Part I. – DEFINITION OF FACULTY | Faculty Handbook

Section 1. FACULTY MEMBERSHIP

All persons hired for a role that specifically requires teaching contact with students or professional library responsibilities will be classified as regular faculty or contingent faculty. Faculty membership also includes administrative faculty and emeriti faculty.

“Full-time” refers to an individual with a 1.00 FTE contract with the university in a given academic year.

“Part-time” refers to an individual with less than a 1.00 FTE contract with the university in a given academic year.

Regular Faculty
1. Regular Faculty status applies to those persons whose major assignment is the teaching of courses as listed in the university catalog or the performance of professional librarian responsibilities. To qualify for this designation, a person must be contracted on a full-time or part-time tenure-eligible line. Regular faculty on sabbatical, other leaves of absence, or phased retirement will maintain their status as regular faculty.
2. Regular faculty have the privilege of voice and vote in the Faculty Assembly and may vote on matters of personnel recommendations (e.g., the selection of chair and dean, and the hiring of new faculty).
3. Regular faculty are subject to performance reviews in accordance with established schedules and procedures.
Contingent Faculty
1. Contingent Faculty status applies to those persons who are appointed to non-tenure-eligible lines to teach specific courses for which they are academically qualified. They may be full-time or part-time.
2. Contingent faculty may not vote on matters of personnel recommendations (e.g. the election of chair and dean, and the hiring of new faculty).
3. Contingent faculty are subject to performance reviews in accordance with established schedules and procedures.
4. Contingent faculty who are contracted on a full-time basis have the privilege of voice and vote in the Faculty Assembly. In addition to their teaching responsibilities, full-time contingent faculty are expected to participate actively in the life of the university and to participate in university and department service activities. Full-time contingent faculty are not eligible to serve on standing faculty committees, but may serve on university or ad hoc committees as their interest or expertise warrants.
5. Contingent faculty who are contracted on a part-time basis have the privilege of voice, but not the right to vote, in the Faculty Assembly. Contingent faculty who are contracted on a part-time basis are expected to bear none of the responsibilities of regular faculty outside of their teaching duties (e.g., university service, professional activity or faculty governance).
Administrative Faculty
1. The following persons have Administrative Faculty status by virtue of their administrative positions: (1) the president, (2) the provost and senior vice president for academic affairs, (3) the vice president for university relations, (4) the vice president and chief operating officer, (5) the vice president for student life, and (6) the deans of the colleges.
2. By virtue of their positions, other administrators may be assigned Administrative Faculty status upon recommendation of the provost to the president, and upon approval by the Board of Regents.
3. A regular faculty member who moves into a position designated as administrative faculty does not relinquish any rights secured by tenure and reserves the right to return to regular faculty status unless such rights are waived as a condition of the administrative appointment.
4. Administrative faculty are ineligible to serve in elected positions on Faculty or University Standing Committees during their term of service as administrators. At the time when an elected member of a Faculty or University Standing Committee becomes an administrative faculty member, they automatically vacate that committee position.
5. All administrative faculty have the privilege of voice and vote in the Faculty Assembly.
Emeriti Faculty
1. 1. Every tenured member of the faculty shall be designated professor emeritus at the time of retirement. The designation, rights and privileges of emeriti faculty are specified in the Bylaws, Article I, Section 2, Professors Emeriti.
  2. Professor emeriti shall have the same rights and privileges as other members of the faculty except the right to vote in the Faculty Assembly and the right to vote on matters of personnel recommendations (e.g. the election of chair and dean, and hiring of new faculty).

Section 2. FACULTY RANKS AND CLASSIFICATIONS

Assignment of faculty rank or classification depends on the faculty member’s qualifications and the nature of the assignment at the time of appointment.

Rank in Tenure-Eligible Regular Faculty Lines
1. Three rank designations apply to faculty in tenure-eligible lines:
  1. Assistant Professor
  2. Associate Professor
  3. Professor
2. The qualifications associated with each of the above ranks are specified in the Bylaws, Article V, Section 1, Subsection B.4.
Rank in Non-Tenure-Eligible Contingent Faculty Lines
1. Four rank designations apply to faculty in non-tenure-eligible lines:
  1. Instructor
  2. Assistant Professor
  3. Associate Professor
  4. Professor
2. The qualifications associated with each of the above ranks are specified in the Bylaws, Article V, Section 1, Subsection B.4-5.
Classification in non-tenure-eligible contingent faculty lines
1. 1. Affiliate Instructors are faculty who were hired into a tenure-eligible position but have failed to complete the terminal degree by the date specified in the affiliate instructor’s initial contract. A terminal contract for one academic year will be issued upon failure to complete the terminal degree by the date specified in the affiliate instructor’s initial contract. Other than eligibility for tenure, full-time affiliate instructors shall have the same privileges and obligations of regular full-time faculty. Time spent at the rank of affiliate instructor shall not accrue eligibility for tenure.
  2. Lecturers or Senior Lecturers are appointed to teach specific courses or sections in a given academic term. Their course load is normally less than half-time over a full academic year, and they are paid on a per-course basis. The distinction between these two classifications is one of teaching experience. Lecturers should not normally teach more than ten percent (10%) of a department or school’s credit hours in a given year, except in unusual circumstances and where the affected department or school agrees. They may be reappointed as needed by the institution.
  3. Visiting Faculty (Professor, Associate Professor, Assistant Professor, and Instructor) are appointed to meet the temporary needs of the university (for example, sabbatical leave replacements). Visiting Faculty are appointed and salaried for a specific length of time, usually from one semester to a maximum of two full-time equivalent (FTE) academic years. In this context, the distinction among these four classifications is one of academic qualifications as described in Article V, Section 1 of the Bylaws.
  4. Clinical Faculty or Resident Faculty (Professors, Associate Professors, Assistant Professors, and Instructors) are appointed to meet the needs of the university. They are appointed and salaried for a specific length of time, and they may be reappointed for a length of service that exceeds two FTE academic years. The Clinical Faculty designation usually, though not necessarily, applies to particular academic units as conforming to professional practice. Whether Clinical or Resident, the distinction in this context among the four classifications of Clinical (Resident) Professor, Clinical (Resident) Associate Professor, Clinical (Resident) Assistant Professor, and Clinical (Resident) Instructor is one of academic qualifications as described in Article V, Section 1 of the Bylaws.
  5. Faculty Fellows are practicing professionals appointed for a given academic term or year. Faculty fellows are appointed to provide service, which may include teaching, to academic programs.