In This Section (Other Appointments)
2.8 Coterminous Appointments
2.9 Part-Time Appointments
2.10 Joint Appointments
2.11 Secondary Appointments
2.12 Courtesy Appointments
2.8 Coterminous Appointments
In This Section (Other Appointments)
2.8 Coterminous Appointments
2.9 Part-Time Appointments
2.10 Joint Appointments
2.11 Secondary Appointments
2.12 Courtesy Appointments
Certain faculty appointments can be made coterminous with specified circumstances, such as continued salary or other support from sponsored projects, or an administrative or other appointment at Stanford or an affiliated institution.
Examples of such appointments include, but are not limited to:
- Non-Tenure Line (Research) appointments;
- Certain School of Medicine appointments (including Tenure Line) with assignments at the Palo Alto Veterans Affairs Health Care System, the Northern California Cancer Center, Santa Clara Valley Medical Center, and the Palo Alto Medical Foundation;
Individuals with appointments that are coterminous with support from sponsored projects or from an affiliated institution are not subject to the same provisions for notice of non-renewal as appointees whose appointments are not coterminous.
As a general rule, the appointment (even if for a term of years or for a continuing term) ends at the same time the funding and/or other support or administrative assignment ceases. Although School funding beyond the point at which the faculty member’s support terminates may be possible in certain instances, it is not an entitlement. Such situations are handled on a case-by-case basis, as are cases when a reduction (as opposed to a complete cessation) of the faculty member’s support will result in the immediate termination of the appointment.
2.9 Part-Time Appointments
School policy allows appointment of faculty members at any rank on a part-time basis, usually for a fixed period of time. In particular, the School looks favorably upon family-related needs as a possible justification for granting temporary reductions from full-time to part-time status, such as when the part-time status is expected to exceed the limit of permitted leave.
Because a large number of part-time appointments within any one department could weaken its academic program, all FTE appointment reductions are made by the School in its discretion and by exception only, taking into consideration and balancing both the needs of the department and the faculty member. Such exceptions must be approved in advance by the department chair and the Senior Associate Dean.
Individuals who are requesting a temporary reduction in their appointment are not allowed to participate in activities that conflict or compete with the University in the roles in which they continue to be employed. In particular, no reductions in FTE will be granted to individuals intending to enter business or the practice of medicine.
2.10 Joint Appointments
1. Definition
In the School of Medicine, faculty with joint appointments hold half of their appointment in a department within the School of Medicine and the other half of their appointment in a department affiliated with one of Stanford’s other six schools. Under this arrangement, one department is designated as “primary” and the other as “secondary.” Normally, both departments split the salary. The faculty member is assigned two billet (position) numbers, one in each unit.
2. Titles
Titles reflect the faculty member’s primary and secondary departmental roles by using, for example, the following format: Professor of (subject affiliated with primary department) and of (subject affiliated with secondary department).
3. Terms
A joint appointment for a tenured faculty member or a faculty member holding a continuing term appointment is normally without limit of time. A non-tenured appointment is normally made for the duration of the current appointment.
4. Responsibilities
As prescribed by the University Faculty Handbook, “Faculty holding joint appointments are expected to carry a normal load of teaching, administration, and leadership responsibilities. The precise nature of those responsibilities will depend on the roles the faculty are expected to play in the departments, schools, or policy institutes to which they are appointed.”
5. Privileges
Holders of joint appointments enjoy full privileges, including voting rights, in all of the units in which the appointment resides.
2.11 Secondary Appointments
1. Definition
In the School of Medicine, a secondary appointment is defined as an arrangement whereby the faculty member holds a primary appointment, as well as a secondary appointment, in departments within the School of Medicine. (Occasionally, a faculty member whose primary appointment is in another school may have a secondary appointment in a School of Medicine department.) It is permissible for a faculty member to hold more than one secondary appointment. A secondary appointment acknowledges the faculty member’s active participation in a department’s research, educational and/or clinical activities, and the title carries certain responsibilities and bestows certain privileges as outlined below. Normally, all resources (e.g., billet, salary, research support) are provided by the faculty member’s primary department.
2. Titles
Titles reflect the faculty member’s primary and secondary departmental roles by using, for example, the following format: Professor of (subject of primary affiliation) and of (subject of secondary affiliation). Multiple secondary appointments should be listed in descending order of involvement or in alphabetical order.
3. Terms
A secondary appointment for a faculty member who is not tenured (or on a continuing term appointment) is normally made for the duration of the current appointment. A secondary appointment for a tenured faculty member (or a faculty member holding a continuing term appointment) is normally made for a term of five years, which is renewable. Under certain circumstances and by exception, however, some faculty members in this latter category may be granted appointments without limit of time.
4. Responsibilities
Departments have discretion in determining the set of responsibilities that are associated with secondary appointments, although it is expected that a minimum threshold will be set for conferral of the title and will be applied equitably. Factors influencing the range of responsibilities may include (but are not limited to) a department’s specific programmatic need, the faculty member’s desired contributions to the department’s research and educational missions, and the ways in which the faculty member may enhance collaborations and connections across departmental and disciplinary lines. It is expected that the responsibilities held by the secondary faculty member will include some combination of the following: teaching on a regular basis (broadly defined to include advising, mentoring and curriculum development); supervision of thesis and dissertation research; service as chair of thesis and dissertation committees; collaborative research with departmental colleagues; upon request, service on departmental committees or providing advice on governance issues; other duties as determined by the department chair.
5. Privileges
The secondary faculty member holds voting privileges, normally has access to graduate students, and is listed in printed or web-based departmental faculty rosters. At the discretion of the chair, administrative assistance (personnel or material) may be available.
2.12 Courtesy Appointments
1. Definition
In the School of Medicine, a courtesy appointment is defined as one in which the faculty member often makes a substantial contribution to departments other than their own, but in ways less formal than would justify a joint or secondary appointment. It is permissible for a faculty member to hold more than one courtesy appointment. There is usually no commitment of salary, space, research or other support involved in a courtesy appointment.
2. Titles
Formally (that is, in all appointment documents), the title should read, for example, Professor of (subject of primary affiliation) and, by courtesy, of (subject). In everyday usage, the “by courtesy” designation may be dropped.
3. Terms
A courtesy appointment for a faculty member who is not tenured (or on a continuing term appointment) is normally made for the duration of the current appointment. At the discretion of the department and with approval of the School, courtesy appointments for tenured faculty members (or those on a continuing term of appointment) may be made for a term of years (normally five years) or without limit of time.
4. Responsibilities
Departments have discretion in determining the set of responsibilities that are associated with courtesy appointments, although it is expected that a minimum threshold will be set for conferral of the title and will be applied equitably. Factors influencing the range of responsibilities may include (but are not limited to) a department’s specific programmatic need, the faculty member’s desired contributions to the department’s research and educational missions, and the ways in which the faculty member may enhance collaborations and connections across departmental and disciplinary lines. It is expected that the responsibilities held by the courtesy faculty member will include some combination of the following: teaching on a periodic basis (broadly defined to include advising, mentoring and curriculum development); collaborative research with departmental colleagues; other duties as determined by the department chair.
5. Privileges
The courtesy faculty member holds a title that acknowledges and reflects his or her involvement in the department and is included in printed or web-based departmental faculty rosters. At the discretion of the chair, he or she may have access to the department’s graduate students.
