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Overview
Who are Academic Support Staff?
- Academic Support Staff consist of Full and Part time Staff at the University of Pennsylvania and are not eligible for an appointment to the Standing or Associated Faculty. Each appointment to the Academic Support Staff is for a term of years and is without tenure or tenure significance. Full definition can be found on the Provost's website - Faculty Handbook Policy II.B.4 -Policy defining the structure of the academic staff.
What are the two Academic Support Staff positions?
- Instructor - Used primarily for part-time clinical personnel in the health professional schools; there is no limit to the length of part-time service in this position. In addition, the instructor position is occasionally used in some schools for Full-Time appointments of scholars still in professional training. In this case appointments are limited to (3) three consecutive years, except where additional appointments are approved by the Provost.
- Research Associate - Research Associates work in sponsored research programs and must hold the appropriate terminal professional degree in their disciplines. Full time service in this position may not exceed three (3) years, except with approval of the Provost.
Why are Academic Support Staff hired?
- These positions contribute to the University’s teaching, research, or clinical missions in a variety of ways. Instructors are primarily in pursuit of additional professional training and Research Associates are recruited to work in sponsored research programs.
The following activities are examples of how PSOM departments have used these positions:- Instructors:
- Career Development Awards (ex. K99 Award)
- Unaccredited fellowship
- Developing teaching portfolio
- Pursuing a Master's Degree
- Research:
- Build publication history
- Collaborate on research
- Develop research independence
- Grant writing experience
- Instructors: