Courtesty Appointment
Because there is presently no PSU policy per se on Courtesy Appointments the following guidelines are provided. These guidelines are modeled after those developed by the College of the Liberal Arts. Their website, Rules and Processes for Courtesy Appointments, provides a good reference. http://www.la.psu.edu/facstaff/courtesyappt.htm
Courtesy appointments are used within the College to provide acknowledgment of participation in departmental activities and programs. This title will be used for only those unbudgeted faculty employed in other departments of The Pennsylvania State University.
When considering a courtesy appointment, the individual should be co-instructing classes offered by the requesting department; co-advising departmental graduate students; and/or have significant training and/or accomplishments in the relevant field.
The courtesy appointment permits faculty to use the names of the requested department in their title therefore you need to make sure that the credentials of that person meet your standards (not standards for a tenured appointment, but standards for someone you are granting the right to carry your department name).
Academic credentials of the person should meet the basic standards of faculty of similar rank in the requested department and consistent with The Pennsylvania State University Human Resource Policy HR21: Definition of Academic Ranks. Basic standards will vary from unit to unit and it is the department’s responsibility to create guidelines for this.
It is the expectation that a courtesy appointment will maintain involvement in teaching, research, or extension within the hosting department. Moderate participation in the host department activities including teaching, research, and extension will also be expected.
Process for requesting a courtesy appointment
- The individual interested in a courtesy appointment may make a request in writing (email acceptable) to the academic unit leader (AUL) indicating his/her current title (exact), the requested title, and the justification for the appointment including expected contributions to departmental activities.
- The AUL will provide this information to the faculty in the unit for their review and approval. Upon positive recommendation from the faculty, the AUL will forward to the Dean a cover letter outlining the request, supporting letters indicating approval from unit faculty, him or herself; and if outside the College of Agricultural Sciences, approval from the home dean or campus executive officer.
- Upon approval from the dean, a TITL form will be processed through the IBIS system to officially change the title.
- Appointments will be re-evaluated for continuation by the department and dean every three years.
