DEFINITION

Membership

Academic staff includes professional and administrative personnel (other than faculty, classified staff, limited staff, student appointees, or employees-in-training) with duties and appointments primarily associated with higher education institutions or their administration [§36.05(1), Stats., Academic Staff Policies and Procedures (ASPP) 1.03]. Academic staff positions are exempt from the classified service and subject to personnel rules defined in s. UWS 8-14, Wis. Adm. Code. A minimum of a bachelor degree is required for academic staff position.

Assignments to Positions

Assignments to academic staff positions are made when:

1. the position involves teaching, research, public service responsibilities, academic support activities or academic program administration; or
2. the position is separate and distinct to higher education; or
3. the position involves assigned duties requiring close peer relationships with faculty members and academic administrators.

Categories of Appointments

Academic staff appointments also fall into three broad categories.

Category A—Professionals, program managers and administrative directors in an administrative, research, student, instructional or community-related area.

Category B—Individuals performing at a level typical of faculty as either a) Instructional, academic staff providing instruction or training to students in an academic discipline, or b) Research academic staff participating in identifying research problems, designing methodology, conducting research, and other related activities.

Category C—Academic administrators and program directors who also hold a concurrent faculty appointment and other specially defined and/or mandated positions; positions defined primarily with respect to the nature of their appointment (for example, artist-in-residence, consultant, coach, secretary of the academic staff, secretary of the faculty).

Faculty Status

Members of the academic staff whose responsibilities are directly related to the instructional or research mission of the University and whose qualifications with respect to their assigned duties are comparable to those of faculty members may be designated by the Chancellor, on recommendation of the University Committee, as having faculty status.

Questions regarding faculty status should be directed to the Office of the Secretary of the Faculty (262-3956).

CONDITIONS OF APPOINTMENT

Benefits, Classification, and Compensation

Benefits available to academic staff are covered in the Staff Benefits Booklet.

Academic staff titles and salary ranges are listed and explained in the Unclassified Title Guideline (UTG).

REFERENCES

For more detailed and specific information about academic staff appointments, please consult the ASPP, UWS 8-14, UTG, § 36, Stats., UPG #7, and Appendix 1-C.