Partner Hiring Program Guidelines and Process

For tenure-track and tenured faculty searches, the Provost’s Office will provide one-time funds for UT Austin partner hires, including faculty (tenured, tenure-track, and professional-track), postdoctoral fellows, and other UT employees.

• The amount and duration of the funding provided by the Provost’s Office depends on the partner’s appointment, as detailed in the EVPP Funding and Timeline section below.
• The primary hire’s college/school must also contribute one-time funds toward the partner hire.
• The partner hire’s college/school must incorporate the partner hire into their budget within the timeframe indicated.
• The Provost’s Office will provide one-time funds when the primary and partner hires are in the same college/school. However, the dean must request approval for the hires before extending the offers and justify why the two hires are in the university’s best interest. If both prospective faculty members are in the same department or division, expectations for contributions to the university are higher in order to receive Provost’s Office support.

In exceptional circumstances, the EVPP Partner Hiring program can be used to help support retention offers. Please contact Faculty Affairs via ServiceNow for additional information.

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

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

If a partner is hired as a tenure-track assistant professor and receives an approved extension to their probationary period before their third-year review, the Provost’s Office will provide 50% salary during the additional year of the probationary period. However, the financial contribution from the primary hire’s unit remains unchanged.

If a partner is hired as a tenure-track faculty member and is promoted before their fifth year at UT Austin, the partner hire’s unit will assume 100% of their salary starting in the academic year in which the partner starts their tenured faculty appointment.

For partners appointed as postdoctoral fellows, the Provost’s Office will provide up to two years of funding for the partner, as indicated in the table below.

If the partner is seeking a tenure-track, tenured, or professional-track faculty or postdoctoral 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, postdoctoral) must be followed for the partner seeking the academic position. If the partner’s academic home is in a different CSU than 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 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, the CSU must receive pre-approval for the tenure hire before submitting the Partner Hire request.

If the partner hire’s position is tenured, pre-review for tenure will be conducted immediately after approval of the Partner Hiring request, and a separate request for pre-review is not required.

If the partner is seeking a staff position at UT Austin, the dean and department chair or program director for the primary hire are responsible for finding the staff employment position at UT Austin. Note that if the supervisor would like assistance finding employment for the partner at UT Austin, they can enlist from Texas Career Engagement, as explained below. The same processes and criteria required for UT Austin hiring in the relevant position must be followed for the partner seeking the staff position. If the partner’s position is in a different unit than that of the primary hire, then the dean of the primary hire’s CSU and the supervisor for the partner hire’s unit 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 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 record of scholarship/creative activity 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;
  • 12-month salary;
  • 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).

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

• Brief description substantiating the partner’s record of excellence in the relevant skills and expertise required for the position,
• 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, the CSU must receive pre-approval for the tenure hire before submitting the Partner Hire request.

For assistance placing the partner hire into a staff position at UT Austin or in the local community, submit the following materials through the Faculty Affairs ticketing system. Faculty Affairs will facilitate connecting the partner hire with Texas Career Engagement.

• Letter from the dean (or dean designate) of the primary hire’s CSU, including the primary hire’s program/department, CSU, title, and rank.
• Brief description of the type of position being sought by the partner
• Partner hire’s CV.

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

Texas Career Services provides the following services in support of a Partner Hiring Program:

• Making initial contact with the partner and identifying the type of employment sought;
• Communicating with the partner to understand their professional goals and ambitions;
• Providing career counseling and coaching, and information and advice on such job-related topics as conducting a job search, resume writing, cover letters, informational interviews, and job interviews;
• Identifying suitable employment opportunities for the partner based on their career goals and other employment-related objectives by reviewing job postings at UT Austin and in the local area and leveraging the Career Services specialist’s network.
• If the partner accepts a non-academic position at UT Austin, EVPP will provide funding; see the appendix above for support details.

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:

• Skills, expertise, and potential for continuing excellence as follows:
  • For a partner seeking a faculty or postdoctoral position, evaluation of the excellence and impact of their record in terms of the relevant areas of specializations appropriate for their rank and title, including scholarship/creative activity, teaching, mentorship, leadership, and service.
  • For a partner seeking a staff position, evaluation of their excellence in skills and experience relevant to the proposed role and title.
• The alignment of the partner hire with the strategic interests of their proposed unit.
• Alignment of the partner hire’s requested compensation with the salary structure and market rate of their proposed unit.