Inside Iowa State: Iowa State University

INSIDE IOWA STATE
May 24, 2002

Faculty titles reviewed

by Linda Charles
New faculty titles -- lecturer, clinician, senior lecturer and senior clinician -- will go into effect this fall when the new non-tenure track faculty policy is implemented. But the policy has raised questions about other faculty titles, such as adjunct, visiting and affiliate.

A Faculty Senate committee is studying faculty titles to see how they may be affected by the new non-tenure track policy and bring them more in line with titles used at other universities throughout the nation, said committee chair David Hopper.

"Using titles similar to those used nationally provides a better understanding of the positions within the university and helps in recruiting," Hopper said. It also helps those who leave Iowa State describe what they have been doing.

For example, Hopper said, most universities reserve the title "adjunct" for people outside the university, such as a professional architect who teaches a class. At Iowa State, "adjunct" has been used for many titles, including professional and scientific staff who have teaching duties. There are approximately 125 P&S staff who currently hold adjunct teaching positions.

Hopper said the committee hopes to present a proposal to the senate sometime next fall. In the meantime, associate provost Susan Carlson said, departments should continue using the current titles.

"We haven't changed anything yet," Carlson said. "We still need some time to review ways in which current titles, including those held by some P&S employees undertaking faculty work, are impacted by the new non-tenure track faculty policy," she said.

Most adjunct positions are for one-year terms, Carlson said, and any title changes would not go into effect until fall 2003.

One change already under discussion is for the College of Veterinary Medicine, she said. Most vet med schools use the titles of assistant clinical professor, associate clinical professor and clinical professor. ISU Vet Med officials are proposing that the same titles, rather than clinician and senior clinician, be used at Iowa State.