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Policy and Procedure Statements

AA/PPS 04.01.26 - Faculty of Instruction Appointments

Faculty of Instruction Appointments

AA/PPS No. 04.01.26
Issue No. 1
Effective Date: 12/18/2023
Next Review Date: 1/01/2028 (E5Y)
Sr. Reviewer: Senior Vice Provost

POLICY STATEMENT

Texas State University is committed to recruiting and retaining faculty primarily engaged in the teaching and instructional mission of the university.

  1. PURPOSE

    1. The instructional faculty appointment is aligned with Texas State University’s commitment to enhancing its capacity and productivity with teaching, learning, and instructional contributions. This appointment is reserved for individuals who make a unique contribution to the mission of Texas State by dedicating their time to teaching, learning, and instructional activities that complement and enhance the goals of students, academic units, and the university.

    2. This policy establishes the appropriate title and rank for individuals who principally engage in the teaching and instructional mission of the university and provides opportunities for certain instructional faculty to seek advancement and promotion.

    3. The primary responsibility and workload of an instructional faculty member is to provide effective teaching, learning, and instruction.

      1. Instructional faculty appointments may include responsibility for service to internal and external constituents through course or program coordination, professional outreach, committee membership, and/or other activities aligned with instructional activities and outcomes, as assigned in accordance with department/school policies.

      2. Instructional faculty appointments do not require research, scholarly, and/or creative responsibilities. Scholarly activities may be used to document contributions in teaching and/or service for the purposes of initial appointment, annual evaluation, and promotion.

  2. ACADEMIC RANKS AND TITLES

    1. The academic ranks and related titles in instructional faculty appointments are categorized as either eligible or not eligible for promotion.

      1. Promotion-eligible titles and ranks include assistant professor of instruction, associate professor of instruction, and professor of instruction.

      2. The titles of lecturer and senior lecturer are not eligible for promotion.

    2. These titles were established so that Texas State may recruit and retain faculty primarily engaged in the teaching and instructional mission.

  3. PROCEDURES FOR HIRING AND APPOINTMENTS

    1. Search and hiring procedures for instructional faculty appointments are described in AA/PPS No. 04.01.01, Faculty Hiring. Except in the case of emergency lecturer hires, instructional faculty are hired through search processes.

    2. For the introduction of this policy, current Texas State lecturers and senior lecturers employed on a full-time basis (75% full-time equivalent (FTE) or higher) and who meet qualifications in Section 04. may elect to pursue a promotion-eligible instructional title.

    3. Instructional faculty may be initially appointed at any academic rank as long as the faculty member fulfills the requirements as documented by their respective academic unit (department or school) and/or college. All appointments will recognize the individual’s teaching and instructional experience, contributions, and potential.

    4. A faculty member with an instructional faculty appointment is eligible for all benefits except tenure.

    5. Instructional faculty appointments are annual appointments subject to performance and reappointment review and are contingent upon satisfactory performance review, continuity of funding, and departmental need.

      1. Assistant, associate, and professors of instruction and senior lecturers may be appointed for a specific term, not to exceed five years.

      2. Lecturers are appointed for one semester or one year (fall and spring) term.

      3. A faculty member may be reappointed, contingent on satisfactory performance review, continuity of funding, and departmental need.

    6. Instructional faculty may be appointed to graduate faculty status by following the same guidelines and processes used for faculty in a particular department or discipline, per AA/PPS No. 04.01.30, Nomination and Evaluation Procedures for Graduate Faculty.

    7. If a current instructional faculty member at Texas State pursues a tenure-track appointment at Texas State, years of service in the instructional role will not be considered in the determination of the initial rank of appointment and tenure probationary period. If a current tenure-track faculty member at Texas State pursues an instructional appointment, years of service in the tenure-track role may be considered in determining the initial rank of appointment.

  4. TITLES AND RANKS UPON INITIAL APPOINTMENT

    1. Lecturer – Appointment to the rank of lecturer may be extended to individuals who meet the faculty qualifications policy of the hiring unit, including any professional credential or license required by the discipline, and demonstrate current and contemporary competence in their teaching content area. Faculty members with this job title may be hired on a per-course or FTE appointment, often on a temporary or emergency basis. Lecturer duties include teaching functions and minimal or no service activities.

    2. Senior Lecturer – This title is restricted to individuals employed with this job title prior to September 1, 2024, and will be phased out through attrition. Faculty members with this job title must continue to meet the faculty qualifications policy of the hiring unit, including any professional credential or license required by the discipline, demonstrate current and contemporary competence in their teaching content area, and document effective performance in teaching and instruction. Senior lecturer duties include teaching functions and service activities.

    3. Assistant Professor of Instruction – Initial appointment to the rank of assistant professor of instruction may be extended to an individual with the following qualifications:

      1. meet the faculty qualifications policy of the hiring unit, including any professional credential or license required by the discipline;

      2. demonstrate current and contemporary competence in their teaching content area; and

      3. exhibits the potential for continued professional growth in teaching and instructional activities.

    4. Associate Professor of Instruction – Initial appointment to the rank of associate professor of instruction may be extended to an individual with the following qualifications:

      1. meets the faculty qualifications policy of the hiring unit, including any professional credential or license required by the discipline;

      2. demonstrates current and contemporary competence in their teaching content area;

      3. documents more than five years of full-time effective teaching and learning contributions, including advances in curriculum, pedagogy, course delivery, or similar innovation; and

      4. exhibits the potential for increased leadership in teaching and instructional activities (e.g., course coordination, teaching innovation, professional outreach, scholarly engagement).

    5. Professor of Instruction – Initial appointment to the rank of professor of instruction may be extended to an individual with the following qualifications:

      1. meets the faculty qualifications policy of the hiring unit, including any professional credential or license required by the discipline;

      2. demonstrates current and contemporary competence in their teaching content area;

      3. documents more than 10 years of full-time effective and sustained teaching and learning contributions, including advances in curriculum, pedagogy, course delivery, or similar innovation; and

      4. documents recognition for leadership and contributions in teaching and instructional activities (e.g., awards, accreditation reviews, curriculum innovation, program coordination, scholarly contributions).

  5. PROCEDURES FOR PERFORMANCE EVALUATION

    1. Instructional faculty are subject to annual performance review, as described in AA/PPS No. 04.02.10, Performance Evaluation of Continuing Faculty and Post-Tenure Review.

    2. All instructional faculty are evaluated on teaching, learning, and instruction, including activities and contributions in the classroom, laboratory, field sites, supervision of students, and other areas appropriate to the teaching discipline.

    3. As applicable, instructional faculty may be evaluated on responsibilities in service to internal and external constituents through course or program coordination, professional outreach, committee membership, and/or other activities.

    4. Each department/school will develop a policy for the annual review and reappointment of its instructional faculty. The policy will specify the level of performance expected and clarify the requirements for documenting performance in teaching and/or service. While research, scholarly and/or creative activities are not required, they may be used to document contributions in teaching and/or service.

      1. This policy must be available through the department/school website.

      2. Workload assignments for instructional faculty should align with performance expectations and evaluation standards.

  6. PROCEDURES FOR PROMOTION REVIEW

    1. Procedures for promotion in academic ranks for instructional faculty are described in AA/PPS No. 04.02.20, Tenure and Promotion Review.

    2. In alignment with qualifications for ranks upon initial appointment, the evaluation of instructional faculty eligible for promotion may include:

      1. Teaching, learning, and instruction – significant contributions in the classroom, laboratory, field sites, supervision of students, and other areas appropriate to the teaching discipline.

      2. Service – as applicable, responsibilities in service to internal and external constituents through course or program coordination, professional outreach, committee membership, and/or other activities.

    3. Each department/school will develop a policy for the promotion of its eligible instructional faculty. The policy should specify the level of performance expected and clarify the requirements for documenting performance in teaching and, if applicable, service. While research, scholarly and/or creative activities are not required, they may be used to document contributions in teaching and/or service.

      1. This policy must be available through the department/school website.

      2. Workload assignments for instructional faculty should align with performance expectations and promotion standards.

    4. Promotion salary adjustments are consistently applied across eligible faculty titles.

    5. Typically, faculty spend five years in rank before being eligible for promotion to the next rank. The year in which the promotion is reviewed will count as one of the years in rank.

  7. REVIEWERS OF THIS PPS

    1. Reviewer of this PPS includes the following:

      PositionDate
      Senior Vice ProvostJanuary 1 E5Y

  8. CERTIFICATION STATEMENT

    This PPS has been approved by the following individuals in their official capacities and represents Texas State Academic Affairs policy and procedure from the date of this document until superseded.

    Senior Vice Provost; senior reviewer of this PPS

    Provost and Executive Vice President for Academic Affairs