This is the VOA Special English Education Report.
Not everyone who teaches in a college or university is a profeor.Many are instructors or lecturers.In fact, not even all profeors are full profeors.Many of them are aistant or aociate profeors or adjunct profeors.
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.
Profeors 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 aistant profeor.Aistant profeors 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.\" Aistant profeor is the first job on this path.
Aistant profeors generally have five to seven years to gain tenure.During this time, other faculty members study the person\'s work.If tenure is denied, then the aistant profeor usually has a year to find another job.
Candidates for tenure may feel great preure to get research published.\"Publish or perish\" is the traditional saying.
An aistant profeor who receives tenure becomes an aociate profeor.An aociate profeor may later be appointed a full profeor.
Aistant, aociate and full profeors perform many duties.They teach
claes.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 might be in adjunct or visiting positions.
A visiting profeor has a job at one school but works at another for a period of time.An adjunct profeor is also a limited or part-time position, to do research or teach claes.Adjunct profeors have a doctorate.
Another position is that of lecturer.Lecturers teach claes, but they may or may not have a doctorate.
And that\'s the VOA Special English Education Report, written by Nancy
Steinbach.You and read and listen to our reports, and get information on how to study in the United States, at 51voa.com.I\'m Christopher Cruise.
