Proposal 36-15

The University Senate of Michigan Technological University

Proposal 36-15
(Voting Units: Academic) 

“Definition of "Affiliated" Faculty Appointments”

PDF Version of Proposal 36-15

I. Background

This proposal is to formalize the definition of a term applied to tenured or tenure-track faculty who contribute scholarship in more than one discipline at the University.

This proposal also rectifies the current situation regarding the use of the term “adjunct” at Michigan Tech. At Michigan Tech, the term “adjunct” has been applied to faculty members who contribute scholarship in more than one discipline at the University but only receive financial compensation from one discipline. This use of the term “adjunct” is not in alignment with the usage of the term at other institutions of higher education.

The new term “affiliated” is not intended to replace or in any way modify the meaning of the term “joint” faculty.

II. Proposal

The proposed changes are intended to be added to the Tenured/Tenure-Track Faculty Handbook

Affiliated Faculty Appointments

Affiliated Faculty Appointment (Professor, Associate Professor, Assistant Professor): Affiliated faculty appointments are used to acknowledge and support the scholarly contributions that faculty may make in more than one discipline.

All faculty members holding affiliated appointments must have a primary appointment within an academic department or school. The primary department or school will be responsible for annual reviews for the faculty member’s reappointment, tenure, promotion, and salary consideration. The primary department/school will seek and consider written input from the chair of the department(s) and/or dean of the school(s) hosting the faculty member’s affiliated appointments.

Affiliated faculty appointments are at the same rank (i.e., professor, associate professor, or assistant professor) as a faculty member’s primary appointment.

Affiliated faculty will not be evaluated in any way for tenure and/or promotion by a unit in which they hold an affiliated appointment.

Affiliated faculty appointments are possible with non-departmental and interdisciplinary programs as well as with departments or departmental programs.

All requests for affiliated appointments must be approved by the provost and President. Requests for affiliated appointments also need approval from the:

  • faculty member’s primary academic department chair or school dean,

  • dean of their primary college (if in a college),

  • approval from the affiliated-appointment discipline’s department or school (for disciplinary appointments) or the appropriate executive group or director and graduate dean (for interdisciplinary appointments)

  • dean of the faculty member’s affiliated-appointment college (if the affiliated-appointment discipline is housed in a college.

Proposal History:

  • Approved by the Graduate Faculty Council on March 3, 2015.

Proposal 36-15:
Introduced to Senate: April 1, 2015
Approved by Senate: April 15, 2015
Approved by Administration with Editorial Amendment (in red): April 22, 2015

Senate Introduced the editorial amendment: September 9, 2015
Senate approved the editorial amendment: September 23, 2015