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Handbook of Operating Procedures
  • Policy Process

    • Handbook of Operating Procedures
    Chapter 2 - Faculty and Academics
    Publication Date: April 7, 2017
    Responsible Executive: VP for Academic Affairs


    2.50 Non-Tenure-Track Faculty Recruitment, Evaluation, and Promotion Processes

    This is not the current policy. For the latest, click here.

    I. POLICY STATEMENT

    The University of Texas at San Antonio (UTSA) is committed to identifying, recruiting, and retaining highly qualified, talented, and diverse faculty for Non-Tenure-Track (NTT) positions in all academic fields. Equal Employment Opportunity (EEO) guidelines as well as university processes and procedures must be followed during all faculty searches. The Office of the Senior Vice Provost for Academic and Faculty Support (VPAFS) is responsible for developing and overseeing the NTT faculty recruitment process.

    II. RATIONALE

    This policy establishes procedures and guidelines for the recruitment, evaluation, and promotion of the following NTT faculty titles: all levels of Lecturers, Professors in Practice, and Professors of Research. Adherence to these procedures and guidelines will help ensure that faculty appointed and promoted in these ranks are of the highest quality. The Non-Tenure-Track Faculty Recruitment Guide provides greater detail regarding the recruitment of multi-year nontenure-track faculty.   

    III. SCOPE

    This policy applies to the following NTT faculty titles: Lecturers, Professors in Practice, and Professors of Research.

    IV. WEBSITE ADDRESS FOR THIS POLICY

    http://www.utsa.edu/hop/chapter2/2-50.html

    V. RELATED STATUTES, POLICIES, REQUIREMENTS OR STANDARDS

    UTSA or UT System Policies or the Board of Regents’ Rules and Regulations
    1. UT System Board of Regents' Rule 31001, Faculty Appointments and Titles
    2. UT System Board of Regents' Rule 31002, Notice of Nonrenewal to Nontenured Faculty Members
    3. UT System Board of Regents' Rule 10701, Policy Against Discrimination
    4. UTSA HOP policy 2.02, Faculty Appointments and Titles
    5. UTSA Equal Employment Opportunity Guidelines, EEO Law and Policy
    6. UTSA Affirmative Action Plan

    VI. CONTACTS

    If you have any questions about HOP policy 2.50, Nontenure-Track Recruitment, Evaluation and Promotion Process, contact the following offices:

    Office of the Senior Vice Provost for Academic and Faculty Support (VPAFS)
    210-458-2700

    Office of the Respective Dean
    Office of the Respective Academic Department

    VII. DEFINITIONS

    Non-Tenure-Track academic titles: are titles in which tenure cannot be granted.

    VIII. RESPONSIBILITIES

    1. Department Faculty Review Advisory Committee
      1. Reviews and recommends NTT faculty for promotion.
    2. Department Chair and/or Unit Director
      1. In consultation with the dean (or supervisor), seeks authorization from VPAFS to create or fill NTT positions through recruitment and promotion.
      2. Initiates, implements, and oversees recruitment process.
      3. Conducts annual appraisal of NTT faculty.
      4. In consultation with the dean (or supervisor), initiates and oversees promotion process for NTT faculty in his/her department.
      5. Reviews and considers recommendations of Department Faculty Review Advisory Committee (DFRAC) for promotion of NTT faculty.
    3. Dean
      1. In consultation with department chairs, seeks authorization from VPAFS to create or fill NTT positions through recruitment or promotion.
      2. Approves short list of candidates to interview in the recruitment process as well as the final candidate who will be offered the position.
      3. Consults with department chairs regarding initiation of promotion process.
      4. Approves promotion.
    4. Search Committee - If a decision is made to conduct a search to fill a NTT position, a Search Committee is established. The Search Committee:
      1. Follows the procedures described below under "Search Committee Procedures" and "Short List and Interview Procedures."
    5. Office of Equal Opportunity Services
      1. For positions being filled through the recruitment process, reviews job advertisement for posting to ensure compliance with EEO guidelines.
    6. Senior Vice Provost for Academic and Faculty Support
      1. Approves creation or filling of NTT positions.
      2. Oversees appointment process.
      3. Reviews recommendations for promotion.
    7. Office of Sponsored Programs
      1. Confirms availability of funds for promotion of Professors of Research.

    IX. PROCEDURES

    1. Recruitment
      NTT positions at UTSA may be filled by promotion through the ranks or through recruitment.  The following process was developed to facilitate recruitment and should be utilized for positions involving multi-year appointments. The process is described in further detail in the Non-Tenure-Track Faculty Recruitment Guide on the Provost’s web site. Departments should develop processes for recruitment of faculty for appointment as Lectuer I and Lecturer II.

      UTSA administrators are responsible for ensuring that equal opportunity is afforded to all candidates to further the University’s goal of identifying and recruiting diverse, qualified, and talented faculty.

      In units not connected to an academic department or college, the director of that unit assumes the responsibilities assigned here to department chairs. Directors should work with their direct supervisors where there is no reporting line to an academic dean.

      The Non-Tenure-Track Faculty Recruitment Guide describes the following in detail:
      1. The basic steps in the hiring process
      2. Department Chair Responsibilities
      3. Search Committee Procedures
      4. Short List and Interview Procedures
    2. Workload, Duties, Evaluation for Full-Time Lecturers, Senior Lecturers, and Distinguished Senior Lecturers, Professors in Practice, and Professors of Research

      The following paramaters apply in varying ways to faculty appointed as full-time Lecturers, Senior Lecturers, Distinguished Senior Lecturers, Professors in Practice, and Professors of Research.
      1. Workload Expectations
        1. The standard distribution of workload responsibilities is as follows:
          1. Full-Time Lecturer, Senior Lecturer, or Distinguished Senior Lecturer: 80% teaching, 0% research, and 20% service.
          2. Professors in Practice: 80% teaching, 0% research, and 20% service
          3. Professors of Research: 0% teaching, 97.5% research, 2.5% service

        Under certain circumstances, and with the chair or program director’s and dean’s approval, a different distribution may be assigned. Responsibilities are noted in the appointment contract and, where required by college policy, in an annual workload agreement.

        1. The workload expectations for full-time Lecturers, Senior Lecturers (SLs) or Distinguished Senior Lecturers (DSLs) and for Professors in Practice are: 
          1. Teaching
            1. The standard course load is four courses per semester or the equivalent.
            2. Available to teach at all campuses as assigned by department chair or program director.
          2. Research
            There is no research expectation. The University is not obligated to support research conducted by Lecturers, SLs, DSLs, or Professors in Practice. However, departments and deans may provide limited support of research activities that advance University strategic directions and/or college accreditation criteria.  
          3. Service
            Service is primariy at the departmental level but may include assignments at the college and university levels. Typical assignments may include:
            1. Committee work
            2. Coordinating programs
            3. Advising support
            4. Student organization support
        2. The workload expectations for Professors of Research are:
          1. In most cases, Professors of Research will spend 97.5% of their time on research activities as defined by their department and college. 
          2. Teaching is usually not an expected duty for Professors of Research.
          3. Professors of Research are expected to have at least 80% of salary and benefits supported from external sources. The department will be responsible for the base salary and benefits expense not supported by external sources.
          4. Professors of Research are also expected to engage in activities that are complementary or in addition to their primary focus of research. For example, some faculty may have a teaching role, serve on departmental committees, or perform in an administrative role. Since grants and contracts provide salary support only for research-related activities, other sources must be identified to cover the small percentage of time and effort dedicated to other activities as described above. At UTSA, 2.5% of effort is presumed to be dedicated to activities other than research and should be funded through a source or sources other than grants and contracts. In other words, at no time may 100% of salary and benefits be supported exclusively through grants and contracts.
      2. Evaluation of Work Performance
        Annual reports, including a current vita and supporting documents, will be submitted and evaluated using the same procedure required of T/TT faculty (See HOP policy 2.11, Annual Faculty Performance Evaluation for Merit Consideration). Evaluation of performance will follow the distribution of workload responsibilities for that particular position. The outcome of this evaluation may be used for consideration of reappointment, merit consideration, and promotion.
    3. Promotion
      Deans have the option of filling higher level NTT positions through a promotion process. The promotion process for Lecturers, Professors of Research, and Professors in Practice is as follows:
      1. Lecturers
        Deans may choose to promote lecturers though the lecturer ranks or recruit faculty for those positions from a broader base. The recruitment option does not apply to the Lecturer II title. The promotion process is initiated by the chair in consultation with the dean.
        1. Lecturer II
          Promotion from a Lecturer I to a Lecturer II position requires satisfactorily meeting the requirements for the Lecturer I position and the following:
          1. A written assessment of teaching performance by the DFRAC to the chair.
          2. Other appropriate criteria established at the discretion of the department.
          3. A chair's recommendation to the dean.
          4. Approval by the dean.
          5. Review of the recommendation by the VPFAS.

          For continuing employment, yearly satisfactory performance in a department’s annual evaluation is required.

        2. Lecturer III
          Promotion from a Lecturer II to a Lecturer III position requires satisfactorily meeting the requirements for the Lecturer II position and the following:
          1. A written assessment of teaching performance by the DFRAC to the chair.
          2. Other appropriate criteria as established at the discretion of the department.
          3. A chair’s written recommendation to the dean.
          4. Approval by the dean.
          5. Review of recommendation by VPFAS.

          For continuing employment, yearly satisfactory performance in a department’s annual evaluation is required.

        3. Senior Lecturer
          Promotion from a Lecturer III position to a Senior Lecturer position requires satisfactorily meeting the requirements for the Lecturer III position and the following:

          1. Participation in service and research (if appropriate) related activities within the department.
          2. A review and recommendation by the DFRAC.
          3. A chair’s written recommendation to the dean.
          4. Approval by the dean.
          5. Review of recommendation by VPFAS.

          For continuing employment, yearly satisfactory performance in a department’s annual evaluation is required.

        4. Distinguished Senior Lecturer
          Promotion from Senior Lecturer to Distinguished Senior Lecturer requires satisfactorily meeting the requirements for the Senior Lecturer position and the following:

          1. Other appropriate criteria established at the discretion of the department.
          2. A review of teaching performance, service and research activity (within the context of department expectations) by the DFRAC.
          3. A chair's recommendation to the dean.
          4. Approval by the dean.
          5. Review of recommendation by VPFAS.

          For continuing employment, yearly satisfactory performance in a department’s annual evaluation is required.

      2. Professors in Practice
        Professor in Practice (Assistant, Associate, Full) titles are on a track separate from lecturer titles. However, Professor in Practice titles may be awarded to individuals who begin in any of the Lecturer positions, depending upon circumstances. The Professor in Practice, Associate Professor in Practice, and Assistant Professor in Practice titles may designate regular full-time service for faculty involved in a professional experience program.

        Progression through the ranks will be initiated by the department chair in consultation with the dean. The following process will be followed:
        1. Assistant Professor in Practice
          Promotion from a Lecturer title to Assistant Professor of Practice requires satisfactorily meeting the requirements for the Lecturer position, the requirements for the Assistant Professor of Practice and the following:
          1. A review and recommendation by the DFRAC.
          2. A chair's written recommendation to the dean.
          3. Approval by the dean.
          4. Review of recommendation by VPFAS.
        2. Associate Professor in Practice
          Promotion to Associate Professor in Practice requires satisfactorily meeting the requirements for a Lecturer position or the Assistant Professor of Practice and the following:
          1. A review of teaching performance, service and research activity, if any, (within the context of department expectations) by the DFRAC.
          2. A chair's recommendation to the dean.
          3. Approval by the dean.
          4. Review of recommendation by VPFAS.
        3. Professor in Practice
          Promotion from an Associate Professor in Practice position to Professor in Practice requires satisfactorily meeting the requirements for a Lecturer position or the Associate Professor in Practice and the following:
          1. A review of teaching performance, service and research activity, if any, (within the context of department expectations) by the DFRAC.
          2. A chair's recommendation to the dean.
          3. Approval by the dean.
          4. Review of recommendation by VPFAS.
      3. Professors of Research
        Progression through the Professor of Research ranks will be initiated by the department chair in consultation with the dean. Promotions in centers and institutes, which are not connected to a particular department, will be processed by the college to which they report. For progression, a Professor of Research must have achieved or, in the case of Assistant Professor of Research, have the promise to achieve, distinction in scholarship. The quality of scholarship will generally be reflected in peer-reviewed publications, grants and contracts, which are an important indicator of success in the field. While generally there is no requirement for formal teaching in this position, if there is a teaching assignment there must be acceptable performance (or in the case of assistant professors, the promise of acceptable performance) in any teaching roles.

        Factors considered in assessing research performance may include (but are not limited to) the following:  scholarly activity and productivity; impact, innovation and creativity; recognition in the field; ability to work effectively as part of a research team (if relevant); effective communication with colleagues, staff and students; and professionalism, institutional compliance and ethics.

        The following process will be followed:
        1. Assistant Professor of Research
          Appointment to the Assistant Professor of Research title requires satisfactorily meeting the requirements for the position and the following:
          1. A review and recommendation by the DFRAC.
          2. Confirmation of the availability of funds by the Office of Sponsored Programs.
          3. A chair's written recommendation to the dean.
          4. Approval by the dean.
          5. Review of recommendation by VPFAS.
        2. Associate Professor of Research
          Promotion from Assistant Professor of Research to Associate Professor of Research requires satisfactorily meeting the requirements for the Assistant Professor of Research and the following:
          1. A review of research activity (within the context of department expectations) by the DRFAC.
          2. Confirmation of the availability of funds by the Office of Sponsored Programs.
          3. A chair's recommendation to the dean.
          4. Approval by the dean.
          5. Review of recommendation by VPFAS.
        3. Professor of Research
          Promotion from Associate Professor of Research to Professor of Research requires satisfactorily meeting the requirements for the Professor of Research and the following:
          1. A review of research activity (within the context of department expectations) by the DFRAC.
          2. Confirmation of the availability of funds by the Office of Sponsored Programs.
          3. A chair's recommendation to the dean.
          4. Approval by the dean.
          5. Review of recommendation by VPFAS.

    X. SPECIAL INSTRUCTIONS FOR IMPLEMENTATION

    None

    XI. FORMS AND TOOLS/ONLINE PROCESSES

    Human Resources Supervisor Toolkit website: http://www.utsa.edu/hr/SupervisorToolkit.html

    XII. APPENDIX

    NTT Faculty Recruitment Guide: http://provost.utsa.edu/VPAFS/documents/NTT_Recruitment_Guide.pdf