COMPETITIVE & PRE-EMPTIVE OFFERS

Reference: Handbook, Vol. II, Section 24-71
Dean's Office contact: Divisional Dean

NOTE: See Retention guidelines for 2004-05, the most current modifications to the general discussion below.

When a faculty member receives a formal competitive offer or when a pre-emptive offer is being considered, the chair should notify the Divisional Dean to discuss an appropriate response. After the Dean has approved a response, the chair negotiates directly with the faculty member (experience shows that retention success is most closely tied to the chair's efforts).

The Handbook states that the faculty of each academic unit shall document biennially the level of consultation, if any, they deem necessary before competitive salary offers may be made.

In order to respond to an offer, the Dean should receive the following materials:
(1) a copy of the competitive offer letter from another institution or a letter from the chair outlining the circumstances that might lead to a pre-emptive offer;
(2) a statement arguing in favor of retention, which describes the faculty member's recent accomplishments and merit salary increases;
(3) the faculty member's curriculum vitae and recent teaching evaluations;
(4) a draft of the response letter to the faculty member, reviewed in advance by Sue Barnhart (see Sample letter for competitive offer response).

The Dean must obtain the Provost's approval for all counteroffer salary increases.

The College does not necessarily respond to outside offers. A response is normally approved only if the following conditions are met:
(1) The unit presents a convincing case in writing that the faculty member makes outstanding contributions to the University's programs (beyond those to the discipline) and that retention is crucial.
(2) The offer is from a peer university. Response is unlikely to offers from institutions of significantly lesser reputation, even if the salary offered is higher than the faculty member's current salary. Similarly, a response is usually not made to offers from industry or other non-academic employers.
(3) The faculty member has not received a counteroffer or pre-emptive offer during the previous three years. A three-year commitment to the University is expected as a condition of any response.

The amount of an outside salary offer is usually not matched; approved responses are normally between the current and offered salary. A departmental contribution to the new salary is expected as an indication of the value the department places on the faculty member. Generally, the department is expected to have given the faculty member a greater-than-average increase from its last merit allocation and to contribute to the new salary with its next merit allocation.

Non-salary components of counteroffers and pre-emptive offers are handled on a case-by-case basis, and again departmental contributions are expected. For example, if research support is requested, the College will expect a contribution from the department's research cost recovery (RCR) or other resources.

A salary counteroffer will not take effect until the faculty member declines the competitive offer in writing, and this decision must be in hand in time for the salary increase to be processed (normally sixty days). The salary counteroffer is normally made effective at the beginning of the next academic year.

When the negotiations are completed and the faculty member has submitted his/her decision in writing, the chair must fill out University Form 1039, "Report of Competitive Offer," and submit it to the Dean's Office. A copy of this form can be found on the Academic Human Resources Web site.