400 Faculty Categories

405 Chairs
A description of the position of department chair can be found here.

405.1 Evaluation of chairs
The chair of an academic department is appointed by the school dean, in consultation with the provost, and reports to the school dean. Although they are members of the faculty, chairs are held to an administrative standard that includes a commitment to and realization of departmental goals and objectives set firmly within the context of the college’s mission. At the beginning of the three-year term the chair will receive a charge from the dean of the appropriate school identifying goals and objectives agreed upon at the time of hire or appointment. These will be reviewed annually in a discussion with the dean of the appropriate school. In the middle of the third year there will be an evaluation of the chair’s performance. Since the perception of the department faculty is valued and central to the evaluation process, during that time a formal faculty voice will be solicited and analyzed by the dean of the appropriate school as one of several factors that will determine the chair’s continuance. Ordinarily by March 29 of the third year of the term, the dean of the appropriate school will inform the chair of the decision, renewal of chair’s contract, or return to the faculty. After successfully completing an initial three-year term as chair, a second three-year chair contract will be offered. Subsequent evaluations will be done on a three-year rotational basis.

Evaluation of chairs is intended to reveal individual strengths and weaknesses of chairs in their leadership of departmental programs and in their overall attempt to enact the college mission. Such assessment is intended to provide guidance and support as well as clarity of standards of performance for chairs leading to improvement of the educational programs of the college, greater communication among faculty and staff within departments, greater coordination and cooperation throughout the college, and increased standing for the departments and the college locally and nationally. In this spirit, the chair should be given adequate opportunity, support, and encouragement to achieve these goals in an atmosphere of collegiality.

See the Academic Personnel intranet site for the Chair Evaluation Policy, Procedures, and Evaluation Forms.

405.2 Acting and Interim Chair
In some cases, an acting chair or interim chair may need to be appointed to oversee the department for a limited period. If the chair vacancy is only temporary, the appropriate title is acting chair. If the chair vacancy is permanent, the appropriate title is interim chair.

405.3 Evaluation of Acting and Interim Chairs
See the Academic Personnel intranet site for the Chair Evaluation Policy and Procedures, which includes acting and interim chairs.

415 Tenured Appointment
See Statement of Policy on Academic Freedom, Faculty Status, Tenure, and Due Process (Section IV.D). Tenured faculty members generally hold the rank of associate professor or professor.

Tenured faculty members are obligated to nine credits of teaching per semester, or equivalent responsibilities approved by the department chair and the dean of the appropriate school, during fall and spring semesters, and must maintain regular office hours for assisting students. Other responsibilities of tenured faculty members may be found in the Statement cited above. (See Academic Year Workload for Faculty Members with Tenure-track and Tenured Appointments, Section XIV of the Statement of Policy.)

Tenured faculty members are generally on 9½-month academic year contracts (August 16 through May 31) and are engaged in teaching and/or direct service to the college throughout this period except for those times specifically designated as holidays by the academic calendar.

Tenured faculty members with administrative duties may, at the discretion of the college, be appointed on a 12-month contract. Tenured faculty on 12-month contracts are engaged in teaching and/or direct service to the college throughout this period except for those times specifically designated as holidays by the staff calendar and a one-month vacation.

415.1 Evaluation of tenured faculty
See Statement of Policy on Academic Freedom, Faculty Status, Tenure, and Due Process (Section XVIII).

415.2 FAAR
All full-time faculty are expected to complete a Faculty Annual Activity Report (FAAR) by May 31 each year. For more information, see Section XVIII.B.1. of the Statement of Policy.

420 Tenure-track faculty
See Statement of Policy on Academic Freedom, Faculty Status, Tenure, and Due Process (Section IV.C).

Tenure-track faculty members are generally hired with the rank of assistant professor.

Tenure-track faculty members are obligated to nine credits of teaching per semester, or equivalent responsibilities approved by the department chair and the dean of the appropriate school, during fall and spring semesters, and must maintain regular office hours for assisting students. Other responsibilities of tenured faculty members may be found in the Statement cited above.

Tenure-track faculty members are generally on 9½-month academic year contracts (August 16 through May 31) and are engaged in teaching and/or direct service to the college throughout this period except for those times specifically designated as holidays by the academic calendar.

Tenure-track faculty members with administrative duties may, at the discretion of the college, be appointed on a 12-month contract. Tenure-track faculty members on 12-month contracts are engaged in teaching and/or direct service to the college throughout this period except for those times specifically designated as holidays by the staff calendar and a one-month vacation

420.1 Evaluation of tenure-track faculty
See Statement of Policy on Academic Freedom, Faculty Status, Tenure, and Due Process (Article XV).

420.2 FAAR
All full-time faculty are expected to complete a Faculty Annual Activity Report (FAAR) by May 31 each year. For more information, see Section XV.A.3. of the Statement of Policy.

425 Teaching-track faculty
See Statement of Policy on Academic Freedom, Faculty Status, Tenure, and Due Process. (Section IV.B). Teaching-track faculty members generally hold the rank of assistant professor of instruction, associate professor of instruction, or professor of instruction.

Responsibilities of teaching-track faculty members may be found in the Statement of Policy (Section VII. Academic Year Workload for Faculty Members with Teaching-track Appointments).

Teaching-track faculty members are generally on 9½-month academic year contracts (August 16 through May 31) and are engaged in teaching and/or direct service to the college throughout this period except for those times specifically designated as holidays by the academic calendar.

425.1 Evaluation of teaching-track faculty
See Statement of Policy on Academic Freedom, Faculty Status, Tenure, and Due Process (Section IX).

425.2 FAAR
All full-time faculty are expected to complete a Faculty Annual Activity Report (FAAR) by May 31 each year. For more information, see Section IX.2. of the Statement of Policy.

435 Visiting artists
A department, school, or the college may from time to time invite an artist or other professional to come to campus for a specified period to work with students and/or faculty. Arrangements for these appointments are made by the sponsoring unit.

437 Courtesy Appointments
There frequently arise circumstances in which a faculty member of one department becomes active in sustained collaborative research or teaching associated with a collegiate initiative or in another department in which that faculty member does not hold an appointment. This involvement may recognize a commitment to sustained research collaborations, team-taught courses, or interdisciplinary curricular activities. In such cases, a courtesy appointment of a degree of formality short of a joint appointment and without any salary obligations may be offered. A courtesy appointment is a full-time faculty designation that does not include compensation or confer additional employee status on the appointee. The faculty member must hold the appropriate qualifications for the secondary discipline as set forth in the Statement of Policy sections VI. and XIII. and as determined according to college qualification review processes.

A courtesy appointment shall be approved by the Dean, upon consultation with the Provost and the chair and dean of the home department of the faculty member receiving the courtesy appointment. The Dean’s letter of appointment should specify the courtesies to be extended, the term of the appointment (typically three-five years for tenured or tenure-track faculty and annually for teaching track faculty), the research, teaching or other activities associated with the appointment, and a date by which the terms of the appointment should be reviewed by the home department. The courtesies to be provided must be included in the courtesy appointment letter, and may include any or all of the following:

A faculty member may self-recommend to the chair of the receiving department, or may recommend a faculty peer for such an appointment. A chair of the receiving department may initiate a request of their dean for a courtesy appointment, or it may be considered by a dean on their own initiative. The decision to offer a courtesy appointment is subject to the discretion of the dean.

Because this courtesy appointment does not carry any salary or FTE percentage, it does not include any additional expectations related to teaching, scholarly or creative endeavor, or service beyond those relating to the faculty member’s primary appointment as set forth in the Statement of Policy on Academic Freedom, Faculty Status, Tenure and Due Process.The home department will conduct the faculty member’s performance and/or promotion reviews, though it may solicit comments from the department of the courtesy appointment. The appointment may be terminated by the appointing Dean or faculty member at any time.

440 Part-time faculty
See Statement of Policy on Academic Freedom, Faculty Status, Tenure, and Due Process (Section IV.A) and here.

445 Emeritus/emerita faculty
When members of the Columbia College Chicago faculty retire after seven or more years of service, they may be awarded the title of "emeritus" or "emerita." This title is bestowed upon those individuals who, while at Columbia, made significant contributions to the culture of their times, in keeping with the college's overall mission. This designation signifies a career marked by vision and leadership, whereby the designee had a marked impact on the lives of those within the Columbia community and actively shaped the future of the college while serving also as a model for professional peers outside of the college. Only those serving in the administrative positions of Dean, Provost or President are eligible for consideration for the “emeritus” or “emerita” title upon stepping out of the administrative role and assuming full-time faculty duties. Chairs and faculty emeriti are eligible for consideration when they are retiring from the college. This status is granted in accordance with the guidelines below.

Emeritus/emerita status for presidents and provosts: At the December meeting of the Board of Trustees in the academic year during which the title is to be bestowed, the chair of the board may introduce, and the full board may entertain and approve by a majority vote, a resolution conferring emeritus/emerita status on a retired or retiring president or provost. Presidents and provosts who are awarded emeritus/emerita status will retain their title followed by the designation "emeritus/emerita."

Emeritus/emerita status for deans: The president or provost may recommend a retired or retiring dean by submitting a letter of recommendation with supporting documentation (c.v., letters of support from colleagues both internal and external, evidence of artistry/scholarship, etc.) to the chair of the Board of Trustees in advance of the December meeting of the full Board in the academic year during which the title is to be bestowed. At that meeting, the chair of the board may introduce, and the full board may entertain and approve by a majority vote, a resolution conferring emeritus/emerita status on the retired or retiring dean. Deans who are awarded emeritus/emerita status will retain their title followed by the designation "emeritus/emerita."

The sole benefit conferred upon a president, provost, dean or other senior administrator receiving the emeritus designation is the designation itself, and, if they have retired from the college, any courtesies permitted emeritus faculty noted below. If they have not retired from the college but are continuing their faculty appointment, they retain all of the rights and responsibilities associated with their faculty rank set forth in the Statement of Policy.

Emeritu/emerita status for department chairs or faculty members: A chair may recommend a retired or retiring faculty member from the department by submitting a letter of recommendation with supporting documentation (c.v., letters of support or nominations from colleagues both internal and external, evidence of artistry/scholarship, etc.) to the appropriate school dean by December 1 of the academic year during which the title is to be bestowed. The dean should then submit a recommendation to the provost no later than February 1. The provost, in consultation with the president, will announce honorees no later than March 1 of each academic year. Faculty members who are awarded emeritus/emerita status will retain their rank of professor or associate professor followed by the designation "emeritus/emerita."

Benefits of emeritus/emerita status include recognition of each year’s new honorees in appropriate publications and during annual Commencement exercises; use of Columbia College Chicago letterhead for correspondence related to scholarly activities; continued use of their Columbia College Chicago email; Columbia College Chicago business and identification cards; invitations to college functions; library privileges, including online resources; and, at the discretion of the honoree, listing in college directories and participation in Convocation/Commencement ceremonies.

Potential opportunities for holders of emeritus/emerita status include guest lectureship; directing graduate theses; serving as academic advisor to students or mentor to faculty members; presenting or participating in college colloquia; serving as consultant on strategic planning and new initiatives, serving as advisory board member for a school, department, center, or institute of the college.

Emeritus/emerita status does not entitle the holder of the designation to material or human resources (space, equipment, personnel) unless their department separately makes a request for such resources, and the request is approved by the dean and the provost.