ASA Document 246. Motion - Academic Staff Title Series (lst draft)

Assembly Document #246
DRAFT, December 13, 1999

Motion by Bill Steffenhagen, ASEC member
On Professorial Titles

Be It Resolved, the Academic Staff Assembly authorizes ASEC to develop two new academic staff title series: Assistant, Associate, no prefix, and Distinguished Professor (IAS) and Assistant, Associate, no prefix, and Distinguished Professor (RAS).
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(IAS) = Instructional Academic Staff
(RAS)= Research Academic Staff

Eligibility for proposed title series:

See attached draft description of the Professor (IAS) and the Professor (RAS) title series.

Background:

At many institutions of higher learning, staff members who independently perform instruction or research hold non-tenure track professorial titles. The proposed two new titles series would provide titles that are consistent with those colleagues that perform similar duties at peer institutions. The titles can help level the playing field for academic staff members who are expected to submit competitive grants as a Principal Investigator or Co-Principal Investigator. The titles can also benefit students and staff members who request letters of recommendation from instructional or research academic staff members. In addition, the proposed titles should provide opportunities for greater participation of instructional academic staff in departmental curricular decisions, and for greater participation of research academic staff in graduate student thesis committees.

Issues:

I. Will the new title series increase the participation in governance for some academic staff members and decrease the participation in governance for other academic staff members?

Professor is, traditionally, a faculty title and generally understood as such.

Academic staff's participation in university governance arises in part from the ways academic staff is different from faculty.

It may, thus, not be helpful to move a traditionally faculty title over to academic staff members.

The new title series may create divisions within the academic staff in Category B. If the professor title were to increase participation in departmental governance for those who hold it, it seems logical that it then sets those title holders apart from other academic staff in that department.

More fundamentally, the work of higher education is not and cannot be done by faculty alone. Academic staff is essential to the well being, success, and healthy future of UW-System. To take on professor titles for precisely those academic staff members whose work, skills and contributions most closely match the work of faculty has the potential to obscure the contributions academic staff make to the institution and the system.

Academic staff members with the title professor will not naturally turn to the Academic Staff assembly and ASEC as their governance home.

II. Will the new title series increase the likelihood that the Department of Employment Relations will take another look at Category A academic staff titles for possible conversion to the classified service?

Draft 11/20/99

Proposal to create a new Instructional Academic Staff (IAS) title series: Professor (IAS) [Asst., Assoc., No Prefix, Dist.]
Current TitlesFaculty Associate [Asst., Assoc., No Prefix, Dist.]Provides instruction and training in an academic discipline or adult education, including formal, informal or laboratory instruction. Responsibilities include instruction associated with more than one formal lecture or laboratory course, or with supplemental modules to formal courses, training of Graduate Assistants, programming to adult and continuing education clients, and frequently includes extension and teaching associated with the instructional portion of faculty appointments. May involve development of disciplinary teaching techniques as an accompaniment to instructionalresponsibilities. Lecturer [Assoc., No Prefix, Senior, Dist.] Provides formal classroom or laboratory instruction in an academic discipline, either independently or under the general supervision of a faculty member. Effective delivery of instructional material, testing and grading are the primary duties of a Lecturer. However, the degree of involvement in course and curriculum development, course scheduling, advising and subject matter expertise differs significantly depending on the prefix. 
Proposed TitlesFaculty Associate [Asst., Assoc., No Prefix, Dist.] Provides instruction and training in an academic discipline or adult education, including formal, informal or laboratory instruction, either independently or under the general supervision of a faculty member or Professor (IAS). Responsibilities include instruction associated with more than one formal lecture or laboratory course, or with supplemental modules to formal courses, training of Graduate Assistants, programming to adult and continuing education clients, and frequently includes extension and teaching associated with the instructional portion of faculty appointments. May involve development of disciplinary teaching techniques as an accompaniment to instructionalresponsibilities. Lecturer [Assoc., No Prefix, Senior, Dist.] Provides formal classroom or laboratory instruction in an academic discipline, either independently or under the general supervision of a faculty member or Professor (IAS). Effective delivery of instructional material, testing and grading are the primary duties of a Lecturer. However, the degree of involvement in course and curriculum development, course scheduling, advising and subject matter expertise differs significantly depending on the prefix. Professor (IAS) [Asst., Assoc., No Prefix, Dist.] Specifies members of the academic staff independently engaged in formal classroom or laboratory instruction in an academic discipline or instruction and training in an academic discipline or adult education, including formal, informal or laboratory instruction. A Ph.D. or other terminal degree and the experience or knowledge required to develop and teach a course(s) or design curricula and/or techniques for instruction in a disciplinary area and/or suggest new ways of effective instruction are ordinarily required to hold one of these titles. Responsibilities may include training Graduate Assistants, programming to adult and continuing education clients, and outreach and teaching associated with the instructional component of faculty appointments.

DRAFT 11/20/99

Proposal to create a new Research Academic Staff (RAS) title series: Professor (RAS) [Asst., Assoc., No Prefix, Dist.] 
Current TitlesResearcher [Asst., Assoc., No Prefix, Dist.] Provides technical expertise in a research or scientific project at a more comprehensive and independent level than a Research Specialist. Solves problems in research, development, and applications by applying discipline-related skillsnormally gained from the completion of an advanced degree. May assist in the development of grant applications and the preparation and presentation of reports of research results, and in informal instruction of research students. Scientist [Asst., Assoc., Senior, Dist.] Identifies research problems, designs research methodologies, performs or supervises research, and prepares the results for presentation to professional organizations or for scholarly publications. May supervise Research Specialists and other staff. A Ph.D. or the equivalent experience and/or knowledge required to conduct research activities at the level of a principal investigator or co- principal investigator are ordinarily required to hold one of these titles. (Principal Investigator status is not automatic but is only granted on an individual basis by the Graduate School. This title series is intended to parallel the faculty tenure-track.) 
Proposed TitlesResearcher [Asst., Assoc., No Prefix, Dist.] Provides technical expertise in a research or scientific project at a more comprehensive and independent level than a Research Specialist. Solves problems in research, development, and applications by applying discipline-related skillsnormally gained from the completion of an advanced degree. May assist in the development of grant applications and the preparation and presentation of reports of research results, and in informal instruction of research students. Scientist [Asst., Assoc., Senior, Dist.] Specifies members of the academic staff engaged in research in an academic discipline under the general supervision of a faculty member or Professor (RAS). A Ph.D. or the equivalent experience and/or knowledge required to conduct research activities are ordinarily required to hold one of these titles. Identifies research problems, designs research methodologies, performs or supervises research, and prepares the results for presentation to professional organizations or for scholarly publications. May supervise Research Specialists and other staff and students. Professor (RAS) [Asst., Assoc, No Prefix, Dist.] Specifies members of the academic staff independently engaged in research in an academic discipline. A Ph.D. or other terminal degree and the experience or knowledge required to conduct research activities at the level of a principal investigator or co-principal investigator are ordinarily required to hold one of these titles. Responsibilities include the development and submission of research grant applications, supervision of research programs, presentation of research findings at national and international meetings, publishing research findings, and training graduate assistants associated with the research component of faculty appointments. (Principal Investigator status is not automatic but is only granted by the Graduate School.)