Faculty Appointments

Faculty Ranks

Revised August 22, 2013

Employees of the Oregon University System are faculty, (academic or professional), and classified (support staff). OSU has adopted "Guidelines for Academic Appointments" that specify how faculty ranks are assigned. Copies of these guidelines can be accessed at the following website http://hr.oregonstate.edu/manual/academic-appointment-guidelines.

Professorial Rank. Professorial ranks (Professor, Associate Professor, Assistant Professor) are reserved for faculty whose responsibilities and positions carry the expectation of scholarly accomplishments. Expectations for each rank are given in Promotion and Tenure Guidelines (Chapter 8). Faculty with professorial rank include:

  1. Regular faculty (paid all or in part by state accounts).
  2. Senior Research faculty (fixed–term faculty paid entirely or primarily from research grants or contracts). Titles for these faculty are listed either as Professor (Senior Research) or Senior Research Professor; Associate Professor (Senior Research) or Research Associate Professor; and Assistant Professor (Senior Research) or Research Assistant Professor.
  3. Clinical faculty and Professor of Practice faculty. Titles for these faculty are listed either as Clinical Professor, Clinical Associate Professor, Clinical Assistant Professor or Professor (Clinical), Associate Professor (Clinical), Assistant Professor (Clinical) and  Professor of Practice, Associate Professor of Practice, Assistant Professor of Practice or Professor (Practice), Associate Professor (Practice), Assistant Professor (Practice).
  4. Extension faculty. Titles for these faculty are listed as Professor (Extension), Associate Professor (Extension), Assistant Professor (Extension).
  5. Courtesy faculty — faculty not paid by OSU accounts, but who contribute to the mission of the University through teaching, research, or service.
  6. Visiting faculty — visitors on leave from other institutions of higher education or the private sector and paid by OSU accounts.
  7. Adjunct faculty — the term adjunct is used when a department chooses to recognize the contribution of an OSU faculty member who is employed by another unit within the University.

Professional Position Titles without Rank. Faculty in academic support, administrative support, and student support units are assigned professional titles when, in the view of the unit administrator and the appropriate vice provost, a professional position title most adequately describes the responsibilities of the position and qualifications of the individuals holding those positions.

Research Associate. The rank of Research Associate requires the highest degree appropriate to the field in which the research is being conducted. Research Associates are generally not principal investigators. Two uses of this rank are made at Oregon State University:

  • for career doctoral–level researchers, and
  • for postdoctoral trainees.

Instructor, Senior Instructor I, and Senior Instructor II. These ranks are used for faculty with primary responsibilities in instruction who hold positions that do not carry a substantial expectation for scholarly accomplishments. All faculty members with the rank of Instructor must be on fixed–term (non–tenure–track) appointments. Senior Instructors and Senior II Instructors may be granted tenure.

Faculty Research Assistant, Senior Faculty Research Assistant I, and Senior Faculty Research Assistant II. These ranks are used for key support faculty members engaged in research. The positions require bachelor’s degrees but not the doctoral degree or other terminal degree appropriate to the field in which the research is being conducted.

 

Terms of Service, Compensation Plan, and Check Delivery

9– and 12–Month Appointments. Academic staff (faculty and graduate assistants) are appointed either on a 9–month academic year basis (September 16–June 15), or on a 12–month fiscal year basis (July 1–June 30). Other appointment periods may be specified in individual cases.

The annual salary rate shown on the Notice of Appointment is for full–time service (1.0 FTE) on a 9– or 12–month basis. Unclassified staff (faculty and graduate assistants) are appointed on a 9–month unclassified year salary basis (September 16–June 15), or on a 12–month fiscal year salary basis (July 1–June 30). Other appointment periods may be arranged in individual cases (AR 580–21–015). The actual appointment period (on either salary basis) may be for any specified period or term(s).

Pay is calculated on workdays in each month. Workdays are defined as Monday through Friday, inclusive of holidays. The salary rate reflected in letters of offer or Notice of Appointments is for full–time service on a 9– or 12–month salary basis.

For purposes of example, a 9 month employee working Fall Term (September 16–December 15), with an annual rate of $10,800 is listed below.

Annual rate $10,800 divided by 9 (term of service) = $1200/mo for full–time service.

Actual pay would be as follows:
Sept: 10 working days/21 possible working days x ($1200.00) = $ 571.43
Oct: 22 working days/22 possible working days x ($1200.00) = $1200.00
Nov: 23 working days/23 possible working days x ($1200.00) = $1200.00
Dec: 11 working days/21 possible working days x ($1200.00) = $ 628.57
Total $3600.00

Summer Term Teaching Appointments. Salaries paid for summer term appointments are determined by each dean. The maximum allowed for faculty on 9–month appointments is 22 percent of their annual 9–month salary rate. For faculty members on 12–month appointments, summer term wages are paid by a redistribution of labor among University indexes.

Summer Academic Pay Appointments. Nine–month faculty members paid from grants and contracts during the summer are given Summer Academic Pay appointments. A maximum of 3.0 months salary may be budgeted if allowed by the grant or contract and approved by the department chair/head and dean.

Nine–Twelve–Month Option for Payroll. The Oregon University System provides an option which allows a nine–month academic employee to spread a nine–month appointment gross salary over a twelve–month period. For further information contact the OSU Payroll Office.

Check Delivery. The Payroll Office is a division of the Business Affairs Office. Checks are distributed based on a signed request from the employee, by campus mail to departments, directed deposited to the employee’s bank or made available at the payroll window. Direct bank deposits are encouraged. If no alternate arrangements are made, checks will be available at the payroll window at 8AM on the last working day of the month. Refer to the Payroll Procedures Handbook for detailed payroll procedures.

 

Identification Cards

The OSU ID Card is the official identification card for students, faculty, and staff. It functions as a meal card, library card, access card, and more. The ID Center can also provide department badges and photocopy cards.  For more information, please go to http://fa.oregonstate.edu/business-affairs/idcenter.

 

Tenure Status and Timely Notice of Non-Reappointment

Annual Tenure (tenure-track) Appointments. Annual tenure appointments are for faculty members serving in a probationary status for tenure. Non-reappointments require timely notice in accordance with Board Rules:

"If any appointment of a full-time academic staff member who is on an annual tenure appointment . . . is to be terminated other than for cause or financial exigency, timely notice of termination shall be given in writing as follows:

  • during the first annual appointment, at least three month’s notice prior to expiration of the appointment;
  • during the second year of service, at least six months’ notice before expiration of the appointment;
  • thereafter, at least twelve months’ notice before expiration of the appointment."

Indefinite Tenure. These appointments confirm institutional commitment for employment in the faculty member’s assigned program. Tenure is continued indefinitely except in the case of termination for cause, financial exigency, or program reductions or terminations following Oregon University System and University guidelines (Chapter 19). All faculty members, including those with tenure, are reviewed periodically, as described in Chapter 7.

Fixed-Term Appointments. Fixed-term appointments are for a specified period, typically one year, with stated beginning and ending dates. Beyond the ending date may be recommended, consistent with stable funding.

Extended Fixed-Term Appointments. To provide for a greater degree of job security than standard fixed-term appointments, extended fixed-term appointments may be commended, consistent with stable funding.

Extended fixed-term appointments have terms of up to two years and with administrative approval may be extended for one year at the end of each year. This type of appointment thereby leaves the faculty member at the beginning of each year with an appointment having the same length as the prior appointment.

Extended fixed-term appointments are to be proposed only for our most meritorious faculty on fixed-term appointments.

 

Emeritus Appointments

Emeritus status provides recognition for retired tenured faculty who have served the University. Emeritus faculty are listed in the General Catalog as members of the faculty. They are granted use of the library, may take courses at staff rates, retain their onid email account, and receive a lifetime faculty ID card. As with all other retired faculty and staff, they may also purchase athletic season tickets at faculty/staff rates, and participate in the Faculty/Staff Fitness program. The Staff Newsletter, OSU This Week, can be delivered to their home address, by calling News and Communication Services.  For questions regarding emeritus status, contact the Office of Faculty Affairs and International Programs. 

The "emeritus" title may be recommended for a staff member holding academic rank who:

  • retires from Oregon State University, and
  • has held a position with indefinite tenure, generally on an active full-time basis, for at least five years immediately prior to retirement, and
  • has demonstrated professional competence and provided effective service to the programs of the institution.

Approval of the President is required for all emeritus appointments.

For more information regarding the emeritus policy and procedure, please go to http://hr.oregonstate.edu/manual/emeritus-appointments.