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PTK Faculty Initiatives

Review of Professional Track Faculty Matters

2010-2017

During the 2010-2011 Academic Year, the University formed the Task Force on Non-Tenure Track Faculty in order to address a number of issues  regarding non-tenure track faculty employed by the University, such as:

  • Policies and procedures for evaluating and promoting of non-tenure track faculty;
  • Recognition for outstanding contributions, including merit pay for non-tenure track faculty;
  • Opportunities for participation in shared governance;
  • Compensation, especially among instructional faculty; and,
  • Title series for non-tenure track faculty.

The work of the Task Force led to today’s Professional Track (PTK) Faculty designation, as well as a number of University policies, guidelines, and procedures regarding PTK faculty that were implemented between 2014 and 2017 (detailed review and timeline of University PTK action items). 

2022-2024

As the University continues to evolve, especially with the release of the University’s Strategic Plan Fearlessly Forward by President Darryll J. Pines and Provost Jennifer King Rice, so too do matters related to PTK faculty.

During the 2022-2023 academic year, Provost Rice convened a working group of Professional Track (PTK) faculty, Tenured/tenure Track (TTK) faculty, and administrators through the Office of Faculty Affairs (OFA) to:

  • Review current PTK faculty titles and designations;
  • Review campus-level PTK Appointments, Evaluation, and Promotion (AEP) procedures and guidelines;
  • Provide recommendations for a University policy on instructional PTK faculty workload;
  • Review current hiring, appointment, title use, professional development, and support practices for PTK faculty; and, 
  • Identify gaps in existing PTK faculty policies and procedures that may require additional University policy and guideline development and/or modification.

The Working Group delivered a report to the Provost outlining a number of administrative- and policy-related recommendations to improve the understanding and implementation of PTK appointments, promotions, and working environments at the University of Maryland. The Working Group report contains a series of action items, ranging from better enforcement of existing policy, to creation of administrative guidance, to suggestions for changes to UMD and USM policy. Click here for a summary of the Working Group report. 

Actions

Based on the recommendations of the PTK Working Group, public forums on PTK faculty-related matters, input from the Associate Deans for Faculty Affairs, issues brought forward through the University Senate through our shared governance process, presentations to the University Senate, observations and analysis by OFA, and other considerations, the following actions have been taken to date or are in progress:

  • Finalized the Appointments, Evaluation, and Promotion (AEP) Manual for PTK faculty in an effort to create greater uniformity throughout AEP processes across campus. The published manual is available here for your review. The final AEP Manual was developed through an iterative process that involved campus-wide open forums in fall 2023 and spring 2024, an open comment period on multiple drafts of the manual, and a presentation to the University Senate. The manual was released in summer 2024, and will take effect July 1, 2025. In large part, the AEP Manual implements the Senate-approved Guidelines for Appointment, Evaluation, and Promotion of Professional Track Faculty, specifically Section V.
  • Developed a draft PTK Instructional Workload Policy for consideration by the University Senate. The draft policy, developed by a working group comprised of PTK faculty during the 2023-2024 academic year, was shared with the broader community for comment and input before being transmitted to the University Senate for its consideration during the 2024-2025 academic year. By creating a campus-wide policy on instructional workload for PTK faculty, OFA looks to provide guidance to units on how to assign instructional loads equitably across their instructional PTK faculty members. 
  • Formed a PTK Faculty Advisory Group in the Office of Faculty Affairs. The Advisory Group is comprised of PTK faculty appointed in different title series and ranks. Appointed by the Dean of each college, the Advisory Group will, broadly, inform, advise, and assist OFA and the Office of the Provost regarding issues related to PTK faculty members across campus. More information about the Advisory Group is available here. 
  • By July 1, 2025, colleges and schools must establish contract appointment term expectations and guidance for their units (e.g., one-, three-, and five-year contracts based on years of service, promotion, or other criteria), establish a per-course or per-credit minimum compensation structure for adjuncts across their college’s or school’s units, and establish a minimum base-pay promotion increase for promoted PTK faculty. 
  • Beginning July 1, 2025, new faculty salary guidelines will take effect. Minimum salaries for each faculty pay band will increase between 12.7% and 48% as compared to FY2025 salary guidelines. More details regarding the new salary guidelines are available here.

Many of the above items, as well as other action items, are documented in a memo dated February 4, 2025 by the Provost and Associate Provost for Faculty Affairs to Deans.

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