Coordinated Faculty Appointments

Coordinated Faculty Appointments in New York, Abu Dhabi, and Shanghai

New guidelines (PDF: 367KB) update and clarify core processes for searching, hiring, reviewing, and granting tenure at Abu Dhabi and Shanghai, with particular respect to the partnership and consultation with New York. They alter the prior University principles issued as "'Both/And' Decision Making in Searching for, Hiring, and Tenuring Faculty at NYU Abu Dhabi and NYU Shanghai,” and supplement University-wide policies applicable to promotion and tenure review, including the New York University Promotion and Tenure Guidelines and the University statement on Academic Freedom and Tenure.

After careful consideration, including recommendations from Abu Dhabi and Shanghai leadership and from the Faculty Committee on the University’s Global Network, these Guidelines acknowledge the institutional complexity of Abu Dhabi and Shanghai and their singular challenges in recruitment; recognize the presence of a critical mass of faculty at Abu Dhabi and Shanghai that can carry out faculty governance and peer review in a number of disciplines; and encourage Abu Dhabi, Shanghai and New York to continue to draw upon the intellectual range and depth of experience that exist in each campus.

Going forward for new faculty hires, Abu Dhabi and Shanghai can pursue a wide range of affiliations with New York, and can also opt to independently run tenure or tenure-track searches for faculty who will have no affiliation at all with New York.

Beginning with searches initiated on or after June 1, 2020, these Guidelines apply to all new tenured and tenure track faculty at Abu Dhabi and Shanghai. Existing faculty – who bear the title of Global Network Professor conferred since 2015 – will retain the benefits, privileges and terms of that title. These Guidelines must be reflected in New York, Abu Dhabi, and Shanghai processes and policies.

Joint Professorships Between Portals

Joint professorships between portals can be helpful in recruiting distinguished senior faculty to NYU. Normally, these appointments are between a New York academic unit and either NYU Abu Dhabi or NYU Shanghai, but such appointments can also be between NYU Abu Dhabi and NYU Shanghai. The split of time and responsibilities can be flexible to meet the needs of the faculty member and the two campuses. Splits other than 50%/50% are possible as are appointments that allow the faculty member to be in residence full time at one campus for an initial number of years followed by an appointment full time at the other campus. Appointments of joint professors to tenured positions must go through the standard tenure processes at the campuses at which the faculty member is to have tenure

NYU New York is home to distinguished faculty who work in fields that are particularly good matches with the curricular and research profiles of NYU Shanghai and NYU Abu Dhabi. Where mutually desirable, current NYU New York faculty may have their 100% New York appointments converted into joint appointments with Abu Dhabi or Shanghai subject to approval by their deans and Abu Dhabi/Shanghai. The changes can be permanent or for a set number of years. The freed up portion of the New York line will be available to the faculty person's home department or program to use for other purposes, for example, a new entry level faculty position or “fast forwarding” an expected retirement line, additional graduate support, teaching post docs, etc.

The costs of these joint appointments (salary, benefits, research needs, etc.) are divided between the two campuses by prior agreement, with each campus taking primary responsibility for costs incurred when the faculty member is in residence at that campus.

Global Network Professor Title

The Global Network Professor (GNP) title -- which has been used since 2015 to provide a means for New York schools to express approval of a tenured or tenure-track hire in Abu Dhabi or Shanghai -- will be retained by faculty who have been granted that title. Virtually all tenured and tenure track faculty in Abu Dhabi and Shanghai have the GNP title.

However, for searches with appointment start dates on or after June 1, 2020, the GNP title will no longer be conferred.

The GNP title is a hybrid of traditional cross appointments. Those who have the GNP title are eligible to participate in teaching, training and mentoring students in both Abu Dhabi or Shanghai and New York. Importantly, third year, promotion, and tenure review for faculty with the GNP title will continue to be carried out jointly by Abu Dhabi or Shanghai and New York.