Coming to Terms With Academic Titles at US Colleges

Professor សាស្ត្រាចារ្យ         Associate professors សាស្ត្រចារ្យរង               Get ready for ត្រៀមខ្លួនរង់ចាំ       Doctoral degree សញ្ញាបត្របណ្ឌិត     instructor គ្រូបង្រៀន

Tenure ការកាន់មុខតំណែង  These days សព្វថ្ងៃនេះ                                   on the tenure track ឆ្ពោះទៅរកការកាន់មុខដំណែង                                Assistant professors សាស្ត្រាចារ្យជំនួយ         is denied មិនត្រូវបានផ្តល់អោយ  Publish or perish បោះពុម្ពឬស្លាប់          later ក្រោយមកទៀត                                     carry out ធ្វើ

Faculty members គណៈសាស្ត្រាចារ្យ                                                          period of time រយៈពេល  lecturer​ អ្នកបង្រៀន

Not everyone who teaches in a college or university is a professor. Many are instructors or lecturers. In fact, not even all professors are not full professors. Many of them are assistant or associate professors or adjunct professors. So what do all of these different academic titles mean at American colleges and universities?

Get ready for a short lecture, especially if you are thinking of a career in higher education. Professors usually need a doctoral degree. But sometimes a school will offer positions to people who have not yet received their doctorate. This person would be called an instructor until the degree has been completed. After that, the instructor could become an assistant professor. Assistant professors do not have tenure.

Tenure means a permanent appointment. This goal of greater job security is harder to reach these days. Fewer teaching positions offer the chance for tenure. Teachers and Researchers who are hired into positions that do offer it are said to be “on the tenure track.” Assistant professor is the first job on this path.

Assistant professors generally have five to seven years to gain tenure. During this time, other faculty members study the person work. If tenure is denied, then the assistant professor usually has a year to find another job. Candidates for tenure may feel great pressure to get research published.

“Publish or perish” is the traditional saying. An assistant professor who receives tenure becomes an associate professor. An associate professor may later be appointed a full professor. Assistant, associate and full professors perform many duties. They teach classes. They advise students. And they carry out research. They also serve on committees and take part in other activities. Other faculty members are not expected to do all these jobs. They are not on a tenure track. Instead, they may be in adjunct or visiting positions.

A visiting professor has a job at one school but work at another for a period of time. An adjunct professor is also a limited or part time position, to do research or teach classes. Adjunct professors have a doctorate degree. Another position is that of lecturer. Lecturers teach classes, but they may or may not have a doctorate.