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Academic Personnel

Acting Titles

Acting appointments typically address 1 of 3 important needs: temporary instruction requiring someone with significant professional training (e.g., PhD), a temporary bridge for professorial faculty who have not yet completed regular appointment requirements, or a temporary transition period between post-doctoral training and mentoring and entry into the professorial ranks (UW Faculty Code Section 24-34 B.14). The acting designation is used with professorial ranks or the instructor title.

Service Period 9 or 12 months per Service Period Matrix
Appointment length Annual
Key considerations Varies – see Additional Details section
Full-time/part-time Full-time or part-time (minimum 50% appointment except acting instructors without primary teaching duties)
Board of Regent approval required No
Educational/ experience requirements Completion of professional training, in many cases marked by the PhD
Competitive recruitment required Varies – see Additional Details section
Reappointment eligible Yes
Reappointment term Annual
Reappointment considerations Limited to 4 years in any one acting title and
6 years total in a combination of acting titles; acting assistant professor pending PhD limited to 2 years
Tenure status N/A
Voting rights No
Salary considerations Must meet University minimum
Promotion eligible No
Emeritus eligible No
Additional Details

Key considerations: This rank requires a record of outstanding, mature scholarship as evidenced by accomplishments in teaching, and/or accomplishments in research as evaluated in terms of national or international recognition
Competitive recruitment required: No

Key considerations: This rank requires a record of substantial success in teaching and/or research
Competitive recruitment required: No

Key considerations: This rank requires completion of professional training, which in many fields is marked by the PhD, and a demonstration of teaching and/or research ability that evidences promise of a successful career
Competitive recruitment required: No

Key considerations: This title is only used when the selected candidate in an assistant professor recruitment for a tenure track, WOT, or research assistant professor has not yet completed their doctoral degree but otherwise has a demonstrated record of teaching and research ability that evidences promise of a successful career. When the degree is conferred, the title changes to an assistant professorial appointment in the corresponding track. (Acceptable proof of degree conferral: degree certificate copy, official transcript with institutional seal, or formal statement from the university’s registrar or graduate school with an official seal or notary stamp.) If completion of the doctoral degree is not completed within 2 years, the original offer is rescinded.
Competitive recruitment required: Yes

Key considerations: This title is used when there is a temporary instructional need to be fulfilled or in a temporary transition period between postdoctoral training and mentoring and entry into the professorial ranks. If primary duties do not include teaching, must have a full-time appointment.
Competitive recruitment requirement: No

Hiring Packet Required Documents

PDF 1

  • Offer letter signed by 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

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
  • If applicable, copy of online job advertisement from the online Chronicle of Higher Education or appropriate print journal

PDF 3

PDF 4

Additional Relevant Links

Visa eligibility
Secondary appointments
Reappointments
Separations