“RTE” is an acronym for “Research Teaching Extension” and during 2018-19 steps were taken to enhance the shared governance role for RTE faculty. Here is a synopsis of that work which culminated in the passage of Resolution 131.
As a natural follow-up, in Fall 2019 an ad hoc committee was convened and charged by the Faculty Senate to examine the totality of the academic environment that relates to the RTE faculty and to propose improvements.
The work of the committee was essentially put on hold during the S20, F20, S21, and F21 semesters because of the pandemic although its work on emeritus status for certain retiring RTE titleholders was approved by the Senate (Resolution 141) and is now implemented, as seen in 5.5 of the Faculty Handbook.
Members of the RTE Working Group
Member | Home Unit | College | Title |
John Callister, co-chair | Mechanical & Aerospace Engineering | Cornell Engineering | Senior Lecturer |
Kim Kopko, co-chair | Bronfenbrenner Center for Translational Research | Human Ec0logy | Senior Extension Associate |
Linda Barrington | SC Johnson College of Business | SC Johnson | Senior Extension Associate |
Anne M. LaPointe | Chemistry & Chemical Biology | Arts and Sciences | Research Associate Sr. |
Lindsay Goodale | Animal Science | Cornell CALS | Lecturer |
Tobi Hines | Mann Library | Library | Associate Librarian |
Robert Karpman | Applied & Econ Management | Cornell CALS | Professor-of-the-Practice |
Estelle McKee | Law School | Cornell LAW | Clinical Professor of Law |
Mitch Glass | Landscape Architecture | Cornell CALS | Lecturer |
Patricia Campos-Medina | Worker Institute | ILR School | Senior Extension Associate |
Michael Clarkson | Computer Science | Cornell Bowers CIS | Senior Lecturer |
Gilly Leshed | Information Science | Cornell Bowers CIS | Senior Lecturer |
William P. Katt | Molecular Medicine | Veterinary College | Senior Research Associate |
George R. Frantz | City & Regional Planning | Cornell AAP | Associate Professor of the Practice |
Eve De Rosa | Psychology | Human Ec0logy | Dean of Faculty |
Formation of the RTE Working Group
Was convened at the end of F21 to resume unfinished business of the ad hoc committee’s work.
“Title Clarity” Across Existing Policies
Across all policies we have to make sure that every reference that is made to “faculty” is intended and precise. “University Faculty”, “tenure track faculty”, “faculty with tenure”, “professorial faculty”, “RTE faculty”, and “visiting faculty” identify different subsets of “the faculty”. This Faculty Terminology Guide outlines the different ways we use the word. Ambiguity in a policy or guideline document typically creates time-wasting misunderstandings and angst.
The Faculty Handbook, the Cornell Policy Library, the Campus Code of Conduct, the Senate Bylaws, the University Assembly Charter, the Code of Legislation for the Graduate School, as well as numerous policies that are maintained by the Center for Teaching Innovation, the Research Office and the Office of Human Resources need to be reviewed with this consideration in mind.
Enhanced RTE Title Write-Ups
Webpages are currently maintained in the Faculty Handbook for each RTE title. They include the actual title description and various notes that relate to its administration, e.g., renewal, promotion, etc.
The Lecturer, Research Associate, and Extension Associate Tracks
The lecturer track, research associate track, and extension associate track pages offer side-by-side comparisons between the prose that is in the current title write-up and the prose that would be in the proposed “enhanced” write-up. We spent most of our time thinking about these titles which involve about 900 colleagues.
The RTE Professorial Titles
The colleges follow “enabling legislation” guidelines and implement their own Senate-approved version of clinical professor, professor of the practice, and research professor. Modifications to these university-level title write-ups are minimal; we have basically just added links to the college implementations which is where you should go for detail.
Other RTE Titles
Only minor modifications have been made to the research scientist, principal research scientist, senior scholar, and senior scientist title descriptions, e.g., substituting “RTE” for “nontenure track”, mentioning “University Voting Rights”, etc. These titles have been replaced by the research professor title.
Similarly, very minor modifications have been made to the instructor, teaching associate, visiting critic, visiting fellow, visiting scholar , visiting scientist, librarian, and archivist title write-ups. The committee has only indirect knowledge of these positions and would much prefer to be guided in their editing by individuals who have first hand experience with these important titles.
Matters that Have Long-Term Importance
Some specific topics that require attention:
- RTE Standing Committee Is it necessary and if so, how should it be organized?
- Existing Senate Committees Clarify RTE membership rules.
- Profile of RTE Faculty in the Colleges Free speech. The climate for RTE Faculty in departments and colleges.
- Professional Development Leaves and other mechanisms that can promote excellence.
Documents and Resources
The Faculty Handbook defines both titles and title modifiers. Modifiers include “visiting”, “adjunct”, “courtesy”, “acting”, and “emeritus/a”.
- Article XVII in the University Bylaws is where the list of allowable academic titles is maintained.
- There are 4000+ academic title-holders distributed across the colleges.
- Here is what the title descriptions in the Faculty Handbook say about Recommended/Required Qualifications, Length of Appointment and Renewability, and Promotion Within Tracks.
- The Graduate School determines rules related to Graduate Student Advising.
- The Research Office determines rules about who can serve as a principal investigator.
The 2004 Report on the Status of Nontenure Track Faculty
An ad hoc committee of the Senate looked into NTT (RTE) matters back in 2004 and they produced this report. To permit direct access to specific parts of the report, we created an online version with internal links.
Senate Resolution 44 (on professional development opportunities) and Senate Resolution 45 (on Emeritus/a status for NTT (RTE) faculty) were the only Senate outcomes associated with the report.
Professorial Title Legislation
The titles of Professor-of-the-Practice, Research Professor, and Clinical Professor were established by the colleges under the umbrella of enabling legislation passed by the Faculty Senate. We provide a complete legislative history of these titles.
Cornell Docs
- The 2017 Report on Cornell Extension.
- CALS Guidelines for RTE Promotions, Renewals, etc
- ILR Promotion Guidelines for Research and Extension Associates
- ILR Doc on Performance Review for Extension Faculty
- College of Engineering on Professor of Practice, Research Professor, Research Professor Dossiers, Lecturers and Senior Lecturers