Ranks, Actions, Reviews, & Leaves

The Code of Academic Freedom and Tenure (Academic Code) holds information on the qualifications and conditions for the various academic titles and grades of office. They include:

Tenured and Tenure-Eligible Ranks

• Professor, Associate Professor, and Assistant Professor

Non Tenure-Eligible Tracks

• Professor of Professional Practice, Associate Professor of Professional Practice, and Assistant Professor of Professional Practice
• Senior Lecturer, Lecturer
• Senior Associate, Associate
• Visiting Professor, Visiting Associate Professor, and Visiting Assistant Professor
• Term Professor, Term Associate Professor, and Term Assistant Professor
• Adjunct Professor*, Adjunct Associate Professor*, and Adjunct Assistant Professor*
• Research Scholar
• Teaching Assistant*

* Part-time members of the faculty

Appointments, other than temporary and part-time appointments, are made only after public announcement of vacancies and the screening of applicants in accordance with the equal employment opportunity policies of the College and after appropriate consultation with the University according to the terms of the Intercorporate Agreement (Adapted from Academic Code, Section V.B, p. 15). With the establishment of the Dean for Faculty Diversity and Development in 2009, searches for long-term full-time positions must work with the Dean and follow new procedures designed to ensure an expansive and inclusive search.

As noted in the Academic Code, recommendations on appointments, reappointments, promotions, and tenure of full-time faculty must be made by a majority vote of the department’s full-time faculty members holding rank higher than that of the candidate being considered. Department chairs should refer to the Faculty Handbook and Personnel Procedures for additional information on procedures for new faculty searches and faculty reappointment, tenure, and promotion reviews.

Recommendations on temporary full-time appointments for one year or less are made by the department chair in consultation with the Provost.

(Note: Recommendations on hiring adjunct instructors are made by the department chair in consultation with the Associate Provost for Budget and Planning.)

After consulting the Academic Code, the department chair should confirm both the appropriate academic title with the Provost and the creation of the appointment letter by the Provost’s Office to be sent to the new instructor. 

Action Forms for Full-Time Faculty

Once the details of a new full-time faculty appointment have been confirmed with the Provost and the candidate has accepted the position, the Provost’s Office will submit a Faculty Action Form so the appointment can be formally processed and coordinated with Human Resources. The Faculty Action Form is submitted once for tenured and tenure-eligible appointments. The chair must submit new faculty action forms each academic year for reappointment of all full-time renewable faculty on multi-year appointments.  

Action Forms for Part-Time Instructors, Teaching Assistants, and Graders

When hiring part-time instructors, the chair submits an Adjunct Action Form to the Provost’s Office for processing in conjunction with Human Resources. The Adjunct Action Form must be submitted for each semester of employment.

Adjunct Action Forms for new and continuing part-time instructors should be submitted by chairs prior to the beginning of each semester. Because deadlines vary from year to year, the Provost's Office provides a current payroll schedule on our Forms & Guidelines page.

Procedures for Appointment of Research Scholars

Research Scholar is a non-salaried position that carries neither teaching responsibilities nor other privileges associated with faculty appointment. It does provide the Scholar with institutional identity for the purpose of conducting scholarly research, along with access to Barnard and Columbia libraries and computing services. Appointment to this title must have the recommendation of the ATP. Click here to download the appointment guidelines.

The reappointment, promotion, and tenure of full-time members of the Faculty are governed by provisions in the Academic Code.

The Advisory Committee on Appointments, Tenure, and Promotions (ATP), chaired by the Provost, is responsible for reviewing the dossiers of all full-time officers of instruction and making recommendations for reappointment and/or promotion to the President of the College. The candidate’s dossier is normally prepared by the department chair (or a tenured faculty member designated by the chair) in consultation with those faculty members in the department who hold a higher rank than the candidate and with the Provost. Administrative support is provided by the department assistant or administrator working closely with the Associate Director of Faculty Support Services in the Provost’s Office.

The ATP has developed comprehensive Procedures for Reappointment and Promotion of Full-Time Officers of Instruction at Barnard College, which is a guide for those involved in preparing and presenting dossiers for reappointment, promotion, and tenure. Its purpose is to provide basic information about the standards and expectations of the ATP Committee in reviewing candidates for reappointment and promotion, as well as practical information about the normal calendar and procedures for reviews of full-time faculty members by rank. Faculty members and department chairs are encouraged to read this document carefully in preparation for all reviews. 

For upcoming tenure reviews, faculty members and department chairs should also consult the most recent edition of Columbia University’s Principles and Customs Governing University-Wide Tenure Reviews for Barnard College (“Principles and Customs”).

Detailed information on leave programs and eligibility is available in Barnard's Academic Code and in the Faculty Handbook.