Assignment of Academic Rank, Department, and Division

Apr 28, 2018

Scope: Who is Covered by this Policy?

Faculty 

Policy

Except as hereinafter provided, all persons holding academic rank (other than positional rank) shall be assigned to an academic department and be recommended for appointment by the department. The essential factor in such appointment is recognition of a person’s competence in an academic discipline or area of knowledge administered by the department. Initially, it is the department that determines such competence. The recommendation for appointment is made by the department and shall be subject to approval by the academic dean of the appropriate division, the Provost, and the President.

Any Regional Campus tenured or tenure-track faculty member hired before July 1, 2016, who elected to maintain their tenure and promotion home in an Oxford campus academic department will be given the option of joining only their Regional department and division or having a dual appointment to their Regional department and division. A Regional Campus faculty member with a dual appointment has a full membership, voting and service opportunities in their Oxford campus academic department and division as well as their Regional academic department and division. When a Regional Campus faculty member performs service on the Oxford campus, the chairs of the departments in which the faculty member has membership will communicate to ensure a fair service load for the faculty member. For information regarding the promotion and tenure rights of Regional Campus faculty holding dual appointments see policies related to the Evaluation, Promotion, and Tenure of the Faculty.

Faculty appointments to more than one home department/program and/or division must follow the Provost’s Guidelines for Joint Appointments.

Exception may be made to the above paragraph only in a specific case when a person who would be acceptable for regular assignment to teaching or research is given another assignment within the University. In such instance the assignment will be made by the President, with concurrence of the Provost, the dean of the appropriate division, and the department concerned.

A person holding academic rank shall maintain that rank while serving the University in an administrative or other capacity. Such person has all the privileges, including maintaining tenure, which are incidental to his or her academic rank. Such person shall not be eligible for achieving tenure except for a department chair who is tenurable. Promotion in academic rank shall be in recognition of contributions to his or her academic discipline. Such promotion in academic rank shall be initiated by the department concerned and may only be made with the concurrence of the dean of the appropriate division, the Provost, the President, and the Board of Trustees.

Related Form(s)

Not applicable.

Additional Resources and Procedures

Not applicable.

FAQ

Not applicable.

Policy Administration

Next Review Date

7/1/2023

Responsible Officers

  • Director of Academic Personnel Services
  • Assistant Provost for Academic Personnel
  • Provost and Executive Vice President for Academi

Legal Authority

Not Applicable.

Compliance Policy

No

Recent Revision History

 Amended July 2018

Reference ID(s)

  • MUPIM 6.3
  • OAC 3339-6-03

Reviewing Bodies

  • University Senate
  • Provost and Executive Vice President for Academic Affairs