Dean Jones says:

"Unless you have a compelling reason, I think one graduate assistant for two years should be sufficient to help you get your research program started.

However, because hardware comes out of a different part of the budget than graduate assistants, I am willing to increase your allocation for hardware.  Will that help you?   

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 three summer sessions, none of which count toward your teaching load

**Three-day a week teaching schedule."

Your response:

1.  I will accept your generous offer IF you also raise the amount for software by $400.  Doesn't that also come out of yet a different part of the budget?

2.  I will accept, IF you can reduce the number of summer sessions I am scheduled to teach.  Why do you want me to teach three sessions?  Teaching so much in the summer will hamper my research output.