Academic Appointments and Titles (E-1A)
Original Implementation: September 6, 1979
Last Revision: July 15, 2008
The allocation of positions and appointments to fill positions is the responsibility of the provost and vice president for academic affairs as delegated by the president of the university. The dean of the appropriate college makes recommendations to the provost and vice president for academic affairs concerning the creation of new positions and appointments to fill existing vacancies. The faculty in each department participates in the development of staffing plans.
All conditions of appointment are in writing at the time of appointment.
The rank of initial appointment is based upon the qualifications of the appointee in relation to programmatic needs of the appropriate academic unit and the university. In order to be appointed to categories 1 through 3, individuals are expected to have completed the highest level course of academic study available in the discipline of his/her primary responsibility. Ordinarily, that would be a doctoral degree or a master's degree that is considered to be a terminal degree in the particular field. Additionally, all teaching faculty should meet faculty qualifications as prescribed by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools.
For the appointment of a faculty member or librarian, the appropriate category from the following list shall be used:
Categories 1 through 5 are used for full-time appointments for an academic year and are the only positions creditable toward tenure. These positions are subject to the terms and conditions of the Tenure policy (E-50A). Categories 6 through 11 are used only for full-time or part-time appointments for a semester or a full academic year. Service in these non tenure track ranks is NOT creditable toward tenure and NOT subject to the terms and conditions of the tenure policy. See Academic Promotion policy (E-3A)
| 1. Professor |
|---|
| The rank of Professor is held by an individual who has a sustained and distinguished record of scholarly/creative accomplishments, effective teaching, and service to the academic and general communities and whose contributions to the profession or field are substantial and are recognized beyond the campus. |
| 2. Associate Professor |
| The rank of Associate Professor is held by an individual with a proven record of research/creative accomplishments, effective teaching, and service to the academic and general communities. |
| 3. Assistant Professor |
| The rank of Assistant Professor is held by an individual who demonstrates the capability to produce research/creative accomplishments, teach effectively, and provide service to the academic and general communities. |
| 4. Instructor |
| The person appointed to the rank of Instructor may be hired without a terminal degree but with contract provisions specifying completion date. Appointments to this rank after August, 2005, are on tenure track and must go through the tenure process. The minimum criterion for appointment to the rank of Instructor at the university is a master's degree in the field in which the individual will be teaching. |
| 5. Librarian I, II, III, or IV |
| The minimum criterion for appointment to any rank as Librarian is a master's degree in library science from a school accredited by the American Library Association. An individual appointed to rank of Librarian II should have the demonstrated capabilities to be an effective and productive librarian and a contributing member of the academic and general communities as evidenced by substantial job accomplishments and participation in professional library organizations or professional service to the university or the community. An individual appointed to the rank of Librarian III should have a proven record of effective and productive librarianship and have made numerous professional contributions to the academic and general communities through presentations at professional meetings, professional publications, or service to library organizations. An individual promoted to the rank of Librarian IV should be a librarian whose contributions to the profession of librarianship are substantial and are recognized beyond the confines of the local campus to be of high quality. The applicant's professional contributions to the academic and general communities should be significant as evidenced by exceptional records of accomplishment in the lower ranks. |
| 6. Senior Lecturer |
| Generally, the Senior Lecturer title is used for a full-time, nine-month position given to someone who has a terminal degree. Service in this position is not creditable toward tenure. |
| 7. Lecturer |
| Generally, the Lecturer title is used for a full-time, nine-month position given to someone who has not completed a terminal degree. Service in this position is not creditable toward tenure. |
| 8. Adjunct |
| Generally, the Adjunct title is used for a full-time or part-time position that is awarded on a semester by semester basis. This category is used to fill temporary vacancies. Service in this position is not creditable toward tenure. |
| 9. Visiting (Rank):Professor, Associate Professor, Assistant Professor, or Lecturer |
| These positions are full-time, nine-month or semester appointments depending on the circumstances. The visiting instructor may hold this position at another institution and does not hold a terminal degree. The visiting assistant professor may hold the assistant position at another institution. The visiting associate and visiting full professors shall have attained the rank of associate or full professor at another institution and must hold a terminal degree. Service in this rank is NOT creditable toward tenure. |
| 10. Designated |
| This category is used for part-time and/or full-time appointments. Appointees in this category may carry specially designated titles (assigned by the appropriate academic dean in consultation with the provost and vice president for academic affairs). The designated title should reflect the appointee's assignment. Designations such as the following are suggested examples: Clinical Instructor, Artist-in-Residence, Director of Bands, Research Associate, Archivist. Service in these ranks is NOT creditable toward tenure. |
| 11. Graduate Assistant |
| This rank is used only for appointments of enrolled graduate students in teaching, administration or research. Service in this rank is NOT creditable toward tenure. |
Cross Reference: Policy E-3A, Academic Promotion; Policy E-50A, Tenure
Responsible for Implementation: Provost and Vice President for Academic Affairs
Contact for Revision: Provost and Vice President for Academic Affairs
Forms: None