Description
Expectations.—As members of our Department, Adjunct and Affiliate Faculty are expected to contribute to key departmental activities. This will typically involve some or all of the following:
1. attending departmental functions (e.g., weekly seminars, events for faculty or graduate student recruitment, graduate student symposia, or public outreach)
2. advancing key departmental missions by providing service to standing or ad hoc committees (e.g., review of faculty candidate applications, development of graduate or undergraduate curricula, assistance with graduate recruiting efforts).
3. undergraduate teaching (e.g., guest lectures or units in existing courses, new lecture or seminar courses in one’s area of interest)
4. graduate teaching (e.g., guest lectures in existing courses; leading seminars or journal clubs)
5. serving on Biology graduate student committees
Additionally, Affiliate and Adjunct faculty who are also members of the Graduate Faculty with endorsement to chair supervisory committees are required to adhere to Department of Biology guidelines and policies regarding admission, support, and advising of Biology graduate students.
Thus, Adjunct or Affiliate status is not a “courtesy” appointment; such faculty are expected to play active, enthusiastic, and positive roles in furthering core departmental missions of research, teaching and outreach. Research collaborations with regular Department faculty, whether current or planned, are not themselves sufficient criteria for appointment or reappointment. Rather, long-term commitments and contributions to the Department are the bases for these appointments.
Purpose
The Department of Biology recognizes that substantial mutual benefits can accrue from the appointment of Adjunct Faculty who are members of other UW departments, and Affiliate Faculty, who are members of other institutions or organizations. These appointments can enhance the intellectual diversity and depth of expertise within the Department of Biology, while helping to attract top graduate students and regular faculty, expanding training opportunities for current students, and fostering interactions with other units on or off campus. Simultaneously, Adjunct and Affiliate Faculty can gain easier access to the range of expertise and collegial interactions offered by the Department of Biology, and, in some cases, enhanced opportunities to participate in graduate training by serving as members or supervisors of Biology graduate student advisory committees.
This document formalizes the Department’s expectations of Adjunct and Affiliate Faculty, as well as the criteria and procedures to be used prior to making or renewing such appointments. Note that Adjunct and Affiliate Faculty appointments are subject to renewal every year and do not provide voting privileges in the Department.
Procedure
Criteria for appointment and reappointment.—By University policy Adjunct and Affiliate Faculty are recommended for appointment by a majority vote of all voting faculty in the Department and must be considered for re-appointment annually. Candidates for appointment or reappointment must have distinguished records of engaging in, or promoting, research, teaching, outreach, or all of these activities within their home department, institution, or organization. Additionally there must be a reasonable expectation that a candidate will fulfill some or all of the expectations listed above, and, for reappointment, demonstrate a reasonable track record of such activities in the prior year.
Procedures for considering new appointments.
1. Prospective applicants are encouraged to discuss the appropriateness of an Adjunct or Affiliate appointment in Biology with the Department Chair and voting faculty, and should be provided with this document for guidance.
2. Should preliminary discussions suggest that an Adjunct or Affiliate position might be warranted, the candidate will provide the following information to the Department Chair:
• Letter stating the rationale for the appointment and the ways in which the applicant can contribute to the Department (e.g., via the activities listed under “Expectations”). If the applicant anticipates serving on graduate student committees, the letter should include a request for Graduate Faculty status, as well as endorsement to chair supervisory committees, if applicable.
• Current CV.
• Two letters of endorsement from voting Department of Biology faculty.
• Letter from the Chair of the applicant’s home department, or equivalent, stating approval of the proposed appointment.
3. Once all of these materials have been provided, they will be forwarded to the Faculty Appointments Committee for initial review. This Committee may seek additional information or clarification from the applicant. If the Committee deems that additional consideration is warranted, the materials will be made available to all voting Department faculty.
4. The voting faculty will initially vote on whether to formally consider the applicant for an Adjunct or Affiliate appointment.
5. If the vote is affirmative, an interview will be scheduled by the departmental Seminars Committee. This interview will include a formal seminar as well as meetings with voting faculty including the Department Chair.
6. After the interview, and any consultations with other faculty, the Faculty Appointments Committee will discuss the candidate and may elect to make a recommendation on the appointment to the voting faculty.
7. The regular faculty of the Department will discuss the candidate and any recommendation that may have been made by the Faculty Appointments Committee, and will vote on whether to seek the candidate’s appointment as an Adjunct or Affiliate faculty member.
8. If the voting faculty approves an Adjunct or Affiliate appointment, the chair will forward to the Dean the application materials as well as a statement that evaluates the merits of the appointment and reports the faculty vote. The Dean will then consider and make the final decision on whether or not to approve the appointment.
9. The endorsement to chair graduate supervisory committees, if requested, will typically be considered about one year following the initial appointment. This delay provides an opportunity for the regular faculty in Biology to further assess the candidate’s suitability for graduate mentoring and contributions to the Department overall.
Procedures for considering re-appointments.—Adjunct and Affiliate faculty are appointed for one-year terms and must be considered for reappointment annually. The Department will therefore request from each Adjunct or Affiliate faculty member the following information on an annual basis:
1. Current CV
2. Letter indicating: (i) request for re-appointment (or not); (ii) contributions to the Department during the preceding year; and (iii) expected contributions in the coming year.
This information will be evaluated by the Faculty Appointments Committee, which will make recommendations to the voting faculty, who will vote on the whether or not to request reappointment from the Dean. If members of the Faculty Appointments Committee or other regular faculty express concerns in a particular case, the Faculty Appointments Committee or the Department Chair may seek additional information from the candidate for reappointment. If concerns cannot be resolved, the Department or appointee may choose to not seek re-appointment.