Start-Up Expenses

A freshly minted Ph.D. landed a tenure-track position at a top-tier undergraduate institution. As a part of his package, he negotiated to have a budget for new library purchases. His doctoral specialty was not well represented in the library holdings, and he needed very specific standard reference works and other materials for his research.

He developed his list for the library, which totaled several thousand dollars, the amount that had been agreed upon. A budget cut hit, however, and the order was cancelled.

“They aren’t a part of your contract,” a senior administrator told him. “They were, in effect, a wish list, not a part of your package. We can’t fund wishes now.”

The negotiations had been conducted via e-mail when the young Ph.D. was at his former institution. That e-mail account was purged when he departed, and he had kept only a few printouts to document the details of the discussions. The printouts never mentioned a “package,” only “a list of desired resources.” Nothing in his written contract mentioned the expenses.

How often does that sort of thing happen, in your experience? And what recommendations can you offer about negotiating laboratory, library, or other start-up expenses?