Those of you who attended Bob Waterston’s talk on negotiating salaries and start-up packages already know that the most important part of negotiating an offer is to get it in writing. This is a bit of advice that University of Texas San Antonio’s Kelly Suter must wish that she had followed. Dr. Suter worked hard to negotiate herself a large start-up package for her lab, which requires lots of expensive equipment. However, on arriving at UTSA Suter found that the money meant to provide her start-up funds had been used to lure new male faculty members to the department. Suter spent several years waiting to finally get the full amount she was promised, while only being able to buy one piece of vital equipment at a time. After attempting to resolve the situation internally (Suter asked for an apology and a letter to NIH explaining why she hadn’t been able to start her work on schedule), Suter is now suing the university and six administrators and professors in particular.
The lesson in all of this is, first of all, get your offer in writing. Furthermore, don’t be afraid to speak out and stand up for yourself when necessary.