Position+Definitions

So this is usually how it goes: > > Assistant Prof (pre-tenure); usually 6-7 yrs. > Then get evaluated for promotion & tenure (aka P&T) to Associate Professor. > > Assoc Prof w/ Tenure; usually 5-10 yrs > Then evaluated for Promotion to Full Professor. > > Full Professor (that's it)...unless you get an endowed chair or something. > > Sometimes people after Full move into admin (chair, asst/assoc dean, etc) > > Sometimes someone can come in at Assoc w/o tenure (and then get evaluated > shortly thereafter), but that's the usual clock. > > There are exceptions (ivy's are weird; > Harvard: Asst for 3 yrs, Assoc for 3 yrs, the Full > Yale: Asst+Assoc = 10 yrs, but ...you see the differences. > > And yes there is a Jr Faculty mentoring process (I have a committee of 3 > senior folks who advise me and then evaluate me and present my case to the > faculty each year about whether I'm doing a good or not so good job). > > Okay, Orenda again: All of those types of profs just mentioned > generally run their own research programs (so they have grad > students and are publishing), and have various (albeit usually > small) teaching assignments. An adjunct professor (which I am, > although moving slowly toward a teaching line I think if the economy > ever improves and the hiring freeze ends) is generally teaching > faculty who is paid by the class to fill voids that cannot be filled > by the faculty and grad students. We are cheap labor, as they don't > have to give us benefits. So for a few years I have been picking up > classes when they are available, which thankfully has been > regularly. If I do manage to get a full-time position with fancy > things like benefits, it will be on a "teaching line" not a "tenure > line" but (**I think**) the job security (or lack there-of, as some > departments have seen) is about the same.

"Most professors are hired as assistants, are promoted to associate after a certain number of years, and then are promoted to full professor later in their careers. In a traditional tenure track job, the promotion from assistant to associate is tied to getting tenure. If one does not earn tenure after one or two attempts, one usually is fired or moves on to another job." - L. Newton


 * __Professor -__**


 * __Associate Professor -

Assistant Professor -__**


 * __Adjunct Professor -__** "An adjunct is paid a flat fee for each section of a class, with no benefits and no job security. Adjunct positions are not tenure track. The per class fee is usually much lower than a comparable portion of a permanent faculty member's pay. However, the adjunct has no responsibility for advising, committee work, research, or publishing." - L. Newton

"...about adjunct... which means they don't really ever intend to hire you for real --you never go up for tenure unless you get hired under one of the other distinctions. You are hired by the semester for an hourly wage with no benefits." - A. Ivey

__**Instructor -**__ "Instructors are usually paid like adjuncts, but they have annual contracts, are guaranteed a set number of classes, are usually renewable for a set number of years, and provide access to benefits. Instructorships are not tenure track jobs, and are often considered post doctoral positions. (Jobs that provide some security and experience for people who have just completed their PhD.s and are on the job market for tenure track jobs elsewhere. )" - L. Newton