Titles for Continuing Contract Faculty

Full-Time Continuing Contract Faculty are defined in University Bylaws, Section 87(a), Full-Time Continuing Contract Faculty Appointments. Continuing Contract Faculty “are faculty who are not Tenured/Tenure Track Faculty and who: (i) have full-time appointments at the University; (ii) have titles or appointments that do not prohibit indefinite contract renewals (although promotion within the appointment category, such as from Assistant to Associate, may be required for renewal); and (iii) are not visiting faculty (including persons who have tenure or are on the tenure track at another institution and persons who are on leave from another institution or company.)”

Continuing Contract Faculty have an array of titles, which may vary depending on the school, and which may overlap with Other Faculty titles (see University Bylaws, Section 88, Other Faculty). Continuing Contract Faculty are to be appointed using academic titles from among appropriate titles set forth in University Bylaws at that time and listed among Nontenure Positions (University Bylaws, Section 89, Nontenure Positions). Schools seeking to create materially different academic titles designed to convey Continuing Contract Faculty status must secure the approval of the Provost, who shall consult with the T-FSC and the C-FSC and make a recommendation to the Board of Trustees to amend the Bylaws accordingly.

Written Contracts

Each Continuing Contract Faculty appointment is to be secured by a written contract, specifying a fixed term, signed by the parties to it, and filed with the dean and the University Office of Academic Appointments prior to commencement of employment. 

Such contracts shall include the following terms negotiated between the faculty member and the appropriate administrator with the authority to do so, and approved by the dean:  

  • start and end dates of the appointment; 
  • an indication of whether the faculty member is eligible to be considered for reappointment upon conclusion of the current contract;
  • academic responsibilities, compensation, and obligations of the appointment;
  • particular responsibilities and benefits; and
  • agreement to be bound by applicable University policies. 


In accordance with University Bylaws, Section 87(b), Contracts and Titles, the appointment of Continuing Contract Faculty automatically terminates at the close of the period of time stipulated in the contract, unless there is an official notice of renewal. By signing the contract, appointees acknowledge that they have received adequate notice of their termination date. Thus, reappointment can be achieved only by a school’s taking affirmative action to do so. 

Areas of Responsibility

Responsibilities and assignments for Continuing Contract Faculty vary from school to school and within schools and are normally differentiated by title. Each school shall define and prioritize the responsibilities associated with Continuing Contract Faculty positions and establish performance expectations.

Responsibilities associated with Continuing Contract Faculty appointments typically include some but not necessarily all of the following and need not be restricted to them:

  • teaching including, but not limited to, classroom instruction;
  • scholarship including, but not limited to, for example, research, publications, creative productions, and performances;
  • student advising;
  • service including, but not limited to, service to the University community and within and to one's profession; and
  • additional academic roles and administrative responsibilities that contribute to the school's or University's educational, research, and service missions.

Participation in School Governance

In accordance with University Bylaws, Section 82(c), Faculty Membership, College and School Governance, the Continuing Contract Faculty of a school may hold its own faculty meetings and may grant rights of attendance and voting privileges to other categories of faculty of the school, as it determines; and may participate in joint meetings with tenured/tenure track faculty.

Schools are expected to permit Continuing Contract Faculty to be represented within their respective school governance bodies, and to include Continuing Contract Faculty on appropriate committees, except for those involving tenure decisions or those otherwise set aside by University Bylaws as falling within the exclusive domain of tenured and tenure track faculty.

Transfer between Continuing Contract Faculty and Tenured or Tenure Track Appointments

While not prohibited, Continuing Contract Faculty appointments are not normally convertible to tenure track appointments. In rare cases, and then only with Provostial approval, a school may choose to convert a non-tenure track position into a tenure track one for which the incumbent is eligible to apply within the search process. In these rare cases, conversion of a non-tenure track position into a tenure track position will not foreshorten an existing contract duration as could occur, for example, if the conversion occurred before expiration of an existing contract and the contractee was not selected for the tenured or tenure track appointment. However, no school policy may prohibit a Continuing Contract Faculty member from applying for and being considered for any tenure track opening that arises within their school or elsewhere in the University; nor may any school policy treat their doing so with prejudice.