Affirmative Action

7.4 Letter of Offer - Affirmative Action Searches

The letter of offer is sent by the unit administrator and/or dean. It is to state specifically that the appointment is subject to the approval of the Office of the Provost, the President and/or the Board of Trustees. The letter sent to the candidate constitutes a binding commitment on the part of Michigan State University and, if accepted, on the part of the faculty/academic staff member. It is essential, then, for letters of offer to be carefully written. To provide assistance, the following guidelines cover the majority of situations; if, however, there are unusual or special circumstances involved in your offer to a candidate, please contact the Assistant Provost and Assistant Vice President for Faculty and Academic Staff Affairs (353-5300).

A common practice during the hiring of a new faculty member is to negotiate a start-up package. This package may include initial laboratory space and equipment, monetary research support, technician support and/or graduate student support. The purpose of the start-up package is to assist a new faculty member with the generation of her or his own funding for these items. Candidates may be unaware of the need to negotiate a start-up package and should be informed of the possibility in order to provide equitable treatment among faculty. Without a start-up package, a new faculty member maybe at a disadvantage.

Before sending a letter of offer to the woman or minority candidate a unit wishes to hire, the unit administrator or search committee should consider whether the salary level and academic rank are the same as they would be for a Caucasian man with similar experience and qualifications.

Back to the Handbook for Faculty Searches with Special Reference to Affirmative Action

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