Administrative Steps for Faculty Onboarding : Faculty and Academic Resources : Texas State University

Welcome to Faculty Onboarding Resources

This site, managed by Faculty and Academic Resources, is here to support departments through every step of the faculty hiring and onboarding process from initial offer to first day.

Whether you're hiring per course instructors, tenure-line or non-tenure-line faculty, or international faculty requiring visa sponsorship, you’ll find the tools, policies, templates, and timelines needed to ensure a smooth, timely, and compliant onboarding experience.

Appointment Dates

Academic appointment dates vary by appointment type and term.

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"NEW" FTE Faculty
- Fall & Spring Appointment Dates
  - Year 1 appointment Fall - Spring: 08/16 - 05/15
    - Year 2 appointment Fall - Spring: 09/01 - 05/31
  - Year 1 appointment Fall: 08/16 - 12/31
  - Year 1 appointment Spring: 01/01 - 05/15
- Summer I & II Appointment Dates
  - Summer I: 06/01 – 07/15
  - Summer II: 07/16 – 08/31
Continuing FTE Faculty
- Fall & Spring Appointment Dates
  - Fall - Spring: 09/01 - 05/31
- Summer I & Summer II Appointment Dates
  - Summer I: 06/01 – 07/15
  - Summer II: 07/16 – 08/31
Per Course Faculty
- Fall & Spring Appointment Dates
  - Fall: 09/01 - 01/15
  - Spring: 01/16 - 05/31
- Summer I & II Appointment Dates
  - Summer I 2026: 06/01 – 07/15
  - Summer II 2026: 07/16 – 08/31
- Please note:
  
  Per course faculty are contracted on a semester basis. A reappointment PCR with the contracting form attached should be submitted prior to every continuing semester after initial hire date.
Per Course to FTE Transitions
- Per Course Converted to FTE Faculty
  - Fall Transitions for Per Course Faculty Moving to FTE Positions:
    - If the per course faculty member does not work Summer Session II (7/16 – 8/31): Their per course assignment must be ended via an End Additional Appointment PCR effective August 15. An Additional Appointment PCR should then be processed effective August 16 to appoint them into the benefits-eligible FTE faculty position.
      A Change in Position PCR cannot be processed in this scenario, as it will produce a hard stop and is not allowable by SAP.
      The signed Faculty Contract Offer Recommendation form must be attached to the Additional Appointment PCR.
      If the transition to the FTE position is through a posted position, a copy of the contract issued by the Provost following the PeopleAdmin recruitment process should be attached to the PCR.
    - If the per course faculty member works Summer Session II through August 31: Process a Change in Position PCR effective September 1 to move them into their benefits-eligible FTE faculty assignment.
      The signed Faculty Contract Offer Recommendation form must be attached to the PCR.
      If transitioning to an FTE faculty position via a posted position, a copy of the contract issued by the Provost, following the PeopleAdmin recruitment process, should also be attached.
  - Spring Transitions for Per Course Faculty Moving to FTE Positions:
    - When a per course faculty member transitions to an FTE position, their per course assignment must be ended using an End Additional Appointment action effective January 15. A new Additional Appointment PCR must then be submitted to appoint them to the FTE faculty position, effective January 16.
      The signed Faculty Contract Offer Recommendation form must be attached to the PCR.
      If the transition to the FTE position occurs via a posted position following the PeopleAdmin recruitment process, a copy of the contract issued by the Provost should be attached to the PCR instead.

1. Policies & Procedures

Please review the following information before beginning the faculty hiring process.

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Foundational Actions
- Hiring Policies
  - Faculty Hiring Policies - Familiarize yourself with the official Faculty Hiring Policies which outlines required documentation, procedures, and institutional expectations for all faculty hires. This policy ensures consistency and compliance across departments.
    - AA/PPS No. 04.01.01, Faculty Hiring
    - AA/PPS No. 04.01.02, Hiring and Employment of Temporary, Non-Continuing Faculty
- Hiring Flow Charts
  - Hiring Flow Charts - Review the Hiring Flow Charts for a visual overview of each faculty hiring pathway. These charts help clarify the appropriate steps based on the type of faculty appointment.
- International Work Authorization (if applicable)
  - This section applies to all faculty candidates who are not U.S. citizens or lawful permanent residents and who require visa sponsorship to work in the United States. Hiring international faculty members involves additional coordination to ensure legal compliance, timely visa processing, and a smooth onboarding experience. Departments planning to sponsor work authorization (e.g., H-1B, J-1) must take early and proactive steps.
  - Required Action: Hiring units should contact the International Employment as soon as the selection process concludes to discuss work authorization sponsorship and any immigration-related matters.
  - If your department is seeking to sponsor an H-1B visa for your new hire, you are encouraged to read the Guidelines on H-1B Sponsorship for Faculty and Staff and contact the International Employment office if you have any questions.
  Timely communication with the International Employment office is critical to effective and efficient faculty onboarding.
  - International Employment Flyer | To send to new international faculty to ensure they're aware of resources available on campus for international employees.

2. Offer Letters

At this stage, departments should utilize the offer letter templates.

If negotiations are required, please refer to the negotiation topics and the faculty searches and negotiations webpage.

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Offer Letter Templates
- Candidate Offer Templates
Negotiation Topics
- Offer Salary
  - Ensure offer salary for FTE positions is at least 90% of CUPA.
  - Guidelines: Faculty Compensation and Faculty Hiring
- Moving Allowance
  - Authorization for Employee Moving Expenses (paid to employee)
  - Relocation Services Request (paid to moving company)
  - UPPS 03.01.22
- Start-Up Funds
  - Research start-up funds are committed to faculty members at the point of hiring in order to build, develop, and enhance research programs that are important to the ongoing mission of Texas State University. These funds represent a clear investment in the research and professional careers of faculty. For any questions, please contact Dr. Mike Blanda or Nick Schellman from the Division of Research.
  - University Policy: Start-Up Funds R/PPS 03.12
Out-of-State Employment
- For out-of-state appointments, departments must contact the Payroll and Tax Compliance prior to extending an offer to ensure tax compliance and to confirm that the university is registered in the applicable state. A list of states where TXST is currently registered can be found at Out of State Employment.

3. NetID Request

Before you begin the hiring proposal a NetID request should be completed. Applicant's information must be requested to complete NetID setup.

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NetID Setup
- Timeframe
  As soon as the hire is confirmed, initiate the NetID creation process. A valid NetID is required before submitting the Hiring Proposal and PCR and is essential for timely access to university systems such as email, SAP, Canvas, and internal tools.
  - Delays in NetID setup will impact onboarding, contract processing, and system access for the new faculty member.
- How to obtain the information
  
  The department must request the information necessary to complete the NetID request via a phone call or other process maintained by the hiring personnel. If it is not within 90 days of the hire date, the departments should not wait to complete the I-9 to complete this process. Due to governmental policy that prohibits I-9s from being initiated and completed before 90 days of the hire date, and many hires not being able to notify their current employer or find housing until a contract is issued, departments should not wait to complete the NetID or hiring proposal.

4. Welcome Letters

Departments are responsible for sending the appropriate welcome letter to all new faculty to notify them of the various sessions available during their first semester. Welcome letters can be sent to new faculty after they accept their initial offer. Be sure to include any and all essential information including dates of departmental meetings if attendance is required.

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Fall Hires
- Tenure Line Faculty (Benefits Eligible)
  - Tenure Line Welcome Letter (Fall 2026) | Letter should be provided to new benefits eligible faculty starting in the fall to notify them of required attendance at new faculty orientation and additional workshops/sessions available.
- Non-tenure Line Faculty (Benefits Eligible)
  - Non-tenure Line Welcome Letter (Fall 2026) | | Letter should be provided to new benefits eligible faculty starting in the fall to notify them of required attendance at new faculty orientation and additional workshops/sessions available.
- Per Course Faculty (Non-Benefits Eligible)
  - Per Course Welcome Letter (Fall 2026) | Letter should be provided to new per course faculty regarding the available new faculty workshops/sessions and meetings.
Spring Hires
- Tenure Line Faculty (Benefits Eligible)
  - Tenure Line Welcome Letter (Spring 2026) | Letter should be provided to new benefits eligible faculty starting in the spring to notify them of required attendance at new faculty orientation and additional workshops/sessions available.
- Non-tenure Line Faculty (Benefits Eligible)
  - Non-tenure Line Welcome Letter (Spring 2026) | Letter should be provided to new benefits eligible faculty starting in the spring to notify them of required attendance at new faculty orientation and additional workshops/sessions available.
- Per Course Faculty (Non-Benefits Eligible)
  - Per Course Welcome Letter (Spring 2026) | Letter should be provided to new per course faculty regarding the available new faculty workshops/sessions and meetings.
Out-of-Cycle Hires
- Out-of-Cycle Faculty Welcome Letter
  - Out-of-Cycle Faculty Welcome Letter | Letter should be provided to new benefits eligible faculty members to notify available New Employee Welcome canvas course.

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Hiring Proposal

Hiring proposals should be submitted via PeopleAdmin with all documentation attached (including checklist) within 15 days of candidate acceptance.

This process is separate from the PCR and I-9 process. The hiring proposal, PCR, and I-9 process should happen simultaneously.

Lecturers and clinical lecturers that have been separated for less than three years and phased retirement faculty rehires can be hired via a waiver form and bypass a PeopleAdmin hiring proposal. A PCR will still be required.

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Hiring Checklists
- PeopleAdmin - Faculty Packet Checklists
  - PeopleAdmin - New Faculty Packet Checklist | Used to assist supervisors in collecting required paperwork for faculty hired through the Applicant Tracking System.
  - PeopleAdmin - Rehired Faculty Packet Checklist | Used to assist supervisors in collecting required paperwork for faculty rehired through the Applicant Tracking System. This checklist should not be used if faculty member has been separated more than 10 years.
  - PeopleAdmin - Converted Faculty Checklist | Used to assist supervisors in collecting required paperwork for current faculty moving to new Tenure Line Faculty or Nontenure Line Faculty position via the Applicant Tracking System.
  - PeopleAdmin - Postdoctoral Scholar Packet Checklist | Used to assist supervisors in collecting required paperwork for postdoctoral scholars hired through the Applicant Tracking System.
  - PeopleAdmin - Program Faculty Packet Checklist | Used to assist supervisors in collecting required paperwork for program faculty hired through the Applicant Tracking System.
- Waiver Rehire - Faculty Packet Checklist
  - Waiver Rehire – Lecturer & Phased Retirement Checklist I Used for eligible lecturers (within three years) and phased retirement faculty rehires exempt from PeopleAdmin hiring.
- Chair/Director Hiring Checklist
  - Chair/Director Hiring Checklist | Used when appointing Chairs/Directors.
Hiring Documents
- Contracting Forms
  - Faculty Contract Offer Recommendation | Used for initial and subsequent appointments for graduate and doctoral teaching assistants; employment for faculty members who are to be appointed on an FTE basis with a monthly salary rate; and when converting per course faculty to an appointment on an FTE basis.
  - Per Course Faculty Contract | Used for all per course appointments, both initial and subsequent. Per Course faculty are limited to teaching two 3-4 hour classes per semester. The only exception is the addition of one University Seminar (US1100) class section to those two classes per semester.
- English Proficiency Form
  - English Proficiency Form | Used to report evidence of compliance with clear English standards. Required for all new faculty and teaching assistants. AA/PPS 04.01.11
  - Approved Tests of English Proficiency
- Faculty Telephone Reference Form
  - Faculty Telephone Reference Check | Used to complete telephone reference check for faculty selected for hire.
- Employment Justification Form
  - Employment Justification Form | Used to demonstrate outstanding professional experience and contributions to the teaching discipline and may be presented in lieu of formal academic credentials.
- Texas State Vita
  - Texas State Vita and Texas State Vita (With Fine Arts Components) | Standardized Texas State Vita or Texas State Vita (With Fine Arts Components) format.
  - AA/PPS 04.02.20
- Hiring Matrix
  - Hiring Matrix | Must be used for all faculty searches to evaluate and score applicants. Any search requiring a hiring matrix will also require interview questions be attached.
- Authorization for Employee Moving Allowance
  - Authorization for Employee Moving Allowances | Used to obtain authorization for payment of an employee moving allowance. UPPS 03.01.22
Helpful Documents
- Contract Conditions
  - Contract Conditions FY27 | To be used for faculty who require special conditions of employment.
  - Contract Conditions FY28 | To be used for faculty who require special conditions of employment.
- Qualifications and Credentials
  - SACSCOC Faculty Credential Guidelines
  - Verifying Faculty Qualifications and Credentials | Guide to help departments determine if a faculty member has credentials necessary to teach at the Graduate Teaching Assistant, core curriculum/undergraduate level, and graduate level.
- Transcripts
  - Guidelines for Accepting Transcripts | Used to guide new faculty members through the process of requesting electronic transcripts and certified evaluation of foreign transcript and/or documents from foreign universities.
  Transcripts and certified evaluations should be mailed to Texas State University, C/O: Faculty and Academic Resources, 601 University Drive, San Marcos, TX 78666 or sent electronically to fac-transcripts@txstate.edu per the Guidelines for Accepting Transcripts.
  Note: Official transcripts from all degree granting institutions must be submitted to comply with credentialing guidelines from the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges (SACSCOC).
  - Request Templates | Templates to be used by departments to request transcripts from faculty hires.
  - Parchment Guide for Electronic Transcripts | Used by faculty to ensure electronic transcripts requested via Parchment are sent directly to Faculty and Academic Resources.
When a Hiring Proposal is not Required
- Per Course Converting to FTE Faculty (Lecturer/Clinical Lecturer)
  - Fall Transitions for Per Course Faculty Moving to FTE Positions:
    If the per course faculty member does not work Summer Session II (7/16 – 8/31): Their per course assignment must be ended via an End Additional Appointment PCR effective August 15. An Additional Appointment PCR should then be processed effective August 16 to appoint them into the benefits-eligible FTE faculty position.
    A Change in Position PCR cannot be processed in this scenario, as it will produce a hard stop and is not allowable by SAP.
    The signed Faculty Contract Offer Recommendation form must be attached to the Additional Appointment PCR.
    If the transition to the FTE position is through a posted position, a copy of the contract issued by the Provost following the PeopleAdmin recruitment process should be attached to the PCR.
    If the per course faculty member works Summer Session II through August 31: Process a Change in Position PCR effective September 1 to move them into their benefits-eligible FTE faculty assignment.
    The signed Faculty Contract Offer Recommendation form must be attached to the PCR.
    If transitioning to an FTE faculty position via a posted position, a copy of the contract issued by the Provost, following the PeopleAdmin recruitment process, should also be attached.
  - Spring Transitions for Per Course Faculty Moving to FTE Positions:
    When a per course faculty member transitions to an FTE position, their per course assignment must be ended using an End Additional Appointment action effective January 15. A new Additional Appointment PCR must then be submitted to appoint them to the FTE faculty position, effective January 16.
    The signed Faculty Contract Offer Recommendation form must be attached to the PCR.
    If the transition to the FTE position occurs via a posted position following the PeopleAdmin recruitment process, a copy of the contract issued by the Provost should be attached to the PCR instead.

PCR and I-9

PCRs can be processed after background checks and I-9s have cleared. This process is separate from hiring proposals. The hiring proposal, PCR, and I-9 process should happen simultaneously.

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Essential Resources
- I-9 Resources
  - Form I-9 & E-Verify
    - Confirm an active Form I-9 is on file.
    - If the employee is rehired within 3 years of the date that Form I-9 was originally completed, Supplement B may be completed.
    - If the employee’s previous Form I-9 was completed more than 3 years from the rehire date, a new Form I-9 must be completed.
- PCR Resources
  - PCR Information and FAQ page
  - All supporting documents must be attached electronically to the PCR, using the Faculty PCR Document Naming Convention.
  - For international hires, departments should email the following to payroll@txstate.edu: selected candidates name, email, rank, department, and start date.
- Personal Data Sheet
  - Personal Data Sheet | Used for all hires. Not needed for the hiring proposal, but should be attached to the PCR.

Departmental Integration

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Class Assignment
- Teacher of Record
  - Course Leaf | Once the background clears and the hiring proposal is finalized, a member of the Faculty and Academic Resources team will mark the applicant as faculty in Banner, which should trigger an addition to Course Leaf over night.
Workspace Setup
- Things to Do
  - Share Required Notices - Ensure all applicable employment-related notices are shared and acknowledged according to university policy and legal requirements. These may include equal employment opportunity statements, background check disclosures, or other compliance-related documents.Add Faculty Member to Department Website/Directory.
  - Schedule meeting to verify I-9 documentation.
  - Request Building, Office, Lab key/card access.
  - Prepare Office/Workspace (clean, furnished, ready).
  - Set up Teams Phone and Voicemail.
  - Set up Computer/Desktop.
  - Update/Add Faculty Profile
  - Update OrgChart.
  - Add to email distribution list.
  - Request access to SAP roles (if needed).
  - Arrange mailbox and door signs.
  - Arrange ID for clinical settings.
  - Order nametags and business cards (if needed).
  - Add to professional organization memberships (if needed).
  - Send welcoming announcement to Department and College (if needed).
  - Conduct office tour.
  - Please be aware that your department might have additional steps.
Required Trainings
- Trainings Vital for Faculty Success
  - Success Factors in SAP
    - Schedule/Assign Canvas Training
    - Schedule Online Teaching Training (if applicable)
    - Assign EEO Training

Frequently Asked Questions

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How do I know which contract form to use?

Contract Offer Recommendation Form: The Contract Offer Recommendation Form is used for (1) initial and subsequent appointments for graduate and doctoral teaching assistants; (2) employment for faculty members who are to be appointed on an FTE basis with a monthly salary rate; and (3) when converting per course faculty to an appointment on an FTE basis.

Per Course Faculty Contracting Form: The Per Course Faculty Contracting Form is used for all per course appointments, both initial and subsequent. Per Course faculty are limited to teaching 2 classes per semester.
What is the difference between a percent faculty appointment and a per course faculty appointment?

Percent faculty are required to meet classes, hold regular office hours, and participate in committee, research/service, and scholarly activities in accordance with departmental guidelines based upon the percentage of the appointment.

Per course faculty are required to meet classes and hold regular office hours.
When is the title of Program Faculty appropriate?

Program Faculty: The title of Program Faculty is appropriate 1) when the faculty member is performing duties other than regular teaching duties, or 2) when an employee is hired for a specific duty and is not the teacher of record but must have faculty credentials to fill the position. Those appointed as Program Faculty do not receive contracts because they are not teachers of record.

Program Faculty can be appointed in paid or non-paid positions. The department chair determines the appropriate type of appointment. Regardless of the type of position (paid or non-paid), a current vitae and the original transcript of the highest degree conferred must be included in the hiring packet for all individuals appointed as Program Faculty. This policy has been implemented in order for us to verify credentials and to comply with SACSCOC requirements.

Questions regarding Program Faculty appointments should be addressed to Brendan Scott at 5-8378 or bs1123.
Are official transcripts required?

Yes. The Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges Principles of Accreditation specifically states that we must keep on file, for all teachers of record, documentation of academic preparation. Official transcripts from all degree granting institutions are required to complete a faculty member’s hiring packet.
What approval is necessary when full-time staff teach classes?

Staff may teach one (1) regular class per each long semester on campus during normal working hours with supervisory approval as well as concurrence from the divisional vice president. Staff may not be compensated for teaching this class, unless the employee uses vacation, compensatory time or flex time to cover the teaching hours or the supervisor modifies the employee's work schedule around the hours spent teaching. In addition to the three-hour or four-hour class noted above, an exempt staff member may also teach one one-hour section of University Seminar subject to the same schedule adjustment provisions. Account manager approval and written documentation as to how work hours are to be made up must be submitted with the contracting documents and PCR. Refer to UPPS 04.04.11 for additional information.

Staff who teach are required to provide to the department all documents needed for a faculty hiring packet.