Dean Jones says:

"Sorry.  I don't need more students; we are having trouble getting all of our current students through our program in a timely fashion.  Besides, we have an Admissions Department to recruit high school seniors.  I appreciate your willingness to offer extra service however.

Thus, I am unwilling to budge from above the 79th percentile.

Perhaps there is something else that you need, like an additional conference trip?  I like my faculty members to stay current with the latest research in their fields.

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

**TWO guaranteed trips to a conference each year for two years

**$1,000 for software to analyze data

**$10,000 for hardware (i.e., special computer processor and other equipment)

**A nine-month salary at the 79th percentile

**Required to teach three summer sessions, none of which count toward your teaching load

**Three-day a week teaching schedule with extra-large classes.

**You will list our university as your "co-affiliation" on your current projects and list our university as your sole affiliation on projects that you start here.

That is my final offer.  Take it or leave it."

Your response:

1.  I accept your kind and generous offer.

2.  Sorry.  I will simply have to pursue other opportunities elsewhere -- UNLESS you can make some additional adjustment, say in terms of travel or perhaps the hardware budget...

3.  I will accept it...provisionally...if we can agree on the issue of a paid Research Assistant.  Can we discuss that issue?