A number of titles are available for the appointment of non-tenure-track faculty (including librarians with faculty rank) and research staff. These titles carry different assumptions regarding conditions of employment and are variously related to the State Universities Civil Service System. They should be used consistently throughout the university. Except in the case of faculty appointed with the title "instructor" or "visiting assistant professor" pending clearance of a degree or visa contingency, appointments to the following positions carry no expectation of tenure. Time served in these positions will not be counted toward tenure in any subsequent tenure-track appointment without the written permission of the provost.

Visiting Appointments

Board of Trustees regulations recognize three professorial ranks--assistant professor, associate professor and professor. Individuals who meet Board and departmental criteria for appointment at one of these ranks may be appointed to a non-tenure-track position in any of these ranks in a "visiting" capacity. A visiting appointment is particularly appropriate when an individual is hired to replace a specific regular faculty member who is on leave or temporarily unable to teach or when a scholar with special expertise is brought to campus for a specific period of time to make that expertise available to NIU students. Visiting appointments are always "temporary" and may be for no more than one year at a time. Consecutive full-time visiting appointments may not total more than five years. Part-time appointments ordinarily will not exceed 75 percent. The positions held by visiting faculty are exempt from Civil Service under section 36e4.

Post-Doctoral Fellows

Individuals who have recently been awarded the Ph.D. may be appointed to membership on a research team supervised by senior faculty or research scholars/scientists as "post-doctoral fellows." Such appointments will ordinarily be "temporary" because they will ordinarily apply to positions funded by grants and contracts. These appointments can be renewed indefinitely, subject only to the availability of funds. Individuals appointed as post-doctoral fellows will ordinarily have limited research experience beyond that associated with their doctoral program and dissertation. Post-doctoral fellows are at an early stage of their scholarly careers; are developing professional contact with colleges in other universities and professional organizations; and are expected to review domestic and foreign literature applicable to current research, prepare materials based on research findings for publication, and deliver speeches to professional and lay groups. Post-doctoral fellows may participate in all phases of a scientific or scholarly project but are not ordinarily expected to supervise other professional staff. Post-doctoral fellows will not engage in instruction except on a part-time and occasional basis. The university considers post-doctoral fellows to be exempt from Civil Service under section 36e4.

Senior Research Appointments

The university recognizes appointments with the title of "research scholar," "research scientist," senior research scientist," or "senior research scholar." Doctorally-qualified individuals with significant research experience beyond the dissertation may be appointed with such a title by academic departments or research centers for the purpose of conducting research relevant to the University's mission. Individuals carrying these titles will ordinarily be "temporary" appointments because their positions will ordinarily be funded by grants or contracts. Such appointments can be renewed indefinitely, subject only to the availability of funds and the University's continued assessment of the appointment as beneficial to the institutional mission. While the criteria may differ, research scholars and research scientists should be evaluated on the same schedule as, and according to the same process used for, departmental faculty.

The title "research scientist" should be used in those disciplines in which "scientist" best describes the activity of a researcher. The title "research scholar" should be used in those disciplines in which "scholar" best describes the activity of a researcher. In either case, the work of the individual so titled is likely to be that of the principal or co-principal investigator on a grant or contract. This individual would be expected to engage in activities such as planing, directing, and participating in complex scientific or other scholarly projects, supervising project staff, administering a research project, identifying problem areas, formulating proposals, designing new studies, and developing applications. A research scientist/scholar maintains professional contacts with colleagues in other institutions and professional organizations, reviews literature applicable to current research, prepares materials based on research findings for publication, and, as appropriate, makes presentations to professional and lay groups.

Ordinarily, individuals appointed as research scientists/scholars will not engage in instruction (except on a part-time or occasional basis). The University considers research scholars/scientists to be exempt from Civil Service under Section 36e4 of the State Universities Civil Service Act.

Research Associate Appointments

Research associates work collaboratively with research faculty to prepare reports, papers, and monographs reporting the results of research and scholarly projects. They work under the direction of senior faculty and research scholars/scientists to carry out research, scholarly, and technical activities, most of which will be externally funded. Such individuals are ordinarily required to have sufficient knowledge of a specific academic discipline (generally evidenced by possession of an appropriate master's degree) to develop or assist in developing research designs; to plan or assist in planning the conduct of research and scholarly operations; to supervise the activities of support personnel; and to write or assist in writing interpretive reports, scholarly articles, monographs, and proposals for additional external funding.

Individuals carrying these titles will ordinarily be "temporary" because they will ordinarily be appointed to positions funded by grants and contracts. Such appointments can be renewed indefinitely, subject only to the availability of funds. The positions held by research associates often involve tasks which overlap those associated with various Civil Service positions. Research associate positions must therefore be exempted from Civil Service rules under section 36e3 before any attempt is made to fill them. Such exemptions occur on a case-by-case basis and require the approval of both the Chancellor's Office and the state Merit Board office. [See Business Procedure Manual, Procedure No. 7-1.] While the criteria should be determined by the nature of the position, research associates should be evaluated on the same schedule and according to the same process used for supportive professional staff.

Instructor

This title is available for the employment of temporary instructional faculty. Ordinarily, individuals carrying this title will possess an appropriate baccalaureate or master's degree but will not have completed the doctorate. The terms and conditions of employment for individuals appointed under this title are governed by a collective bargaining agreement. Questions regarding these appointments hould be directed to the Assistant Vice President, Administration and Human Resources.

Affiliates

"Affiliates" are individuals whose primary job is not with NIU, but who teach an extension class for the university on an occasional basis. Initial affiliate appointments are processed by external programming staff in the instructional college responsible for the hire. Subsequent appointments are processed on a turnaround Personnel Action Form (PAF). Most such appointments are funded on 41 accounts. Individuals with affiliate appointments are not eligible for participation in the State Universities Retirement System.

Lecturer

This title is used in the College of Law to employ practicing lawyers and judges to teach an occasional class on a part-time basis. The title is not available in other colleges.

Adjunct Appointments

The President is authorized to make adjunct faculty appointments in accordance with Board regulations. Such appointments are limited to individuals who are not employees of the University, to non-instructional personnel who occasionally teach university courses in specialized areas, and to university faculty who interact with academic departments other than their own. Adjunct faculty are appointed on an annual or semester basis. They are not eligible for tenure, do not receive a salary, and are not eligible for participation in the State Universities Retirement System unless they occupy a concurrent university position which justifies such benefits.