Coming to terms with academic titles at US colleges

时间:2009-07-04 05:54:20

(单词翻译:单击)

This is the VOA Special English Education Report.

Not all college teachers are professors. In fact, not even all professors are full professors. Many are assistant or associate or adjunct professors. This week in our Foreign Student Series, we sort out academic titles at American colleges and universities.

Professors usually need a doctorate1 degree. But sometimes a school may offer positions to people who have not yet received their doctorate.

Such a person would be called an instructor2 until the degree has been completed. After that, the instructor could become an assistant professor. Assistant professors do not havetenure.

A person with tenure3 cannot be easily dismissed. Such appointments are permanent. Teachers and researchers who are hired with the understanding that they will seek tenure 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 faculty4 members study the person's 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 perish5" 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 might be in adjunct or visiting positions. A visiting professor has a job at one school but works 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.

Another position is that of lecturer. Lecturers teach classes, but they may or may not have a doctorate.

And that's the VOA Special English Education Report, written by Nancy Steinbach. This is the twenty-seventh week of our Foreign Student Series on higher education in the United States -- with more to come.

Our series is archived with audio files and transcripts6 at www.unsv.com. And our e-mail address is special@voanews.com. If you write to us, please be sure to include your name and country. I'm Steve Ember.


tenure: the status of holding one's position on a permanent basis without periodic contract renewals(终身职位)


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1 doctorate fkEzt     
n.(大学授予的)博士学位
参考例句:
  • He hasn't enough credits to get his doctorate.他的学分不够取得博士学位。
  • Where did she do her doctorate?她在哪里攻读博士?
2 instructor D6GxY     
n.指导者,教员,教练
参考例句:
  • The college jumped him from instructor to full professor.大学突然把他从讲师提升为正教授。
  • The skiing instructor was a tall,sunburnt man.滑雪教练是一个高高个子晒得黑黑的男子。
3 tenure Uqjy2     
n.终身职位;任期;(土地)保有权,保有期
参考例句:
  • He remained popular throughout his tenure of the office of mayor.他在担任市长的整个任期内都深得民心。
  • Land tenure is a leading political issue in many parts of the world.土地的保有权在世界很多地区是主要的政治问题。
4 faculty HhkzK     
n.才能;学院,系;(学院或系的)全体教学人员
参考例句:
  • He has a great faculty for learning foreign languages.他有学习外语的天赋。
  • He has the faculty of saying the right thing at the right time.他有在恰当的时候说恰当的话的才智。
5 perish WuTyk     
vi.丧生,毁灭,消亡,失去弹性,老化
参考例句:
  • Crowns and thrones may perish.王权不会永存。
  • Steam will fill the atmosphere and all life will perish.水蒸汽将充满大气层,所有的生命都将毁灭。
6 transcripts 525c0b10bb61e5ddfdd47d7faa92db26     
n.抄本( transcript的名词复数 );转写本;文字本;副本
参考例句:
  • Like mRNA, both tRNA and rRNA are transcripts of chromosomal DNA. tRNA及rRNA同mRNA一样,都是染色体DNA的转录产物。 来自辞典例句
  • You can't take the transfer students'exam without your transcripts. 没有成绩证明书,你就不能参加转学考试。 来自辞典例句

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