Faculty Handbook: Qualifications for Appointment to Rank

Policy Statement

In making recommendations for the hiring of faculty, department chairpersons and academic deans should be vigilant that the faculty members in their units have degrees that were earned at a diverse number of institutions of higher education.

In determining the initial rank of full-time or pro rata faculty members, the following guidelines will be used.

Instructor

An instructor is a full-time faculty member who possesses

• at a minimum, a master’s degree in an appropriate academic discipline, as judged by the department or library faculty, the academic dean or library director, and the Vice President for Academic Affairs;

• teaching or librarianship ability as described in the University policy titled the Teaching Responsibility or the Librarianship Responsibility;

• those qualities of character, personality and professionalism that are expected of a teacher or librarian as exemplified by the statements in the Teaching Responsibility or the Librarianship Responsibility.

An instructor on a tenure-track line is appointed annually for a maximum of two years in that rank, unless subject to other terms in their initial Letter of Agreement.  Application for advancement to the rank of Assistant Professor must be made no later than the fourth semester of employment at Marywood, thereby allowing application for tenure and promotion to Associate Professor in year six.

Assistant Professor

For appointment to the rank of Assistant Professor, an incoming faculty member must have attained the rank of Assistant Professor at a regionally accredited, four-year institution of higher learning where s/he previously taught, or present evidence of significant achievement and valuable experience relevant to the position to which s/he is to be appointed.  It is presumed that the criteria for elevation to the rank of Assistant Professor at Marywood have been met.

Associate Professor

For appointment to the rank of Associate Professor, an incoming faculty member must have attained the rank of Associate Professor at a regionally accredited, four-year institution of higher education where s/he previously taught, or present evidence of significant achievement and valuable experience relevant to which s/he is to be appointed.  In either case, the incoming faculty member must demonstrate qualifications comparable to those held by faculty elevated to the rank of Associate Professor at Marywood.

Professor

For appointment to the rank of Professor, an incoming faculty member must have attained the rank of Professor at a regionally accredited, four-year institution of higher education where s/he previously taught, or present evidence of significant achievement and valuable experience relevant to the position to which s/he is to be appointed.  In either case, the incoming faculty member must demonstrate qualifications comparable to those held by faculty elevated to the rank of Professor at Marywood.