Faculty Appointment Letters

This page provides information about how faculty receive appointment letters and when faculty can expect to receive them.

Continuing Full-Time Faculty

Faculty continuing a full-time appointment at the University receive and sign their appointment letters for the coming academic year electronically at the secure Faculty Appointment Letters Website. Section 3.3.3 of the Faculty Handbook indicates that faculty will receive their appointment letters on or before March 15 of each year.

Timeline

Continuing full-time faculty can expect to receive appointment letters on the following timeline.

  • February – You will receive your appointment letter for the following academic year with your current rank and salary listed. Tenure, promotion, and merit decisions that may alter your rank and salary are generally not finalized until after the May Board meeting and so the only information this appointment letter can provide is your current rank and salary. This appointment letter requires that you sign. Signing this letter indicates your commitment to serve as a member of the Faculty in the coming academic year.
  • May to July – You will receive an updated appointment letter for the following academic year that will include any rank or salary changes that will apply as a result of tenure, promotion, or merit reviews that have concluded since February. This appointment letter is considered informational and does not require you to sign.
  • October to December – You will receive an updated appointment letter should the Board of Trustees authorize an overall salary increase for faculty outside of tenure, promotion, and merit increments. This appointment letter is considered informational and does not require you to sign.

Receiving, Viewing, and Signing an Appointment Letter

  • A few days before appointment letters are released on the Faculty Appointment Letters Website, you will be sent an email from the Provost's office giving you the appointment release date.
  • Between 9 a.m. and 3 p.m. on the release date you will receive another email from the Provost's office telling you that your appointment letter is available to review and sign. If you do not receive this email, you must inform the Provost's office immediately. If we hear nothing from you, we will assume that you have received notification that your appointment letter is available.
  • Once appointment letters are released on the Faculty Appointment Letters Website, please log in to view and sign your letter. The deadline for doing so is 30 days following the issue date. The deadline is indicated in the letter and on the website. Contact the Provost's office at provost@owu.edu or 740-368-3102 if you have questions about your appointment letter.
  • After you review your appointment letter, please sign it electronically using the process described on the Faculty Appointment Letters Website. To sign, you will be asked to type the last four digits of your Social Security Number, type your name, and click a button labeled I agree. Once you complete these steps, the appointment letter is signed and is legally binding on all parties. There is no need to return anything to the Provost's office.
  • Once you electronically sign your appointment letter, you will receive an email confirmation that you have signed the letter. If you do not receive this email, you should inform the Provost's office. If you ever receive an email confirmation before you have signed a letter, it is imperative that you contact the Provost's office immediately.
  • You should download a copy of your signed appointment letter for your records. To do this, you can return to the Faculty Appointment Letters Website and view your signed letter. The PDF document that downloads when you click the View letter button is the record of your signed appointment letter.

Keep in Mind...

  • The deadline for signing your appointment letter is 30 days after the issue date. Your letter will remain accessible at the Faculty Appointment Letters Website after this due date, but this does not alter the 30 day signing period specified by the Faculty Handbook. If you are not able to sign within 30 days, it is very important that you contact the Provost's office.
  • The Provost's office will not provide a paper version of your appointment letter. If you wish to accept a continuing appointment to the Faculty of Ohio Wesleyan University, you must use the Faculty Appointment Letters Website to view and sign the appointment letter offered for the continuing appointment.
  • The Provost's office will not accept a signed paper copy of an appointment letter from a continuing full-time member of the faculty. Please do not sign and return a printed version of your letter from the Faculty Appointment Letters Website.

New Full-Time Faculty

Appointment letters for new full-time faculty are issued electronically by email through Adobe Sign at the time an offer is made at the conclusion of the hiring process. For information about appointment letters for new full-time faculty, please contact the Provost's office.

Part-Time Faculty

Appointment letters for part-time faculty are issued electronically by email through Adobe Sign. For information about appointment letters for part-time faculty, please contact the Provost's office.