2.2.040 Faculty Classification

The primary responsibility of adjunct faculty is providing instruction.
   
Adjunct faculty appointments are extended upon the recommendation of a department and with the support of the appropriate administrative officers. Individuals receiving such appointments may come either from outside the university community or hold a non-faculty position at the university.

Adjunct appointments do not involve a regular employment commitment. These appointments are for a semester and may be awarded in successive terms on a semester basis if so recommended based on need and the results of the evaluation of the faculty member. Under special circumstances, multiple-semester appointments may be extended. Multiple-semester appointments require the approval of the provost.

Visiting faculty are full-time. Available titles at time of hire include Visiting Assistant Professor, Visiting Associate Professor, and Visiting Professor, based upon academic credentials and experience as approved by the dean and provost. Visiting faculty’s job responsibilities may mirror tenure-track or tenured faculty as described below.

Visiting faculty are not eligible for promotion. Visiting faculty are not eligible for tenure or participation in decisions relating to tenured faculty promotion processes or tenure. Their appointments are made for either: 1) a semester, or 2) an academic year. There is no expectation of renewal at the end of the current contract term, and no notice is required that the appointment ends by its own terms. Successive contracts may be awarded with the approval of the provost but are highly unusual.

If a visiting faculty member at the university becomes a successful candidate for a tenure-track position, that person may request the provost consider his or her time in the visiting faculty position as prior service. If accepted, this service will be included in the person’s tenure probationary period in the same manner available to persons with prior service at other institutions.

Instructional faculty are full-time. Instructional faculty members provide classroom instruction and/or other faculty-related assignments and may be expected to meet faculty responsibilities in the areas of scholarship/creative activity and university service as negotiated with the chair and the dean.
  
Instructional faculty members generally teach full time or perform library duties at an equivalent level. They may perform service duties, such as curriculum development, student advisement, committee work, and depending on the discipline, may provide clinical services.

The categories of instructional faculty may vary based on college, department and need. An instructional faculty categorization or title may be changed due to modification in assigned responsibilities. Such a change in title requires written approval from the chair, dean, and provost.
  
Instructional faculty may advance across levels based on meeting established promotion procedures criteria.  Instructional faculty levels include 1) assistant instructional faculty (e.g., “Assistant Instructor”), 2) associate instructional faculty (e.g., “Associate Instructor”), and 3) senior instructional faculty (e.g., “Senior Instructor”).  Instructional faculty employed by the University as of May 2021 with titles other than those set forth in this paragraph who are offered contracts for the AY-2021-2022 school year must choose whether they want to retain their May 2021 title or switch to those outlined in this paragraph as offered by their dean. Those who choose to maintain a title not listed in this paragraph will not be eligible at any time for promotion or associated raises, regardless of meeting established promotion procedures criteria. Any instructional faculty newly hired for AY-2021-2022 onward may not be given titles other than those set forth in this paragraph.

Instructional faculty members are not eligible for tenure or participation in decisions relating to tenured faculty promotion processes or tenure. Their appointments are made for either: 1) a semester, 2) an academic year, or 3) multiple academic years. Multiple-year contracts require the approval of the provost. All three types of contracts are for a set term. There is no expectation of renewal at the end of the current contract term, and no notice is required that the appointment ends by its own terms. Successive contracts may be awarded.
 
If an instructional faculty member at the university becomes a successful candidate for a tenure-track position, that person may request the provost consider his or her time in the instructional faculty position as prior service.  If accepted, this service will be included in the person’s tenure probationary period in the same manner available to persons with prior service at other institutions.