PROFESSOR
PROFESSOR WOT
ASSOCIATE PROFESSOR
ASSOCIATE PROFESSOR WOT

Reference: Handbook, Vol. II, Chapter 24
Dean's Office contact: Sue Barnhart

• Qualifications of appointment
• Length of term
• Part-time appointments
• Without Tenure (WOT) appointments
• New appointment procedures
• New appointment documentation
• Emeritus appointment
• Summer appointment
• Joint appointment
• Promotion to full Professor
• Promotion documentation

Qualifications of appointment. Appointment to the rank of Associate Professor requires a record of substantial success in both teaching and research, except that in exceptional cases an outstanding record in one of these activities may be considered sufficient. Appointment to the rank of Professor requires outstanding, mature scholarship as evidenced by accomplishments in teaching, and in research as evaluated in terms of national recognition.

Length of term. Professors, Professors WOT, Associate Professors, Associate Professors WOT, and emeritus faculty are the only members of the faculty who hold continuing appointments with no term limits. (The only exception is a "WOT 3-Years" appointment, see below.)

Part-time appointments. Faculty may be appointed to professorial or research professorial ranks on less than full-time basis. The percentage of appointment must be clearly documented at the time of hire. The percent of appointment may affect voting rights; see Voting procedures.

Without Tenure (WOT) appointments. There are two kinds of appointment to the professorial ranks that are "without tenure" (WOT). The more common is for persons in non-state-funded positions; it is referred to as "without tenure by reason of funding." This title is usually held by persons who concentrate on research activities but also do some amount of instruction. An Assistant Professor WOT appointment is normally made for a period of three years and thereafter follows the reappointment and promotion procedures described for regular Assistant Professors. At the Associate Professor and full Professor levels, the appointment is a continuing one with no term limits. It is not a tenure-track appointment, and if at a later time the person is moved into a state-funded position, a recommendation for approval of tenure must be made by the department and reviewed by the College Council.

The other "without tenure" appointment is used only for an Associate Professor or full Professor. The appointment is limited to three years and is intended to lead to the granting of tenure. It is used for a person whose record at the time of initial appointment lacks some of the evidence required for tenure (for example, a distinguished scholar without teaching experience). A mandatory tenure review must be conducted in the second year of the appointment; the tenure recommendation (approval, postponement, or denial) is voted on by all eligible Associate Professors and full Professors in the department. If the decision is postponed for one year and denied the next year, the appointment is extended to a fourth and final year.

New appointment procedures.

New appointment documentation.
See also College Council review of a new appointment.

Emeritus appointment.

Summer appointment.

Joint appointment.

Promotion to full Professor. Promotion to the full Professor level is not a function of time in rank nor length of service. Every faculty member below the rank of Professor must be considered each year for possible promotion. See Review committees for promotion/tenure for suggestions in handling these considerations.

For general information, see Promotion and tenure.

For specific departmental actions in making a promotion recommendation, see Departmental actions for promotion and tenure.

Promotion documentation. Promotion recommendations are due in the Dean's Office in mid-December. See Promotion documentation.