Handbook of Operating Procedures

I. POLICY AND GENERAL STATEMENT

The University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston (“University”) designates titles for its academic positions that conform with those provided by The University of Texas System Board of Regents in Rule and Regulation 31001 Faculty Appointments and Titles.

For information regarding appointment to these titles, refer to HOOP 189, Faculty and Administrative and Professional Appointment and HOOP 167, Student Employment Appointments.

II. PROCEDURE

Unless otherwise specified, all titles, except for those in Section II.A, can be used for full-time or part-time faculty. 

A.  Titles with Tenure or on Tenure Track

1. Professor, Associate Professor, Assistant Professor

Except for the title of Regental Professor and Regents’ Research Scholar, these are the only titles in which faculty members may hold tenure or be on tenure track.

B.  Non-tenure Track Titles

1. Instructor

Denotes an appointment as a faculty member, during which the scholarly competence, teaching performance, and professional promise of the individual will be evaluated. 

2. Lecturer

Describes teachers whose teaching experience and qualifications are comparable to those of faculty members in non-tenured, tenure track positions.

3. Senior Lecturer

Applies to teachers who will augment and complement regular teaching faculty, and whose teaching experience and qualifications are comparable to those of faculty members in tenured positions.

4.  Distinguished Senior Lecturer

Applies to teachers who will augment and complement regular teaching faculty and whose teaching experience and qualifications demonstrate extraordinary service and performance.

5. Assistant Instructor or Teaching Associate

May be used interchangeably for (1) certain students who are unconditionally enrolled in graduate study, who teach on a full- or part-time basis, and who are in the last phase of their doctoral program; or (2) individuals who, because of the nature of their duties such as in a laboratory or hospital, do not qualify for one of the usual academic titles and do not hold the academic training or professional distinction usually required for attaining tenured positions.

6. Teaching Assistant

Usually applied to graduate students who assist faculty and who are employed on a part-time basis.

7. Faculty Associate

Describes an individual assigned to a research or non-teaching center, institute, or other interdisciplinary program of the University.

8. Specialist

Describes professional practitioners in specific areas of instruction, training, or supervision. Upon approval of the President, a descriptive prefix may be added to indicate the area of specialty.

9. Research Titles

Professor of (title of specialty), Associate Professor of (title of specialty), Assistant Professor of (title of specialty), or Instructor in (title of specialty) may be used for appointments for the primary purpose of research with only incidental teaching duties.

For persons appointed to these titles, all appointment letters, personnel action, budgets and any other official documents shall state in parenthesis, following the name and title of the individual, "(Non-Tenured Research Appointment)."

10. Clinical Titles

Professor of (title of specialty), Associate Professor of (title of specialty), Assistant Professor of (title of specialty), or  Instructor in (title of specialty) may be used for appointments for the primary purpose of patient care and other service activity that may also include directly related teaching and/or research duties.

For persons appointed to these titles, all appointment letters, personnel action, budgets and any other official documents shall state in parentheses, following the name and title of the individual, "(Non-Tenured Clinical Appointment)."

11. Educational Titles

Professor of Instruction, Associate Professor of Instruction, and Assistant Professor of Instruction. These titles may be used to designate non-tenure track faculty primarily engaged in instruction.

12. Adjunct Professor, Adjunct Associate Professor, and Adjunct Assistant Professor

These titles may be used when a qualified person from business, industry, government, private practice, or another institution of higher education may be teaching a course or participating in the teaching of a course at one of the institutions.  These prefixes should be used only for those persons not involved in patient care who otherwise satisfy the above criteria. Appointments to the faculty with an adjunct title may be with or without pay and shall be for a stated period of time not to exceed one academic year.  The University may offer reappointment to the adjunct faculty member after the expiration of the stated period.

13. Visiting Professor, Visiting Associate Professor, and Visiting Assistant Professor

These titles are used for temporary appointments of persons either visiting from other institutions where they hold similar ranks or who are appointed to the University but have not yet undergone peer review for advanced rank.  A visiting faculty member will be appointed to a rank that is consistent with the rank held in the home institution. Such appointments are limited to two years.  This title may not be used for without salary appointments. Visitors may be assigned office space and access to support services at the discretion of the department chair.

14.  Clinical Professor, Clinical Associate Professor, Clinical Assistant Professor, and Clinical Instructor

These titles may be used to designate regular service on the faculty while involved in a professional clinical experience program.  Appointments to the faculty with a clinical title may be with or without pay. The University may offer reappointment to the faculty member after the expiration of the stated period.

15.  Adjoint Professor, Adjoint Associate Professor, and Adjoint Assistant Professor

These titles may be used to designate faculty who serve the University in cooperative or joint programs pursuant to a memorandum of understanding, cooperative research and development agreement, or similar partnership instrument.  Persons holding these titles will be employees of and compensated by the partnership organization. They will not be deemed employees of the University. They will, however, have the same obligations, responsibilities, and authority as regular faculty employed directly by the University when performing faculty functions pursuant to the agreement.  Appointments will usually be part-time for the purpose of supervising theses and dissertations or for the teaching of highly specialized courses. The term of the appointment shall be specified in the agreement with the partner organization.

C.  Honorific Titles

1. Endowed Chairs, Endowed Professorships and Faculty Fellowships 

Describes faculty positions funded by endowments set up by the University with money received from a restricted gift. Other requirements regarding appointment to and administration of endowed chairs, professorships and faculty fellowships are included in HOOP 46, Establishment and Management of Endowments.

2. Regental Professor

Any faculty member who is awarded the Nobel Prize or who has in the past been awarded the Nobel Prize may be given the title of Regental Professor by the Board of Regents on recommendation of the President, the Executive Vice Chancellor for Health Affairs, and the Chancellor. Because of the great honor associated with the award of a Nobel Prize, institutional tenure is awarded to Regental Professors by virtue of appointment to this rank.

3. Dean Emeritus/Emerita, Chair Emeritus/Emerita, Professor Emeritus/Emerita, and Associate Professor Emeritus/Emerita

These titles imply distinguished and honorable service at the University.  The awarding of an Emeritus/Emerita title is without salary and is made by the President, upon the recommendation of the appropriate dean.  See HOOP 50, Appointment to Emeritus or Emerita Positions.

These designations confer lifetime academic appointments, effective on retirement from academic/professional life, and may be conferred on faculty members who held the rank of Professor or Associate Professor during their period of active service at the University.

Recommendations for conferring these titles will be based on individual distinction and quality of contribution and service to the University. One of these titles may be given to a retired faculty member or in anticipation of the retirement of a faculty member, effective on retirement from academic/professional life.  Holders of Emeritus/Emerita titles will be granted the following privileges if they are retired from academic/professional life and do not hold an appointment at another institution:

• membership (without vote) in the department, participation in departmental meetings, and in the general faculty;
• eligibility to serve on graduate student and other committees subject to the approval of the dean;
• listing in the University directory;
• use of the campus mail service within University policies;
• access to departmental/University resources, as specified at the time of the award of the Emeritus/Emerita title, commensurate with level of activity; and
• those privileges accorded to retired faculty.

Emeritus/Emerita faculty are expected to remain willing to assist and advise the University as requested, especially in their area of competence. Emeritus/Emerita title status does not obligate the University to provide office or laboratory space; space may be assigned and maintained at the discretion of the dean or department head. 

4.  Distinguished Teaching Professor

Members of an institutional academy of distinguished teachers approved by the Chancellor and the Executive Vice Chancellor for Health Affairs, may use the honorific title Distinguished Teaching Professor.

5.  Regents’ Research Scholar

Any tenure-track faculty recruit, regardless of rank, is eligible for a Regents’ Research Scholar title.  To award this title, the University identifies an important recruitment of as a Regents’ Research Scholar and obtains philanthropic commitments for the specific recruitment.  Recipients of these monies would be known as Regents’ Research Scholars for the duration of the financial support.  The recipient's title may also bear the name of the donor. 

III. CONTACTS

• • Office of Faculty Affairs and Development
  • 713-500-3062
  • http://www.uth.edu/academics/

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