Publication Date

2-27-2026

Document Type

White Paper

Organizational Units

Morgridge College of Education, Higher Education

Keywords

Faculty, Teaching faculty, Professional faculty, Work culture, University of Denver, Policy, Procedure, Practice

Abstract

The University of Denver has made great strides in improving faculty work and culture with the creation of full time non-tenure track lines – the Teaching and Professional Faculty. In 2015, DU’s faculty senate and Board of Trustees approved and created professional pathways with promotion, longer term contracts, and defined responsibilities for Teaching and Professional Faculty. Compared to other universities and colleges, our current strengths include multi-year contracts, participation and leadership in university governance, opportunities for advancement and promotion, and collegiality amongst faculty members.

This white paper serves to examine the institutionalization of these lines and the current status of policies, procedures, and norms for faculty at DU with an eye towards continuing to improve our practices, maximizing the benefits of having a diverse group of faculty series, and continuing to learn from the experiences of faculty in these lines. Key findings show that institutionalization varies by unit and greater collaboration is needed to institutionalize a culture of respect and well-being for all faculty.

Copyright Date

1-2021

Copyright Statement / License for Reuse

Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.

Rights Holder

Laura E. Sponsler

Provenance

Received from Author

File Format

application/pdf

Language

English (eng)

Extent

20 pgs

File Size

364 KB

Publication Statement

Copyright is held by the author. User is responsible for all copyright compliance.

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