Michele Gamburd Responsible Office: Faculty Senate Draft Version: 02.23.21 Responsible Officer:

Academic Rank

I. Policy Statement

Portland State University (“University”) acknowledges the following academic ranks.

II. Reason for Policy/Purpose

The University requires a list of available academic ranks. This policy replaces OAR 580-020-0005, which listed academic ranks for the old Oregon University System.

III. Applicability

This policy applies to all academically ranked employees of the University.

IV. Definitions

Definitions: ACADEMIC SERVICE: Work in fundamental areas such as teaching, curriculum, subject matter, methods of instruction, research, administration, and those aspects of student life that relate to the education process.

EMERITUS AWARDED to ADMINISTRATORS: Titles such as President Emeritus/ Emerita or Provost Emeritus/Emerita for former holders of an office who have retired.

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RANK: Academic standing, position within a hierarchical series of related ranks on a career trajectory

TITLE: Designation such as “Professor” related to one’s rank in an academic career path

University Policy: Academic Rank Policy

Responsible Officer: The Presiding Officer of the Faculty Senate is responsible for developing, coordinating and maintaining the University Policy.

V. Policy

1. Academic titles shall consist of graduate and faculty ranks.

1.1. For faculty at .5 FTE and above, titles and ranks are (in alphabetical order): AFFILIATED FACULTY, CLINICAL PROFESSOR (assistant clinical professor, associate clinical professor, clinical professor) or PROFESSOR OF PRACTICE (assistant professor of practice, associate professor of practice, professor of practice), EMERITI (emeritus, emerita), INSTRUCTOR (instructor, senior instructor I, senior instructor II), LIBRARIAN (assistant librarian, associate librarian, senior librarian), RESEARCH ASSISTANT (research assistant, senior research assistant I, senior research assistant II), RESEARCH ASSOCIATE (research associate, senior research associate I, senior research associate II), RESEARCH PROFESSOR (research assistant professor, research associate professor, research professor), TEACHING PROFESSOR (teaching assistant professor, teaching associate professor, teaching professor), PROFESSOR (assistant professor, associate professor, professor).

1.2. For graduate student and adjunct faculty (all of whom hold appointments of .49 FTE or below), titles and ranks are defined in their respective Collective Bargaining Agreements (CBAs).

2. The following definitions shall govern the use of faculty titles (section 3.1) and ranks (section 3.2): 2.1. Titles:

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2.1.1. ADJUNCT: Adjunct Research and Adjunct Instructional faculty positions are .49 FTE or below, assigned to an academic department where in the incumbent holds academic rank. All adjunct associated academic ranks can be found in the PSUFA CBA.

2.1.2. AFFILIATED FACULTY: A TTF (Tenure Track Faculty) or NTTF (Non-Tenure Track Faculty) designation for individuals who are associated with work in the unit but not “jointly” appointed and compensated. Affiliated faculty can also refer to individuals such as visiting scholars or those on courtesy appointment who do not receive monetary compensation by the University for which services are rendered. They can be unpaid invited guests for a temporary length of time or individuals who on a consistent basis lend their expertise and/or collaborate on teaching and research. Affiliate status is approved for a specified length of time and must be renewed should the association continue. Associated ranks are at the discretion of the University.

2.1.3. GRADUATE ASSISTANT: All associated titles and ranks can be found in the GEU CBA.

2.1.4. LIBRARIAN: A ranked appointment that depends on a terminal professional degree in librarianship (typically, a Masters in Library or Information Science) or a position- relevant terminal professional/academic degree plus appropriate experience. Such degree requirements ensure proper professional training, but also provide the flexibility to open appointments to a broader range of qualified applicants. Ranks in this category in ascending order are assistant librarian, associate librarian, and senior librarian. The University may elect to consider the librarian series to be eligible for tenure or to be tenured ranks with privileges and may also choose to use the tenure-track and tenured faculty titles.

2.1.5. NON-TENURE TRACK INSTRUCTIONAL (NTT-I). A faculty position .5 FTE or above, assigned to an academic department wherein the incumbent holds academic rank.

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2.1.6. NON-TENURE TRACK RESEARCH (NTT-R). A faculty position .5 FTE or above, assigned to an academic department where in the incumbent holds academic rank. appointment for individuals who are primarily engaged in research.

2.1.7. TENURE-TRACK AND TENURED FACULTY (TTF). A faculty position at .1 FTE, assigned to an academic department wherein the incumbent holds academic rank and is eligible for tenure or is tenured. TTF Ranks in ascending order are assistant professor, associate professor, and professor.

2.2. Ranks:

2.3. CLINICAL FACULTY OR PROFESSOR OF PRACTICES: A NTTF (Non-Tenure Track Faculty) appointment for individuals with primary duties in the area of clinical instruction or professionally related community education/service. Clinical faculty or professor of practice members are licensed or certified professionals, or individuals in professional fields. The major responsibility involves the education of students/learners in academic and clinical settings, supervising clinical experiences, and/or engaging in professionally related community service. Scholarly activity may or may not be required. Ranks in this category in ascending order are assistant clinical professor, associate clinical professor, and clinical professor; or assistant professor of practice, associate professor of practice, and professor of practice.

2.4. EMERITUS: A TTF (Tenured) or NTTF-CA (Non-Tenure Track Faculty on Continuous Appointment) faculty rank awarded upon retirement in recognition of outstanding performance.

2.5. INSTRUCTOR: A NTTF (Non-Tenure Track Faculty) appointment for individuals with unclassified instructional appointments whose functions are devoted exclusively or primarily to undergraduate instruction. Such appointments include advising and mentoring expectations congruent with creative and engaged undergraduate instruction, including the possibility of involvement in design and development of courses and the curriculum. Ranks in this category in ascending order are instructor, senior instructor I, senior instructor II.

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2.6. PROFESSOR: A TTF (Tenure-track or Tenured) appointment. Ranks in this category in ascending order are assistant professor, associate professor, and professor. (The Professor ranks are also available to NTTF Instructional Faculty who were hired prior to 9/16/2014).

2.7. RESEARCH ASSISTANT: A NTTF (Non-Tenure Track Faculty) appointment for individuals who have typically earned a bachelor’s or master’s degree and conduct research under the direction of a tenure-related faculty member, a research associate or a research faculty. Ranks in this category in ascending order are research assistant, senior research assistant I, senior research assistant II.

2.8. RESEARCH ASSOCIATE: A NTTF (Non-Tenure Track Faculty) appointment for individuals who have typically earned doctoral degree (or an advanced or professional degree in the field typically the terminal degree, plus appropriate experience) and conduct research independently. Ranks in this category in ascending order are research associate, senior research associate I, senior research associate II.

2.9. RESEARCH PROFESSOR: A NTTF (Non-Tenure Track Faculty) appointment for individuals who are primarily engaged in research at a level normally appropriate for a professorial rank. Ranks in this category in ascending order are research assistant professor, research associate professor, and research professor.

2.10. TEACHING PROFESSOR: A NTTF (Non-Tenure Track Faculty) appointment for individuals who are primarily engaged in teaching at a level normally appropriate for a professorial rank. Ranks in this category in ascending order are teaching assistant professor, teaching associate professor, and teaching professor.

3. The term "visiting" may be used and/or added to academic title and/or ranks in those cases in which the University wishes 1) to draw upon the skills of certain persons in the community or in other educational, industrial or governmental institutions for help in carrying forward teaching, research or service commitments (e.g., doctors, dentists, lawyers, psychiatrists, professors or administrators at other academic or governmental institutions, public school teachers or

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administrators), 2) where the appointment is planned for a limited duration, or 3) as an honorific title.

4. Emeritus as Honorific title: The term Emeritus may also be used as a title and may be awarded by the President to an Administrator upon retirement (EX: Provost Emeritus).

5. Academic title can be assigned to staff members in unclassified academic service, whether the type of service is teaching, research, extension, administration, or other service. Deans, vice presidents, and the president may have the academic rank of professor as determined by the University’s criteria.

6. Faculty titles will not be given to graduate students.

VI. Procedure

1. NA

VII. Links To Related Forms

NA

VIII. Links To Related Policies, Procedures or Information

Graduate Employees Union (GEU)

Portland State University Faculty Association Union (PSUFA)

IX. Contacts

If you have any questions regarding this policy, please contact the Presiding Officer of Faculty Senate or the Secretary to the Faculty at [email protected].

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X. History/Revision Dates [use this date format: May 27, 2012]

Adoption Date: [date policy first approved by UPC and is in effect]

Reaffirmation Date: [date UPC concurs with responsible officer that an existing policy requires no change, and remains in effect]

Revision Date: [date policy has been changed and reapproved]

Next Review Date: Month, Day, Year [at least every five years, sooner as needed]

XI. Policy Adoption/Reaffirmation/Revision Approvals

Approved by Portland State University President

Signature: ______Date: ______

Approved by Portland State University General Counsel

Signature: ______Date: ______

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