Faculty Joint Appointments

Workflow Overview

Effective November 1, 2024, there is a new workflow for joint faculty appointments in accordance with the revised IHOP 05.0307 (link to policy). 

This will apply to all faculty holding the following ranks:

  • Instructor
  • Assistant Professor across all tracks
  • Associate Professor across all tracks
  • Professor across all tracks

Please note that the joint appointment workflow should be used for faculty members who currently hold a primary faculty appointment at UTMB.

Department Chair drafts joint appointment letter Department Chairs (requesting department and primary department) signs letter (Dean signs when applicable) Department submits the signed letter to OFA OFA facilitates the Provost signature  OFA facilitates the President signature OFA submits final letter to both department chairs (dean when applicable), admin, faculty, and Faculty Relations.

Workflow and Resources

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  • The Department

    The Department Chair of the initiating (joint) department is responsible for determining the scope of the faculty members' role in the joint department; this should be developed in dialogue with the primary Department Chair. This content will be supplied in the joint appointment letter (template available for this process). The letter should include that the request is approved by the department APT or Faculty Committee. The effective date for joint appointments can not be backdated and will need to be a future date, minimum of three weeks out from the date of submission.

    The joint appointment letter (link) will need to clearly outline the details of the joint appointment:

    • Rank and track (the faculty members' joint appointment rank and track should match that of their primary department.) Administrative appointments should not be incorporated into this letter as they are not relevant to the joint faculty appointment process
    • Effective date of joint appointment
    • Expectations of involvement in joint department/specific tasks
    • Allocation of effort between departments (if specified and agreed upon by both chairs; only if cost sharing)

    The letter should reflect both the primary and joint Chairs' understanding of this relationship. Please utilize the joint faculty appointment letter template to guide this process.

    Best Practices: To identify the faculty member's primary department rank and track:

    Once the joint faculty appointment letter is drafted, it will require the signature of the initiating (joint) Department Chair as well as the primary Department Chair. 

    *Please note that a faculty member can hold multiple joint faculty appointments; they only have one primary.

    In cases where the faculty joint appointment is across schools, the respective deans of each school will also need to review and sign the letter.

    Once all the Chairs and respective Deans have signed the letter, the initiating (joint) department will submit the letter to the Office of Faculty Affairs.

    *Review Faculty Relations/HR requirements to ensure that needed documents are being processed simultaneous to the joint appointment letter
  • Office of Faculty Affairs

    When the completed letter is submitted to the Office of Faculty Affairs (OFA), the office will verify that the requested rank is consistent across the primary and joint department. 

    OFA will facilitate the signatures from the Provost and President.

    Following the final approval by the UTMB President, OFA will return the fully executed letter to the following:

    • Primary Department Chair
    • Joint Department Chair
    • Faculty Member
    • Administrator(s)
    • Faculty Relations

    If the faculty joint appointment is denied at the Provost or Presidential level, the letter will be returned to the initiating department. A discussion may need to take place between the Provost or President and the initiating Department Chair to determine next steps.

  • Faculty Relations/HR

    The Office of Faculty Relations will process the additional appointment upon receipt of the Employment Authorization Form (EAF) Request in Human Capital Management (HCM) System along with the approved Faculty Joint Appointment letter.

    *Departments should work on the Employment Authorization Form (EAF) upon receipt of approved Joint Appointment Letter.

    Once processed, Faculty Relations will generate a revised MOA to include the secondary department.

    If there is reference to cost sharing/funding on the joint appointment letter, it is the department's responsibility to submit appropriate changes in HCM (i.e. Department Budget Table Request)