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Contact UsInitial Appointment
The Board of Trustees makes initial appointment of faculty upon recommendation of the department chairperson/coordinator, the faculty personnel committee and the dean of the instructional school, the Vice Provost for Undergraduate Education (as appropriate), the Provost and President.
The dean is ultimately responsible for the faculty search process. He/she normally delegates the working responsibility to the department chairperson who coordinates the participation of faculty within the discipline or department and, whenever appropriate, of persons from other disciplines as well. Initial rank and level within rank are decided by the dean in consultation with the department chairperson or, where there is no separate chair or department, with the school’s faculty personnel committee. The initial appointment is for one academic year, as are all faculty appointments prior to tenure. The appointment papers include designation as to whether it is on the tenure track or the non-tenure track.
Determining Rank of Initial Appointment
The following chart gives the years of teaching or equivalent service required for initial appointment at a particular rank:
Track A | Track B | |
Assistant Professor | 4 years, 2 after MA | Earned doctorate or other recognized terminal degree |
Associate Professor | 10 years, 6 after MA | 5 years, 4 after Ph.D. or as per Track A with doctorate, OR 10 years, 5 after terminal MA (e.g., MFA) |
Full Professor | 12 years, 7 after terminal degree (e.g.,Ph.D., MFA) for being hired, AND shall normally have been Associate Professor or the equivalent of Biola’s Associate Professor Level 3 for at least 3 years |
A copy of the appointment letter containing all information pertaining to the basis for hiring and appointment level (e.g., how past years of teaching or service have been factored in), as well as any commitments regarding advancement made to the new faculty member, should be kept in both the school and department files. A copy should also be included in the new faculty member’s application packet for his/her first across rank promotion (i.e., the first application that comes to the UPC).
