Visiting and Short Term Faculty Information

Visiting and Short-Term Faculty

Visiting Appointments are Visiting Scholars, Visiting Postdoctoral Scholars, Visiting Instructors and Visiting Faculty. They are individuals from different backgrounds who come to Stanford campus for short term stays to learn, do research and teach. The recommended minimum duration of a visiting appointment in the School of Medicine (SoM) is 1 month (4 weeks). All SoM visitors must be physically local to the San Francisco Bay Area for the duration of their Stanford appointments.

Short Term Faculty Appointments are Adjunct Lecturers, Adjunct Professors, Lecturers, Senior Lecturers and Professors of the Practice. These individuals are appointed into teaching positions that may be full time or part time; these individuals may or may not also be employed outside Stanford.

In addition to the SoM resources, a university-wide visitor website has been created that pulls together information and links to policies, resources, tools, and other university webpages that will be helpful in appointing and inviting visitors to campus. The website includes relevant topics organized for faculty, administrators, and visitors under separate tabs/pages. 

Evaluation Overview
Process Reminders

Visiting & Short-Term Faculty Evaluation Overview

University-wide policies governing Visiting and Short-Term Faculty titles are published in the Stanford University Faculty Handbook and Research Policy Handbook. University-wide policies regarding immigration (including policies for our international visitors) are managed by the Bechtel International Center. These policies are applicable to the School of Medicine and take precedence.

The academic appointment process is a serious review undertaken to ensure that the professional qualifications of a candidate meets the requisite skill and subject knowledge for employment or affiliation to fulfill identified programmatic needs to further the missions of Stanford University.

Faculty Affairs Administrators (FAAs) are local staff experts who guide, support and facilitate the academic review at the department level.

  • Intake forms (using Smartsheet) have been created to assist department administrators in gathering information from faculty hosts and from visitor candidates with the goals of providing greater transparency for faculty on individuals they are inviting for collaborations and having information needed to complete the appointment and visa application (if applicable) processes. If you are interested in utilizing the forms for your unit, please contact som-visiting_short_term@stanford.edu

 

Appointment and Reappointment actions are executed using the Faculty Academic Staff Appointments (FASA) web form system. Details of the requirements and criteria differ for each title and different actions. The appointing Department, Institute and/or Program is charged with record retention of the fully executed offer letters and letters of invitation for this population.

Visiting and Short-Term Faculty appointments and reappointments are submitted by the department to OAA for review by the Vice Dean of the School of Medicine (or a designate). The Vice Dean may, in their judgment, make a negative decision on the file or take such other action as deemed appropriate, including request additional information or remand the action to the department. Visiting and Short-Term Faculty actions receive final approval by the Dean’s Office of the School of Medicine (OAA) and do not require review by the University. Appointment approval is contingent upon successful entry into the USA for the identified dates. Exceptions to policy should be rare and for good reason and some do require additional level of review by the University.

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Process Reminders

The Dean’s Office of Academic Affairs (OAA) oversees and facilitates proactive administration of all aspects of policies and processes in partnership with departments related to appointments, reappointments and other actions.  Information regarding restrictions on this population and procedure changes in response to COVID-19 and federal immigration policies is available here.

Requesting Exceptions: If you seek an exception to policy please email (1) a transmittal memo (addressed to the Vice Dean) and (2) an up-to-date candidate CV to som-visiting_short_term@stanford.edu. The transmittal memo should contain a very detailed and compelling explanation for the need. Requests should be submitted via email prior to submission of the FASA form/appointment packet.

Early Departures require a FASA transaction.

  • Paid Visiting, Paid Adjunct Professor, Paid Lecturer Appointments- FASA transactions should include the (1) resignation message from the candidate and/or the non-renewal notice (lecturers only) and (2) Departure Data Security Attestation Form.
  • Unpaid Visiting, unpaid Adjunct Lecturers/Professors and unpaid Lecturer Appointments- if the appointment is ending EARLY (resignations/early terminations), FASA transactions should include (1) a written notice with the new end date is required. These unpaid terminations do NOT require the Departure Data Security Attestation Form.
  • If an active visitor has left the country, please be sure to alert OAA and process a termination in FASA and take action on the visa.
  • Reminder: No FASA transaction is needed for unpaid appointments ending on the scheduled end date.
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