Retention and Pre-retentions

What is a retention vs a pre-retention?

A retention may occur if a faculty member has received a formal offer that includes proposed terms such as rank, salary, start up support, etc..  A pre-retention may occur if a faculty member is in the process of being recruited, but has not yet received an offer.

What is needed to initiate a retention or a pre-retention?

Evidence of the poaching attempt.  Examples include:

  • A formal offer from a competing institution
  • Invitations to deliver a seminar at a competing institution for which the person is being considered for a position
  • Invitations to apply to a recruitment from a competing institution
  • Email confirmation from a competing institution indicating that the faculty member is being considered for appointment.

This is not an exhaustive list.

When is the retention or pre-retention initiated and who initiates it?

Typically either the faculty member or the Chair of the department will alert the Dean of a potential poaching attempt. The Chair is expected to initiate conversations with the faculty member to determine whether or not there will be an effort to retain the faculty member.  If the decision to move forward with a request for a retention or pre-retention by the Chair, then the Chair will reach out to the Dean to negotiated proposed terms.  The Chair is responsible for initiating the Letter of Intent to retain.  The template for this letter is located on the internal Google drive.  

When is a retention file needed?

Retention or Pre-retention Files are only needed when there is a proposal to increase a market of scale and/or an adjustment of rank and step.  If the retention involves an endowed chair, a separate endowed chair file is needed. 

When is a retention file NOT needed?

If a faculty member is being retained by dean's office resources only, the signed letter of intent is all that is needed.  

File Components

If the file is not being submitted concurrent with an academic review and includes an increase in MOS with no rank or step advancement, it should include the items listed below:

  • Summary

  • Updated History

  • Department Letter to include the following information.  Click here for more information.

    1. Analysis of Competing Offer (i.e. ranking or how institution/department compares to UC San Diego).

    2. Discussion of Scholarly Contributions

    3. Discussion of value the faculty member brings to the campus community

    4. Potential Damage to any University programs or national/international standing if candidate departs

    5. Equity analysis within department discussion

    6. Best judgement for real likelihood the candidate will leave

  • Evidence of poaching attempt 

  • Updated BioBib