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PROPOSED GUIDELINES FOR ACADEMIC APPOINTMENTS: CROSS-DEPARTMENTAL, SPECIAL DESIGNATION, AND NON-SALARIED APPOINTMENTS

[NOTE: The following proposed guidelines for designations of faculty and non-salaried courtesy appointments are intended to establish consistency across departments and schools at Stony Brook. They are offered for review by the Arts and Sciences Senate upon the recommendation of its ad hoc Committee on Faculty Rights, Responsibilities and Retirements. If approved by the Arts and Sciences Senate, they can be presented to the Provost (for consultation with the relevant Deans) and to the University President for review and approval.]

 

I. CROSS-DEPARTMENTAL APPOINTMENTS:


Joint Appointment (with Dual Primary Responsibilities)

A Joint Appointment (with Dual Primary Responsibilities) confers full faculty standing upon the appointee equally in both appointed departments or schools. The faculty line will be fiscally divided between both departments or schools. 

The joint appointee with dual primary responsibilities enjoys all the privileges and incurs all the responsibilities in each department or school of a normal faculty member in either. It is normally expected that the workload of the dual appointee will be divided between the two departments or schools. The joint appointee with dual primary responsibilities has full voting rights in both departments and participates in promotion and tenure reviews in both departments or schools (in accordance with the policies of the appropriate Senate Promotion and Tenure Committees).

In the case of a Joint Appointment with dual primary responsibilities, all personnel actions including tenure review, promotions and leaves must be processed in the normal manner by both departments or schools.

A  Joint Appointment with dual primary responsibilities is made by the President upon the recommendation of the Provost who, in turn, bases his or her recommendation upon the recommendations of the departments involved and the appropriate Vice President or Dean. If the proposed joint appointment with dual primary responsibilities involves a completely new appointment, the appointment must conform to the Policies of the Board of Trustees and applicable local campus policies, including standard Senate Promotion and Tenure Committee reviews.

Joint Appointment

A Joint Appointment grants faculty status to a faculty member of another department for the purposes of giving him or her formal standing in the second department and of allowing him or her to assume instructional, service, and other collaborative responsibilities in that department. The Joint Appointee's primary department will be responsible for the appointee's line, salary recommendations, and any promotion and tenure reviews. 

The Joint Appointee will have full voting rights in the secondary department, including voting on promotion and tenure files in accordance with the policies of the appropriate Senate Promotion and Tenure Committee and voting on the departmental recommendation for Department Chair.  The Joint Appointee will teach regularly in the secondary department according to an agreement with the secondary department as established at the time of appointment.

A Joint Appointment is made by the Provost upon the recommendation of the appropriate Dean(s) and Chairs of the departments involved. [Existing joint appointments will be recognized according to the conditions stated herewith].

Affiliated Faculty

A Title of Affiliation (a secondary title of designation) grants more limited faculty status to a member of another department for the purpose of giving him or her formal standing in the secondary department and of allowing him or her the freedom to assume instructional, service, and other collaborative responsibilities in the secondary department. 

Affiliated faculty will participate in faculty meetings when invited to do so by the department and will have voting rights when so determined by departmental by-laws.  Voting rights may be limited to a particular departmental graduate or undergraduate program with which the faculty member is affiliated. Affiliated faculty will not vote on promotion and tenure files in the secondary department.

 

II. SPECIAL DESIGNATION APPOINTMENTS

Visiting Professor

The title of Visiting Professor shall designate a salaried non-tenured appointment for a specified term reserved typically for faculty from another institution teaching for a limited period of time.  Visiting Professors will not participate in departmental meetings or have any voting rights in departmental or personnel matters.

In exceptional cases, the title of Distinguished Visiting Professor (as a local title) shall designate a Visiting Professor whose accomplishments and reputation merit the extraordinary title of special distinction.

Lecturer and Senior Lecturer

The Policies of the Board of Trustees limit the title of Lecturer to one to three year renewable non-tenured appointments. Such appointments may be either full-time or part-time appointments. Full-time Lecturers shall be regarded as full-time members of a department or school with all the corresponding rights and responsibilities, including voting on all matters except those that concern tenure and promotion.

The title of Senior Lecturer will be established as a local title to recognize full-time non-tenure track faculty who have significant teaching experience and expertise. Appointment or promotion to this title will require review by the Department Chair in consultation with the department faculty, endorsement by the Dean, and approval of the Provost. The Senate will decide whether such promotions must also be reviewed by its Tenure and Promotion Committee.

III. NON-SALARIED APPOINTMENTS

Adjunct Appointments

An Adjunct Appointment confers limited faculty standing in a department or school on an appointee who does not otherwise enjoy faculty standing on the campus and whose compensation is not in the form of a salary. Normally such appointments will be made as temporary appointments with an indefinite term and may be terminated at any time upon the request of the appointee or the appointed department or school. An adjunct appointee may be granted concurrently in more than one department or school. An adjunct appointment may teach one or more courses on an ad hoc basis in a department or school. An adjunct appointment would not be a full-time appointment and would not carry voting rights in the department or school.

An Adjunct Appointment is made by the Dean upon the recommendation of the Department Chair. An adjunct appointee may be confirmed upon the recommendation of the department or school to the Dean without the necessity for review by a faculty Senate Promotion and Tenure Committee.

 

Research Associate/Visiting Scholar

Research Associate and Visiting Scholar appointments are non-salaried courtesy appointments for visitors to grant them access to departmental and University facilities. Such appointments may be made by the Department Chair and do not require any other approvals. Research Associate appointments are typically for visitors with post-doctoral status or the equivalent. Visiting Scholars are typically for visitors who have not achieved post-doctoral status. Research Associates and Visiting Scholars would not participate in faculty meetings or have any voting rights in a department.


NOTE: The above Academic titles are separate from standard Professor, Associate Professor, and Assistant Professor titles and from Research Foundation titles, such as Research Professor, Research Associate Professor, and Research Assistant Professor.


APPENDIX

[The following tables have been prepared by Charles Janson for the purposes of clarity.]

 

I. VOTING RIGHTS OF DISTINCT APPOINTMENTS

Full

Partial

None

Joint Appointment with Dual Primary Responsibilities

Affiliate Faculty (by invitation)

Visiting Professor

Joint Appointment

Lecturer (not on tenure or promotion)

Adjunct Appointment

 

Senior Lecturer (not on tenure or promotion)

Research Associate

   

Visiting Scholar

 

II. TENURE DECISIONS REGARDING DISTINCT APPOINTMENTS

Two departments

Single department

Not applicable

Joint Appointment with Dual Primary Responsibilities

Joint Appointment

Lecturer

 

Affiliate Faculty

Senior Lecturer

   

Adjunct Appointment

   

Visiting Professor

   

Research Associate

   

Visiting Scholar

 

III. PROMOTION DECISIONS REGARDING DISTINCT APPOINTMENTS

 

Two departments

Single department

Not applicable

Joint Appointment with Dual Primary Responsibilities

Joint Appointment

Adjunct Appointment

 

Affiliate Faculty

Visiting Professor

 

Lecturer

Research Associate

 

Senior Lecturer

Visiting Scholar

 

Revised 4/12/02