1. Regular Status Faculty, Tenure Track

Teaching Faculty work on an academic year basis. [Amended: Faculty, 12/14/10; Trustees, 2/12/11]

a. Instructors

(1) An appointment at this rank shall normally be for one or two years.

(2) An instructor who has not completed all requirements for the terminal degree by June 30 of the third year in rank will not normally be reappointed beyond the fourth year.

(3) An instructor will be promoted to the rank of Assistant Professor immediately upon completion of all requirements for the terminal degree. The length of time stipulated in the then existing contract shall, however, remain unchanged.

b. Assistant Professor

(1) Initial appointment at this rank shall normally be made only to those who have earned the customary terminal degree in the field or have completed all requirements for such a degree.

(2) The initial appointment at this rank shall normally be for two years; the second normally for two years; and the third for three years, depending on the time of appointment and the credit granted toward the probationary period required before tenure. It shall also be understood that a probationary one-year appointment may be made at this rank at any time after the first contract, should the individual's performance warrant.

(3) An Assistant Professor will normally be considered for promotion in the sixth year of the probationary period (See G Infra).

c. Associate Professor

(1) An appointment at this rank shall normally be for an initial two-year term, normally followed by reappointment for an additional two-year term.

(2) Normally, no initial appointment to the rank of Associate Professor shall be made unless the recommendation of the department chair and the Dean of the College indicate that the candidate shows such promise as would, if fulfilled, justify the eventual granting of tenure.

(3) A faculty member initially appointed to the rank of Associate Professor will normally be considered for tenure in the third year of the probationary period. Under exceptional circumstances, an appointment at this rank may be made with tenure or with the understanding that a tenure decision will be made prior to the third year of the appointment, but only following review and agreement by the department, the Academic Personnel Committee, the Dean, and the President, and, in appointments with tenure, with the approval of the Board of Trustees as well. [Amended: Faculty 5/7/92]

(4) The granting of tenure to an Assistant Professor will normally carry with it promotion to the rank of Associate Professor.

d. Professor

(1) Promotion to Full Professor is not automatic by virtue of time in service, but is granted in recognition of special distinction in a combination of teaching, scholarly activity, and institutional service (see III.G.). During a faculty member’s career, the relative emphasis on each of the three areas may undergo transformations. Quality of teaching is always a key consideration in promotion decisions, and outstanding teaching may offset lower levels of performance in the other two areas. However, for promotion to Full Professor a faculty member will typically show evidence of continuing scholarly activity as well as institutional service. Ordinarily, a faculty member will not be eligible for promotion to the rank of Full Professor until the completion of seven years of service at RC as a full-time member of the faculty at the rank of Associate Professor.

(2) Initial appointment at this rank is a mark of special recognition and accomplishment and shall normally be for a period of three years. Such appointment does not automatically confer tenure. Consideration for tenure shall normally be in the second year of the three-year appointment. Under exceptional circumstances, an appointment at this rank may be made with tenure, but only following review and agreement by the department, the Academic Personnel Committee, the Dean, and the President, and with the approval of the Board of Trustees.

2. Regular Status, Non-tenure Track Appointments

a. Regular status appointments at any rank may be made for continuing faculty who are not considered to be tenured or on tenure-track but who are eligible for promotion through all ranks or who are professional librarians. Regular status, non-tenure-track faculty shall commit an agreed percentage of their time to the College, usually ranging from 50 per cent to 100 per cent. The letter of appointment shall specify the percentage. An appointment to a non-tenure-track position carries with it no entitlement to or expectation of employment without term based on years of service to the institution.

b. Partial-load faculty appointments (less than 100 per cent) do not imply future full-load appointments; changes from partial to full load (or the reverse) must be approved through the normal process for new appointments. Partial-load faculty appointments will be reviewed from time to time to determine whether departmental programs and activities of such faculty continue to warrant a regular status appointment.

c. Non-tenure-track appointments are normally made for one or two years and are subject to renewal, non-renewal or termination. Notification of renewal or non-renewal for part-time faculty in non-tenure track appointments will normally be made by March 15 of the year in which the appointment expires. Notification of renewal or non-renewal of full-time appointments will normally be made by March 1 of the year in which the appointment expires. After two years of continuous service in full-time appointment a faculty member shall be given notice by December 15 of the year in which the appointment expires. After the third and successive years of continuous service in such status, a faculty member shall be given a full year's notice.

d. Unless otherwise stipulated in the letter of appointment, the criteria to be applied in the review of non-tenure-track faculty are the same as those applied to tenure-track faculty. The evaluation should be conducted by the department chair in consultation with appropriate faculty from the department and should consist of a review of course evaluation and faculty activity reports. The chair will submit written evaluation of the candidate to the Dean of the College before renewing or extending the appointment period., Following three successful evaluations, reviews shall take place at least once every three years thereafter. [III.C.2.d. Approved: Faculty, 3/16/10; Trustees, 2/12/11]

3. Acting. The prefix "Acting" denotes a temporary full-time faculty position with teaching or professional librarian responsibilities and associated service responsibilities of regular faculty. Acting faculty are normally appointed for one or two years at a time. All such appointments are for a specified term and expire at the end ofthe term unless the faculty member specifically receives a new letter of appointment from the Dean of theCollege renewing or extending the appointment period.

4. Adjunct. The prefix "Adjunct" relates to a temporary part-time faculty position with responsibilities limited to teaching and associated office hours or to professional librarian responsibilities. Adjunct faculty are normally appointed for one or two semesters at a time. All such appointments are for a specified term and expire at the end of the term unless the faculty member specifically receives a new letter of appointment from the Dean of the College renewing or extending the appointment period. Adjunct faculty may be considered for reappointment following an evaluation by the department and the Dean of the College.

In addition, the College shall review the performance of part-time, ongoing adjunct faculty members who have served not less than three years at RC. The review shall take place at least once every three years thereafter. The criteria to be applied in such reviews are the same as those applied to teaching in other faculty reviews, and the procedures will parallel those used in the evaluation of probationary, tenure-track faculty members.

5. Visiting. The prefix "Visiting" designates faculty who normally are based at other institutions of higher education and who temporarily transfer their main base to RC.

The conditions of appointment for visiting faculty may vary in each case and will be stated in the letter of appointment.

6. In-Residence. The suffix "In-Residence" is preceded by the creative specialty in which the faculty member is engaged; e.g., Artist-in-Residence, Dancer-in-Residence, Writer-in-Residence. The purpose of In-Residence appointments is to the benefit and enhancement of the broad educational goals of RC.

Responsibilities of an In-Residence appointment include such activities as public performances or exhibits, conducting student workshops, and teaching courses as appropriate. Such appointments are generally made for one year or less. Responsibilities and terms of appointment may vary in each case and must be stated in the letter of appointment.

7. Emeritus/Emerita Status. A faculty member who has retired from RC in good standing and who has been employed full-time by the College for at least ten years at the associate rank or higher (i.e., Associate Professor, Professor, Associate Librarian, Librarian, Associate Faculty/Coach, or Faculty/Coach) is eligible for the title of "Professor Emeritus/Emerita." The designation shall be awarded by vote of the Board of Trustees. Ordinarily, the title shall be awarded to faculty members only after 20 years of service to the College (and whose last full-time academic position is ending). Exception may be made in cases of early retirement due to disability or pursuant to election of an early retirement plan.

The initiative for proposing Emeritus/Emerita status may originate with the President, the Dean of the College, the Academic Personnel Committee, the department, or any member of the faculty.