The following items must be included in all letters of offer of an executive management position. It is required that draft offer letters be reviewed by the office of the Vice Provost and Associate Vice President for Faculty and Academic Staff Affairs. An executive management offer letter template is provided at the bottom of the page for your convenience.

• Appointment starting date, position title, salary rate, administrative increment (if any), summary of position responsibilities, and, if applicable, salary status in case of return to a regular faculty/staff position.
• Notice that appointment is "at will." E.g., Individuals holding Executive Management positions serve at the pleasure of the administrative superior to whom responsibility for personnel actions has been delegated and may be relieved from administrative responsibilities at any time without notice or cause. As applicable, an individual's tenured faculty status is not affected by this at will provision.
• A criminal background check is a prerequisite for all executive management appointments (excluding foreign nationals who come to MSU directly from residence outside the U.S., for whom the Department of Homeland Security provides the necessary clearance) at Michigan State University. The offer letter must indicate: "This offer of appointment is contingent on satisfactory criminal background check results, including degree verification. You will be contacted by _________ to initiate the background check process."
• Form I-9. Appointment approval is also subject to completion of a  USCIS I-9 form. The Immigration Reform and Control Act of 1986 requires MSU to verify the employment eligibility and identity of all new hires via the I-9 form.
• Vacation entitlement. E.g., Eligible for forty-eight (48) vacation days biennially on a fiscal year basis. Vacation days are available prospectively; they are non-accruable beyond the biennial fiscal year period. Vacation allowances are granted on July 1 of odd-numbered years. Proportional allowances are granted to individuals appointed during the biennial period.
• Medical/sick leave. E.g., Up to six months of paid leave is available if health problems prevent the individual from working. Medical leave is non-accruable with no terminal payoff.
• Benefits. E.g., Michigan State University provides Executive Managers with a variety of benefits, including retirement program, health, dental, and life coverages. The attached Summary of Benefits will provide you with a broad overview of the range of benefits available. You must enroll in benefit programs within 30 (thirty) days of your appointment beginning date.
• Retirement eligibility. E.g., To be considered a retiree from Michigan State University, an individual must have attained one of the following:  1) 15 years of service in an Executive Management position; 2) at least age 62 with a minimum of 15 years of University service; 3) 25 years of service at any age. If the condition of #1, above, is met, the individual retains eligibility for Michigan State University retiree status if assigned subsequently to a non-Executive Management position.
• Final approval for your appointment rests solely with the [President/Provost/Board of Trustees].

• Sick leave payoff: A support staff employee may choose to have 50% of the accrued sick leave paid at the time of transfer at the current salary rate or it may be paid at the time of retirement at the salary rate in effect then. The offer letter should confirm the desired option.
• Official Retirement Status: An individual entering executive management status from an MSU position in which service credits toward retirement status have been earned shall be given immediate credit toward the fifteen year Executive Management retirement requirement in proportion to the ratio that such prior service bears to the 25 year service requirement for all other University employees, rounded up to the next half year. The offer letter should confirm the application of this provision.