512.280 - Adjunct Professor Series

Responsible Office/Party: UCSC Academic Personnel Office

Last Revised Date: 11/21/2023


CONTENTS


  1. OVERVIEW
  2. GENERAL PROVISIONS
  1. AUTHORITY
  2. TYPES OF APPOINTMENTS—WITH SALARY AND WITHOUT SALARY
  3. CRITERIA FOR APPOINTMENT AND ADVANCEMENT
  4. RESTRICTIONS ON USE OF TITLE
  5. CONDITIONS OF EMPLOYMENT
  6. TERM OF APPOINTMENT
  7. SALARY
  8. LIMITATIONS ON THE USE OF STATE FUNDING
  1. REVIEW REQUIREMENTS
  1. REVIEW PROCEDURES FOR WITH SALARY APPOINTEES
  2. REVIEW PROCEDURES FOR WITHOUT SALARY APPOINTEES

I. OVERVIEW

Titles in this series may be assigned to individuals who are predominantly engaged in research or other creative work and who participate in teaching, or to individuals who contribute primarily to teaching and have a limited responsibility for research or other creative work; these individuals may be professional practitioners of appropriate distinction. Appointees with titles in this series also engage in University and public service consistent with their assignments. Appointments in this series are intended to be supported primarily by non-State funds. For purposes of this policy, non-State funds are all funds other than General funds (19900-19999).
Titles and ranks in this series are:
  • Assistant Adjunct Professor
  • Associate Adjunct Professor
  • Adjunct Professor

II. GENERAL PROVISIONS

A. AUTHORITY

Deans have authority for all actions in the Adjunct Professor series, excepting appointments and merits above the UC Salary Threshold (refer to CAPM 803.620 and the Delegation Chart). This authority may not be further redelegated.

B. TYPES OF APPOINTMENTS – WITH SALARY AND WITHOUT SALARY

At UCSC there are two types of appointments made to the Adjunct Professor series: With Salary and Without Salary. Where policy language is not specifically attributed to one type or another, it applies to both With Salary and Without Salary appointments made to the Adjunct Professor series.

With Salary appointments are intended for those appointees where there is an expectation of progression through the steps and ranks. These appointments may initially be made at 0% time while the individual is pursuing extramural funding; however, the expectation of progression through the steps and ranks remains. Consequently, the appointment and advancement procedures follow those for ladder-rank faculty, including review by the Senate Committee on Academic Personnel (CAP).

Without Salary appointments are for those individuals where there is no expectation of such progression; therefore, Without Salary appointments are made to a rank only, there is no step assigned. For this reason, appointment and review procedures for such appointments are significantly abridged. Without Salary appointments may be made when affiliation with the campus would serve to facilitate the integration of the academic and professional components of the instructional and research program.

Movement between the two types of appointments is allowable but is treated as a new appointment; therefore, recruitment requirements must be met and an appointment file must be submitted and processed in accordance with the appropriate review procedures for the type of appointment (see section III below).

C. CRITERIA FOR APPOINTMENT AND ADVANCEMENT

A candidate for appointment or advancement in this series is judged by the same four criteria specified for the Professor series; however, evaluation of the candidate shall take into account the nature of the assigned duties and responsibilities, and shall adjust accordingly the emphasis placed on each of the required criteria (e.g., a candidate may have a heavy workload in research and a relatively light workload in teaching). The requirement of teaching may be satisfied by the teaching of courses and/or evidence of significant contributions to the graduate or undergraduate instructional program (e.g., mentoring of graduate students).

The four criteria are:

  1. Teaching;
  2. Research and creative work;
  3. Professional competence and activity; and
  4. University and public service.

D. RESTRICTIONS ON USE OF TITLE

  1. Appointment in this series is intended for those where research and teaching activity are elements of a single position.

  2. Professional researchers who teach less than one course (or equivalent) per academic year on a regular basis should be appointed to a Lecturer title in conjunction with the research title, rather than the Adjunct series.

  3. Individuals who are primarily researchers and who regularly teach at least one course (or equivalent) per academic year should be appointed in the Adjunct Professor series for their whole appointment.

  4. For appointments in which teaching is the main activity, it should be clearly demonstrated before appointment to the Adjunct Professor series that a "teaching only title" such as Lecturer is not appropriate.

  5. If, during an appointment in the Adjunct Professor series, research or teaching ceases to be part of the appointee’s duties, the individual should be considered for transfer to another title.

E. CONDITIONS OF EMPLOYMENT

  1. Appointees to the Adjunct Professor series are not members of the Academic Senate and do not acquire tenure or security of employment.

  2. Appointment and reappointment letters must contain the following statement: "Appointments to the title of [rank] Adjunct Professor are self-terminating and do not create an obligation on the part of the university to either extend or renew the appointment."

  3. Because appointments to the Adjunct Professor series are self-terminating, additional notice of the ending of the appointment is not required. However, for appointees who have served in an appointment in the Adjunct Professor series at least 50 percent time for eight or more consecutive years on the UCSC campus, notice of non-reappointment shall be given in accordance with APM 137-32. In all other cases, when an appointment has been renewed at least once, whether with or without salary, it is recommended that a reasonable period of notice of non-reappointment be given. Appointees with less than 2 years of service should be given not less than 30 days notice; those with more than 2 years of service should be given not less than 60 days notice. If it is not possible to provide this notice of non-reappointment, the dean will review the case to confirm appropriateness of the notice period (APM 280-20.c).
  4. Appointees to the Adjunct Professor series are not eligible to accrue credit toward sabbatical leave. However, professional development leave may be granted in accordance with APM 758, Leaves of Absence/Other Leaves with Pay, to the extent that funds are available from the fund source(s) from which the salary is paid. If the salary is supported by State funds, then the leave will be supported by State funds in the same percentage of time.

  5. In addition to other types of paid and unpaid leave available to non-Senate faculty who meet eligibility requirements, appointees to this series who hold academic-year (9-month basis) appointments may be eligible for paid medical leave in accordance with APM 710-11.

  6. The Faculty Code of Conduct (APM 015); Non-Senate Academic Appointees/Layoff (APM 145); Non-Senate Academic Appointees/Corrective Action and Dismissal (APM 150); and Non-Senate Academic Appointees/Grievances (APM 140) apply to appointees to the Adjunct Professor series.

  7. Termination prior to the specific end date shall be only for good cause and is subject to the provisions of Regents’ Bylaw 40.3(c).

F. TERM OF APPOINTMENT

All appointments and reappointments to the Adjunct Professor series must be made with a specified end date.

1. With Salary Appointments

Appointments and reappointments may be made for up to the maximum term of appointment of the rank and step to which the candidate is appointed or advanced (see chart below). The appointment and reappointment may be made for a shorter term (e.g., the known period of approved funding), but a reappointment review would have to be conducted in order to extend the ending date originally established for the appointment. Reviews for merit increase and promotion are conducted at the normal intervals, coinciding with normative periods of service at rank and step in the Professor series.

Regardless of the funding source, there is an eight-year limitation of service for an appointee who holds the Assistant Adjunct Professor title at more than 50 percent time, either in that title alone or when combined with those titles listed in APM 133-0-c. Periods of service on any campus of the University of California count towards this eight-year limit.

The normal periods of service at each step in this series coincide with those of the Professor series as reflected in the chart below.

Rank Maximum Term of Appointment
Assistant Adjunct Professor (At all Steps*) 2 (Eight-year limit may apply; see APM 133)
Associate Adjunct Professor (Steps 1, 2, 3) 2
Associate Adjunct Professor (Step 4*) 3
Adjunct Professor (Steps 1 to 8) 3
Adjunct Professor, Step 9 and Above Scale 4

(*Note: Refer to Overlapping Steps policy (CAPM 407.690); provisions also apply to the Adjunct Professor series.)

A mid-career appraisal is to be conducted during the fourth year of service in the title of Assistant Adjunct Professor or when service in that title is combined with titles listed in APM 133-0-c, unless the individual has been given written notice of non-reappointment or terminal appointment.

A promotion review for an Assistant Adjunct Professor must take place no later than the seventh year unless the individual has been given written notice of non-reappointment or terminal appointment.

2. Without Salary Appointment

As Without Salary appointments are made to a specific rank only (i.e., with no step), the maximum term of appointment is two years at the rank of Assistant Adjunct Professor, two years at the rank of Associate Adjunct Professor, and three years at the rank of Adjunct Professor. Reappointment is permitted following a positive review; there is no limit on the number of terms of reappointment. Because there is no appointment percentage associated with Without Salary appointments, they are not subject to the eight-year limit in APM 133.

Merit and mid-career appraisal reviews are not applicable to Without Salary appointments. Promotion reviews are not required or expected for Without Salary appointments but may be done (see section III.B.4 below).

G. SALARY

  1. Individuals appointed to the Adjunct Professor series With Salary are compensated from the salary scales established for the Professorial ranks.

  2. Appointees to this series who hold academic-year (9-month basis) appointments are eligible to receive additional compensation during the summer period at the 1/9th rate. Appointees who hold fiscal-year appointments are eligible to receive additional compensation at the 1/12th rate for work performed during vacation provided an appropriate number of accrued vacation days are deducted.

  3. Should a unit wish to provide compensation to an individual for performing the full range of responsibilities expected of this series (teaching, research and creative work, service and professional activity), the unit must propose appointment to a With Salary Adjunct Professor position in accordance with the procedures outlined in section III.A, and recruitment requirements must be satisfied (see CAPM 100.500, Academic Recruitment Procedures).

  4. Should a unit wish to provide compensation to an individual for performance in only one area of responsibility (e.g., teaching or research), the unit must propose appointment to an appropriate academic title such as Lecturer or Professional Researcher; and, recruitment requirements must be satisfied (see CAPM 100.500, Academic Recruitment Procedures).

H. LIMITATIONS ON THE USE OF STATE FUNDING

  1. Limits on State Funding (For purposes of this policy, State funds are general funds i.e., 19900-19999).

Appointments in this series are intended to be supported primarily by non-State funds. As a minimum, one half of the funding for the base salary of any appointment in this series must come from non-state funds, regardless of the appointment percentage. For example, for a half-time appointment (50 percent time), at least one half of that appointment must be non-state funded (i.e., no more than 25 percent time can be State funded).

If an appointee holds an Adjunct Professor title concurrently with another University title that is supported by non-state funds, this limitation on State funding still applies, and at least one half of the Adjunct appointment must be supported by non-state funds.

  1. Exceptions to Limits on State Funding
  1. For appointments at more than 50 percent time: The Chancellor is authorized to approve funding of more than 50 percent of the base salary of the appointment from State funds for a period normally not to exceed two years. This authority may not be redelegated. Approval must be obtained prior to the dean offering the appointment. When such an exception is made by the Chancellor, the total period of such an appointment, either alone or in combination with prior appointments in this or the Professor of Residence or Professor of Clinical (e.g., Medicine) series, shall not exceed eight years. In other words, there is a university-wide, cumulative life-time eight-year limit on State funding greater than 50 percent in this title either alone or in combination with the title series of Professor in Residence and Professor of Clinical (e.g., Medicine).
  2. For appointments at 50 percent time or less: The appointing Dean is authorized to approve an exception to allow such appointments to be fully State funded. Under this exception, appointments shall be made only for a one- or two-year term. There is no limit on the total number of years an individual may hold a series of such appointments.

III. REVIEW REQUIREMENTS

A. REVIEW PROCEDURES FOR WITH SALARY APPOINTMENTS

1. General Provisions

Evaluation of a candidate for a With Salary appointment or advancement in the Adjunct Professor series shall take into account the nature of the University assignment of responsibilities and duties and shall adjust accordingly the emphasis to be placed on each of the required criteria. For example, a candidate may have a heavy workload in research and a relatively light workload in teaching. However, in all cases the departmental recommendation letter must clearly demonstrate how the candidate will fulfill all required criteria for appointment or advancement in this series.

2. Procedures for Appointment and Advancement

The general provisions established for appointment and advancement reviews for the Professor series, including CAP review, are to be followed for With Salary actions:

  1. Appointment, Reappointment, and Non-Reappointment (CAPM 404.220) - However, the notice and pay in lieu of notice requirements described in CAPM 404.220.C.3.d do not apply to the Adjunct Professor series. When a personnel review results in a final decision not to renew an appointment in the Adjunct Professor series, appointees are to be given appropriate notice in accordance with section II.E.3 above);

  2. Merit (CAPM 406.220);

  3. Mid-Career Appraisal (CAPM 408.220);

  4. Promotion (CAPM 410.220);

  5. Deferral and Mandatory Review (CAPM 402.200); and

  6. Overlapping Steps (CAPM 407.690).

B. REVIEW PROCEDURES FOR WITHOUT SALARY APPOINTMENTS

1. General Provisions

Appointments and reappointments Without Salary are to be made without step as there is no expectation of movement through the ranks. Individuals who hold or have held an academic appointment at another institution should be appointed at the equivalent rank. Individuals whose affiliation is with industry, and who have not held an academic appointment in the past, should be appointed at a level appropriate to their standing in the field.

2. Procedures for Appointment

To request a Without Salary appointment the following documents must be included in the review file:

  • Up-to-date curriculum vitae; and
  • Departmental recommendation letter that includes a summary of the candidate’s qualifications, justification for the rank being proposed, and, if applicable, a description of how affiliation with the candidate will facilitate the integration of academic and professional practice components of the departmental instructional and/or research program.
3. Procedures for Reappointment

To request a without salary reappointment the following documents must be included in the review file:

  • Up-to-date curriculum vitae; and
  • Departmental recommendation letter that describes the candidate’s performance during the current appointment period and supports the continued affiliation with the UCSC campus.
4. Procedures for Promotion

Should the candidate achieve a higher rank at their home institution or, for those whose affiliation is with private industry, achieve a higher standing in their field, the department may wish to propose promotion to a higher rank. To request promotion to a higher rank the following documents must be included in the review file:

  • Up-to-date curriculum vitae;
  • Evidence of higher rank at home institution or higher standing in field; and
  • Departmental recommendation letter that includes the candidate’s performance during the current appointment period which supports the promotion to the higher rank at the UCSC campus.
5. Other Materials

Additional evidence of research and teaching, such as publications, scholarly and creative works, Student Experience of Teaching Surveys (SETS), course materials, and personal statements are optional in any Without Salary appointment, reappointment, or promotion file. Outside letters of recommendation are not normally solicited.