Assembly Document #246
DRAFT, December 13, 1999
Motion by Bill Steffenhagen, ASEC member
On Professorial Titles
Be It Resolved, the Academic Staff Assembly authorizes ASEC to develop
two new academic staff title series: Assistant, Associate, no prefix,
and Distinguished Professor (IAS) and Assistant, Associate, no prefix,
and Distinguished Professor (RAS).
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(IAS) = Instructional Academic Staff
(RAS)= Research Academic Staff
Eligibility for proposed title series:
See attached draft description of the Professor (IAS) and the Professor (RAS) title series.
Background:
At many institutions of higher learning, staff members who independently perform instruction or research hold non-tenure track professorial titles. The proposed two new titles series would provide titles that are consistent with those colleagues that perform similar duties at peer institutions. The titles can help level the playing field for academic staff members who are expected to submit competitive grants as a Principal Investigator or Co-Principal Investigator. The titles can also benefit students and staff members who request letters of recommendation from instructional or research academic staff members. In addition, the proposed titles should provide opportunities for greater participation of instructional academic staff in departmental curricular decisions, and for greater participation of research academic staff in graduate student thesis committees.
Issues:
I. Will the new title series increase the participation in governance for some academic staff members and decrease the participation in governance for other academic staff members?
Professor is, traditionally, a faculty title and generally understood as such.
Academic staff's participation in university governance arises in part from the ways academic staff is different from faculty.
It may, thus, not be helpful to move a traditionally faculty title over to academic staff members.
The new title series may create divisions within the academic staff in Category B. If the professor title were to increase participation in departmental governance for those who hold it, it seems logical that it then sets those title holders apart from other academic staff in that department.
More fundamentally, the work of higher education is not and cannot be
done by faculty alone. Academic staff is essential to the well being,
success, and healthy future of UW-System. To take on professor titles
for precisely those academic staff members whose work, skills and contributions
most closely match the work of faculty has the potential to obscure the
contributions academic staff make to the institution and the system.
Academic staff members with the title professor will not naturally turn to the Academic Staff assembly and ASEC as their governance home.
II. Will the new title series increase the likelihood that the Department
of Employment Relations will take another look at Category A academic
staff titles for possible conversion to the classified service?
Draft 11/20/99
Proposal to create a new Instructional Academic Staff (IAS) title series:
Professor (IAS) [Asst., Assoc., No Prefix, Dist.]
Current TitlesFaculty Associate [Asst., Assoc., No Prefix, Dist.]Provides
instruction and training in an academic discipline or adult education,
including formal, informal or laboratory instruction. Responsibilities
include instruction associated with more than one formal lecture or laboratory
course, or with supplemental modules to formal courses, training of Graduate
Assistants, programming to adult and continuing education clients, and
frequently includes extension and teaching associated with the instructional
portion of faculty appointments. May involve development of disciplinary
teaching techniques as an accompaniment to instructionalresponsibilities.
Lecturer [Assoc., No Prefix, Senior, Dist.] Provides formal classroom
or laboratory instruction in an academic discipline, either independently
or under the general supervision of a faculty member. Effective delivery
of instructional material, testing and grading are the primary duties
of a Lecturer. However, the degree of involvement in course and curriculum
development, course scheduling, advising and subject matter expertise
differs significantly depending on the prefix.
Proposed TitlesFaculty Associate [Asst., Assoc., No Prefix, Dist.] Provides
instruction and training in an academic discipline or adult education,
including formal, informal or laboratory instruction, either independently
or under the general supervision of a faculty member or Professor (IAS).
Responsibilities include instruction associated with more than one formal
lecture or laboratory course, or with supplemental modules to formal courses,
training of Graduate Assistants, programming to adult and continuing education
clients, and frequently includes extension and teaching associated with
the instructional portion of faculty appointments. May involve development
of disciplinary teaching techniques as an accompaniment to instructionalresponsibilities.
Lecturer [Assoc., No Prefix, Senior, Dist.] Provides formal classroom
or laboratory instruction in an academic discipline, either independently
or under the general supervision of a faculty member or Professor (IAS).
Effective delivery of instructional material, testing and grading are
the primary duties of a Lecturer. However, the degree of involvement in
course and curriculum development, course scheduling, advising and subject
matter expertise differs significantly depending on the prefix. Professor
(IAS) [Asst., Assoc., No Prefix, Dist.] Specifies members of the academic
staff independently engaged in formal classroom or laboratory instruction
in an academic discipline or instruction and training in an academic discipline
or adult education, including formal, informal or laboratory instruction.
A Ph.D. or other terminal degree and the experience or knowledge required
to develop and teach a course(s) or design curricula and/or techniques
for instruction in a disciplinary area and/or suggest new ways of effective
instruction are ordinarily required to hold one of these titles. Responsibilities
may include training Graduate Assistants, programming to adult and continuing
education clients, and outreach and teaching associated with the instructional
component of faculty appointments.
DRAFT 11/20/99
Proposal to create a new Research Academic Staff (RAS) title series:
Professor (RAS) [Asst., Assoc., No Prefix, Dist.]
Current TitlesResearcher [Asst., Assoc., No Prefix, Dist.] Provides technical
expertise in a research or scientific project at a more comprehensive
and independent level than a Research Specialist. Solves problems in research,
development, and applications by applying discipline-related skillsnormally
gained from the completion of an advanced degree. May assist in the development
of grant applications and the preparation and presentation of reports
of research results, and in informal instruction of research students.
Scientist [Asst., Assoc., Senior, Dist.] Identifies research problems,
designs research methodologies, performs or supervises research, and prepares
the results for presentation to professional organizations or for scholarly
publications. May supervise Research Specialists and other staff. A Ph.D.
or the equivalent experience and/or knowledge required to conduct research
activities at the level of a principal investigator or co- principal investigator
are ordinarily required to hold one of these titles. (Principal Investigator
status is not automatic but is only granted on an individual basis by
the Graduate School. This title series is intended to parallel the faculty
tenure-track.)
Proposed TitlesResearcher [Asst., Assoc., No Prefix, Dist.] Provides technical
expertise in a research or scientific project at a more comprehensive
and independent level than a Research Specialist. Solves problems in research,
development, and applications by applying discipline-related skillsnormally
gained from the completion of an advanced degree. May assist in the development
of grant applications and the preparation and presentation of reports
of research results, and in informal instruction of research students.
Scientist [Asst., Assoc., Senior, Dist.] Specifies members of the academic
staff engaged in research in an academic discipline under the general
supervision of a faculty member or Professor (RAS). A Ph.D. or the equivalent
experience and/or knowledge required to conduct research activities are
ordinarily required to hold one of these titles. Identifies research problems,
designs research methodologies, performs or supervises research, and prepares
the results for presentation to professional organizations or for scholarly
publications. May supervise Research Specialists and other staff and students.
Professor (RAS) [Asst., Assoc, No Prefix, Dist.] Specifies members of
the academic staff independently engaged in research in an academic discipline.
A Ph.D. or other terminal degree and the experience or knowledge required
to conduct research activities at the level of a principal investigator
or co-principal investigator are ordinarily required to hold one of these
titles. Responsibilities include the development and submission of research
grant applications, supervision of research programs, presentation of
research findings at national and international meetings, publishing research
findings, and training graduate assistants associated with the research
component of faculty appointments. (Principal Investigator status is not
automatic but is only granted by the Graduate School.)