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PTK Working Group

Review of Professional Track Faculty Matters

Background

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 (click for a detailed review and timeline of University PTK action items). 

Current Work

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 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 the public version of the Working Group report. 

At the request of the Provost, the Office of Faculty Affairs (OFA) began work on the implementation of the Working Group’s recommendations during summer 2023. To date, this work has focused on:

  • Finalizing the recommended draft of a manual for the AEP process for PTK faculty in an effort to create greater uniformity throughout AEP processes across campus. The published manual is available here for your review. 

    In order to engage interested faculty members and administrators in the review and finalization of the AEP manual, OFA held open forums in fall 2023 and spring 2024, providing an overview of the AEP manual and an opportunity for attendees to ask questions and offer constructive feedback. OFA finalized the manual in summer 2024, with the intent of it taking full effect July 1, 2025.
     
  • Convening a PTK Instructional Workload Policy working group. 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. Over the 2023-2024 academic year, this working group prepared a draft policy that was shared with the broader community for comment and input. The draft policy will be transmitted to the University Senate for its consideration during the 2024-2025 academic year. 
     
  • Providing recommendations to the Provost for administrative actions regarding PTK faculty matters broadly in the areas of AEP, contracts, and compensation.  

OFA looks forward to continuing to work with the UMD faculty and academic leadership communities on these important matters. 

Questions about the Working Group Report, the AEP manual, and other matters pertaining to PTK faculty can be directed to Ursula Gorham, Associate Director for Faculty Initiatives by contacting faculty@umd.edu.