3.2 Criteria for Appointment to Faculty Rank

All who are appointed as tenure‑track and tenured faculty are expected to contribute to the missions of teaching, research / scholarship / creative activity, and public service. While the general scope of performance at a particular rank is consistent across the university, the particular requirements of the varying ranks are a function of the discipline and are typically defined by the faculty of the department in which an appointment resides. The exact apportionment of effort in teaching, research / scholarship / creative activity, and service is a function of the skills of the faculty member and the needs of the department and university. All tenured and tenure‑track faculty, however, are expected to pursue and maintain excellence in research / scholarship / creative activity.

In addition to the expectations listed for each rank below, the university requires the head to determine and attest that each person appointed to the faculty is competent in written and spoken English.

Professors are expected to

1. hold the doctorate or other terminal degree of the discipline, or present equivalent training and experience appropriate to the particular appointment
2. be accomplished teachers
3. have achieved and to maintain a nationally recognized record in disciplinary research / scholarship / creative activity/ engaged scholarship[1]
4. have achieved and to maintain a record of significant institutional, disciplinary, and/or professional service or outreach engagement[2]
5. serve as mentors to junior colleagues
6. have normally served as an associate professor for at least five years
7. have shown beyond doubt that they work well with colleagues and students in performing their university responsibilities

Associate professors are expected to

1. hold the doctorate or other terminal degree of the discipline, or to present equivalent training and experience as appropriate to the particular appointment
2. be good teachers
3. have achieved and to maintain a recognized record in disciplinary research / scholarship / creative activity/ engaged scholarship
4. have achieved and to maintain a record of institutional, disciplinary, and/or professional service or outreach engagement
5. have normally served as an assistant professor for at least five years
6. have demonstrated that they work well with colleagues and students in performing their university responsibilities

Assistant professors are expected to

1. hold the doctorate or other terminal degree of the discipline, or to present equivalent training and experience as appropriate to the particular appointment
2. show promise as teachers
3. show promise of developing a program in disciplinary research / scholarship / creative activity that is gaining external recognition
4. have a developing record of institutional, disciplinary, and/or professional service
5. show evidence that they work well with colleagues and students in performing their university responsibilities

In all of these ranks, concerned and effective advising and responsible service to the university are understood to be part of the normal task of a university faculty member.

It is incumbent upon faculty and administrators to engage in professional development activities. Such activities lead to continual improvement in performance and enhance the ability of all to contribute at the leading edge of the discipline and/or in leadership roles. Many types of opportunities are available, including one‑ or two‑semester faculty professional leaves, small professional development grants through the university, larger grants through external funding, and participation in professional conferences and workshops, the University of Tennessee Leadership Institute, opportunities to focus on teaching and scholarly outreach, and participation in a wide variety of interdisciplinary activities available to faculty separate from more formal interdisciplinary programs.

3.2.1 Rank of Emeritus or Emerita

At the discretion of the chancellor and upon the recommendation of the department head, dean, and chief academic officer, faculty members who are professors at the time of retirement may be awarded the rank of emeritus or emerita. In special cases of long and meritorious service, persons who have retired with the rank of associate professor or assistant professor may also be awarded the rank of emerita or emeritus.

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[1] Outreach research, scholarship and creative activity extends faculty endeavors to serve the public. This may include: basic discovery research, applied or action research, original performances, and creative applied policy. These activities bring together faculty and community collaborators to address real world problems and opportunities. The best examples of outreach research and creative activities are those that engage faculty in advancing knowledge through the pursuit of their scholarly interests while simultaneously addressing specified community problems and issues, thereby benefiting the scholar, the discipline, the university, and society.

[2] Outreach service engages professional skills of faculty to benefit external communities and extends the intellectual resources of the university to seek solutions to problems.