Requirements for a Memorandum of Understanding for Faculty Appointments that
Span Administrative Units
The multi-disciplinary nature of academic medicine is requiring an increasing number of
faculty appointments that span administrative units. These include joint appointments between
departments, schools/colleges within our campus, or with affiliated institutions; appointments
within multi-disciplinary centers; and appointments in both the School of Medicine and the
Primary Care Network. It is important that the parties involved have a clear understanding of the
expectations and commitments of all involved. The School of Medicine therefore requires the
creation of a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) at the initiation of the recruitment. This
MOU will be prepared by the Chair of the faculty candidate’s proposed home department, and
must cover the following areas:
1. Appointment and Salary Negotiations: The faculty member will be appointed as a
member of an academic department and will follow the departmental and UC
compensation plan. Initial salary negotiations should be conducted by the Department
Chair in consultation with the other involved entities. The MOU should specify the
salary responsibilities for each of the involved parties. Any guarantee for salary support
should specify a defined time period and should not be left open-ended.
2. Salary and Cost Recovery: The academic department or entity managing grant salary
cost recovery should be specified. If this duty will be divided between departments or
parties, specify how each party will determine which grants it is responsible for. The
other involved parties must supply account and grant information. The MOU should also
address procedures to be followed for over-cost recovery and issues such as coverage of
salary shortfall, e.g., HBT and HBY. If the involved parties cannot reach an agreement
when preparing the MOU, the Dean of the School of Medicine, in consultation with other
appropriate leaders will make a final determination.
3. Grants and Contracts Management: The party responsible for grants and contract
management must be specified. When a Center is involved, grants and contract
management is typically the responsibility of the Center and indirect costs recovered are
normally returned to the Center, with parallel credit being given to the Department. In
individual cases, e.g. non-Center controlled FTEs occupying space in the Center, the
Center Director and Department Chair should reach an accord on Center or Department’s
responsibilities for contracts and grants management and return of indirects.
4. Academic Personnel and General Administrative Support: Academic personnel and
payroll issues are normally the responsibility of the home department. If a Center is
involved, general administrative support is normally the responsibility of the Center.
Specify how 19900 funds related to the faculty member’s FTE and grants and contracts
activities will be disposed. In individual cases, e.g. non-Center controlled FTEs
occupying space in the Center, it will be necessary for the Center Director and Chair to
delineate Department or Center responsibilities for this member.
5. Faculty Start up costs: An MOU shall specify who will be responsible for faculty startup costs and equipment. The MOU should include a timeframe in which expenditure of
start-up funds is required. While School of Medicine FTE recruitments are ineligible for
participation in the Shelton formula program; exceptions have been made by the Provost
for funding of joint campus-SOM recruitments (e.g., Center for Genomics).
6. Space: Research and office space should be identified in the MOU, and responsibility
specified regarding coverage of operational expenses, e.g., telephone, computers, facility
overhead, etc.
7. Teaching Commitment: Teaching is a requirement of all faculty (Regular ranks, In
Residence, Clinical ___ , Salaried Clinical, and Adjunct) and is necessary for
advancement in the merit and promotion system. The MOU must specify the teaching
requirement/assignments and the importance of obtaining written teaching evaluations.
8. Service/Participation:
The MOU should state expectations for candidate’s
service/participation for both administrative units (e.g., attendance at faculty meetings,
membership oon committees, seminars, social events). The levels of expectation may
vary for individual recruitments and should take into account the dual obligations of the
recruit to each entity, and the recruit’s academic rank and series.
Following successful negotiations, the Memorandum of Understanding should be
finalized and signed by the home department chair, leaders of other administrative units, and
appropriate dean(s).
6/2/05