Procedures for Changing from Fixed Term Specialist to Continuing System Academic Specialist

College of Arts & Letters

Criteria and Procedures for Changing From Fixed Term to Continuing System Academic Specialist

Academic specialists are key contributing members of the College community. The work they do is vital to the university’s academic mission, whether in the areas of teaching, curriculum development, advising, research, outreach, and/or administration. The intellectual leadership of specialists complements that of the staff, students, and tenure stream faculty all as core contributors to the arts and humanities. Recruiting and retaining the highest quality academic specialists is essential to maintaining excellence in sharing knowledge, expanding opportunities, and mentorship and stewardship.

Eligibility:

In the College of Arts & Letters, fixed-term academic specialists who have demonstrated exemplary performance for a minimum of five-years of consecutive reappointment in the academic specialist system as evidenced in annual review letters may submit a request to the chair/director regarding their desire to switch from fixed term specialist to continuing system specialist. The position must draw its source of funding from hard money (e.g., general fund, endowment funds). The specialist shall not have been subject to any disciplinary action during the past five years. Specialists who have served a minimum of five-years in the academic specialist system will be eligible for a waiver of the first probationary period in the respective unit. When considering this waiver or a move into the continuing system, please note the section of the MSU Academic Specialist Handbook 6.1 “Unsuccessful Probation”.

The specialist needs the recommendation of the chair or director based on the process below:

Submit the materials below via email, to Dr. Fritzsche and copy Melissa Staub staubmel@msu.edu. 

  1. Letter of recommendation/rationale for shift in category from chair/director.
  2. Review committee recommendation.
  3. Supporting documents. Although Form C is not required for this process, use it as a guide for the types of supporting documents that should be included according to the job description.  https://www.hr.msu.edu/ua/hiring/documents/AcadSpecRecFormC_allpgsfill.pdf
  4. Specialist position description form & full description of duties.
  5. C.V.

Once approved by the Dean’s Office, you will receive an email confirmation.

Please send a draft letter of offer to College for approval.  Do not send the letter to the Academic Specialist until the Academic Position Request (APR) has been approved by Faculty and Academic Staff Affairs (FASA) & IDI via EBS.

ONCE THE DEAN’S OFFICE APPROVES THE LETTER OF OFFER, YOU MAY PROCEED WITH PROCESSING THE ACADEMIC POSITION REQUEST FORM via EBS FOR APPROVAL FROM ACADEMIC HUMAN RESOURCES/OIII.

  1. Academic Position Request Form; use “Exception” reason internal hire.   Put in the comment box “DO NOT POST.”
  2. Attach Specialist Position Description Form.
  3. Attach email with waiver approval from CAL.
  4. Attach draft letter of offer.

Once the academic position request has been approved BY FASA and IDI, YOU MAY SEND THE LETTER OF OFFER TO THE SPECIALIST AND PROCEED WITH A CHANGE IN POSITION FORM.

Please attach:

  1. Letter of offer with their acceptance, include attachments (A to E; B must be signed if never completed before).  https://www.hr.msu.edu/policies-procedures/faculty-academic-staff/academic-specialist-handbook/offer_letter.html
  2. Department/Unit Specialist Evaluation Procedures
  3. Specialist Position Description form
  4. Email with approval from CAL.
  5. HireRight.  Individuals who have never had a criminal background check before and are changing their appointment status from a fixed term appointment to continuing system appointment are required to undergo a criminal background check.

If you have any questions, please contact Melissa Staub at staubmel@msu.edu.

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1/1/2019, 2/12/2022