next »

[rafrafraf]

I have 2 job offers.
Several weeks ago, I told A that I'd accept their offer as long as the contract contains everything we agreed upon. Still I don't have the contract. They have given me class schedule and everything, except the contract.
University B expects my decision very soon. I have withdrawn my applications from other colleges, cancelled several interviews, but I am very hesitant to reject the offer from B without signing the contract with A.

I need enough time to resign from my current position, to find an apartment in the new area (in a different state)& find a moving compnay, and to prepare for classes, but I can't go ahead and do anything until A sends me the contract. I asked them once about the delay and they said everything is OK, but still no contract. I don't want to nag them every week, but I can't relax when I think about all the things I have to do within a very short time period.

What should I do?

[niceday]

Pick up the phone. As for a timeline. Is it a reputable, established university? Any financial issues?

Do you at least have a binding offer letter from a Dean?

I wouldn't withdraw even from other searches without something firm from School A.

[ruralguy]

As many have said before, many reputable schools (including mine...and I think that of seniorscholar) do not issue contracts as such. You get an offer letter, and everything else is considered to be mentioned in the faculty handbook. An offer letter should specify salary and general terms, such as number of classes you teach. It might also mention start up funds and such.

If you have nothing even lookimg like that, call the Dean and have a conversation. If he can't guarantee anything, accept B's offer too, and see who gets you a "contract" first. If you get B's first, either sign it and go there, or use that as leverage to get A to work more quickly.

[rafrafraf]

I don't have an offer letter. Dean called to offer the position, I accepted via email. They know that I have other offers, and I was told that there was a delay in submitting paper work. I was asked to fill out forms (background check, direct deposit, email account etc....) but no written offer/contract yet.

This is a reputable college and I know that there are no financial problems. I will call and see what happens...

[niceday]

There is no excuse not to have an offer letter from the Dean within the day or two -- at most a week. Without even an offer letter, you have nothing.

I can understand the contract being delayed till all the paperwork is done but you should get a letter signed by the Dean with details of salary, etc.

Yeah, I'd follow ruralguy's advice and accept B. Without an offer letter signed by the Dean and you, you have no offer, you have not accepted anything and are free to try to take care of yourself.

Pick up the phone and ask for a binding offer letter so that "you may proceed with all the necessary steps to make the move to this wonderful new position."

[rafrafraf]

Does the Dean have the authority to give me an offer letter?  I was told that he didn't have the authority to do so, and they ware waiting for the approval of the board, which is just a formality.

[harlow]

I agree that the absence of a formal offer letter would be worrisome; official contracts can arrive many weeks later.  At our state institution the Dean's offer letter (which I received in April the year I was hired) stands until the Board of Trustees gives final (rubber stamp) approval in mid-June (except for positions hired in Jan/Feb, which can be approved earlier).  I don't think I got the actual contract until the end of June.

On review: do you have anything written from A?

[rafrafraf]

On review: do you have anything written from A?

They sent documents (for email account, direct deposit etc) for me to sign, & classes etc via email. Dean, secretary and the department chair contacted me via email to discuss about those things, but I don't have anything else.

[oatmeal]

OP--I would call A tomorrow and ask to speak to the Dean to ascertain the status of the paperwork. Or you can email to ask if you can phone (either way is probably fine). How long have you waited exactly? These things can take time. Even if you do not get a contract you should have some form of written documentation which is basically a contract. I would suggest hesitating to accept offer B. Have you discussed terms with B? Doing so can string it out by another week or so. I assume you would rather accept A than B? This matters. If you accept B and then A works out, you will have to withdraw from B, which is never very good but it is your choice. In this environment a bird in the hand is definitely better than two in the bush. Good luck to you. Let us know what happens.

[imawakenow]

On review: do you have anything written from A?

They sent documents (for email account, direct deposit etc) for me to sign, & classes etc via email. Dean, secretary and the department chair contacted me via email to discuss about those things, but I don't have anything else.

Then you don't have an offer from school A--despite their best intentions and all of the other activity.

As niceday pointed out earlier, there's no reason not to have an official offer from the dean.

Bottom line: If you like A more than B, then follow oatmeal's advice. Contact the dean tomorrow (I'd also copy the department chair if you go the email route) and say that you really want to work there but that you need to finalize the details. State explicitly that you have an offer from school B, and you must respond shortly.

If A and B are basically the same, accept B and then let A go f*** themselves for not getting their s*** together.

In the future, do not withdraw from any searches until you have signed an offer letter or contract. (My university is similar to others. I received an official offer letter from the dean, which I signed and returned. I didn't receive a contract until the summer.)

[rafrafraf]

If you have nothing even lookimg like that, call the Dean and have a conversation. If he can't guarantee anything, accept B's offer too, and see who gets you a "contract" first. If you get B's first, either sign it and go there, or use that as leverage to get A to work more quickly.

Is this OK? I mean, to accept B's offer until I get a formal offer from A? I really don't want to do that to B, they have been very nice to me. They know that I have been considering other offers, and gave me extra time. But I have to decide by the end of this week.

How long have you waited exactly? These things can take time.

I accepted A's offer exactly 3 weeks ago.

I'll contact the Dean tomorrow and tell him that I really have to  have some sort of formal letter to finalize everything.

[oatmeal]

OP--Verbally accepting B is different to signing a written contract with B and then declining it. The latter would be very bad form. The former would be bad form but understandable. If you have until the end of the week, you have a few days to play with for B. But you will probably have to accept or decline by the end of the week. This is all verbal at this stage, correct? If you call A tomorrow, you should know definitively what is happening (assuming you can get to talk to the Dean). It might be a good idea to send an email and cc. to the Chair of the SC. Try to phrase your "request" in a positive way, and if A is your preferred choice, then just show your excitement and readiness to come on board and that you need to take care of all the paperwork. The institution should send the documents overnight really, as it has been three weeks. Good luck.

[rafrafraf]

I sent an email to the Dean. He says that he cannot promise an official letter by the end of this week as paper work is processed at an office somewhere else. He said would contact the office to get it done quickly, but can't give me a timeline.

At this point, I think I have no other option but to accept the offer from school B. I'm going to wait until Friday. If I accept B's offer, how should I let both A and B know that I will take the job with whoever sends me the contract/offer letter first ?  I am not sure how to word it in an appropriate way...

[bojangles]

I sent an email to the Dean. He says that he cannot promise an official letter by the end of this week as paper work is processed at an office somewhere else. He said would contact the office to get it done quickly, but can't give me a timeline.

At this point, I think I have no other option but to accept the offer from school B. I'm going to wait until Friday. If I accept B's offer, how should I let both A and B know that I will take the job with whoever sends me the contract/offer letter first ?  I am not sure how to word it in an appropriate way...

OP, I think at this point A is playing games.  For some reason, I just don't understand why the Dean cannot give you an offer letter and send the contract later on.  Its standard practice at some schools.  As long as the letter contains all of what you agreed upon, whats the problem?

Perhaps its a budgetary issue or something else is going on.  It just does not make sense to want to work for A if they cant even get their act together.  Time is money and each day you play cat and mouse with them, you are losing out.  Choose B over A and be done with it.

[aandsdean]

I sent an email to the Dean. He says that he cannot promise an official letter by the end of this week as paper work is processed at an office somewhere else. He said would contact the office to get it done quickly, but can't give me a timeline.

At this point, I think I have no other option but to accept the offer from school B. I'm going to wait until Friday. If I accept B's offer, how should I let both A and B know that I will take the job with whoever sends me the contract/offer letter first ?  I am not sure how to word it in an appropriate way...

Ask B to send you an offer letter by PDF over e-mail.  Ask them also how long it will take to issue a contract.  (As others have said, some schools never give a contract, just a letter, and others send a letter but the contract comes after the legislature or the regents or whomever vote on the budget in June or the like).  If they get you an offer letter immediately, take the job and don't look back at A.  The dean is a doofus.  He isn't telling you the truth.