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[ruralguy]

That was my initial reaction, Aprilmay, but perhaps a dean would allow for a semester delay, and then discuss the ways the college might work with the NGO.

Incidentally, the one faculty member here who had this sort of set-up ending up quitting 10 years later to go back to that kind of work.

So, it might be ok to ask yourself again what you really want to be doing.

[aprilmay]

That was my initial reaction, Aprilmay, but perhaps a dean would allow for a semester delay, and then discuss the ways the college might work with the NGO.

I agree. A delayed start time is not at all the same thing as a 50% position. Asking for a delayed start time is not unusual.

[madhatter]

In a department with a mishmash of faculty types -- clinical faculty, teaching faculty, pure soft money researchers, etc. -- a 50% position might be feasible. But not 50% on the tenure track.

[untenured]

Honestly, here that would never fly. You may be able to work something out, but for some schools not only would you get a "no" but they would wish they had not made an offer to someone who did not want to commit. In complete seriousness, any discussion of this during an interview would absolutely kill your chances of a job. Your school and situation may be different, but tread very carefully. On a more general note, if you only want to be tt part-time, you probably need to get out of the tt business all together and find a part-time position that will allow you to do other things.

This is exactly my school too.  You start asking for a delayed start and we get nervous.  We have nightmares of having the hard-fought tenure line being pulled out from us.  We also wonder if this just a convenience job for you.

Except for truly compelling medical or family issues, asking for this here is just bad news.

[biologist_]

My department has had no problem with new hires starting a semester or a year late to wrap up postdoctoral research projects.  We're not a SLAC, but we are a relatively student-centered program with modest research requirements.  We are happy to let new hires take a little extra time to complete projects or expand their toolbox before arriving, as they are unlikely to have the time after they start the TT position. 

If you asked in the context of finishing certain ongoing activities that are already planned, we would probably not object unless there were an urgent teaching need that could not be covered by a temporary hire.  In fact, it would help our budget out for the next year.

The 50% TT position seems much less likely.