Clinical/Professional Faculty Appointment and Promotion (VI.F.10)

Volume VI: Human Resources
Chapter F: Terms and Conditions of Employment
Responsible Executive: President
Responsible Office: Office of the Executive Vice President for Academic Affairs and Provost
Date Issued: July 1, 2014
Date Last Revised: June 1, 2022

TABLE OF CONTENTS

Contacts
Statement of Policy
Reason for This Policy
Individuals and Entities Affected by This Policy
Exclusions
Responsibilities
Definitions (defined terms are capitalized throughout the document)
Related Documents, Forms and Tools
Website Address for This Policy
History and Updates
Appendix

CONTACTS

STATEMENT OF POLICY

Clinical/Professional Faculty positions provide the University an opportunity to hire professional educators and provide them with opportunities for career advancement. Clinical/Professional Faculty focus principally on excellence in instruction and engagement. In addition to their instructional responsibilities on campus, Clinical/Professional Faculty also may be professionals in a practice site and provide clinical supervision of students; collaborate and develop professional relationships with industry and governmental agencies; and/or supervise internships, co-ops, service learning and other student activities outside the classroom.

Individuals appointed to Clinical/Professional Faculty positions:     

1. Engage in activities aimed at improving clinical practice, teaching or engagement.
2. Possess the appropriate educational background and practice expertise commensurate with the responsibilities of their specific appointment. Such qualifications are determined by each department.
3. Possess professional licensure, when appropriate.
4. Participate in activities to enhance professional growth, including, but not limited to, participation in conferences and in-service training to enhance knowledge or skill in a particular area of specialty. During the course of appointment, responsibilities may be arranged to allow for more extended development opportunities. These opportunities are to be negotiated with department heads along with the dean.

Clinical/Professional Faculty members may serve on graduate committees and as major professors for graduate students with department head approval and special appointment status from the Graduate School. Clinical/Professional Faculty also are eligible to serve as principal investigators on proposals for external funding, if such activity is consistent with the expectations of the appointment.

Clinical/Professional Faculty positions are not eligible for tenure. They are included in the total faculty count on the corresponding University campus when University Senate seats are reapportioned and in counts of full-time faculty from Institutional Data Analytics + Assessment. Clinical/Professional Faculty members are eligible to serve in the University Senate and on Senate committees, but they are not eligible for sabbatical leave. 

Allowable Percentages of Clinical/Professional Faculty

For the purposes of establishing the allowable percentage of Clinical/Professional Faculty, the term faculty refers to tenured, tenure-track and Clinical/Professional Faculty and, for purposes of calculating the number of faculty on a campus, also includes the academic faculty of the Libraries.

• 1. West Lafayette Campus
     
     Generally, no more than 20 percent of the total number of faculty on the campus in a department, school or college may consist of Clinical/Professional Faculty.  The number of Clinical/Professional Faculty members in a department or school may not exceed 50 percent of all faculties in the unit, however exceptions may be approved by the Office of the Provost.
     
     
  2. Regional Campuses and Polytechnic Statewide Locations
     
     Generally, no more than 25 percent of the total number of faculty on the campus or in Purdue Polytechnic statewide locations may consist of Clinical/Professional Faculty.

REASON FOR THIS POLICY

Traditionally, teaching, research and engagement have been the primary responsibilities of tenure-track faculty members. In some departments, there is a need to have faculty members engage principally in instruction, which is essential to the mission of Purdue University’s academic programs. Flexibility in appointing Clinical/Professional Faculty is essential for designing and maintaining educational programs in traditional classrooms, learning experiences outside the classroom or in clinical settings. Such flexibility also gives the University the opportunity to recruit and retain highly qualified professionals who bring unique experiences to the University’s educational mission. Clinical/Professional Faculty members have teaching, clinical and/or engagement commitments as the primary focus of their faculty role.

INDIVIDUALS AND ENTITIES AFFECTED BY THIS POLICY

Faculty and academic administrators.

EXCLUSIONS

This policy does not apply to tenured or tenure-track faculty, research faculty, visiting professors or post-doctoral appointees.

RESPONSIBILITIES

President

• Recommends nominations for promotion sent forward by the Provost to the Board of Trustees for final approval.

Provost

• Reviews for approval all college, school and departmental written plans to establish the classification of Clinical/Professional Faculty on the West Lafayette campus.
• Communicates and implements this policy.
• Monitors the appointment limits for colleges/schools and individual departments on the West Lafayette campus and the overall limits for all campuses.
• Forwards all Clinical/Professional Faculty promotion recommendations to the President.
• Reviews for approval Clinical/Professional Faculty appointment recommendations received from the deans on the West Lafayette campus.

Chancellor

• Provides Clinical/Professional Faculty promotion recommendations to the Provost.

Vice Chancellor for Academic Affairs

• Communicates and implements this policy.
• Reviews for approval college/school and departmental written plans to establish the classification of Clinical/Professional Faculty.
• Monitors the appointment limits for colleges/schools and individual departments.
• Reviews for approval recommendations for Clinical/Professional Faculty appointments sent forward by the deans.

Dean

• Establishes the college/school policies and procedures for promotion within the Clinical/Professional Faculty ranks.
• Communicates the approved policies and procedures to the directors, department heads and department chairs within their area.
• Reviews and forwards, as appropriate, to the Provost (West Lafayette) or Vice Chancellor for Academic Affairs (regional campuses) justification for establishment of Clinical/Professional Faculty positions.
• Establishes a review process for Clinical/Professional Faculty being considered for promotion.
• Submits Clinical/Professional Faculty appointment recommendations to the Provost (West Lafayette) or Vice Chancellor for Academic Affairs (regional campuses) for approval.
• Submits promotion recommendations to the Provost (West Lafayette) or the Vice Chancellor for Academic Affairs (regional campuses).

Department (or School) Head/Chair

• Assumes responsibility for the professional development of Clinical/Professional Faculty.
• Assures compliance with this policy and approved college, school and departmental policies and procedures.
• Prepares and submits justification for establishment of Clinical/Professional Faculty positions to the Dean as appropriate.
• Contributes to the establishment of policies and procedures for promotion within the Clinical/Professional Faculty ranks in a particular department.
• Conducts annual merit reviews for Clinical/Professional Faculty.

DEFINITIONS

All defined terms are capitalized throughout the document. Additional defined terms may be found in the central Policy Glossary. Some defined terms may be found only in the associated Procedures for Clinical/Professional Faculty Positions.

Area Committee
A college/school-level committee established in accordance with policy set forth by the Provost or Chancellor, as the case may be, that reviews Clinical/Professional Faculty promotion nominations set forth to them by the Primary Committee.

Clinical/Professional Faculty
Clinical/Professional Faculty is a promotable, but non-tenure track, faculty classification. These individuals provide education and/or supervision of students engaged in clinical and professional practice. Clinical/Professional Faculty may carry the title clinical professor, professor of practice or teaching professor. Each school may choose the appropriate title for their Clinical/Professional Faculty.

Panel B
A committee established in accordance with procedures set forth by the Provost that reviews Clinical/Professional Faculty promotion nominations presented to them by Area Committees on the West Lafayette campus for recommendation to the President.

Primary Committee
A department-level committee established in accordance with policy set forth by the Provost or Chancellor, as the case may be, that reviews Clinical/Professional Faculty promotion nominations for recommendation to the Area Committee.

RELATED DOCUMENTS, FORMS AND TOOLS

Procedures for Clinical/Professional Faculty Positions

Principles and Policies for Academic Freedom, Responsibilities and Tenure, and Procedures for Termination of Faculty Appointments for Cause (Executive Memorandum No. B-48)

Office of the Provost faculty promotion and tenure page

University Senate Document 07-1, “University Limits on Clinical/Professional Faculty,” approved by Faculty Senate, October 15, 2007, and Board of Trustees, November 16, 2007

University Senate Document 93-10, “University Guidelines for Clinical/Professional Faculty within Purdue University,” dated March 28, 1994, amended April 25, 1994, and approved by the Board of Trustees May 21, 1994

WEBSITE ADDRESS FOR THIS POLICY

www.purdue.edu/policies/human-resources/vif10.html

HISTORY AND UPDATES

June 1, 2022: Allowable percentages of Clinical/Professional Faculty changed for West Lafayette campus from 15 to 20 percent and for Regional Campuses and Polytechnic statewide locations from 20 to 25 percent. Clarified that C/P Faculty may serve as major professors for graduate students (not just co-major professors) to align with current practice.

January 1, 2015: Interim status removed.

July 1, 2014: This policy revises and updates guidelines for appointment of Clinical/Professional Faculty as previously established and revised by the University Senate and approved by the Board of Trustees.

APPENDIX

There are no appendices to this policy.