Reason for Policy
To outline the process and criteria for making a retention offer to a tenure-track faculty member being actively recruited by another institution
Enactment & Revisions
Enacted: 04/25/2016
Revised: 09/15/2024
Policy Statement
Overview
Faculty in the College of Arts and Sciences are among the best in their fields and may attract employment offers from peer or higher-ranked universities. CAS engages in the retention of tenure-track faculty as a necessary means to maintain our excellence in research, teaching, and service.
In general, retention offers are made only in cases where faculty have demonstrated sustained excellence in research or creative accomplishments, teaching, service, and contributions to institutional diversity, equity, and inclusion, and are judged to have exceptional potential for future contributions. Retention offers are the exception, not the rule. Faculty must understand that applying for another job is a career move that often will not result in a retention offer.
CAS considers two types of retention offers: preemptive and competitive.
A preemptive retention offer may be made when a peer or higher-ranked institution expresses a serious interest in recruiting a faculty member (usually through a written invitation for an on-campus interview). The standard for a preemptive retention will be higher than for a competitive retention offer and the terms of a preemptive retention offer will be more modest.
A competitive retention offer may be made after a peer or better-ranked institution extends a tenure-track offer (with documented evidence) to a faculty member.
Retention Guidelines
The college’s decision to make a retention offer is guided by the following standards:
- Retention offers will only be made to faculty members who have demonstrated sustained excellence to the department, college, and university through their research or creative accomplishments, teaching, service, and contributions to institutional diversity, equity, and inclusion.
- The faculty member must show evidence of the possibility of a job offer (preemptive retention offer) or documentation of an offer (competitive retention offer).
- The outside offer must be from a peer or better-ranked institution.
- The outside offer must be for a tenure-track position at the same or higher rank as that of the faculty member. The college does not pursue retention offers for faculty who receive administrative positions or non-academic (industry) positions.
- The college will make only one retention offer, either a preemptive or a competitive, for each outside offer. A faculty member who receives a preemptive offer will not receive a subsequent competitive offer, regardless of whether they have accepted the preemptive offer.
- Faculty must have been active in the college for at least three academic years to receive a retention offer.
- Assistant professors will be considered for retention offers only in exceptional cases.
- Upon accepting a retention offer, the faculty member must withdraw from consideration from all recruiting institutions.
- The college requires at least five years between retentions, whether preemptive or competitive.
It is mutually understood and acknowledged by both the college and academic units that successful preemptive/competitive retention offers may inadvertently increase salary and resource inequalities among the faculty in an academic unit. Heads are asked to be selective in requesting preemptive/competitive retention offers on behalf of their especially meritorious faculty and must be attentive to climate issues that may arise from these inequalities.
Process
The retention offer process proceeds as follows:
Step 1. The request for a retention offer begins in the department with a discussion between the faculty member and department head. As part of that discussion, the department head should ensure that the faculty member understands the terms and conditions of retention offers described in this policy. After a discussion with the faculty member, the department head determines whether the department supports a retention and, if so, whether to pursue a preemptive or competitive offer. To facilitate a timely response from the college and to answer any questions, heads are encouraged to informally alert and discuss the possible retention situation and offer terms with the appropriate divisional associate dean as early as possible.
Step 2. The department head initiates the preemptive/competitive retention process with a written request to the appropriate divisional associate dean, cc’ing the ASU associate director and director of faculty personnel and policy. The request should include the following:
- a brief (1 page) narrative on the faculty member’s research, teaching, service and DEI contributions and value to the department
- the faculty member’s most recent CV
- a copy of the external offer or invitation for a final round interview
- proposed terms of the retention offer, including any departmental contributions
Step 3. The divisional associate dean and dean will review the formal retention offer request for CAS approval. When the retention terms are finalized, the dean makes a request to the provost for approval. At this point, the terms of the retention offer are not negotiable.
Step 4. The divisional associate dean and the director of faculty personnel and policy draft the retention letter and commitment sheet. Following dean approval, the divisional associate dean will send the retention letter to the faculty member and department head. The faculty member will have a designated timeframe to consider and accept (or decline) the retention offer.
Step 5. If applicable, the retention-related salary increase paperwork will be submitted by the CAS faculty personnel team.