Instructional Faculty

Instructional Faculty are eligible for promotion within their category, except for Instructor and Visiting Professor job titles which do not have promotional tracks. Instructional Faculty eligible for promotion are not required to request promotion when they are eligible; they may request promotion in a later year or forgo it altogether. Opting not to apply for promotion has no bearing on future re-appointments. For Instructional Faculty eligible for promotion, progression in rank and title will follow the processes and procedures for promotion developed by the school/department, endorsed by the Dean, approved by the Provost or their designee, filed with the Office of Faculty Affairs, and must be in alignment with University Guidelines and the terms of the collective bargaining agreement.  

Guidelines for promotion review will be provided to units by the Office of the Provost and must include the following minimum requirements: 

1. Promotion in rank must be preceded by a comprehensive performance review, which is normally held every three years of an appointment and prior to the offer of another limited term appointment.
2. A rating scale of: Distinction, Meritorious, Adequate, Unsatisfactory.
3. Procedures for promotion and rank must adhere to existing policy (such as the “Teaching Professor Job Title Series Guidelines” and “Professor of the Practice” policies from the Office of Provost and Executive Vice Chancellor) except where those are superseded by the collective bargaining agreement. 
4. The criteria for promotion must reflect the allocation of effort, job description, and duties as expressed in an employee’s appointment letter or current position description and must align with the university workload standards and the guidelines adopted by each academic unit, as described in the collective bargaining agreement.
5. Department procedures must clearly indicate: 
   1. Unit-defined criteria for promotion; 
   2. The timeline at which each step of the comprehensive review is carried out; 
   3. What documents and information the candidate for promotion must submit; 
   4. Who conducts the comprehensive review or how the composition of review committees is determined (in situations where the review goes through multiple levels or committees, the unit-level procedures must specify this for each level of review); 
   5. What happens in the case of a favorable recommendation, and in the case of a negative recommendation, including appeal rights and the appeal process.

Lecturers: 

The Lecturer job series includes promotion from Lecturer to Senior Lecturer. Lecturers normally become eligible for promotion from Lecturer to Senior Lecturer after the equivalent of at least six cumulative years of full-time service as a Lecturer.  Promotion may occur earlier than the completion of six years, with approval from the unit supervisor and the Dean. The University standard to be eligible for promotion for lecturers is to meet the role as defined by the unit with a rating of “Meritorious,” in the area of teaching, with standards for all other areas of responsibility set by the unit criteria, but at least “Adequate.”  

Lecturer promotions follow processes and procedures developed by the school/department, endorsed by the Dean, approved by the Provost or their designee, filed with the Office of Faculty Affairs, and must align with University Guidelines and the terms of the collective bargaining agreement. The titles Multi-Term Lecturer and Online Lecturer will no longer be used for new appointments, except that existing Multi-Term Lecturers who opt not to seek promotion or conversion to Senior Lecturer will retain their title until the end of their current appointment. 

Lecturers who have the equivalent of at least six (6) cumulative years of full-time service at KU with a demonstrated record of excellence in teaching will be eligible for promotion to Senior Lecturer through unit procedures and based on unit criteria, with commensurate pay increases, unless they opt not to seek promotion, in which case they will retain their current title until the end of their current appointment regardless of rank. 

Teaching Professors: 

The Teaching Professor job series includes promotion from Assistant Teaching Professor to Associate Teaching Professor, and promotion from Associate Teaching Professor to Teaching Professor. Promotion normally occurs after six years of service at a given level but may occur earlier with approval from the unit supervisor, Dean, and the Office of Faculty Affairs. Comprehensive evaluation is required at the time of promotion. The university standard to be eligible for promotion for teaching professors is a rating of “Meritorious” in the area of teaching, with standards for all other areas of responsibility set by the unit criteria, but at least “Adequate.” 

Promotion for the Teaching Professor series will follow processes and procedures developed by the school/department, endorsed by the Dean, approved by the Provost or their designee, filed with the Office of Faculty Affairs, and must be in alignment with University Guidelines and the collective bargaining agreement.

Professors of the Practice:  

The Professor of the Practice job series includes promotion from Assistant Professor of the Practice to Associate Professor of the Practice, and promotion from Associate Professor of the Practice to Professor of the Practice. Promotion normally occurs after six years of service at a given level, but may occur earlier with approval from the unit supervisor, Dean, and the Office of Faculty Affairs. Comprehensive evaluation is required at the time of promotion. The university standard to be eligible for promotion for professors of the practice is a rating of “Meritorious” in the area of teaching, with standards for all other areas of responsibility set by the unit criteria, but at least “Adequate.” 

Promotion for the Professor of Practice series will follow processes and procedures developed by the school/department, endorsed by the Dean, approved by the Provost or their designee, filed with the Office of Faculty Affairs, and must be in alignment with University Guidelines and the collective bargaining agreement.