2023-2024 Faculty Handbook

Appointment of Faculty

Policies and Procedures for Approval of Ranked Faculty Positions
Search Policies and Procedures
Appointment Policies and Procedures
Policy and Procedures for Appointment of Part-time Per Course and Special Appointment

The recruitment and selection of new faculty are critical to the quality of California Lutheran University’s educational program. The University seeks faculty members who are excellent teachers; who serve as mentors to students in and out of class; who are engaged in scholarship, professional activities, and University service; and who support the University’s mission.
The policies and procedures below are designed to ensure that faculty of the highest quality are hired, that systematic and deliberate attempts are made to attract faculty who contribute to the diversity of California Lutheran University’s educational community, and that the University abides by its Equal Employment Opportunity Policy statement (See Section Three.III.C.).

Policies and Procedures for Approval of Ranked Faculty Positions

Proposals to fill new or replacement ranked faculty positions are normally initiated by one of the University’s academic departments or the dean of one of the schools. Proposals for these positions must be prepared using the Faculty Position Requisition Form and submitted through the dean of the school to the Vice President for Academic Affairs who, in consultation with the Academic Council, makes a recommendation to the President as to whether a compelling need exists for the proposed position. The President determines whether or not to fund the proposed position and advises the department chair, the dean of the school, and the Vice President for Academic Affairs of the decision.

In cases where these proposals are initiated by department chairs, the dean of the school should add a statement indicating and explaining support or opposition for the proposal and forward the proposal to the Vice President for Academic Affairs. 

Search Policies and Procedures

The dean, in consultation with the department chair, will appoint a search committee. The committee will normally be chaired by the chair of the department involved and will include all full-time and pro-rata part-time members of the department. Because a potential faculty member’s significance to the University goes beyond a particular discipline, the committee must also include two faculty members from outside the department.

The search process must follow the procedures detailed in the Faculty Search Guidelines document available from the Academic Affairs Office.

Upon completion of the search process, the committee chair will submit names of final candidate(s) with materials and rationale, based on the position criteria, to the dean of the school or college who will add his or her recommendation and submit both to the Vice President for Academic Affairs. The Academic Affairs Office will verify earned degrees. The committee chair is responsible for submitting the final summary report to the Vice President for Academic Affairs following the Documentation for Faculty Searches’ guidelines available from the Academic Affairs Office. 

Appointment Policies and Procedures
  1. Authority to Hire

    Sole authority to hire and retain faculty is vested in the President. This authority is customarily exercised through the Vice President for Academic Affairs by procedures established to assure adequate consultation with the faculty and full compliance with the equal opportunity policy. No representative of the University may make commitments to prospective appointees without the approval of all details of such commitments by the Vice President for Academic Affairs or the President.
  2. Appointment Decisions

    Decisions as to which candidate will be offered the position are arrived at through discussions among the search committee, the department chair, the dean of the school or college, and the Vice President for Academic Affairs. Letters of appointment are drafted by the Vice President for Academic Affairs and signed by the President, who must give final approval to the appointment. When the President is not readily available, the Vice President for Academic Affairs may act for the President in giving this approval and signing letters of appointment.
  3. Letters of Appointment

    Letters of appointment must include the specific terms and conditions of the appointment, including the period of time covered by the appointment, rank, and compensation.
  4. Credit for Prior Academic Service

    Faculty with prior full-time teaching experience in a regular (not adjunct or special appointment) ranked position at a regionally accredited college or university may be granted credit toward the probationary period even though the faculty member’s total probationary period in the academic profession is extended beyond the normal maximum of seven years. Normally the credit granted will not exceed three years.

    Credit for prior academic service is determined by the President and the Vice President for Academic Affairs at the time the initial probationary contract is issued.

    The precise terms of any credit given for previous teaching experience and the length of the probationary period to be fulfilled at California Lutheran University must be stated in writing at the time of the initial appointment and incorporated into the initial letter of appointment and in the contract.
  5. Criteria for Appointment to Rank

    At the time of initial appointment of a full-time or pro-rata part-time faculty member, the Vice President for Academic Affairs in consultation with the dean, department chair, and the ART Committee, makes a judgment about rank for the initial contract using the criteria described below. Thereafter, rank changes are subject to Section Two.VII.C., “Promotion Policies, Eligibility, and Criteria.”

    Throughout these sections on specific ranks, a university of “recognized standing” means a university accredited by one of the six regional accrediting associations, e.g., Western Association of Schools and Colleges, or a recognized university of international standing. “Regular” ranked positions exclude adjunct or special appointment positions.
    1. Instructor
      • possession of a master’s degree from a graduate institution of recognized standing or equivalent experience and professional recognition
      • either proven or presumptive potential to obtain in a timely manner an appropriate earned doctoral degree or terminal professional degree recognized by the University
      • either proven or presumptive potential for satisfactorily fulfilling the duties and responsibilities of a faculty member.
    2. Assistant Professor
      • possession of an appropriate earned doctorate or an appropriate terminal professional degree/certification (an MFA for studio art and drama; a CPA or CMA and an appropriate master’s degree for accounting) from a graduate institution of recognized standing or accomplishments that are considered equivalent, such as outstanding performance in the creative arts or in the business or medical community
      • either proven or presumptive competence in instruction as well as scholarship in his or her field
      • either proven or presumptive potential for satisfactorily fulfilling the duties and responsibilities of a faculty member and for making significant contributions to the University community.
    3. Associate Professor
      • possession of an appropriate earned doctorate or appropriate terminal professional degree/certification (an MFA for studio art and drama; a CPA or CMA and an appropriate master’s degree for accounting) from a graduate institution of recognized standing or accomplishments that are considered equivalent, such as outstanding performance in the creative arts or in the business or medical community
      • a minimum of six years of full-time teaching in a regular, ranked faculty position in a regionally accredited college or university, or a minimum of five years of full-time teaching at the rank of assistant professor, or equivalent experience
      • evidence of sustained teaching effectiveness
      • evidence of research, scholarship or creative work
      • potential for significant service to the University
    4. Professor
      1. possession of an appropriate earned doctorate or appropriate terminal professional degree/certification (an MFA for studio art and drama; a CPA or CMA and an appropriate master’s degree for accounting) from a graduate institution of recognized standing or widely acclaimed accomplishments in the field, such as outstanding performance in the creative arts or the business or medical community
      2. a minimum of 10 years of full-time teaching in a regular, ranked faculty position in a regionally accredited college or university (or its equivalent), or minimum of five years of full-time teaching at the rank of associate professor, or equivalent experience
      3. evidence of outstanding teaching effectiveness
      4. evidence of outstanding service to previous academic institutions and to the community
      5. evidence of significant research, creative works or professional accomplishments
Policy and Procedures for Appointment of Part-time Per Course and Special Appointment

Appointments to unranked faculty positions are made by the President upon recommendation by the Vice President for Academic Affairs and after consultation with the appropriate division and/or department chairs, and they depend on adequate enrollment in the proposed faculty member’s course.

Appointments of lecturers or adjunct faculty are, by definition, temporary and do not entail the level of search and scrutiny that are required of appointments to full-time, ranked positions. While a formal search process is not required and is ordinarily not practical under the usual time constraints for hiring part-time faculty, care should be taken to ascertain that the proposed lecturer possesses the appropriate credentials and experience.

Selection of lecturers should be consistent with the academic standards of the University. A person assigned this title should meet or exceed the minimal requirements set forth for instructor. In lieu of these requirements, considerable experience in an appropriate technical, artistic, or professional field may be substituted. Appropriate documentation of credentials and teaching experience must be obtained and submitted to the Vice President for Academic Affairs before a contract will be issued.