Associate Professor

Definition

In addition to having the qualifications of an Assistant Professor, the appointee shall have a high level of competence in teaching and advisement in the relevant academic field, shall have demonstrated significant research, scholarship, or artistic creativity in the field and shall have shown promise of continued productivity, shall be competent to direct work of major subdivisions of the primary academic unit and to offer graduate instruction and direct graduate research, and shall have served the campus, the profession, or the community in some useful way in addition to teaching and research. Promotion to the rank from within confers tenure; appointment to the rank from without may confer tenure.

Hiring Procedures

New appointments at the rank of Professor and Associate Professor with tenure and Principal and Senior Agent with tenure must be reviewed by faculty committees and administrators at all levels. No offer of appointment at the rank of Associate Professor, Professor, Senior Agent or Principal Agent (regardless of tenure status) is valid without presidential approval. (New Assistant Professor and Agent appointments are not handled by the University APT process.)

New faculty appointments to the ranks of Associate Professor and Senior Agent without tenure proceed for review and approval by the President based on a recommendation from the Provost, unless questions arise, in which case the President may direct that the proposed appointment undergo an unofficial "tenurability review" by University APT committees prior to presidential consideration. Units hiring associate professors and senior agents without tenure must submit a dossier to the Office of Faculty Affairs for review. The dossier should contain an original proof of degree, a completed New Faculty Appointment Information form, a Dean's letter of support, and Chair's letter of support, the new hire's CV, and external letters of support for the hire.

Prior to final approval of the President, a letter of intent to hire may be sent after gaining approval of the appointment from the hiring Department's Dean(s). Refer to the Sample Letters of Intent to Hire for a template of such an appointment letter. An offer of appointment can be made only with the approval of the President or his or her designee. Full-time appointments to the rank of Associate Professor or Professor require the written approval of the President.

Upon Presidential approval, the faculty member and appropriate academic administrators should complete an Appointment Agreement.

Termination

For tenure track faculty, a term of service may be terminated by the appointee by resignation, but it is expressly agreed that no resignation shall become effective until the termination of the appointment period in which the resignation is offered except by mutual agreement between the appointee and the President.

For tenured and tenure track faculty, the President may terminate the appointment of a tenure-track appointee for moral turpitude, professional or scholarly misconduct, incompetence, or willful neglect of duty, provided that the charges be stated in writing, that the appointee be furnished a copy thereof, and that the appointee be given an opportunity prior to such termination to request a hearing by an impartial hearing officer appointed by the chief executive officer or a faculty board of review as provided for by the relevant institutional policy body. For additional information, see USM Policy II - 1.00 7 & 8.

The University may terminate any appointment because of the discontinuance of the department, program, school or unit in which the appointment was made; or because of the lack of appropriations or other funds with which to support the appointment. Such decisions must be made in accordance with standards and procedures set forth in written institutional policies.

Appointments shall terminate upon the death of the appointee.