Chapter Two: Ranks of Instructional Staff

§4-02.01 - Tenurable Ranks
Persons appointed to the following ranks are eligible to receive tenure:

  1. University Professor [see §4-02.03];
  2. Distinguished Professor [see §4-02.04];
  3. Professor [see §4-02.05];
  4. Associate Professor [see §4-02.06];
  5. Assistant Professor [see §4-02.07].

§4-02.02 - Non-tenurable Ranks

  1. The following positions are appointments which cannot lead to tenure:
    1. Professor and Associate Professor Emeritus/a [see §4-02.08];
    2. Research Professor and Research Associate Professor [see §4-02.09];
    3. Distinguished Visiting Professor, Visiting Professor and Associate Visiting Professor [see §4-02.10];
    4. Professor of Military Science and other Instructional staff in Military Science [see §4-02.11];
    5. Instructor [see §4-02.12];
    6. Distinguished Lecturer and Lecturer [see §4-02.13];
    7. Adjunct Faculty [see §4-02.14];
    8. Clinical Staff [see §4-02.15 and §4-11.01];
    9. Teaching Fellow [see §4-02.16];
    10. Graduate Assistant [see §4-02.17].
  2. Any position designated by a title not specified in this Chapter, such as Artist-in-Residence, Field Instructor, and Research Associate, as well as positions which may be created in the future, shall be a non-tenurable position, unless the Board of Trustees determines otherwise.

§4-02.03 - University Professor
Appointment as University Professor may be made by the President of the University, upon nomination by the Vice President for Academic Affairs, in rare cases in which the appointee is a person of exceptional achievement in areas of learning which span more than one discipline, who possesses the essential qualifications of a Professor, and who is deserving of special recognition. University professors may teach within any faculty at the invitation of that faculty. If the nominee should seek an appointment in a faculty of a particular School or Department, the normal application process described in §4-05.06 will be followed.

§4-02.04 - Distinguished Professor
Distinguished Professors will be members of a specific faculty. Appointment as a Distinguished Professor may be made by the Trustees, upon nomination by the President of the University, in rare cases in which, in addition to possessing the essential qualifications of a Professor, the appointee is a person of preeminence in the relevant field who has demonstrated exceptional achievement deserving of special recognition. The title of Distinguished Professor is extraordinary and based on the academic achievements of the nominee; there should be no presumption that each Academic Unit have a Distinguished Professor within its ranks. For these appointments, the procedures are described in §4-05.07.

§4-02.05 - Professor
Appointment as Professor requires distinguished academic achievement evidenced by outstanding contributions, recognized by scholars within and without the University, in teaching, research and scholarly publications, and in University and public service.

§4-02.06 - Associate Professor
Appointment as Associate Professor requires substantial demonstrated academic achievement in teaching, research and scholarly publication and in University or public service. Initial appointments may be based upon professional rather than academic achievement in those schools where the rank of Assistant Professor has not traditionally been used.

§4-02.07 - Assistant Professor
Appointment as Assistant Professor requires the appropriate terminal degree in the field and promise of academic achievement in teaching, research and publication.

§4-02.08 - Professor and Associate Professor Emeritus/a
A member of the Fordham University faculty may be appointed Professor Emeritus/a or Associate Professor Emeritus/a by the President of the University, upon the recommendation of the tenured faculty of the appropriate School or Department following the appropriate personnel committee procedures as outlined in §4-05.02, in recognition of service to the University. The appointment shall take effect subsequent to the academic year in which the faculty member retires. To receive such appointment, the faculty member must hold the rank of Professor or Associate Professor, have completed a minimum of ten years full-time service, and must be employed by the University at the time of retirement. Persons appointed to these ranks enjoy the following privileges:

  1. Use of the facilities of the University Library and the use of other faculty facilities, if available;
  2. Listing in the University Bulletins;
  3. Tuition benefits for the faculty member and, when applicable, for dependents [see Appendix 4];
  4. Invitation to University commencements, convocations and other appropriate events.

§4-02.09 - Research Professor and Research Associate Professor
Tenured faculty members may be appointed to the ranks of Research Professor and Research Associate Professor under the conditions specified in §5-02.03.

§4-02.10 - Distinguished Visiting Professor, Visiting Professor and Visiting Associate Professor
Appointment as Distinguished Visiting Professor, Visiting Professor or Visiting Associate Professor may be offered to a person capable of making a short-term contribution to the University. Such appointments may be made for a period not to exceed one year. No individual may occupy Distinguished Visiting Professor, Visiting Professor, or Visiting Associate Professor status for more than three consecutive years. Distinguished Visiting Professors, Visiting Professors and Visiting Associate Professors shall be considered members of the Faculty, and may participate, if eligible, in faculty activities, with the exception of personnel matters excluded in §4-05.01(b).

Editor’s Note: The Senate voted that the new provision of Statute 4-02.10 would take effect beginning in Fall 2002.

§4-02.11 - Professor of Military Science and Other Instructional Staff in Military Science
See Chapter 4-09.

Members of the faculty of the Department of Military Science shall be members of the Faculty of Fordham University. They shall have primary responsibility for curriculum, subject matter and methods of instruction within their own program, and the right to participate as faculty in School and University activities. They may be participants in School Councils and Committees, and Departmental and University Committees, except the Faculty Senate, the Senate Committees and those Committees which treat in any way faculty status or personnel matters.

They shall be appointed by the President of the University in accordance with the contract between the University and the Department of Defense. Recommendations to the President for appointment at the appropriate rank based on the academic and professional qualifications of proposed appointees shall be made by the Advisory Committee on ROTC through the Vice President for Academic Affairs, who shall add personal recommendations. Members of the Department of Military Science are not eligible for tenure.

§4-02.12 - Instructor
Appointment as Instructor on a tenure-track requires an advanced degree in the appropriate field, demonstrated progress toward the proximate completion of the terminal degree or equivalent, and promise of academic achievement in teaching and research.

§4-02.13 - Lecturer, Senior Lecturer or Distinguished Lecturer
Appointment as Lecturer, Senior Lecturer or Distinguished Lecturer may be offered to persons with unique qualifications, not necessarily meeting the requirements for appointment for professional ranks, who are needed for specific academic programs. Appointment to such position shall be for a one up to a three year term for Lecturer and Distinguished Lecturer and five years for a Senior Lecturer.

§4-02.14 - Adjunct Faculty
Appointment as an Adjunct may be offered to persons, to teach on a part-time basis, whose academic or professional attainments are equivalent to the qualifications for the respective professional ranks. Such appointments may be made for one semester or one academic year, and may be renewed. Service in this rank does not count toward tenure.

§4-02.15 - Clinical Staff
Appointments as Clinical Staff may be offered to a limited number of qualified individuals whose professional competence and experience as practitioners are deemed beneficial and even necessary to the educational mission of the Professional Schools and at times the Departments.

Where accrediting bodies for a Professional School have specific requirements and standards for clinical appointments, these requirements and standards will generally take precedence over the statutory requirements specified in §4-11.01-.02.

The appropriate maximum number of these appointments should be determined by a majority vote of the tenured faculty in the School or Department and submitted to the Dean by November 1 who will forward the result to the Office of the Vice President for Academic Affairs by November 15.

The rationale for each Clinical Staff appointment and its functions and duties will also be determined by a majority vote of the tenured faculty in the School or Department and submitted to the Dean by November 1, who will forward the result to the Office of the Vice President for Academic Affairs by November 15.

Clinical Staff positions are outside the tenure-track. Clinical Staff positions with no additional duties involves teaching at least six but no more than eight courses in an academic year, or their equivalent in the Professional Schools. Clinical Staff positions with additional duties involve teaching at least four but not more than six courses in an academic year, or their equivalent in the Professional Schools. Clinical Staff are not eligible to carry out roles reserved to faculty as described in §4-06.01-.55.

Clinical appointees are designated as Clinical Professor, Clinical Associate Professor, Clinical Assistant Professor and Clinical Instructor. Service in these positions does not count toward tenure. Faculty who were denied tenure may not be appointed as Clinical Staff. For more about Clinical Staff see §4-11.

The Office of the Vice President for Academic Affairs will file with the Faculty Senate by December 1 of each year a report stating the number of Clinical Staff being employed by the University disaggregated by School and Department.

§4-02.16 - Teaching Fellow
Appointment as a Teaching Fellow may be made from among the candidates for doctoral degrees at Fordham University. Such Appointments are part-time, may be made for a period not to exceed one academic year, and may be renewed. Service in this rank does not count toward tenure.

§4-02.17 - Graduate Assistant
Appointment as a Graduate Assistant may be made from among the candidates for graduate degrees from Fordham University. Such appointments are part-time, may be made for a period not to exceed one academic year, and may be renewed.