ABD - Assistant Professor *
* If using this template, must have
advertised that ABD applicants will be considered
Italics-Optional Statements
Blue – Required for offers with Office of Research and Economic Development Startup Request Only
Revised: 10/2013
To ensure that all information is accurate for all employee contracts, please fill out the Employee Contract Attachment Information form and submit with your offer letter.
To download the form, please see the link below:
"All new hires must be provided with a form entitled, "New Health Insurance Marketplace Coverage Options and Your Health Coverage,"(Notice Form) in order to comply with the Affordable Care Act. This form should be provided with the offer letter and submitted by mail to the employee, or it may be given directly to the employee if the offer letter is submitted in person. The Notice Form must be submitted to the employee within 14 days of start date. All Marketplace Notices forms are the same for all employees, and may be accessed on the following link: Marketplace Notice Form"
Date
Name
Address
City, State Zip
Dear Name:
I am pleased to offer you a position as Assistant Professor of in the Department of at Mississippi State University, beginning on August 16,. The salary for this nine-month, tenure-track position is $ payable in semi-monthly installments over a nine or twelve month period. This offer does not include or guarantee summer employment, but it is frequently available.
Should you not complete your Ph.D. by August 15, Year (Same year as hire date), your rank will be Instructor and you will receive a nine-month salary of $. Appointment at the Instructor rank is a non-tenure track position. You must inform me in writing at the end of each semester of your progress toward the doctoral degree and when you anticipate receiving the degree. Should you not receive your doctoral degree by May 15, Year (End of first academic year), you will be terminated at the end of the 20 - 20 academic year. If you complete your degree requirements before May 15, Year (End of first academic year), your rank will become Assistant Professor and your salary will be increased to the original offer amount effective the month following receipt of official written verification that the degree has been completed. Please note that the dates in this letter that refer to tenure submission require completion of all doctoral degree requirements by August 15, Year (Same year as hire date).
The faculty workload consists of the teaching equivalent of twelve credit hours per semester and includes time allocated for teaching, research, service, (and outreach). Your teaching responsibilities will be classes in both the fall and spring semester. Since this is credit hours, or percent of the total workload, the remaining percent of your time will be devoted to scholarly activities. Service and outreach contributions are considered an integral part of your teaching and scholarly activities and therefore are not usually designated as a separate time allocation. This workload is subject to review and can be maintained only with measurable productivity in scholarship. The most important measure of this activity is peer-reviewed work in your field. Research grants, presentations at professional meetings, research reports, and other evidence of scholarship may also be considered.
As part of your startup package, you are receiving a reduction in teaching load of course(s) per semester, which is valued at including salary and fringe.
In addition to the initial reduced teaching load referenced above, you will also receive a startup package of (if applicable).This includes $ for graduate teaching assistantships including tuition waivers for semesters. It also includes $ in direct support of your laboratory activities and $ in relocation costs. In total, your startup package amounts to $.
All new faculty are expected to provide a detailed spending plan to the Office of Research and Economic Development (ORED) for their startup funding within sixty days of beginning full time employment and an annual report of startup expenditures will be required at the end of each academic year of employment. Details concerning the submission of theses documents will be provided by ORED.
(This section should be modified according to the nature of the start-up package)
Date
Name
Page of
As a faculty member at Mississippi State University, you will be expected to meet the highest professional standards in your contributions to teaching, research, service, (and outreach). You will be evaluated annually on your performance in these areas and that evaluation will be the basis for decisions for future salary increases. Your annual evaluations will also include statements about your progress in the promotion and tenure process. By the time you are ready to apply for tenure and promotion to associate professor, you should have an academic record that demonstrates progress toward developing a national reputation, and later at the full professor level you should have an established national reputation within your profession or field. I would be pleased to discuss the expected levels of achievement with you, and I suggest that you refer to the MSU promotion and tenure document at more information and to the documents in your department and/or college.
MSU policy states that a tenure-track faculty will apply for tenure in year six of the probationary period of seven years. If you complete your Ph.D. by August 15,Year (Same year as hire date),you must apply during the Fall of. Failure to receive tenure in the sixth year of employment will result in a terminal seventh year contract. To apply and be considered for tenure requires that you be a citizen of the United States,or be a permanent resident or have begun the permanent residence process (verification required) in order to be eligible for permanent employment in this country.
This offer is contingent upon approval by the University President. A copy of the contract you will be asked to sign, should you accept this offer, is enclosed for your review. As an employee, you are expected to comply with all federal and state laws, all policies of the Board of Trustees of State Institutions of Higher Learning and all University policies. Mississippi State University policies are located on the Office of Internal Audit website (
This offer is also contingent upon your being a United States citizen or having lawful authorization to work in the United States for the full term of the contract. This offer will be withdrawn if you are not authorized to work at MississippiStateUniversity by the beginning date indicated above. This offer is contingent upon successful completion of a criminal background screen.While every effort will be made to complete the background screen prior to your first day of work, you will be allowed to start work with continued employment contingent upon successful completion of the criminal background screen. (Please remove the previous two sentences regarding background screening if currently employed by MSU.)
This offer also includes reimbursement of reasonable relocation expenses in an amount up to $. Any such expenses must comply with the attached University’s Relocation Guidelines.(Must leave this sentence in if moving expenses are being reimbursed)
It is my sincere hope that you will accept this offer to join our faculty. I believe that you have much to offer our program, and you will achieve professional advancement and fulfillment as a member of our department. Please notify us of your acceptance or rejection of this offer byDate. Should you decide to accept this offer, please return a signed original of this letter to me by the above date. In addition to your acceptance, please see the attached list of required documents that must be completed prior to your employment at Mississippi State University.
Sincerely,
Insert Name
Department Head
Date
Name
Page of
Approved:
______
Insert NameDate
Dean, College of
______
Jerome A. Gilbert Date
Provost and Executive Vice President
Offer Accepted:Faculty Rank/Title at the salary of $, effective date:
Submit tenure application fall of
______
Insert NameDate
cc:Human Resources Management
Employment Information
The documents and completed employment forms listed below are required and must be submitted to your department/unit head prior to the first day of your employment.
- Completed state and federal tax forms (see forms attached)
- An I-9 form with appropriate identification must be completed prior to your initial employment date. Instructions for completing the form and lists of acceptable documents are available at:
- Completed Direct Deposit Authorization Form available at:
- Completed Personal Demographic Data form at:
- Two letters of recommendation.
Faculty and Teaching Credentials
The documents and completed form listed below are required and must be submitted to your department/unit head within five days after your employment.
- Official transcript(s) for each degree earned.
- Completed Verification of Faculty & Teaching Credentials form available via myBanner located under the Personal Information tab.
Human Resources Management Information
An enhanced orientation to MSU employee benefits and services is now available at that allows newly-hired MSU employees to complete their new employee orientation online.
New employees enrolling in the State of Mississippi Health Insurance and certain other benefits must complete enrollment forms within their first 31 days of employment to ensure coverage effective with their date of hire. Benefits information is available at:
Please call 662-325-3713 if you have any questions.
Permanent Residency Information
Note that it is important to consult with your department/unit head regarding permanent residency (if applicable) as early as possible to ensure that you have ample time to explore your options. Faculty may apply for tenure prior to receiving permanent residency status as a long as a petition has been filed with USCIS. If a faculty member is recommended for promotion and/or tenure prior to attaining permanent residency status tenure will be withheld until such time that status is granted, but it will not affect promotion in professorial rank. However, the timeline for attaining permanent residency status will be governed by USCIS regulations such that if a faculty member is denied permanent residency or residency status in the United States expires then the university will be under no obligation to grant tenure. Information regarding permanent residency can be accessed through the following link:
Guidelines for Reimbursing Relocation Costs for New Employee
Mississippi State University is authorized to reimburse relocation costs for a new contractual employee using any source of funds that is not otherwise restricted for this purpose. Reimbursement of relocation costs for non-contract employees is not currently allowed. The relocation costs for contract employees must be included as an attachment to the first year contract. The new employee cannot incur financial obligations on behalf of the university but may be personally reimbursed upon presentation of a receipt(s) for costs incurred under the following guidelines.
The recruiting department should establish a reasonable limit on the amount of total relocation costs that will be reimbursed to the new employee.
Receipted costs for the movement of household goods, using a commercial mover or self-moving (rental of truck, hiring of labor, etc.), may be reimbursed.
Travel costs from the old residence to the new residence for the employee and dependents may be reimbursed as follows:
Mileage
Mileage will be reimbursed in accordance with Mississippi State University’s travel policy. A portion of mileage reimbursement exceeding the allowable amount by the federal government for such costs will be added to reported gross income on Form W-2. Odometer readings, or actual fuel costs, must be provided to the recruiting department.
Meals
Meals will be reimbursed in accordance with Mississippi’s current Maximum Daily Meal Reimbursement Policy. No receipt will be required for meals, and expenses should be submitted as a total per day. The reimbursement of these costs is also taxable and will be added to gross reported earnings.
Lodging
Lodging must be receipted and cannot exceed the actual day of arrival at the University location where employment is established.