2.1 Faculty and Academic Staff
Effective August 24, 2016, members of the Faculty will be appointed to tenure-track positions at the academic rank of Professor, Associate Professor, or Assistant Professor, or as non-tenure track positions with titles of Teaching Professor, Associate Teaching Professor, Assistant Teaching Professor, Professor of Practice, Instructor, Research Assistant Professor, Research Associate Professor, Research Professor, Faculty Fellow, Post Doctorate, Visiting Faculty, Part-time Instructor, Adjunct, and exempt staff members. They shall be appointed by the dean or director of an academic unit with the concurrence of the Chancellor or Vice Chancellor and Provost and whose primary duties are instruction and scholarly/creative activity.
Effective August 24, 2016, faculty appointments will no longer be made with the titles of assistant professor of practice, associate professor of practice, or lecturer. All reappointments of faculty holding any of these titles will be appropriately reclassified at the time of the first reappointment following the effective date of this amendment. Additionally, appointments with the titles of assistant professor, associate professor, and professor will be made only for tenure-track or tenured faculty.
Tenure-track full-time faculty
Tenure-track full-time faculty members are those holding tenured or tenure-track appointments and the title of Professor, Associate Professor, and Assistant Professor. The title of Instructor may be used for individuals expecting to complete their terminal degree and whose tenure-track appointment is pending.
Faculty may be named to certain titles of honor including University Professor, Distinguished Professor, and Trustee Professor.
Non tenure-track full-time faculty
Faculty may be appointed to full-time non-tenure track positions of Teaching Professor, Associate Teaching Professor, Assistant Teaching Professor, Professor of Practice, Research Faculty, Visiting Faculty, Faculty Fellow, or Post Doctorate. Such appointments are 1.00 FTE; however, time in such positions does not accrue to University time toward tenure. The following describes these non-tenure track full-time positions:
- Teaching Professor, Associate Teaching Professor, Assistant Teaching Professor
The title of Assistant Teaching Professor, Associate Teaching Professor, or Teaching Professor is given to full-time, non-tenure track faculty, and it implies appropriate qualifications and appropriate educational degrees. Teaching Professors at all ranks are expected to teach in the classroom or laboratory; to meet with students during scheduled office hours; to prepare and grade assignments and examinations; to contribute to the design, syllabi, and organization of departmental course offerings; and to know applications and development of pedagogy in the field. Teaching Professors of any rank are not expected to conduct research or engage with practitioners, but such duties may be included among their responsibilities and in their evaluation portfolios, in accordance with the policies of the school or college. They may carry administrative duties that include activities such as developing independent or team-taught courses, producing teaching methodologies and materials, and training other faculty in instructional methods and design. They are expected to participate in routine service to their departments, schools or colleges, and the University.
Teaching Professors of all ranks are valued members of the University Faculty. They are expected to take an active role in the governance of their college or school faculty, though colleges, schools and departments may limit their scope of action. Teaching Professors should participate fully in those decisions that are directly related to their roles within the college or school and within the department. The dean or director, together with the faculty of the school or college, has the responsibility of identifying those issues that are related to their roles within the college or school, and the department chair has that responsibility within the department. Within the department or equivalent unit, Teaching Professors may participate fully in hiring decisions of other Teaching Professors.
Teaching Professors of any rank may not vote or otherwise supervise the hiring, evaluation, and tenure and promotion of tenure-track faculty.
The Teaching Professor title of any rank will not be used to fill faculty positions that require a long record of accomplishment in a non-academic profession and are more appropriately designated as a Professor of Practice position.
The title of Visiting Teaching Professor of any rank may be granted for a one-year term.
Persons appointed to a Teaching Professor title of any rank will not be granted tenure but may be eligible for professional development leave related to their contract duties. Leave request procedures for all ranks of Teaching Professors are set by the school or college and must be available for review by the faculty.
Professional materials related to employment at the University should identify Teaching Professors of any rank by full academic title as specified by the appointment letter. Full titles should be used on University websites, on University business cards, and in other fora for which their employment at the University in a faculty role is relevant (e.g., published letters, editorials, and articles and speeches).
- Professor of Practice
Professors of Practice are distinguished professional practitioners whose presence on campus and in the classroom connect the University community to valuable expertise and professional publics.
The title of Professor of the Practice is available only for full-time, non-tenure-track faculty who are highly accomplished individuals with significant and substantial experience in a relevant field of professional practice and who can provide effective, practice oriented instruction in areas that supplement the core pedagogical instruction provided by the tenured and tenure-track faculty and Teaching Professors. While Professors of Practice may, depending on specific requirements of the college or school, have additional research, service, administrative, or outreach obligations with practitioners, teaching is their primary responsibility. They are expected to participate in routine service to their departments, schools or colleges, and the University. The title may not be used for positions whose responsibilities largely replicate those of tenure-track faculty or Teaching Professors.
Professors of Practice are expected to teach in the classroom or laboratory; to meet with students during scheduled office hours; to prepare and grade assignments and examinations; to contribute to the design, syllabi, and organization of departmental course offerings; and to know applications and development of pedagogy in their field.
The dean, with the concurrence of the faculty of the school or college, is responsible for determining appropriate qualifications for Professors of Practice, which may vary by subfield or department. Appointments of Professors of Practice are for periods of no more than five years and are renewable. Professors of Practice will be evaluated on a regular basis, according to the policies of the school or college. Evaluation prior to contract renewal will be done in accordance with standard faculty renewal processes, including review by a committee drawn from the relevant faculty, and must cover all aspects of the assigned duties.
Professors of Practice are valued members of the University Faculty. They are expected to take an active role in the governance of their college or school faculty, though colleges, schools and departments may limit their scope of action. Professors of Practice should participate fully in those decisions that are directly related to their roles within the college or school and within the department. The dean or director, together with the faculty of the school or college, has the responsibility of identifying those issues that are related to their roles within the college or school, and the department chair has that responsibility within the department. Within the department, Professors of Practice may participate fully in hiring decisions of other Professors of Practice. Professors of Practice may not vote on the hiring or on tenure and promotion of tenure-track faculty.
The Professor of Practice title will not be used to fill purely teaching faculty positions that do not require a long record of accomplishments in a non-academic profession. The title of Visiting Professor of Practice may be granted for a one-year term.
Persons appointed as a Professor of Practice will not be granted tenure but they may be eligible for professional development leave, related to their contract duties. Leave request procedures for Professors of Practice are set by the school or college and must be available for review by the faculty.
Professional materials related to employment at the University should identify Professors of Practice by full academic title as specified by the appointment letter. Full titles should be used on University websites, on University business cards, and in other fora for which their employment at the University in a faculty role is relevant (e.g., published letters, editorials, and articles and speeches).
- Research Assistant Professor, Research Associate Professor, and Research Professor
Research Assistant Professors, Research Associate Professors, and Research Professors are non-tenure track research faculty members whose appointments complement the research program of a department, school, or college. These appointments are not to replace regular faculty positions, nor should they be seen as creating long-term or career positions. Rather, they are intended to enrich the research environment of the University by providing formal appointments for scholars who provide their own support by serving as investigators on extramural grants. Once research faculty members have been approved for grant funding and are receiving salary at a minimum of .625 FTE, they are eligible for University benefits according to standard University policy. - Faculty fellow or post doctorate
These non-tenure track appointments are not intended to be renewed or to lead to a tenure decision. They are intended to bring promising new graduates of doctoral programs to Syracuse to actively engage in interchange about their work and the work of others in the department and contribute to the education of graduate and undergraduate students. Fellows and Post-docs can be primarily teaching or research appointments. These faculty members are eligible for University benefits according to standard University policies. - Visiting professor or scholar
Visiting Professors or scholars are faculty members from other institutions who receive a temporary appointment at Syracuse University. Visiting faculty appointments do not typically carry fringe benefits or full employee rights. They may or may not be compensated. Individuals who wish to be considered for visiting status should contact the dean’s office in the appropriate school or college.
Non tenure-track part-time faculty
- Part-time faculty—bargaining unit
Adjuncts United (AU) is affiliated with New York State United Teachers (NYSUT) and represents Syracuse University’s part-time instructors. The University remains committed to addressing the needs of its unionized workforce to ensure outcomes that meet the interests of these valued employees and the institution. - Adjuncts and exempt staff members
Adjunct faculty appointments are offered to individuals who hold regular employment elsewhere and with whom the University has a special collegial relationship. They are eligible for occasional teaching assignments on an as-needed basis. When a teaching assignment is made, the hiring unit issues a part- time appointment letter stating the financial terms and other details of the appointment. Non-faculty “exempt” staff members may teach up to two courses in a semester but their teaching responsibilities must be less than half their total responsibilities. The courses must be integral to or very closely related to their other professional responsibilities. Individuals who hold such positions retain only the benefits and prerogatives of exempt staff, although, as part-time instructional staff, their role and responsibilities as well as their rank are determined by the academic unit in which they teach. - ROTC instructional staff
Officers of the military services serving ROTC units on campus are under military jurisdiction for salary and retirement. They are, however, considered colleagues and are subject to all the academic rules and regulations of Syracuse University and of the colleges in which their students are registered.