PTF Fall Contract Maintenance
Purpose
To outline the college’s process for managing professional-track faculty (PTF) contracts that are beginning in the Fall semester of an academic year, or not carrying forward from the Spring or Summer term of the previous academic year.
For general information about these contracts--their purpose, function, and related definitions and processes--please see the Professional-Track Faculty (PTF) Mass Transactions UT Workday webpage, especially the Overview, Important Reminders, and Workday processing sections, as they contain valuable information about contract maintenance, not just for mass processes.
COLA will utilize the Mass PTF processes for Fall semester, for any actions where the service is offered and the College meets the minimum number of transactions to qualify for their use. For business processes (BPs) that cannot be completed via mass processing, units are responsible for routing BPs in Workday to properly maintain their professional-track faculty for the Fall semester, though COLA HR will work with units to facilitate and assist with this process.
The three main processes with which departmental staff (HR contacts) will engage are “renewal,” “inactivation,” and “reactivation.” Staff are responsible for ensuring that all affected faculty are either renewed, inactivated, or reactivated. Staff may also choose to terminate faculty who will not be returning within the next three years.
Deadlines
These are hard deadlines driven by the Provost’s deadlines for submitting spreadsheets to them for mass processing:
July 7– Signed offer Letters for faculty being renewed or reactivated uploaded to WD.
July 7– Excel online spreadsheets (Renew/Inactivate and Reactivate) completed.
Relevant Definitions
Contract Maintenance: the process of ensuring faculty who will be teaching in the Fall semester have the correct contract in place; and/or ensuring that faculty who taught in Spring or Summer, but are not teaching in Fall, are moved into the appropriate job profile.
Professional-Track Faculty (PTF): Formerly known as non-tenure-track (NTT) faculty; per HOP 2-2010 Faculty Titles, appointments to these faculty titles are (unless otherwise indicated):
not on the tenure track;
may be “short-term, two- or three-year fixed term, or two- or three-year rolling term;
“may be full- or part- time”; and
“shall terminate upon expiration of the stated period of appointment without notification of nonrenewal.”
Contract: in Workday, the mechanism which defines the time period of a professional-track faculty member’s active employment at UT
Rolling Contract: A three-year contract that is extended each year by an additional year, so that in the Fall of every academic year, the faculty member’s contract is renewed for a full three-year term.
Multi-year, fixed-term contract: A contract for either two years or three years that is only renewed at the conclusion of that two- or three-year term.
Contracts vs Offer Letters: In our common discourse, “offer letters,” are considered “contracts,” and we often use the two interchangeably. However, it is important to remember that in Workday, a contract is a specific component of managing professional-track faculty appointments. Workday provides an opportunity to upload an offer letter as part of the contract process, but, in Workday, contracts and offer letters are distinct rather than interchangeable.
Expiring Contract – for the purposes of this process, a contract ending on 5/15/YY or 8/15/YY.
Reactivation: the process of returning an inactive faculty member to active teaching, with a contract beginning on 8/16/YY.
Renewal: the process of extending a faculty member’s contract from Spring or Summer through the Fall semester.
Inactivation: the process of transitioning a faculty member who taught in Spring or Summer, but is not teaching in Fall, into a new, inactive (F-INA) job profile.
Termination: Workday BP term describing separation from UT Austin employment; the person has no plans to teach again at UT or the unit has no intention of having the person teach for them within the next three years/indefinite future.
RPT0976: “Faculty Positions Missing Contracts – RPT0976”; Workday report that determines if any faculty are missing a contract.
RPT0240: “Faculty Contracts Mass Process Template - RPT0240”; Workday report; useful for identifying expiring contracts for a given sup org/subordinate orgs (i.e. the whole college or department, etc.).
RPT0813: “Faculty - Not Active Jobs - RPT0813”; Workday report used to identify current inactive faculty for a given sup org & its subordinate orgs.
Modified Service: Hiring a retired faculty member to return to a teaching role.
Processes
Mass Renewal and Inactivation Process
*** Signed offer letters must be uploaded to WD, or the faculty member will be removed from the mass renewal spreadsheet.
To upload signed offer letters
Obtain signed offer letter. Please refer to Related Policies and Key Reminders for guidance and up-to-date offer letter templates.
Upload this to the faculty’s Workday profile
Go to Personal section>Documents
Click on Add button
Select the signed offer letter for upload and include a descriptive comment, such as “Fall 20YY offer letter.”
To renew or inactivate your faculty
Review the Fall 2025 Mass Renew Spreadsheet.
This is generated via RPT0240.
Staff can generate this sheet on their own for their unit/s, but please submit information via the shared spreadsheet.
For everyone in your unit, enter “yes” or “no” in column G (“Is the Dept Renewing the Contract?”).
If you have a faculty member on a rolling contract, and you are maintaining the rolling contract, you must renew the contract and extend the current end date by one year.
If you have a faculty member on a rolling contract and you wish to not renew or phase out the “rolling,” prior approval from COLA HR is required, and the contract renewal will be processed as a standalone BP, rather than as part of the mass process. Please let us know about any such case sooner than later, both so that we can begin the review process, and so we can remove the faculty member from the spreadsheet.
Enter the future contract type in column H.
The expectation is that the future contract type will be the same as the current contract type (column F).
Changes to a faculty member’s contract type are not allowed prior to conversation with COLA HR, and offers or guarantees related to faculty contract length--or other employment changes-- cannot be extended prior to obtaining necessary approvals.
Note about AY2025-26: This year will serve as a transition period for implementation of the new PTF Contract Length policy. Some details follow:
The policy sets minimum contract lengths based on rank, and in 2025-26 units are required to align contract lengths with these minimums where appropriate.
For the Fall 2025 mass renewal process:
Use the Fall 2025 Mass Renew Spreadsheet to compare each faculty member's Job Profile (column D) and Contract Type (column F) with the minimum contract lengths included in the Policy, section I.a:
If the current contract length meets the policy minimum requirements, no change in contract type is needed, i.e., H will be the same as F.
If the current contract length does Not meet the policy minimum requirements, please enter the minimum contract length based on rank in column D and, in the Comments field (column J), note that “<Faculty Name> is a <Faculty Rank>. Moving to <Contract Type> to align with COLA minimum contract length based on rank.”
Example: Jean Grey is an Associate Professor of Instruction. Moving to 2-year fixed term contract to align with COLA minimum contract length based on rank.
Caveat: There may be individual circumstances where the minimum contract length--as determined by faculty rank--may not be appropriate; please provide a brief note of explanation on the spreadsheet and communicate with COLA HR separately for appropriate handling or additional approvals that may be needed.
Enter the future contract end date in column “I.” Options are: 12/31/YY or 5/15/YY for instructional faculty, or 8/15/YY for research (12-month) faculty.
Enter comments in column J.
Minimum Comment Requirements:
For all: “Renewing <Name> at <0, 13.32, 26.68, 40> SWH. Will teach <1-1, 2-2, 3-3, 1 course, 2 courses, 3 courses> in <20YY-YY, Fall 20YY>. Offer letter uploaded to WD on <MM/DD>.”
Example: Renewing Scott Summers at 40 SWH. Will teach 3-3 in 2025-26. Offer letter uploaded to WD on 06/27.
If multiple positions: add a comment confirming that your teaching assignment has been coordinated with the additional positions and include a date of when confirmation received.
Example: Confirmed Fall teaching schedule with ENGL 6/27/25.
If contract type is changing: please add comments as specified above (3.a.ii.1.b.).
If appointed at 0 SWH: please provide an explanation
If an instructional overload approval is required: please note the date the overload request was submitted or approved, and include the Service Now ticket number.
Please include any other comments you think would be helpful and/or useful.
COLA HR will review the spreadsheet and comments and work with units to facilitate and ensure completion of faculty renewals outside of the mass process. Staff will refer to the Spring PTF guidance for instructions on “manually” maintaining faculty outside the mass process.
Reactivate Process
*It is possible that COLA will have fewer than 10 reactivations, in which case reactivations will not qualify for the mass process, and COLA HR will work with units to ensure reactivations are completed outside the mass process. Staff will refer to the Spring PTF guidance for instructions on “manually” maintaining faculty outside the mass process.
*** Signed offer letters must be uploaded to WD, or the faculty member will be removed from the mass reactivate spreadsheet.
To upload signed offer letters, see above.
To reactivate your faculty
Review the Fall 2025 Mass Reactivate Spreadsheet.
This is generated via RPT0813.
Staff can generate this sheet on their own for their unit/s, but please submit information via the shared spreadsheet.
For everyone in your unit, enter “yes” or “no” in column E. (“Reactivating?”)
For everyone in your unit, enter “yes” or “no” in column F. (“Terminating?”)
The default choice is to leave inactive, however, there are instances when termination is necessary, usually brought to your attention by the faculty member.
If terminating: please include a comment in column L explaining the need for termination.
Future job profile (column G) must be the same as previous job profile (column D), unless the faculty member has a joint position, the joint position has been reclassified, and approval is on file to reclassify the joint position during the reactivation process. If these reclassification details exist, they must be clearly communicated in column L.
In all instances: please ensure that any mismatch, or potential mismatch, between joint position job profiles is brought to our attention.
Enter the future scheduled weekly hours (SWH) in column H. Please refer to the guidelines below under Related Policies and Key Reminders.
Enter the future contract type in column J. Most future contracts are expected to be “Short-term.”
For the Fall 2025 mass renewal process:
Review the Fall 2025 Mass Reactivate Spreadsheet and identify any PTF whose rank is or will be above the “assistant professor” (or lecturer) level:
If their contract type meets the minimum length requirements (ref Policy, section I.a.), no change in contract type is needed.
If their contract type does not meet the policy minimum requirements, please enter the minimum contract length based on rank in column “G” and, in the Comments field (column L), note that “<Faculty Name> is a <Faculty Rank>. Moving to <Contract Type> to align with COLA minimum contract length based on rank.”
Example: Warren Worthington III is a Senior Lecturer. Moving to 2-year fixed term contract to align with COLA minimum contract length based on rank.
Enter the future contract end date in column K. Options are: 12/31/YY or 5/15/YY.
Enter comments in column L.
Minimum Comment Requirements:
For all: “Reactivating <Name> at <0, 13.32, 26.68, 40> SWH. Will teach <1-1, 2-2, 3-3, 1 course, 2 courses, 3 courses> in <20YY-YY, Fall 20YY>. Offer letter uploaded to WD on <MM/DD>.”
Example: Reactivating Kitty Pryde at 40 SWH. Will teach 3-3 in 2025-26. Offer letter uploaded to WD on 06/27.
If multiple positions: add a comment confirming that your teaching assignment has been coordinated with the additional positions and include a date of when confirmation received.
Example: Confirmed Fall teaching schedule with ENGL 6/27/25.
If contract type is changing: please add comments as specified above (3.a.ii.1.b.).
If appointed at 0 SWH: please provide an explanation.
If an instructional overload approval is required: please note the date the overload request was submitted or approved, and include the Service Now ticket number.
Please include any other comments you think would be helpful and/or useful.
Establishing Contract-Length Procedures and Criteria
COLA’s PTF Contract Length policy encourages units, when appropriate, to consider multi-year contracts for professional-track faculty, but provides a potentially iterative process for achieving this goal. The policy does not, therefore, suggest that departments should be looking to maximize contract lengths as soon as possible.
Per the PTF Contract Lengths Policy, departments shall establish a process for evaluating their professional-track faculty contract lengths and determining the criteria by which contract length or types may be adjusted beyond the minimum requirements. This review process must be clearly communicated and readily accessible for faculty members so that they might understand how they may or may not become eligible for a longer-term contract.
PTF contract length review procedures and eligibility criteria must be reviewed and approved by the Associate Dean for Academic Affairs prior to implementation.
Because this policy is newly in effect (in AY2025-26), it is anticipated that departments will, at the earliest, establish and then submit their internal criteria and process for dean’s approval during the 2025-26 academic year, with a target implementation date of Fall 2026.
To seek review and approval, departments should submit their PTF Length of Contract Criteria Form to COLA HR, via Box upload, for handling and dean's review on or before Jan. 31, 2026. Submissions will be reviewed in Spring 2026.
Departments may choose to incorporate these criteria into their governance processes, but for the initial launch, units may need to work “off cycle.”
Once a department has received written approval for their contract change procedures, these criteria will be kept on file in COLA HR. Departments may then utilize their approved procedures to request changes of contract length during future renewal cycles, accompanied by the appropriate justification.
Related Policies and Key Reminders
COLA Offer Letter/PTF Appointment Requirements
Offer letters should use current templates as provided by the Provost’s Office.
Offer letters may NOT include an increased nine-month academic rate. Rather, a contingency line may be added: “We expect this academic rate may be adjusted further, effective 8/16/25, consistent with college and university salary policies and available funding.”
Note: Faculty who have successfully been promoted in rank should use the new faculty title, aligned with the new academic year and promotion effective date, for the offer letter but should still not include the rate increase.
Should use approved SWH/FTE numbers [listed below]
Offer letters must specify teaching assignments, corresponding with these guidelines.
Deviations from these guidelines must have approval via the Associate Dean for Academic Affairs on file.
In most situations, deviations from these guidelines must be specified and explained in offer letters.
Both Fall and Spring (when applicable) teaching assignments need to be specified. If spring courses are unknown, the letter will mention that specific course assignments are to be determined. However, the letter needs to specify the teaching load across the academic year, e.g.:
Your teaching load for YY-YY will be 3-3. In Fall you will teach …. Spring course assignments are TBD (or if not, state the courses).
If an appointment requires an Instructional Overload Form (IOF), please see the IOF wiki page.
SWH and FTE Guide for Professional-Track Faculty Appointments
**Note: Classroom contact hours and FTEs refer to a single semester
3 to 5 classroom contact hours: 13.32 SWH, 33.3% FTE
6-8 classroom contact hours: 26.68 SWH, 66.7% FTE
9-12 classroom contact hours: 40 SWH, 100.0% FTE
Structuring year-long appointments with an imbalanced teaching load will be evaluated on a case-by-case basis.
Course assignments that would result in any employee being appointed beyond 40 SWH requires an approved instructional overload.
Tips
To view existing contracts in Workday, from the faculty member’s profile page, select “Actions,” and choose “Employee Contracts” from the drop-down menu.
Review the FYI copy of “Faculty with Future Contract End Dates” for faculty members not currently requiring renewal or reactivation.
Although these faculty do not need their contract within WD maintained at this time, in many cases it may be necessary or advisable to provide the faculty member a current year offer letter. Please reach out to COLA HR as needed for guidance on this question.
Due to the timing of when the mass processing reports are run, it is possible a faculty member is missing from a spreadsheet. If you suspect a faculty member is missing from one of these spreadsheets, please contact COLA HR as soon as possible.
Other Related Links
EVPP Offer Letters Page - in Service Now Knowledge Base
COLA Faculty Policies - including those relating to faculty titles, contract types, and workloads
Professional-Track Faculty (PTF) Mass Transactions Workday page - includes information about contract maintenance and WD guidance