Faculty Retention | Office of Faculty Affairs

UNC derives its excellence from the teachers and researchers that comprise our faculty. We exist within a competitive academic market and our faculty are frequently recruited for external opportunities. It is the goal of the Office of the Provost to retain excellent faculty at Carolina. In 2006, the UNC System Office established a Faculty Recruitment and Retention Fund to retain faculty members at UNC System institutions. The funds are intended for tenure-track/tenured faculty only.  The instructions below provide guidance for how to process retention requests that involve use of the System Office Recruitment and Retention Fund.  Requests for faculty salary adjustments for retention and other purposes should be routed to the EHRA HR Consultant.

To request salary support from the UNC System Office Retention Fund, the requesting unit should select option 7 – Faculty Recruiting and Retention Fund (used when requesting support from SO retention fund) when completing the salary increase request (“rainbow form”). If approved by the System Office, you will receive a letter stating the approved salary increase amount. The System Office will then work with the University’s Budget Office to transfer the funds to the requesting unit.

 To request support for research funds, complete the Non-recurring Retentions Funds Request Form. Submit the approved form along with the salary increase request form to your EHRA HR Consultant:

Non-recurring Retention Funds Request Form

If the request for retention fund support is not approved, you may still make a counteroffer using your own funds. You are encouraged to contact the Office of Faculty Affairs to support additional retention options. If the retained faculty member leaves UNC, any awarded funds from the UNC system Office are returned to the central account. At any stage during this process, you are encouraged to discuss retention options or strategies with the Senior Vice Provost for Faculty Affairs.

For information on SHRA or EHRA Non-faculty employee retention, visit the Office of Human Resources website.