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  • Application for Academic Rank
  • Verification of Academic Rank
  • Professor Application

Adopted by the District Faculty Senate, following all-faculty vote, on April 17, 1986. This revised policy to become effective September 8, 1986.

A. Background. The plan of Academic Rank of the Los
Angeles Community College District Academic Senate has been carried over from the previous revision, with the following alterations. Owing to changes and interpretations since last revised (1980), a committee of the District Academic Senate presents the following plan.

B. Purpose of the Plan. Establishment of academic rank provides increased status, greater community prestige, and improvement in personal welfare of the faculty.
Titles lend prestige in the publication of textbooks and other educational material.
Titles identify two-year college faculty more closely with the other segments of higher education as designated in the Master Plan of Higher Education in California.
National scholarships and invitations for assignments in other colleges and universities are enhanced by titles.

C. General Criteria for Academic Rank.

1. The academic rank of Assistant Professor, of Associate Professor, and of Professor and accompanying title shall be granted in a subject area or service area such that the rank and title shall read:
John Doe, Assistant Professor of French, or
John Doe, Associate Professor of French, or
John Doe, Professor of French.

2. Except in areas covered by C6 below, the subject area in which the title is granted must be one in which there is a sequence of courses offered in the day program of that college, and the subject must be from the list of subjects in the current Directory of Educational Programs (DEPC).

3. The faculty member must apply for rank and must select a single subject or service area, defined in (2) above, and meet the requirements as specified in section (D) below.

4. Faculty members holding rank in accordance with the above may request a change in subject or service area title at such time as they are qualified under (3).

5. Faculty serving in Administrative and Supervisory capacities may retain such rank as has been conferred upon them during their tenure in the classroom.

6. Faculty members whose assigned function is to work in an educational capacity outside of the conventional classroom shall be granted academic rank in the area of their credential subject or in the area of their professional service. Such members include, but shall not be limited to, counselors, librarians, media specialists, school nurses and college physicians of students' health service.

D. The Plan. The plan as outlined below involves no additional expense to the Los Angeles Community College District Board of Trustees. It is in no way attached to salary, nor is it to become a merit plan for salary increase. Academic rank is related to length of professional service rendered, irrespective of subject or service area within the District.

1. Lecturer. Any faculty member shall be granted the title of Lecturer when conditions for academic rank have not been met.

2. Assistant Professor. Any faculty member hired as probationary instructor shall be immediately eligible for the rank of Assistant Professor.

3. Associate Professor. An Assistant Professor with a master's degree or higher (or a Class A or a Class B vocational credential, or a special designated subjects credential) and three (3) year's professional services in the District shall be eligible for the rank of Associate Professor. Any faculty member with a bachelor's degree and seven (7) year's professional services in the District shall be eligible for the rank of Associate Professor.

4. Professor. An Associate Professor member may make application for the rank of professor upon fulfillment of a and one of b, C, d, e, or f below.

a. Five (5) years of full-time service as an Associate Professor, in addition to being able to meet the requirements for granting of the title of Associate Professor under (4) above.

b. Sixty (60) units of college or
university credit
beyond a 120 unit bachelor's degree.

c. Professional certification by the State of California for persons holding a bachelor's degree.

d. An earned doctorate.

e. National or international eminence or significant community service.

f. A teacher of a vocational subject may make application for the rank of Professor of Vocational ___________, upon fulfillment of (a), above, and the presentation of ninety (90)points.

5. The application for advancement in rank shall be submitted to the Committee on Academic Rank at the particular college. The committee shall follow the rules as specified in this document and in (7c) below with the intent of their faculty as a guideline.

a. A favorable vote of the committee will result in the notification of the action to the President of the college. The President will notify the individual of the change in rank for inclusion in the records of the college, including all publications and publicity emanating from the college. A copy of the notice will be forwarded to the personnel division of the District for insertion in the faculty member's personnel record's folder.

b. An unfavorable decision by the committee may be brought to the attention of an appeal committee, composed of one person selected by the candidate, one person selected by the Committee on Academic Rank of the college, and three persons elected by the Faculty of the college, and three persons elected by the Faculty Association or Academic Senate of the college. An unfavorable decision by this appeal committee shall be considered as a final appeal. An applicant so denied advancement in rank may reapply not earlierthan one year from the date of the original application.

6. Academic rank shall not be established on any campus within the District unless a majority of all probationary and regular faculty request it and, conversely, may be discontinued upon the request of a majority of the faculty of that particular college.

7. If a faculty member transfers to another college within the District having academic rank, the former rank will be honored. A faculty member who joins the Los Angeles Community College District in a full-time professional services capacity, and who held academic rank in a previous teaching position, shall apply for rank as specified in Section (D).

8. In the assignment of academic rank, it will be the policy of the Los Angeles Community College District Academic Senate to require compliance with the criteria and procedures in the awarding of academic rank beyond that of Assistant Professor:

a. There shall be established in each college by secret vote of the day faculty, a board of at least six (6) members for staggered three-year terms, whose duty it shall be to serve on a panel to consider application for advancement in rank. The committee Chair pro-tern shall be elected by members of the committee.

b. This committee shall meet with the Chair of the division or the department, or the Chair's representative, in the department of individual making application, who shall sit with the committee, but shall not vote.

c. To arrive at a recommendation, the committee will use the criteria listed in Section (D), items (1) through twelve (12). Additional criteria, if any, for advancement in rank may be handled autonomously by each individual community college.
Conferences will be held with faculty Chairs and college Presidents to insure uniform administration of the plan throughout the District.

9. This plan is to go into full effect upon acceptance of a simple majority of college teachers voting on the plan.

10. On a one-time basis, instructors employed in the District at the time of adoption of this plan shall have the right to start their rank as if they passed through the steps on the basis of this schedule. No rank shall be lowered as a consequence of these changed rules.

11. Upon retirement, faculty members may be granted the highest rank held, preceded by the word, "Emeritus." This rank to be approved by the District Academic Senate Academic Rank Committee based upon evidence submitted by campus academic rank committees. This approval to be contingent upon achievement in any of the following endeavors:
Significant publication in the field of instruction involved.
Significant sponsorship of student activities.
Significant service on committees related to academic governance.
Eminence statewide, nationally, or internationally, in the field of instruction involved.
Significant and long term community service.
General recognition by the academic community of having served as an unusually capable educator.

12. Rules for implementing this plan when adopted shall be established on each college by the Faculty Association or Academic Senate of such college.

Approved for the Senate
Patricia G. Siever, President
District Faculty Senate

Approved for the District
Cedric A. Sampson, Vice Chancellor
Educational Services

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