Dean Jones says:

"I'm under some pressure to wrap up this hiring process...

Perhaps I can "sweeten the deal" for you:  Research hardware comes from a different part of the budget than travel or graduate assistantships.  Suppose I add some funds to your hardware budget, and I adjust your Spring Semester teaching schedule to two-days-per week.    

Here is the new contract package I'd like to offer you:

**ONE graduate assistant for TWO years.

**FOUR guaranteed trips to conferences each year for two years

**$1,000 for software to analyze data

**$10,222 for hardware (i.e., special computer processor and other equipment)

**A nine-month salary at the 55th percentile

**Required to teach TWO summer sessions (each with high enrollment caps), neither of which count toward your teaching load

**Three-day a week teaching schedule for Fall semester; two-days-per week for the following Spring semester."

Your Response:

1.  I accept your offer.

2.  Raise the software budget also, so I can afford some expensive 'Internet-scraping' software, and I'll accept.

3.  Raise the salary to the 75th percentile, and I'll accept.  After all, I did win a research award at a prestigious national conference earlier this year.