Information for Faculty/Librarians who have received an offer of employment at Windsor

Thank you for checking with the Faculty Association about possible future employment with University of Windsor. We hope the following information will be of help when you are deciding on the offer of employment. The following information is provided by the Faculty Association, University of Windsor, to help prospective faculty and librarians have as much information as possible when considering an offer of employment. It is best to have all important features of any contract agreement in writing. This avoids misunderstandings and will ensure you receive what you expect, particularly as administrators change from time to time.

Full-time positions
1) Once you accept your salary, presumably on a July 1 start date, your next increase will be one year later on July 1 at a rate that has been agreed upon in the Collective Agreement. The structure of compensation is set out in Article A of the Collective Agreement; within Table A.1(a) the salary floors for each rank of faculty and librarians are displayed as they will stand on July 1 of each contract year. The salary floors only establish a minimum. Negotiated starting salaries are usually above the annual floor for the rank. Anticipate that the first salary offer will be LOW and it is up to you to negotiate a higher starting salary. By calling the Faculty Association we can provide some ballpark salary figures and advice on employment contract negotiations.

2) If you are entering into a tenure-track position, or working towards permanance, you will have a number of years to achieve tenure/permanance status. Research and publication are looked upon highly for tenure and it would be a smart idea to negotiate course release(s) or a lesser workload for the first year or two to enable time for research and publication. The average courseload in many faculties is 5 courses per year. Perhaps you can negotiate a course release/lesser workload for the first year or two. Another idea is to negotiate some stability in the courses you be required to teach to allow research development. You should also determine the student enrolment/TA/GA ratio to ensure that you will have instructional support in large classes.

3) It would also be a very good idea to get, in writing, the expectations for research/publication, service and teaching according to the appointment committee (called the 'PTR Committee') in your academic unit. We've seen cases where the expectations were not clearly stated and this caused much anxiety leading up to tenure and promotion decisions.

4) Research related matters - besides salary, there are other things you will want to consider and conceivably bargain over, although the potential gains may be different from year to year and across academic areas. Normally a start up grant is available to all new hires, the amount is dependent on the faculty/library you are entering. This start-up grant is normally used to purchase your computer, software packages, journals, etc. Remember that in a few years you may require updates to software packages, computer equipment, etc.,especially if your courses and research or work are dependent on the latest equipment/software. In terms of research, perhaps there can be an agreement to sponsor research grant applications. Will you be able to secure a lab or studio for your research? Office and lab space is very limited at the University and these are all important questions to ask at the negotiation stage.

5) Do not assume you will have your own office or furniture in the office. Ask about the provision for office space, research/studio space and availability of research funds for new appointees. Ask for any promises in writing. Ask if the university will supply a computer or if you will be expected to purchase one. If you have been working at another university, perhaps as a limited term appointment, ASK if you can credit that time towards early tenure (and/or sabbatical leave once you have achieved tenure.) Ask if you can use research published before arriving at the U of W towards tenure consideration. Get the answers in writing. The University is currently using Blackberry portable cell phones as its telecommunication system. In order to get a cell phone, what must be done and who will pay for the ongoing expenses? Will you be provided with any kind of office support? Will you be provided with a Grad or Teaching Assistant if you have large class enrolments? What is the enrolment number required to get TAs or GAs?

6) Establish how much service you will be required to contribute and which committees you will be expected to participate in. This is similar to point #4 above. However, be aware that service is not given as much weight in the tenure & promotion process as research/publication/creative activity and teaching.

7) Be aware that there are relocation expenses available for moving to the Windsor area to a maximum of $4,000 for you and family members (within 1600 kilometers of Windsor), $6,000 (within North America exceeding a radius of 1600 kilometers from Windsor), and $8,500 if coming from outside of North America.

8) Do not assume that the first offer made to you by the Dean/University Librarian is the final offer, as the University expects to enter into negotiations at this stage. What you manage to negotiate in the areas of salary, credited years of service for leaves and credited years in rank have long term consequences for your career path, income and pension. If you'd like to consult with us during the negotiations, we'd be happy to assist by call (519) 253-3000 ext 3366, or emailing wufa@uwindsor.ca

Another helpful resource: request CAUT Negotiating Starting Salaries, a brochure published by CAUT 2002, available by email request to CAUT click here

Contract and Limited Term Appointment Positions
Contract and Limited Term Appointments are just that - designed with end dates or limited terms, with no promise of contract renewal. Many faculty members will take a Contract or Limited Term Appointment with the hopes that a tenure-track position may come open in the near future. Some are lucky enough to secure a tenure-track positions, others do not have the same opportunity.

Limited Term Appointments are normally at the Lecturer rank, although some appointees with PhD's may be granted the rank of Assistant Professor which gives a bit of a salary increase. Most of the Limited Term appointments begin at the salary floor levels. Contract positions can include AAS positions and some legal writing positions.

The University is of the opinion that Contract or Limited Term Appointments are hired only to teach. The Faculty Association is not in agreement with this opinion, and forewarns applicants who are looking for a future opportunity in a tenure-track position that research and publication will be necessary. Be aware that Contract and Limited Term appointments are normally given more than the average courseload in the faculty, large enrolment classes, and the pursuit of research and publication is difficult due to the heavy workload.

When negotiating an offer of employment, ask about a start-up grant, provision of office equipment, how to obtain GAs or TAs, office/lab space, research funds, a computer and software. Get ALL agreements in writing because the Head or Dean can change and someone new might be your supervisor in a few years....someone who has no knowledge of any previous work arrangements or agreements between the parties.

Once you have been appointed in a Contract or Limited Term position, you may negotiate new terms in your contract the next time you are offered a position at the University. There are also certain rules which apply to those who are being re-appointed in Limited Term Appointment positions under Letter IV of the Collective Agreement.

If you hold a Limited Term Appointment and have been offered a tenure-track position you must, at a minimum, receive your previous salary and rank. You may wish to negotiate that any research or publications you have produced in the LTA position to count towards your future tenure application. You may also choose to re-negotiate your initial salary at this point. WUFA can provide some advice on comparative salaries.

HIRING MYTHS for Limited Term Appointments

1) If I work hard as a Limited Term Appointment I'll be assured of a full time job with the University. False. The University is hiring you from contract to contract. They do not owe you another contract. While it can be advantageous to have worked as an LTA for several years when applying for a tenure-stream position, you will still need to establish your research once your tenure stream begins. The university can discontinue the existing LTA position at the end of any contract, and tends to do so just about the time you would have normally achieved tenure if reappointed in a Limited Term Appointment capacity.  There have also been severe cutbacks in hiring budgets across the University.

2) I've been teaching a long time at the University and I deserved to be appointed to 'Job X.' False. There can be any number of reasons you did not get the job. If you are concerned and think there may be issues or irregularities with the appointment process, come and speak with us.

3) If I work hard and teach the classes that no one else wants to teach I'll get ahead. False. You are better off putting that time towards research and publications. Teaching those extra classes reduces your research time and cuts into publications that could assist you in future tenure and promotion decisions.

4) I have the best credentials and should have been the selected candidate for the appointment. False. The committee will select the best qualified candidate for the job; they may not necessarily have the best credentials. Also, the candidate only needs to meet the minimum qualifications, depending on what the selection committee is looking for.

The opinions expressed on this website are those of the Faculty Association (WUFA) and are provided as a guideline only to assist those considering an offer of employment at the University of Windsor. WUFA cannot be held accountable for any errors or omissions in employment contracts negotiated by future Faculty Association members.