Description of lecturer track/teaching professor appointments
Appointment and qualifications
Orientation, supervision, and mentoring
Evaluation practices and criteria
Process for criteria promotion
Contract renewal/termination or dismisal
Equitable salaries and fringe benefits
Creation of new lecturer/teaching professor positions
February 01, 2021
December 2020
January 2021 by faculty vote
Approved by faculty vote: January 2021
This document is intended to supplement the University wide description and policies for Lecturer, Senior Lecturer, and Teaching Professor appointments, as found in University Academic Policy ACA-18. At the time the policy was authored the guiding University document was ACA-18, and was available at https://policies.iu.edu/policies/aca-18-regulation-clinical-lecture-appointments/index.html
The roles and appointments defined in this document are also informed by ACA-14 as written in fall 2020 and available here: https://policies.iu.edu/policies/aca-14-classification-academic-appointments/index.html. All policies and documents referenced as of December 2020 unless otherwise noted.
Lecturers, Senior Lecturers, and Teaching Professors are responsible primarily for teaching. They are also expected to provide service that supports the academic mission of the IU Luddy School of Informatics, Computing, and Engineering (hereafter referred to as “the School”). They may also be engaged in activities that fall under the category of the Scholarship of Teaching and Learning (SoTL).
At the entry level, Lecturers will have completed an appropriate advanced degree or have the appropriate credentials as determined by the School and the hiring program. Lecturers may have organizational and oversight responsibility for the courses in which they teach. They will also perform service for the program or School. After having completed a probationary period satisfactorily, Lecturers are eligible for long-term contracts and to be promoted to Senior Lecturers.
Promotion to Senior Lecturer is based on consistent demonstration of excellence in teaching, with at least satisfactory performance in service. Senior Lecturers are ordinarily expected to provide leadership in teaching and to contribute to course and curriculum development in the School. Senior Lecturers may have organizational and oversight responsibilities for a course, participate in course and curriculum development, and, where appropriate, provide workshops for colleagues. They may oversee and provide mentoring for other faculty, as well as teaching assistants including undergraduate, masters, and doctoral assistants. Senior Lecturers may also make contributions to the School and the campus beyond the classroom, such as campus service or other professional activities.
Promotion to Teaching Professor is based on excellence in teaching and pedagogical leadership, as evidenced by activities such as curriculum development; course cluster oversight; innovation and mentoring at the school or campus level; and/or by recognition and impact at the regional, national, or international level in the Scholarship of Teaching and Learning (SoTL). Promotion requires at least satisfactory performance in service. This document is intended to align with BL-ACA-A3 as written Fall 2020, which defines teaching Professor as “appropriate for individuals who have demonstrated a sustained record of excellence in classroom teaching as a Senior Lecturer (or the equivalent), and who are pedagogical leaders (as evidenced by activities such as curriculum development; innovation and mentoring at the school, college, campus or university level; and/or by recognition and impact at the regional or national level).”
Teaching Professors have organizational and oversight responsibilities for a collection of courses, participating in course and curriculum development, and, where appropriate, mentoring of colleagues. Teaching Professors contribute to the School and the campus beyond the classroom, such as campus service or other professional activities.
The qualifications for Lecturer / Teaching Professor positions will depend on the needs and standards of the School and its specific programs. Examples of considerations in evaluating qualifications may include but are not limited to:
Lecturer / Teaching Professor positions are not intended to lead to tenure-track ones. Appointees who have extensive responsibilities for research or creative endeavors outside their teaching responsibilities should be appointed to tenure-track positions. Creation of a new Lecturer / Teaching Professor position is not intended to be a means of retaining a tenure-probationary faculty appointee who has not been able to demonstrate the performance levels required for tenure. In order to be consistent with the use of clinical ranks, tenure-track faculty members who wish to switch to a Lecturer / Teaching Professor appointment must do so within five years of their initial tenure-track appointment.
Lecturer appointments during the probationary period shall be subject to the same policies and procedures with respect to appointment, reappointment, non-reappointment, and dismissal as apply to tenure-probationary faculty during the probationary period. After the probationary period, dismissal of a lecturer holding a longer term contract which has not expired may occur because of closure or permanent downsizing of the program in which the faculty member teaches and serves; otherwise, dismissal of such lecturer shall occur only for reasons of professional incompetence, serious misconduct, or financial exigency. Non-reappointment of lecturers to a new contract term may occur for the foregoing reasons or may occur as well for reason of changing staffing needs of the academic unit’s program. Non-reappointment decisions regarding lecturers holding a longer term contract after the probationary period must be made with faculty consultation through processes established by the school’s faculty governance institutions. The jurisdiction of campus faculty grievance institutions includes cases of dismissal and non-reappointment of lecturers. (This language is taken form BL-ACA-A1 at https://vpfaa.indiana.edu/policies/bl-aca-a1-academic-appointments/index.html).
Multiyear contracts should be awarded to Senior Lecturers whose professional characteristics indicate that they will continue to serve with distinction in their appointed roles. Multiyear contracts are awarded to all Teaching Professors.
New Lecturers should be oriented adequately to their responsibilities during their first year in the position. The School may assign mentors to assist the Lecturers in their work and to prepare for eventual promotion. The School will have clear reporting lines of authority for Lecturers, Senior Lecturers, and Teaching Professors. Again, referring to ACA-A1 as of Fall 2020, the faculty salary policies of the University, campus, school, and department shall apply to lecturers. Lecturers have the right to petition the campus faculty board of review. Lecturers are not eligible for University sabbatical leave, but schools may provide sabbatical-like leaves for their lecturers to provide opportunities for professional learning and collaboration with colleagues. This evaluation will be based on teaching and service activities.
All Lecturers, Senior Lecturers, and Teaching Professors will be reviewed annually following standard faculty review procedures. Lecturers have the reasonable expectation to have Senior Lecturers participate in providing peer reviews and, if possible, Senior Lecturers have a reasonable expectation of having peer reviews performed by Teaching Professors or other Senior Lecturers. Lecturers have the right to request such reviewers from other departments within the School.
Promotion recognizes past achievement and indicates confidence that the individual is capable of greater responsibilities and accomplishments. Promotion considerations must take into account the individual’s contribution to the School, campus and university missions.
After a maximum of six years of a probationary appointment, a Lecturer’s work and contributions will be reviewed by the faculty at the appropriate rank in the candidate’s program and by the School’s Promotion and Tenure Committee to assess whether to recommend the promotion of the individual to Senior Lecturer. The probationary period may be waived or shortened as agreed upon by the appointee and the School.
Appropriate evidence to demonstrate teaching and service achievements for promotion to Senior Lecturer may include but are not limited to:
Additional evidence to demonstrate teaching and service achievements for promotion to Teaching Professor illustrates development from an excellent practitioner to leader and scholar. Beyond applications of best practices Teaching Professors disseminate improvements of best practice, new tools or techniques.
Senior Lecturers who, in consultation with the Department Chair, wish to pursue promotion to the rank of Teaching Professor will prepare a dossier including evidence outlined below and a minimum number of letters from external references whose selection follows established guidelines for promotion cases. As of Spring 2020 this number is set at six per University policy B31-2020; any policy change that decreases the number to as few as four is supported under this policy with no additional review.
The faculty at the appropriate rank in the candidate’s program and the School’s Promotion and Tenure Committee will review the dossier and vote on whether the candidate should be recommended for promotion to the rank of Teaching Professor.
Not every Senior Lecturer is expected to achieve the rank of Teaching Professor: a negative promotion decision or decision not to pursue promotion is not by itself a reason for non-reappointment. Promotion and reappointment are independent for Lecturers, Senior Lecturers, and Teaching Professors.
For Lecturers, notice of non-reappointment or dismissal shall be given under the same terms as apply to tenure-track faculty during the probationary period (i.e., three months notice if in the first year of appointment, six months notice if in the second year of appointment, twelve months’ notice after two or more years of service.)
The current practice is that Lecturers, and Senior Lecturers are given multi-year rolling contracts of at least three years after their probationary period and Teaching Professors are expected to follow or exceed this practice. If the contract is not to be renewed the Lecturers, Senior Lecturers, or Teaching Professors is notified at the signing of the last contract and congruent with the practices for tenure-probationary faculty as defined in the paragraph above. Deviation from current practice must be for documented cause.
Lecturers, Senior Lecturers, and Teaching Professors may appeal these decisions to the Dean of the School. Once all administrative levels of appeal within the School have been exhausted, Lecturers may follow the procedures for requesting a campus-level Faculty Board of Review.
Salaries for Lecturers, Senior Lecturers, and Teaching Professors should be commensurate with their education, qualifications, experience, and responsibilities within their positions. Benefits such as retirement plans, access to health insurance, leaves of absence, and vacation should be equivalent to those offered to tenure-track faculty members. The faculty salary policies of the University, campus, school, and department shall apply to lecturers. (This is quoted or derived from policy BL-ACA-A1.)
Lecturers, Senior Lecturers, and Teaching Professors are responsible for seeking out and keeping current with pedagogical developments in particular in their own fields. Professional development support will contribute to developing pedagogical practice and be equivalent to that which is provided to tenure-track faculty members.
Each Lecturer, Senior Lecturer, or Teaching Professor may petition the School for resources for career development aligned professional development such as support for workshop participation, materials for developing learning innovations, or support for grant submissions. Per policy BL-ACA-A1 while lecturers are not eligible for University sabbatical leave, but schools may provide sabbatical-like leaves for their lecturers to provide opportunities for professional learning and collaboration with colleagues.
The Dean, Associate Dean, or Program Director within the School will recommend the establishment of new Lecturer positions. These recommendations should be based on the teaching and service mission, goals, and needs of the department, division, or program. The Office of the Vice Provost for Faculty & Academic Affairs will review and act upon the requests. Initial lecturer appointments should be at the level appropriate to the experience and accomplishments of the individual.
Lecturers must follow and are protected by university policies, including those pertaining to faculty hiring and faculty annual reviews.
Lecturers, Senior Lecturers, and Teaching Professors have the right to petition the Dean of the School and then the campus-level Faculty Board of Review for redress of grievances concerning dismissal, non-reappointment, academic freedom, salary adjustment, or other conditions of work. Lecturers, Senior Lecturers, and Teaching Professors will follow the same procedures as tenure track faculty members in doing so.
