Drawing on professional training and experience, individuals in professorial faculty appointments engage in scholarship and research, teaching, and service. Professorial tracks include tenure/tenure-track and without tenure by reason of funding as well as tracks for research and teaching.

Service period 9 or 12 months per the Service Period Matrix
Appointment length Varies – see Additional Track Details section
Key considerations Varies – see Additional Track Details section
Full-time/part-time Full-time or part-time (minimum 50% appointment)
Board of Regent approval required Yes
Education/experience requirements Completion of professional training, in many cases marked by the PhD
Competitive recruitment required Yes
Reappointment eligible Varies – see Additional Track Details section
Reappointment term Varies – see Additional Track Details section
Reappointment considerations Varies – see Additional Track Details section
Tenure status Varies – see Additional Track Details section
Voting rights Yes, with appointment of 50% or more
Salary considerations Must meet University minimum
Promotion eligible Yes; N/A for those at the rank of professor
Emeritus eligible Varies – see Additional Track Details section

Additional Track Details

Tenure (eligible for or has tenure)

Professor

Appointment length: Continuous
Key considerations: This rank requires outstanding, mature scholarship as evidenced by accomplishments in teaching, and accomplishments in research as evaluated in terms of national or international recognition (UW Faculty Code Section 24-34 A.3).
Reappointment eligible: N/A
Tenure status: Tenured
Emeritus eligible: Yes

Associate Professor

Appointment length: Continuous
Key considerations: This rank requires a record of substantial success in teaching and research, except that in unusual cases an outstanding record in one of these activities may be considered sufficient (UW Faculty Code Section 24-34 A.2).
Reappointment eligible: N/A
Tenure status: Tenured
Emeritus eligible: Yes

Assistant Professor

Appointment length: Initial appointment of 3 years
Key considerations: This clock-managed rank requires a demonstration of teaching and research ability that evidences promise of a successful career (UW Faculty Code Section 24-34 A.1).
Reappointment eligible: Yes
Reappointment term: Length of second appointment term will be determined by appointment percentage
Reappointment considerations: Second appointment term must include a promotion/tenure decision (UW Faculty Code Section 24-45). See Clock-Managed Ranks page for more details.
Tenure status: On tenure track
Emeritus eligible: No

Professor Tenure Track

Appointment length: Initial appointment of 3 years
Key considerations: This clock-managed rank requires outstanding, mature scholarship as evidenced by accomplishments in teaching, and accomplishments in research as evaluated in terms of national and international recognition (UW Faculty Code Section 24-34 A.3).
Reappointment eligible: Yes
Reappointment term: Second appointment term must include a tenure decision in the second year (UW Faculty Code Section 25-32 D). See Clock-Managed Ranks page for more details.
Tenure status: On tenure track
Emeritus eligible: No

Associate Professor Tenure Track

Appointment length: Initial appointment of 3 years
Key considerations: This clock-managed rank requires a record of substantial success in teaching and research except that in unusual cases an outstanding record in one of these activities may be considered sufficient (UW Faculty Code Section 24-34 A.2).
Reappointment eligible: Yes
Reappointment term: Second appointment term must include a tenure decision in the second year (UW Faculty Code Section 25-32 D). See Clock-Managed Ranks page for more details. Note: A promotion decision need not be concurrent with the tenure decision.
Tenure status: On tenure track
Emeritus eligible: No

Without Tenure by reason of funding (WOT)

Professor WOT

Appointment length: Continuous
Key considerations: This rank requires outstanding, mature scholarship as evidenced by accomplishments in teaching, and accomplishments in research as evaluated in terms of national or international recognition (UW Faculty Code Sections 24-34 A.3 and 24-40).
Reappointment eligible: N/A
Tenure status: N/A
Emeritus eligible: Yes

Associate Professor WOT

Appointment length: Continuous
Key considerations: This rank requires demonstrated substantial success in both teaching and research. In exceptional cases an outstanding record in one of these activities may be considered sufficient (UW Faculty Code Section 24-34 A.2 and 24-40).
Reappointment eligible: N/A
Tenure status: N/A
Emeritus eligible: Yes

Assistant Professor WOT

Appointment length: Initial appointment of 3 years
Key considerations: This clock-managed rank requires a demonstration of teaching and research ability that evidences promise of a successful career (UW Faculty Code Sections 24-34 A.1 and 24-40).
Reappointment eligible: Yes
Reappointment term: Length of second appointment term will be determined by appointment percentage
Reappointment considerations: Second appointment term must include a promotion/tenure decision (UW Faculty Code Section 24-45). See Clock-Managed Ranks page for more details.
Tenure status: N/A
Emeritus eligible: No

Research

Research Professor

Appointment length: 1-5 years
Key considerations: This rank requires outstanding, mature scholarship as evidenced by accomplishments in research as evaluated in terms of national or international recognition in research. May participate in the regular instructional program but are not required to do so, except insofar as required by their funding source (UW Faculty Code Section 24-35 B).
Reappointment eligible: Yes
Reappointment term: 1-5 years
Reappointment considerations: No limit on number of reappointments
Tenure status: N/A
Emeritus eligible: Yes

Research Associate Professor

Appointment length: 1-5 years
Key considerations: This rank requires a record of substantial success in research (UW Faculty Code Section 24-34 A.2 and B.5). May participate in the regular instructional program but are not required to do so, except as required by their funding source (UW Faculty Code Section 24-35 B).
Reappointment eligible: Yes
Reappointment term: 1-5 years
Reappointment considerations: No limit on number of reappointments
Tenure status: N/A
Emeritus eligible: Yes

Research Assistant Professor

Appointment length: Initial appointment of 3 years
Key considerations: This clock-managed rank requires a demonstration of research ability that evidences promise of a successful career (UW Faculty Code Section 24-34 A.1 and B.5).
Reappointment eligible: Yes
Reappointment term: Length of second appointment term will be determined by appointment percentage
Reappointment considerations: Second appointment term must include a promotion/tenure decision (UW Faculty Code Section 24-45). See Clock-Managed Ranks page for more details.
Tenure status: N/A
Emeritus eligible: No

Teaching

Teaching Professor

Appointment length: 1-10 years; the normal appointment period shall be for a minimum of 3 years (UW Faculty Code Section 24-41 C.3).
Key considerations: This rank requires outstanding, mature scholarship as evidenced by accomplishments in teaching. Further, it requires a record of excellence in instruction, which may be demonstrated by exemplary success in curricular design and implementation, student mentoring, and service and leadership to the department, school/college, university, and field (UW Faculty Code Section 24-34 A.3 and B.3).
Reappointment eligible: Yes
Reappointment term: 1-10 years
Reappointment considerations: No limit on number of reappointments
Tenure status: N/A
Emeritus eligible: Yes

Associate Teaching Professor

Appointment length: 1-7 years; the normal appointment period shall be for a minimum of 3 years (UW Faculty Code Section 24-41 C.2)
Key considerations: This rank requires a record of substantial success in teaching; further, it requires extensive training, competence, and experience in the discipline (UW Faculty Code Section 24-34 A.2 and B.3). “Scholarship is an obligation of all faculty members” (UW Faculty Code Section 24-32 A).
Reappointment eligible: Yes
Reappointment term: 1-7 years
Reappointment considerations: No limit on number of reappointments
Tenure status: N/A
Emeritus eligible: Yes

Assistant Teaching Professor

Appointment length: 1-5 years (UW Faculty Code Section 24-41 C.1)
Key considerations: This rank requires a demonstration of teaching ability that evidences promise of a teaching successful career (UW Faculty Code Sections 24-34 A.1 and B.3); “scholarship is an obligation of all faculty members” (UW Faculty Code Section 24-32 A).
Reappointment eligible: Yes
Reappointment term: 1-5 years
Reappointment considerations: No limit on number of reappointments
Tenure status: N/A
Emeritus eligible: Yes

Hiring Packet Required Documents

PDF 1

  • Offer letter signed by the hiring authority and signed or acknowledged by appointee
    • Title/rank
    • Start date
    • Service period (either 9 or 12 months)
    • Monthly rate of pay
    • Appointment percent
    • Tenure percent or indicate “non-tenure eligible”

PDF 2

  • Chair/director/campus dean’s letter to dean/chancellor recommending appointment, referencing the detailed offer letter or providing offer letter details, and indicating faculty vote totals:
    • Eligible voters
    • Favorable votes
    • Unfavorable votes
    • Abstentions
    • Absent voters
  • Letters of recommendation (3 mandatory)
  • Curriculum vitae
  • Copy of online job advertisement from the Chronicle of Higher Education or appropriate print journal

PDF 3

Additional Relevant Links

Secondary appointments
Visa eligibility
Changing professorial tracks
Second year review
Promotion and tenure
Reappointments
Separations