Details
Series
Date Approved
Date Last Amended
Office(s) Responsible for Rule
Office of Academic Affairs
Office of Health Affairs
1. Title
Faculty Titles
2. Rule and Regulation
Sec. 1 Applicability of Rules and Policies.
This Rule addresses faculty titles.
Appointment, reappointment, nonrenewal, notice, and other requirements for non-tenured faculty, regardless of tenure track status, and term-tenure faculty are addressed in Regents’ Rule 31002.
The granting of and requirements related to tenure and term-tenure are addressed in Regents’ Rule 31007.
Sec. 2 Academic Titles. To ensure consistency in the use of Academic Titles among the institutions of The University of Texas System, institutions shall use only the following approved Academic Titles.
2.1 Tenure Titles. Professor, Associate Professor, and Assistant Professor are the only titles to be used for faculty members who hold tenure or are on the tenure track. Faculty members with these titles may also hold honorific titles in accordance with Section 2.3.
2.2 Nontenure-Track Titles. The academic titles listed in this subsection may also be used by U.T. institutions. Tenure may not be awarded to an individual appointed to one of these titles. Faculty members with these titles may also hold honorific titles in accordance with Section 2.3.
Academic service with these titles, except for the title of Instructor, does not allow for the accrual of time toward tenure.
(a) Instructor. This title denotes a probationary appointment and may allow for the accrual of time toward tenure.
(b) Lecturer. Senior Lecturer, and Distinguished Senior Lecturer. These titles may be used for individuals who will augment and complement regular teaching faculty. Upon approval by the president, an institution may identify up to three divisions within the rank of Lecturer to be designated Lecturer I, Lecturer II, and Lecturer III.
(c) Faculty Associate. This title may be used for an individual who is participating in nonteaching clinical practices or for an individual assigned to a research or nonteaching center, institute, or other unit or interdisciplinary program of an institution.
(d) Specialist. This title may be used for professional individuals who will serve as practitioners in specific areas of instruction, training, or supervision. In accordance with institutional policy, the title may carry appropriate descriptors to indicate the specific areas of proficiency, such as Practice Teaching Specialist, Physical Activity Specialist, or Social Work Field Training Specialist.
(e) Professor of (title of specialty), Associate Professor of (title of specialty), Assistant Professor of (title of specialty), and Instructor of (title of specialty). These titles may be used for individuals appointed to full- time or part-time positions for the primary purpose of patient care and other service activities and/or to full-time or part-time positions for the primary purpose of research activities, even though the individuals may be assigned teaching responsibilities. Institutions may vary the order of the wording in the titles (e.g., Research Professor, Research Associate Professor are permissible).
(f) Visiting Professor, Visiting Associate Professor, and Visiting Assistant Professor. These titles are used only for temporary appointments of individuals either visiting from other institutions where they hold similar ranks or who are brought to the institution on a trial basis.
(g) Adjunct Professor, Adjunct Associate Professor, Adjunct Assistant Professor, and Adjunct Instructor. One of these titles may be used when a qualified individual from business, industry, government, private practice, and/or another institution of higher education may be participating in teaching, research, or clinical care at an institution of the U.T. System.
(h) Clinical Professor, Clinical Associate Professor, Clinical Assistant Professor, Clinical Instructor, Senior Clinical Instructor, Distinguished Clinical Instructor. These titles may be used by the institutions of the U.T. System to designate regular part-time or full-time service on the faculty while involved in research and/or a professional clinical experience program.
(i) Adjoint Professor, Adjoint Associate Professor, and Adjoint Assistant Professor. These titles may be used by the institutions of the U.T. System to designate faculty who serve the institution in cooperative or joint programs pursuant to a memorandum of understanding, cooperative research and development agreement, or similar partnership instrument. These titles may also be used by an institution of the U.T. System to designate faculty of another U.T. System institution for the purpose of providing clinical health care services, including telehealth services and in-person health services, pursuant to an agreement. Individuals holding these titles will be employees of the partnership organization or partner U.T. System institution. They will not be deemed employees of the institution. They will, however, have the same obligations, responsibilities, and authority as regular faculty employed directly by the institution when performing faculty functions pursuant to the agreement.
(j) Professor of Practice, Associate Professor of Practice, and Assistant Professor of Practice. These titles may be used by the institutions of the U.T. System to designate regular part-time or full-time service for faculty qualified to teach or conduct research by virtue of professional experience in lieu of typical academic credentials.
(k) Professor of Instruction, Associate Professor of Instruction, and Assistant Professor of Instruction. These titles may be used by the institutions of the U.T. System to designate nontenure-track faculty primarily engaged in instruction.
2.3 Honorific Titles. Faculty members may hold multiple honorific titles at the same time. The conferring of an honorific title does not change a faculty member’s tenure, tenure-track, or nontenured status, except as specifically provided by this Rule.
(a) Honorific Titles That May Be Awarded to Tenured or Tenure-Track Faculty Members.
(1) Regental Professor. Any faculty member who is awarded the Nobel Prize or who has in the past been awarded the Nobel Prize may, upon recommendation of the president of the institution, the appropriate Executive Vice Chancellor, and the Chancellor, be given the title Regental Professor by the Board. Because of the great honor associated with the award of a Nobel Prize, institutional tenure is awarded to Regental Professors by virtue of the appointment to this rank.
(2) Regents’ Research Scholar. The Regents’ Research Scholar program ended in 2017, and this title is no longer offered; however, faculty members with the title may retain it at U.T. institutions. Under the program, any tenure-track faculty recruit was eligible for the title.
(3) Distinguished University Professor. In recognition of their significant contributions through membership in the National Academies (e.g., Medicine, Engineering, Science, Humanities) or an equivalent recognition, faculty may use the honorific title Distinguished University Professor. This title may be conferred or removed only upon approval in accordance with procedures included in the institutional Handbook of Operating Procedures.
(b) Honorific Titles That May Be Awarded to Faculty Members Regardless of Tenure Status.
(1) Distinguished Teaching Professor. In recognition of their significant contributions to education, members of an institutional or systemwide academy of distinguished teachers may use the honorific title Distinguished Teaching Professor. The use of this title may be conferred or removed only upon approval in accordance with procedures included in the institutional Handbook of Operating Procedures.
(2) Distinguished Research Professor. In recognition of their significant contributions to research, members of an institutional academy of distinguished researchers may use the honorific title Distinguished Research Professor. This title may be conferred or removed only upon approval in accordance with procedures included in the institutional Handbook of Operating Procedures.
(3) Distinguished Service Professor. In recognition of their significant contributions through service to their institution or U.T. System; the profession; and/or the community, state, or nation, faculty may use the honorific title Distinguished Service Professor. This title may be conferred or removed only upon approval in accordance with procedures included in the institutional Handbook of Operating Procedures.
(4) Emeritus Titles. Titles such as Dean Emeritus, Chair Emeritus, Professor Emeritus, and similar honorary designations may be given to an institution’s retired faculty member or in anticipation of the retirement of a faculty member, effective upon retirement. The conferring of one of these titles is not automatic upon retirement and may be conferred only upon approval in accordance with procedures included in the institutional Handbook of Operating Procedures.
2.4 Student, Trainee and Other Non-Faculty Titles
(a) Assistant Instructor and Graduate Teaching Associate. These titles may be used for:
Enrolled graduate students or other post-graduate trainees (e.g., chief residents or fellows); or
Individuals who, because of the nature of their duties, do not qualify for one of the usual academic titles.
(b) Graduate Teaching Assistant. This title may be used for graduate students who are not the instructor of record for a course but are employed on a part-time basis and assist faculty.
Sec. 3 Departure from an Administrative Position. Administrative and academic (faculty) titles, duties, and pay rates for individuals who hold both administrative and academic appointments are distinct and severable. Departure or removal from an administrative position does not impair the individual’s rights and responsibilities as a faculty member.
3. Definitions:
None
4. Relevant Federal and State Statutes
None
5. Relevant System Policies, Procedures, and Forms
None
6. System Administration Office(s) Responsible for Rule
Office of Academic Affairs
Office of Health Affairs
