Part-Time Faculty Overview

"Part-time" refers to faculty members spending 74% or less of their time employed by Boston University. Part-time faculty often have the description "Adjunct" as part of their title. The Provost will review part-time appointments with most ranks (see Administrative Approval Required for Faculty Actions Chart), but will not review the proposed appointment of other part-time appointees such as lecturers, research associates and teaching associates (and any student related titles such as research assistants, teaching fellows, tutors, and laboratory assistants).

Initial appointments for part-time lecturers, research associates, and teaching associates are decanal appointments; all appointment paperwork, department recommendations, and outside recommendation letters should still be completed and solicited, and kept on file by the School/College. Reappointment of these faculty is also by decanal approval, unless there is an increase in per course rate and percent time. Any change of this kind requires Provost approval.

In the rare instance when a part-time lecturer teaches a course load equivalent to a full-time load, this is also a decanal appointment unless the lecturer receives a base salary and additional departmental duties as a result of the change. If he/she is to continue being paid on a per-course basis and the assignment is contingent upon sufficient enrollments in the course, the appointment would remain coded with a 4.5 assignment duration. If a part-time faculty member is asked to teach a full-load and will be paid a "base" salary, he/she should be proposed for appointment as an Instructor which would be appropriate for a full-time teaching appointment. An appointment for an instructor requires Provost and Trustee approval.

Recruitment

While affirmative recruitment policies must be applied to all faculty positions, the scope of the search for part-time faculty may be restricted by the nature of the position, its duration, the percentage of time involved, and the degree of specialization required. Each School/College is responsible for making the determination concerning the appropriate scope of the search for its part-time positions and for ensuring that affirmative recruitment policies are applied. No advance authorization for such recruitment is required.

Appointment

When it is anticipated that a part-time appointment will extend beyond one academic year (i.e., when it is likely that the appointee will be a candidate for reappointment), an Affirmative Action Report Form is required. The Affirmative Action Report form should be included with the initial appointment package.

This is the same form that is used for full-time appointments but only page 1 needs be completed. Insert the name of the appointee on the top of the form or attach a list identifying appointees by name, Social Security Number, sex, and race/ethnic code.
For those actions requiring the Provost's review, please submit the appropriate forms for initial appointment or reappointment [see the "Administrative Approval Required for Faculty Actions" chart in order to determine which part-time appointments require Provost approval].

Please refer to the following topics in this manual:

• Overview of Initial Appointments
• Completing Affirmative Action Report Form
• Completing the Academic Appointment Form
• Completing the Biographical Data Form

For actions not requiring Provost approval, the appropriate paperwork should be completed and a permanent file should be maintained in the Dean's office.

The Part-Time Faculty Appointment List

The Part-time Faculty Appointment List must be submitted to the Provost's Office prior to each semester for use as a checklist for processing the part-time faculty payroll.

This list should include name, rank, appointment period, course name and/or number, and course rate. Updates must be submitted in a timely fashion. Payroll will not be processed for those faculty whose names do not appear on the list until an update has been received in the Provost's Office.

Please submit the list to the Faculty Payroll Specialist, Paul Lawrence, in the Provost's Office.

Part-Time Faculty Reappointments

Part-time reappointment forms for faculty with the rank of Research, Clinical, Visiting, and Adjunct should be submitted for Provost approval only if they have a proposed salary increase. If they do not have a proposed salary increase, they require Decanal approval only and the appropriate paperwork should be completed and kept on file in the Dean's Office. The Part-time Faculty Appointment List is used by the Provost's Office as notification of part-time reappointments.

A complete package for a part-time faculty reappointment recommendation consists of the following:

1. A completed Recommendation for Part-Time Faculty Reappointment Form (PDF). When the appointment has been approved, a signed copy will be returned to you as the administrative approval.
2. A current vita (no more than 3 months old).
3. A completed Part-time Faculty Appointment List. This is submitted to the Provost's Office prior to the beginning of the semester.
4. For professorial ranks, a copy of the Dean's reappointment letter to the faculty member should be sent to the Provost's Office after Provost approval is received.