Faculty Appointments Initial appointment to the faculty is made formally by the Board of Visitors on the recommendation of the president. The president depends upon the vice-presidents, deans, department chairmen, and faculty search committees to perform most of the recruitment of faculty. Under special conditions, the university may appoint eminent, nationally or internationally recognized scholars as visiting professors for a specific, limited period of time. Normally, eligibility is limited to full time faculty members who have retired at the rank of professor or associate professor and who have given long-time consecutive service to the university prior to retirement. The initial nontenured faculty appointment is usually for one year, though in some cases it may be for a shorter or longer period.
Initial appointments are in the form of a letter of appointment from a vice-president or dean.
The faculty member's signature on a copy of the letter and its return constitutes acceptance of the appointment. The appointment expires unless reappointment is offered by the dean involved. Reappointment is also usually for one year and will expire unless renewed. Should appropriate authorities of the university decide that the employment of a nontenured faculty member will not be renewed, the faculty member will be explicitly informed of the decision. The term collateral faculty refers to persons appointed to full time or part time faculty positions which are designated by the university to be tenure-ineligible.