Faculty Rank and Special Appointments
Faculty Rank
- Clinical Faculty
Source: OSU Policy 2-0903
Titles: Clinical Instructor, Clinical Assistant Professor, Clinical Associate Professor, and Clinical Professor
The primary responsibility will be to provide clinical supervision, teaching, patient care, service, or some combination of these duties.
- Extension Specialist
Source: OSU Policy 2-0903
Titles: Assistant Extension Specialist, Associate Extension Specialist, and Senior Extension Specialist
Primary responsibilities will focus on issues identified by state, county, or area Oklahoma Cooperative Extension Service (OCES) programming needs in the areas of agricultural and natural resources, human sciences, 4-H and Youth Development, or economic/community development. Salary and benefits will normally be paid from OCES funds. The majority of duties will reflect OCES needs; however, an Extension Specialist may have a blended assignment to include teaching and/or research responsibilities, paid proportionally from teaching or Oklahoma Agricultural Experiment Station (OAES) funds.
- Instructor
Source: OSU Policy 2-0902
The rank of instructor is appropriate only in disciplines where a master’s degree is a commonly accepted professional degree but is not the highest academic degree. An instructor should have earned a master’s degree in their field and should have professional skills and expertise needed in the discipline.
The rank of instructor is only available for non-tenure track faculty appointments as outlined in OSU Policy and Procedures 2-0903, Non-Tenure Track Faculty Positions, and OSU Policy and Procedures 2-0904, Research Faculty Positions (Non-Tenure Track).
- Professional Practice Faculty
Source: OSU Policy 2-0903
Titles: Instructor of Professional Practice, Assistant Professor of Professional Practice, Associate Professor of Professional Practice, and Professor of Professional Practice
The primary responsibility will be teaching, research, outreach, and/or service or some combination of these duties. Persons appointed to these positions should have substantial professional, nonacademic experience and credentials appropriate to the discipline.
- Research Faculty
Source: OSU Policy 2-0903
Titles: Research Instructor, Research Assistant Professor, Research Associate Professor, and Research Professor
The primary assignment will be research, and these individuals will be expected to develop independent research programs and serve as principal investigators on proposals to external agencies. These individuals will not serve as primary instructors in regular course offerings of departments or degree programs. Salary and fringe benefits are to be paid from external grants and sponsored programs.
- Teaching Faculty
Source: OSU Policy 2-0903
Titles: Teaching Instructor, Teaching Assistant Professor, Teaching Associate Professor, and Teaching Professor
The primary responsibility will be teaching, although the appointment may also include research, outreach, and/or service as determined by the unit administrator. Responsibilities may also include coordination or courses and supervision of temporary instructional faculty and graduate teaching assistants.
- Tenured/Tenure-Track Faculty
Source: OSU Policy 2-0902
Assistant Professor
The assistant professor rank is recognition the faculty member has exhibited the potential to grow in an academic career in accordance with the institution’s mission and the academic unit’s objectives. An assistant professor should have earned the accepted highest degree in their field or, in exceptional cases, should have demonstrated potential via professional experience judged by the unit as beneficial and desirable for the particular appointment.
Associate Professor
To attain the rank of associate professor, the candidate must establish they are an accomplished teacher, where teaching is an assigned responsibility, and have a significant record of research, artistic, and/or creative work, teaching, outreach/extension, and service in keeping with the academic unit, college, and university standards, and job responsibilities. A recommendation for tenure should be based upon an assessment the candidate has made contributions of an appropriate magnitude and quality in research/creative work, teaching, outreach/extension and service, and has demonstrated a high likelihood of sustaining contributions to the field and to the academic unit, so that granting tenure is in the long-term best interests of the academic unit and the university.
Professor
The rank of professor, the highest rank in the university, designates the faculty member's academic achievement merits recognition as a distinguished authority in their field. A professor is an outstanding member of the academic community and sustains excellent performance in teaching, where teaching is an assigned responsibility, research/creative work, outreach/extension and service in keeping with the unit criteria and the faculty member’s job responsibilities. Promotion from Associate Professor to Professor requires tangible evidence the faculty member has attained a national or international reputation in a field and is a leading scholar, teacher, creative artist, and/or provider of outreach/extension, according to the primary assigned responsibilities and the criteria established in the academic unit, college, and university standards.
Special Appointments
- Emeritus Faculty
Source: Academic Affairs Policy Statement
Upon retirement, faculty members shall carry as emeritus the rank and title they were holding when retired, retain all professional rights, and be accorded privileges specifically authorized by the Board of Regents.
Source: IRA
POSITION_CLASS = 'J3696'
- Endowed Chair and Professorships
Source: OSU Policy 3-0260
A faculty position that is established to enhance the overall cultural, business, scientific, and/or economic development of Oklahoma.
Source: Academic Affairs Policy Statement
Persons holding endowed positions will be subject to the rules and procedures governing other faculty members of the same rank.
Source: IRA
IRIM_DPCOL_DESC IN ('ADMINISTRATION', 'FACULTY') AND INSTR (JOB_SUFFIX, 'F') >= 1 AND POSITION_CONTRACT_TYPE = 'S'
- Post-Doctoral Fellow (Post Doc)
Source: Academic Affairs Policy Statement
Individuals who hold an earned doctorate and temporarily affiliate with the University to pursue additional scholarly work may be appointed as post-doctoral fellows. Persons holding this title are normally compensated from funds made available through research grants or contracts. Post-doctoral fellows are not normally assigned to teach regularly scheduled classes although they may provide occasional instruction in subjects and techniques in which they have specialized expertise. Appointments are to be made for a term of one year or less. Reappointment for a total period of not more than three years may be made.
Source: IRA
POSITION_CLASS = 'J6589'
- Regents Professor
Source: Academic Affairs Policy Statement
This honorary title may be awarded to professors who have made outstanding contributions in their discipline through resident teaching, research or other scholarly activities, and extension or outreach activities at Oklahoma State University or while serving as a professorial faculty member at another comprehensive university.
- Regents Service Professor
Source: Academic Affairs Policy Statement
Appointment to this title may be made for administrators who have rendered distinguished service to the University and desire to be relieved of administrative duties and return to resident instruction, extension, or research positions. Appointment shall be for a period of four years and is not subject to renewal.
Sources
- Academic Affairs Policy Statement = Policy Statement To Govern Appointments, Tenure, Promotions, and Related Matters of the Faculty of Oklahoma State University
- OSU Policy 2-0902 = OSU Reappointment, Promotion and Tenure Process for Ranked Faculty
- OSU Policy 2-0903 = Career Track Faculty Positions
- OSU Policy 3-0260 = State Regents Endowed Chair and Professorship Program