PAR: Tenured and Tenure-Track (TTT) Prior Approval Requests

Owned by Ann Kelble
Last updated: Nov 12, 2024
4 min read

Purpose: 

To provide an overview and details regarding policies, procedures, and guidelines for attaining approval to extend a formal offer of employment to a tenured or tenure-track faculty member. Additional details specific to the process of hiring someone with tenure are provided here.  

 

Relevant Definitions: 

PAR: Prior Approval Request; refers to both the *DEFINE (Mainframe) document and the PDF documentation required to accompany the DEFINE document that are needed in order to complete a faculty hire; final approval of this document is required before formally extending an offer to a faculty candidate for hire

TTT: Abbreviation for Tenured or Tenure-Track faculty job

  • FPN is the DEFINE command for a tenure-track (or non-tenure) PAR

  • FPT is the DEFINE command for a tenured PAR

Term(s): a.k.a. Commitments, "Deals", etc.; each "term" is an aspect of a hiring package that represents an agreement between a UT entity and the faculty candidate to provide a good or service at a specified time and may or may not have specific conditions attached; something promised to the faculty hire if they accept employment at UT.

  • E.g. Salary; teaching load; orientation pay; relocation payment; computer; research funds; equipment funds; research course releases; summer salary; etc.

  • Each term requires approval by the office/unit that is funding and/or guaranteeing it

  • Approval equals 1) in writing; 2) dated; 3) specifying term(s); 4) from a person authorized to make said agreement on behalf of their office/entity

    • i.e. Whomever is funding/guaranteeing a thing has to be the one to approve it. 

    • e.g. Dean/Associate Dean can approve College-funded commitments, but not Provost-level commitments.

COLA HR: Liberal Arts's college-level HR team; also cola_hr@austin.utexas.edu; lead contact for this process: Stuart Tendler

 Process: 

  1. Department initiates faculty recruitment process. (See Tenured and Tenure-Track Recruitment Overview)

  2. Department identifies candidates to interview.

  3. Department identifies finalist.

  4. Department Chair negotiates terms of offer with Associate Dean for Academic Affairs, and serves as intermediary between finalist and the associate dean.

    1. Term approvals will need to be documented as part of the PAR packet.

  5. When the negotiations are completed, department staff will prepare the following, consulting the Provost’s PAR Handbook and supplemental materials provided by COLA HR:

    1. Job requisition in Workday.

    2. *DEFINE PAR document; (see also PAR Section 2)

    3. PAR supporting documents:

      1. Refer to PAR checklists at bottom of PAR Handbook page for required materials and correct order when assembling the packet; forms and templates can be located here.

      2. ii. A fillable appointment process summary form is here. 

        The “cheat sheet” version of this form is here. 

    4. Draft offer letter

      1. Start by downloading the appropriate offer letter template from the Provost site (in the EVPP Knowledge Base in Service Now) to ensure all of the required legal elements are included; see also sample language document for suggestions

    5. COLA Offers Database record; see Offers Database for details

  6. When completed to best of your ability, please submit items, as follows:

    1. *DEFINE PAR: 

      1. Make a note of the Document ID

      2. in *DEFINE; use "VER" command to check your document for completeness; once VERified as correct, APP forward.

      3. Pull up the PAR document again; use PRT to print the cover page

      4. Have the Chair sign the cover page to add to the packet (see next step).

    2. PAR Packet: 

      1. Complete per above (5b) and submit via portal, labeled "DEPT_Lastname_DocID.pdf" : PAR Portal

    3. Submit the MS Word version of your draft offer letter to the portal, labeled "DEPT_Lastname_DraftOffer."

    4. Submit the Offers Database record by clicking on "Submit Offer Record" 

  7. COLA HR reviews PAR and works with department to finalize.

  8. COLA HR final-approves PAR or, if the hire is being made with tenure, submits to the Provost’s Office for final approval.

  9. Once final-approved, COLA HR will send approved PAR and offer letter to department; department is now allowed to send the offer letter to the finalist.

    1. Note: Please remember to 1) remove any "DRAFT" notations on the letter; 2) send the letter on letterhead; 3) the Chair signs the letter prior to sending.

  10. Department returns signed offer letter to COLA HR OR submits documentation (i.e. written notification) to COLA HR that the offer is declined. 

  11. COLA HR will send signed offer letter to the Provost Office (APS); once APS has verified receipt of signed offer and that the DEFINE PAR is correct, they will ACCept the PAR, which will change the status of the PAR from "Pending Offer" to "Accepted." The PAR will then load the future faculty appointment to Workday overnight, allowing the department to proceed with hire and onboarding in Workday.

 

Related policies/information: 

Interviewees must meet with a dean according to this list.  

Please see also: Posting on Interfolio; Hiring with Tenure; PAR Define Section 2; Offers Database; Faculty Onboarding. 

Other Related Links: 

Connect to DEFINE via VIRTEL

COLA September 2021 Faculty Hiring Training materials: https://utexas.app.box.com/folder/147388541145?s=fnkoinh8f5xvrvqq2nxq6q8ahfeyxqne 

COLA Offers Database (web version) 

Provost PAR Handbook

COLA PAR checklist

 

 

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