Handbook of Operating Procedures 2-2010

Faculty Titles

Effective July 17, 2024
Executive Sponsor: Executive Vice President and Provost
Policy Owner: Senior Vice Provost for Faculty Affairs

 

1. Policy Statement

The University of Texas at Austin (“University”) is governed by The University of Texas System (“UT System”) Board of Regents’ Rules and Regulations, Rule 31001 - Faculty Appointments and Titles, with respect to faculty titles and Rule 31007 - Tenure, with respect to tenure.

2. Reason for Policy

To establish the types of faculty appointments and available faculty titles at the University in accordance with Regent's Rule 31001 and Rule 31007. 
 

3. Scope & Audience

This policy applies to faculty members and departments, colleges, and schools responsible for appointing faculty.

4. Definitions (specific to this policy)

Academic Unit:

Any unit within the University (i.e., department or program in a departmentalized college or school, a program or division in a non-departmentalized college or school, an organized research unit, or interdisciplinary center) that offers courses in support of state-funded, degree programs as a significant element of its mission. (Refer to the University's Handbook of Operating Procedures (HOP) 2-2120).

Good Cause:

The permissible conduct bases that may support termination of a faculty member who has been granted tenure and all other faculty members before the expiration of the stated period of appointment.

Professional-Track Faculty:

Faculty who are not tenured and are not on the tenure-track. An outdated term used for this set of faculty title series is “non-tenure-track.”

Serious Misconduct:

The permissible conduct bases that may support termination via Summary Dismissal of a faculty member who has been granted tenure and all other faculty members before expiration of the stated period of appointment.

Unit Supervisor:

The head of the relevant academic unit (i.e., department chair for a department, dean for a non-departmentalized college or school, and director of a program, center, or institute).
 

5. Website (for policy)

https://secure4.compliancebridge.com/utexas/public/getdoc.php?file=2-2010
 

6. Contacts

7. Responsibilities & Procedures

1. Track and Appointment Types

1. Track Types

1. Tenured: As outlined in Regents’ Rule 31007, tenure denotes a status of continuing appointment as a member of the faculty. Tenure may be granted at the time of appointment to those holding tenure-eligible titles or as a result of a promotion and tenure review in accordance with University policy.   
   
   The granting of tenure means the entitlement of a faculty member to continue in the faculty member’s academic position, unless dismissed by the institution for Good Cause or Serious Misconduct in accordance with Regents’ Rule 31008 and HOP 2-2320.
     
   The granting of tenure may not be construed to create a property interest in any attribute of a faculty position beyond a faculty member’s continuing employment. Continuing employment includes the faculty member’s regular annual salary and any privileges incident to the faculty member’s status as a tenured associate or tenured full professor. The privileges incident to a faculty member’s status as a tenured faculty member are limited to academic freedom and participation in shared governance. Such privileges do not include appointment to an endowed chair or professorship, administrative appointments, specific office space, schedules, course assignments, specific committee assignments, or other aspects of employment unrelated to academic freedom or participation in shared governance.

2. Tenure-Track: Tenure-track appointments are those in which a faculty member is expected to satisfactorily complete a probationary period of faculty service prior to consideration for tenure. More details about the probationary period can be found in HOP 2-2020.

3. Professional-Track: Professional-track faculty appointments are not on the tenure track.

2. Appointment Types

1. Primary Academic Appointment: Each member of the faculty is required to have a primary academic appointment – regardless of tenure status, track type, faculty title, or percent time – in an academic unit. The academic unit in which the primary academic appointment is housed is responsible for faculty evaluation, faculty development, and other administrative functions related to faculty employment.

1. Joint Academic Appointment: A member of the faculty may be jointly appointed to more than one academic unit when the faculty member will have significant, ongoing responsibilities for teaching, research, and/or service in more than one academic unit. Joint academic appointments denote a formal relationship between the faculty member and the academic unit in which two academic units have mutually agreed upon, in writing, the terms and conditions of faculty employment and review. Joint academic appointments are typically greater than zero percent time and typically require funding contributions from both academic units.

1. Courtesy Academic Appointment: Faculty members who contribute to, or have an affiliation with, another academic unit or center/institute may be given a courtesy academic appointment. Courtesy academic appointments do not have percent time and do not require funding contributions from the affiliated unit(s). 

3. Limits on Appointments

1. Tenured and tenure-track faculty members must have their primary academic appointment (and joint academic appointment if applicable) within an academic unit that is assigned tenured faculty lines (i.e., in departments in a departmentalized college or school or in a non-departmentalized college or school). Tenured and tenure-track faculty members may hold one or more courtesy appointments within any academic unit and may be appointed into administrative appointments in any unit at the University.

2. Professional-track faculty members may hold appointments (primary, joint, and/or courtesy) within any academic unit and may be appointed into administrative appointments in any unit at the University. 

3. Professional Track Faculty Titles

1. Lecturer Series: These titles may be used for individuals who are primarily engaged in instructional duties. Colleges and schools have the ability to define additional criteria to distinguish between faculty appointed in the lecturer versus instruction title series.

2. Instruction Series: These titles may be used for individuals who are primarily engaged in instructional duties. Colleges and schools have the ability to define additional criteria to distinguish between faculty appointed in the lecturer versus instruction title series.

3. Clinical Series: These titles may be used for individuals appointed to positions while involved in a professional clinical experience program or research (whichever primary area is associated with this title series as defined by the unit).

4. Practice Series: These titles may be used for individuals appointed to positions who are qualified to teach, mentor and work in the University by virtue of professional experiences in the discipline’s field of practice. 

5. Research Series: These titles may be used for individuals appointed for the primary purpose of research, scholarship, and creative activities. 

6. Professor of (title of specialty), Associate Professor of (title of specialty), Assistant Professor of (title of specialty), and Instructor of (title of specialty). These titles may be used for individuals who are appointed to full-time or part-time positions for the primary purpose of patient care and other service activities, or to full-time or part-time positions for the primary purpose of research activities, even though the individuals may be assigned teaching responsibilities.

1. Dell Medical School
2. Reserve Officers’ Training Corps (ROTC) departments 
3. Instructor in Clinical Pharmacy
4. Instructor Postdoctoral in Mathematics

7. Visiting Series: These titles are used only for temporary appointments of individuals who are either (1) visiting from another institution where they hold the equivalent rank, or (2) hired by a college or school on a trial basis. The duration of such appointments may not exceed two consecutive academic years.

8. Adjunct Series: These titles may be used when a qualified individual from business, industry, government, private practice, or another institution of higher education is teaching or participating in the teaching of a course, or participating in research or clinical care at the University. Appointments to the adjunct title shall be for a stated period of time, not to exceed one academic year.

9. Specialist: This title may be used for individuals who will serve as practitioners in specific areas of instruction, training, or supervision. Such appointments are intended to be short-term only.

9. Adjoint Series: These titles may be used for individuals who serve the University in cooperative or joint programs pursuant to a memorandum of understanding, cooperative research and development agreement, or similar partnership instrument. Individuals holding these titles are employees of and compensated by the partner organization. They are not employees of the University. They, however, do have the same obligations, responsibilities, and authority as faculty employed directly by the University when performing faculty functions pursuant to the agreement. The duration of such appointments shall be specified in the partnership instrument and may not exceed three years.