Appointments
Learn more regarding Guidelines for Faculty Titles.
For more information regarding apportionment, please see Apportionment Categories.
Professor
A tenured faculty member with budgeted salary and generally 1.00 FTE
| Tenured | Yes |
|---|---|
| Tenure Leading | No |
| Appointment Type | Continuous |
| Renewable | Not necessary |
| Promotable | No |
| Apportionment | Combination of teaching, research, service, and/or outreach |
| Length of Appointment | No Restriction |
| Benefits Eligible | Yes |
| Minimum Qualifications | Decided by College/Department |
Associate Professor
A tenured or tenure leading faculty member with budgeted salary and generally 1.00 FTE
| Tenured | Maybe |
|---|---|
| Tenure Leading | Maybe |
| Appointment Type | Continuous or Specific Term |
| Renewable | Not necessary unless not tenured |
| Promotable | Yes |
| Apportionment | Combination of teaching, research, service, and/or outreach |
| Length of Appointment | No Restriction |
| Benefits Eligible | Yes |
| Minimum Qualifications | Decided by College/Department |
Assistant Professor
A tenure leading faculty member with budgeted salary and generally 1.00 FTE. An Assistant Professor that is hired but does not have a terminal degree which was required for the position by start date will be given the title Instructor-NTT
| Tenured | No |
|---|---|
| Tenure Leading | Yes |
| Appointment Type | Continuous |
| Appointment Type | Specific Term |
| Renewable | Yes |
| Promotable | Yes |
| Apportionment | Combination of teaching, research, service, and/or outreach |
| Length of Appointment | Max is 6 yrs. If not tenured, 7th yr. is final yr. and on a special appt. |
| Benefits Eligible | Yes |
| Minimum Qualifications | Decided by College/Department |
Professor of Practice
A non-tenure track faculty member with a budgeted salary and generally .50 to 1.00 FTE with primarily instructional duties
| Tenured | No |
|---|---|
| Tenure Leading | No |
| Appointment Type | Faculty Practice |
| Renewable | Yes |
| Promotable | No |
| Apportionment | Usually 100% teaching; minimum 80% |
| Length of Appointment | 1-5 years |
| Benefits Eligible | Yes (if .50 or greater) |
| Minimum Qualifications | Decided by College/Department; terminal degree or equivalent professional experience; evidence of: contributions to advancing learning, academic or professional instruction, very high performance standard, national visibility for candidate’s instructional activities and/or practice |
Associate Professor of Practice
A non-tenure track faculty member with a budgeted salary and generally .50 to 1.00 FTE with primarily instructional duties
| Tenured | No |
|---|---|
| Tenure Leading | No |
| Appointment Type | Faculty Practice |
| Renewable | Yes |
| Promotable | Yes |
| Apportionment | Usually 100% teaching; must have minimum 80% teaching |
| Length of Appointment | 1-4 years |
| Benefits Eligible | Yes (if .50 or greater) |
| Minimum Qualifications | Decided by College/Department; terminal degree or equivalent professional experience; evidence of: contributions to advancing learning, academic or professional instruction, leadership in instructional activity |
Assistant Professor of Practice
A non-tenure track faculty member with a budgeted salary and generally .50 to 1.00 FTE with primarily instructional duties. An Assistant Professor of Practice that is hired but does not have a terminal degree which was required for the position by start date will be given the title Instructor-NTT
| Tenured | No |
|---|---|
| Tenure Leading | No |
| Appointment Type | Faculty Practice |
| Renewable | Yes |
| Promotable | Yes |
| Apportionment | Usually 100% teaching; must have minimum 80% teaching |
| Length of Appointment | 1-3 years |
| Benefits Eligible | Yes (if .50 or greater) |
| Minimum Qualifications | Decided by College/Department; terminal degree or equivalent professional experience; demonstrated success in academic or professional instruction |
Research Professor
A non-tenure track faculty member dealing primarily with research and generally funded by a grant or other extramural funds
| Tenured | No |
|---|---|
| Tenure Leading | No |
| Appointment Type | Faculty Research |
| Renewable | Yes |
| Promotable | No |
| Apportionment | Usually 100% research; must have minimum 80% research |
| Length of Appointment | 1-5 years |
| Benefits Eligible | Yes (if .50 or greater) |
| Minimum Qualifications | Decided by College/Department; earned doctorate or appropriate terminal degree, sustained scholarly contribution; progressive development of independent research agenda, distinguished by excellence; expectation is for national visibility for candidate’s research high performance standard |
Research Associate Professor
A non-tenure track faculty member dealing primarily with research and generally funded by a grant or other extramural funds
| Tenured | No |
|---|---|
| Tenure Leading | No |
| Appointment Type | Faculty Research |
| Renewable | Yes |
| Promotable | Yes |
| Apportionment | Usually 100% research; must have minimum 80% research |
| Length of Appointment | 1-4 years |
| Benefits Eligible | Yes (if .50 or greater) |
| Minimum Qualifications | Decided by College/Department; earned doctorate or appropriate terminal degree, evidence of scholarly contribution; progressive development of excellence in research; evidence of leadership in research |
Research Assistant Professor
A non-tenure track faculty member dealing primarily with research and generally funded by a grant or other extramural funds
| Tenured | No |
|---|---|
| Tenure Leading | No |
| Appointment Type | Faculty Research |
| Renewable | Yes |
| Promotable | Yes |
| Apportionment | Usually 100% research; must have minimum 80% research |
| Length of Appointment | 1-3 years |
| Benefits Eligible | Yes (if .50 or greater) |
| Minimum Qualifications | Decided by College/Department; earned doctorate or appropriate terminal degree, experience and independence in research dissemination |
Senior Research Associate
A non-tenure track faculty member dealing primarily with research, typically those who have successfully served as a post doctoral research associate.
| Tenured | No |
|---|---|
| Tenure Leading | No |
| Appointment Type | Special |
| Renewable | Yes |
| Promotable | No |
| Apportionment | Usually 100% research; must have minimum 80% research |
| Length of Appointment | 1-3 years |
| Benefits Eligible | Yes (if .50 or greater) |
| Minimum Qualifications | Decided by College/Department; earned doctorate or appropriate terminal degree |
Postdoctoral Associate
An “other faculty” appointment dealing primarily with research.
| Tenured | No |
|---|---|
| Tenure Leading | No |
| Appointment Type | Special |
| Renewable | Yes, up to max of 5 years |
| Promotable | No |
| Apportionment | There are no restrictions on apportionment for postdoctoral associates. Typically these positions are "research postdocs" and so in most cases should be at least 80% research. |
| Length of Appointment | 1-5 years |
| Benefits Eligible | Yes (if .50 or greater but no retirement) |
| Minimum Qualifications | Decided by College/Department; earned doctorate |
Visiting Faculty
A non tenure-track faculty member visiting from another institution or whose extensive professional or other accomplishments warrant such a title (special)
| Tenured | No |
|---|---|
| Tenure Leading | No |
| Appointment Type | Special |
| Renewable | Yes |
| Promotable | No |
| Apportionment | Combination of teaching, research, service, and/or outreach |
| Length of Appointment | Three years within a 5 year period |
| Benefits Eligible | Yes (.50 or greater but no retirement) |
| Minimum Qualifications | Decided by College/Department; On leave from another institution or has substantial professional accomplishments |
Lecturer
A non-tenure track faculty member hired for temporary instruction purposes and generally .50 to 1.00 FTE
| Tenured | No |
|---|---|
| Tenure Leading | No |
| Appointment Type | Special |
| Renewable | Yes |
| Promotable | No |
| Apportionment | 100% teaching |
| Length of Appointment | 1-3 years; see template for details and restrictions |
| Benefits Eligible | Yes (.50 or greater) |
| Minimum Qualifications | Decided by College/Department |
Lecturer/T
A non-tenure track faculty member hired for temporary instruction purposes for a semester term and generally .50 to 1.00 FTE
| Tenured | No |
|---|---|
| Tenure Leading | No |
| Appointment Type | Special |
| Renewable | Yes |
| Promotable | No |
| Apportionment | 100% teaching |
| Length of Appointment | Semester |
| Benefits Eligible | No |
| Minimum Qualifications | Decided by College/Department |
Courtesy Faculty Member
A non-tenure track faculty unpaid appointment restricted to individuals holding non-temporary employment elsewhere on campus or in the University of Nebraska system. Appointments are made to facilitate useful and productive relationships among individuals in different University units
| Tenured | No |
|---|---|
| Tenure Leading | No |
| Appointment Type | Special |
| Renewable | Yes |
| Promotable | No |
| Apportionment | N/A |
| Length of Appointment | No Max |
| Benefits Eligible | Already eligible because of other appointment |
| Minimum Qualifications | Holds non-temporary appointment elsewhere on campus |
Adjunct Faculty Member
A non-tenure track faculty unpaid appointment that permits the establishment of a fruitful relationship between the individual and the appointing academic unit
| Tenured | No |
|---|---|
| Tenure Leading | No |
| Appointment Type | Special |
| Renewable | Yes |
| Promotable | No |
| Apportionment | N/A |
| Length of Appointment | No Max |
| Benefits Eligible | No |
| Minimum Qualifications | Decided by College/Department |
Additional faculty titles are also used in the Institute for Agriculture and Natural Resources, including Extension Instructor, Assistant/Associate/(Full) Extension Educator, Assistant/Associate/(Full) Extension Professor, Assistant/Associate/(Full) Forester, and Assistant/Associate/(Full) Geoscientist. For more information, contact IANR.
Templates
Offer letters define the terms and conditions of employment for individuals who are being invited to accept a new position at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln. We ask that you use the templates linked to from this page, because they are designed to include language that defines the terms of the contract per the Board of Regents Bylaws, sets the promotion and tenure dates (if applicable) or employment term, guides the candidate to the benefits offered by the university and affirms the need for an individual’s employment eligibility. These templates allow for personalization of individual employment conditions, such as startup funding, teaching assignments, and other situations. They also communicate the parameters for future changes to employment terms. The letters serve as a key information source to potential faculty members and represent a significant first step in the process of new employee onboarding.
If you need to communicate something that is significantly different from what is included in the templates linked to from this page, please contact Faculty Affairs in the Executive Vice Chancellor's Office. We appreciate the opportunity to consult with you, especially prior to receipt of the letter in our office (if applicable).
- Faculty Hiring Package Checklist
- Tenure-track (specific term) Appointments | DOC and resources
- Tenured (continuous) Appointments | DOC and resources
- Professor of Practice | DOC and resources
- Research Assistant, Associate, and Full Professor | DOC and resources
- Senior Research Associate | DOC and resources
- Postdoctoral Associate Appointments | DOC and resources
- Visiting Faculty | DOC and resources
- Lecturer Appointments | DOC and resources
- Lecturer/T Temporary Appointments | DOC and resources
- Academic Administrator Appointments | DOC and resources
- Courtesy Appointment | DOC and resources
- Adjunct Appointment | DOC and resources
- Summer Research or Practice Appointment Proceeding Tenured/Tenure-Track or Practice Appointment | DOC and resources
Updated June 2022
Joint Appointments
Learn more about Joint Appointments.
Non-reappointment
Procedures and deadlines for Non-reappointment.
Graduate Faculty Status
Learn more about obtaining Graduate Faculty Status.