Definition of titles, ranks and status
Find additional information on faculty and academic professional inclusion in the Academic Assembly.
Faculty
Faculty include all employees of the Arizona Board of Regents, for and of Arizona State University, engaged in teaching, research, scholarship and/or creative activities or service whose Notice of Appointment is as lecturer, senior lecturer, principal lecturer, instructor, assistant professor, associate professor, professor, clinical assistant professor, clinical associate professor, clinical professor, assistant professor of practice, associate professor of practice, professor of practice, research assistant professor, research associate professor, research professor or persons who are otherwise designated as faculty on the Notice of Appointment.
Tenure-eligible faculty are those faculty who have an opportunity to be reviewed for tenure. Appointments that do not include the opportunity to be reviewed for tenure are considered non-tenure eligible appointments.
Graduate students who serve as assistants, associates or otherwise are academic appointees, as well as graduate students, but are not members of the faculty.
ASU policy on specific faculty ranks and titles
Conditions of faculty service
Faculty associates, faculty research associates, visiting faculty, adjunct faculty and graduate students are not member of the Academic Assembly.
Academic professionals
Academic professionals include employees designated by the Notice of Appointment as “professional.” Academic professionals, including librarians and researchers, are nonclassified employees who are involved with research, academic support and/or teaching programs, have advanced degrees and/or specialized training, require academic freedom and report to a person below the level of vice president.
ASU policy on specific academic professional ranks and titles
Conditions of professional service
Postdoctoral scholars
A postdoctoral scholar is an individual who has recently completed his/her doctoral studies and who holds short-term university appointments working under the guidance and direction of a faculty mentor as the individual prepares for a career as an independent scientist and researcher. More information on postdoctoral scholars at ASU can be found under Other Academic Personnel in the lefthand menu.