Partner Hiring Program Guidelines and Process

The EVPP Partner Hiring program provides incentives for a College / School /unit (CSU) to hire the partner of a tenured or tenure-track faculty primary hire to facilitate attracting the primary faculty hire to UT Austin, while balancing the continual need to make every faculty hire strategic.  Limited funding to support the hiring of the partner of a tenure-track/tenured faculty candidate (the primary hire) may be available. All dual career funding requests should be of one of the three EVPP Funding Types listed below.

All dual career funding requests should be of one of the following three types. Requests for dual career support should indicate which of the three levels of support is requested. Level 2 and 3 support will only be provided in exceptional situations (e.g., when the primary hire’s recruitment is highly aligned with the strategic priorities of the University).

1) One-Time Cost-Share Model

EVPP funding is provided for a fixed period depending on the nature of the partner hire’s appointment:

• For partners who are appointed as tenured faculty members, the Provost’s Office may provide up to two years of funding for the partner, as indicated in the table below.

• For partners who are appointed as tenure-track faculty members, professional-track faculty members, or staff members at UT Austin, the Provost’s Office may provide up to four years of funding for the partner, as indicated in the table below.

• For partners who are appointed as post docs, the Provost’s Office will provide up to two years of funding for the partner, as indicated in the table below.

2) Recurring Cost-Share Model

Salary is split three ways between the primary hire’s CSU/partner’s CSU/EVPP. Recurring funds are returned to the units if the partner separates.

3) Recurring Full-Cost Model

EVPP covers the full salary of the partner hire. Recurring funds are returned to the EVPP if the partner separates.

If the partner is seeking a tenure-track, tenured, or professional-track faculty or post doc appointment at UT Austin, the dean and department chair or program director for the primary hire are responsible for finding the position at UT Austin. (The EVPP’s Faculty Affairs team can help advise as needed). The same processes and criteria required for UT Austin hiring in the relevant position (faculty, post doc) must be followed for the partner seeking the academic position. If the partner’s academic home is in a different CSU than that of the primary hire then the deans of both CSUs must agree to the placement of the partner before requesting assistance from the EVPP Partner Hiring Program.

Regardless of whether the partner and primary hire will be in the same or different CSUs, the following materials should be submitted using this submitted using the Faculty Affairs ticketing system:

Letter from the dean (or dean designate) of the primary hire’s CSU, including the following:

• The primary hire’s program/department, CSU, title, and rank.
• Summary of the excellence and impact of the primary hire’s scholarship/creative activity record and other professional contributions.
• An overview of the primary hire’s expected contributions to UT Austin through teaching, student mentorship, leadership, and service. Emphasize the strategic importance of the primary hire’s contributions to initiatives within the department, program, and/or CSU.
• Partner hire offer details, including (as applicable):
  • Expected program/department, CSU, title, and rank;
  • 9-month salary and/or salary supplements (if applicable);
  • Financial split between CSU, EVPP Partner Hiring Program, and other units on campus (note that the amount requested from EVPP should match the details listed in the EVPP Funding and Timelines tables above);
  • Appointment to an endowment or as fellow of an endowment;
  • Commitment of summer salary for a specified period;
  • Commitment of GRA/TA support for a specified period;
  • Commitment of one-time and/or recurring discretionary funding;
  • Teaching load and/or relief for a specified period;
  • Commitment of research/studio space, etc.

Letter from the dean (or dean designate) of the partner hire’s CSU, including the following:

• Brief description substantiating the partner hire’s record of excellence and impact in areas of specialization related to the requested title series and rank, including scholarship/creative activity, teaching, mentorship of students, leadership, and service;
• Alignment of the partner hire with the strategic hiring interests of the proposed academic home;
• Partner hire’s CV.

If the primary hire’s position is tenured or tenure-track, the CSU must receive pre-approval for the hire before submitting the Partner Hire request.

If the partner hire’s position is tenured or tenure-track, the CSU must submit a separate request for pre-review to obtain pre-approval to proceed with the partner hire.

The EVPP Faculty Partner Hiring program request will be reviewed by members of the EVPP Partner Hiring Program Review Committee who will assess the following:

1. Skills, expertise and potential for continuing excellence as follows:
   • For a partner seeking a faculty or post doc position, the excellence and impact of the partner’s record in terms of the relevant areas of specialization appropriate to the rank and title series including scholarship/creative activity, teaching, mentorship, leadership, and service will be evaluated, and
   • For a partner seeking a staff position, the excellence in skills and expertise relevant to the role and title will be assessed.
2. The alignment of the partner hire with the strategic hiring interests of the partner hire’s proposed unit
3. How the requested compensation for the partner aligns with the salary structure and market rate for the partner’s receiving unit