Dear Deans, Department Chairs, and Departmental Administrators,
As Provost Olinto noted in her recent welcome message, the Board of Trustees officially approved the Professor of Instruction (POI) track. Developed in collaboration with the University Senate and our Deans, this new title is meant to honor our instructional faculty, who are vital in sustaining Columbia's academic excellence.
I am writing to provide implementation guidelines and share information on how to transition current eligible faculty into the new track and hire in the POI rank.
Current full-time Lecturers in Discipline (LiDs) and Senior Lecturers in Discipline (SLiDs) with renewable appointments who were hired through an open search with full clearance have the voluntary option to transition to the Professor of Instruction track, subject to Dean and Provost approval. LiDs and SLiDs holding a PhD or its professional equivalent immediately qualify to apply for a transfer. SLiDs who do not hold a PhD (or professional equivalent) but have served in the Lecturer-in-Discipline track for more than ten years as of January 1, 2027, are eligible to apply for a transition based on their years of dedicated service and professional development. Current LiDs and SLiDs without a PhD and with fewer than 10 years of service may request a transfer in the future upon obtaining an eligible advanced degree.
Faculty approved for transfer will map to the new rank as follows:
- Current Lecturers in Discipline will transition to the rank of Assistant Professor of Instruction.
- Current Senior Lecturers in Discipline will transition to either Associate Professor of Instruction or Professor of Instruction, depending on years of experience and qualitative metrics determined at the school level.
There will be a time-limited window from January 1, 2027, to June 30, 2028 for eligible faculty to transition to the new track. For information on how the transition to the Professor of Instruction track introduces specific changes to the promotional timeline and review outcomes, which differ from the previous LiD/SLiD structure, including how years of continuous service accrued in the prior Lecturer in Discipline track will count toward the review clock, please see Professor of Instruction Track: Review and Promotional Guidelines.
We encourage schools to support the professional development of faculty on this track as they navigate these new promotional pathways. Deans' offices should send out communications to their eligible faculty to inquire if they wish to transition to the new track effective January 1, 2027. Eligible faculty members must provide positive confirmation of their intent to transfer before any action is taken. Schools are required to document this affirmative response and submit it as part of the PAC transaction when processing the transition for Provostial authorization. Schools should communicate their specific internal timelines and procedures to their faculty as soon as possible.
New hires who are hired through an open search with full clearance can also be appointed in the POI rank. Prior to posting any new Professor of Instruction positions in the Academic Search and Recruiting (ASR) system, schools must complete their Standard Search and Evaluation Procedures (SSEP) for this track and receive formal approval from our office and the Office of Institutional Equity (OIE). Please note that any external hires appointed at the senior ranks of Associate Professor of Instruction or Professor of Instruction must successfully pass a major review before the end of their first year of appointment.
Please reach out to Zeid Sitnica, Senior Associate Provost for Academic Appointments with any further questions regarding the implementation timeline, individual eligibility, or review schedules.
Best regards,
Eugenia Lean
Vice Provost for Faculty Affairs