Housing Office to confirm program eligibility and complete the loan and housing allowance applications. Similar to the process for becoming pre-approved for a loan from a private mortgage lender, the Stanford University loan application, credit check and eligibility determinations must be planned for and completed well in advance of beginning your search for a home to confirm eligibility and avoid any complications.