Assistant Professor Career Guide and Counseling

Question: What is the difference between a Professor, Associate Professor and Assistant Professor? I've had in college full professors, associate professors and assistant professors. I understand how they are ranked and full professors earn the most and assistants the least, but what can full professors do that associates do not and what can associates do that assistants can not, etc? Also, what education levels must be attained for each type of professorship? I am guessing all 3 can teach but perhaps only a full professor can issue a true scholarly work? I'm not sure.

Answer: Professors start out at assistant professor, can get promoted to associate prof in a few years, and become a full prof when they get tenure. Full profs can basically do whatever they want without worrying about getting fired (except breaking the law). You need a PhD to start out as an assistant prof at any 4-year college or university; usually at that point you're not trying to earn any more degrees. They all have PhDs. And anyone can publish scholarly articles - even high school dropouts, if they've discovered or written something worth publishing.

Question: What is the difference between an Assistant Professor, Associate Professor, and Professor? What are the duties of an Assistant Professor, Associate Professor, and Professor? What is the main difference between these three titles. Thank you. Woops, I meant to put a question mark, not a period. Fingers slipped.

Answer: They are simply ranks within the system. An assistant prof is a newbie professor who often does not have tenure but is working on it. In a research university, their duties are typically to teach, produce substantial academic research, and possibly community outreach. At a community college, they simply teach and do community outreach. The main difference between an assistant prof vs other levels is that an assistant prof cannot be an official faculty mentor for a doctoral student as they are not tenured. Nonetheless, an assist prof is quite distinguished as these jobs are very hard to come by these days. There is considerable amount of competition for an open slot (even at the community college level). Not uncommon for an open position to get something like 100 highly qualified applications! Associate prof is the next level. They are tenured and obviously get paid more than an assistant prof. And finally you have a full professor who gets that title after so many years of proven results. The exact formulas for promotion are complex and unimportant -- just understand that these are ranks within the system.

Question: Is research under an Assistant (rather than full) Professor a lot less impressive for grad school? As an undergraduate, how is doing research under an Assistant Professor (rather than a full Professor or even an Associate Professor), less impressive in terms of getting into graduate school? I am planning to apply to graduate school at the same school as my undergraduate degree. Of course it would be ideal to work for someone very influential in the pecking order, but why exactly? Does the assistant professor have a lot less say in admissions? What are your suggestions?

Answer: Following up on the valid comments from the other postings, while an Asst. prof does have less initial choice in who they can select because those above them get 'first pick', they are still selecting you...normally, you are not just being thrust upon them. Based solely on my experience as an undergrad RA to an Assistant Prof, depending on ego, research topic, funding and resources, you may have greater hands on experience and opportunities to assert your own opinions/suggestions with a less ranking instructor. He treated me as a developing colleague in our field and never copped an ego/attitude or made me feel as if I was just a go-for him. He made it a truly engaging learning experience for me (and his behavior is still a model of how I structure similar experiences for my students.) Student friends of mine who worked for higher ups often commented that they were usually doing scut work and nothing of substance. It didn't hinder my eligibility for graduate admission; it actually enhanced it. As for grad admission, what better reference than from an instructor who can address your intelligence, abilities and predict future success than a person who has direct working knowledge of you? If given a choice between getting feedback from a full professor who doesn't know you and an Assistant who does, I'll go with the Assistant's recommendation. The AP may not be on the admissions committee, but their letter of recommendation should be viewed as credible documentation of your abilities. Good luck with your studies.

Question: How should I address my assistant professor in an e-mail? I need to send my assistant professor an e-mail. Should I address him as Prof or something different? He's a assistant professor, not a teaching assistant. I just sent the e-mail addressing him as Prof. Thanks! I mean he's AN assistant professor. ( it really bothers me when people say that incorrectly).

Answer: Prof is fine... he is working towards his PhD anyway..

Question: Can a university sponsor an assistant professor for a green card? An assistant professor position is a temporary, probationary appointment (4-6 years), which leads to a tenured, permanent position. However, a prerequisite for obtaining a green card through employment is to be offered a permanent position. Can an assistant professor position be considered permanent for this purpose, or does it have to wait until tenure is granted?

Answer: Yes. Ask the university first !!!

Question: Whats the salary for an Assistant Professor in a management institute in TamilNadu? Whats the salary for an Assistant Professor who teaches management related subjects in a management institute especially in Tamil Nadu? And what is the new pay commission recommendations? It would be also be helpful if you can tell me the qualifications necessary for becoming an Assitance Professor...

Answer: Central Finance Dept you can see & download new pay commission report on this link. plz click http://finmin.nic.in/ UGC you can search minimum qualifications & experience, pay grade etc on this link. plz click http://www.ugc.ac.in/index.html You can search something about competitions on this link. plz click http://www.admissionnews.com/index.aspx

Question: What is the proper way to address an Assistant Professor? Do you use "Dr. Smith" or Professor?

Answer: They are a professor (at most colleges/universities, everyone from a lecturer to full professor is called professor) and professor trumps doctor, so the safest and most respectful thing to do is to address them as professor, which works whether or not they have a PhD (they probably do) and is better than Dr. if they are a professor (which they are).

Question: Average Salary for Assistant Professor in Riyadh? Can anyone tell me what the average salary for an assistant professor, in Biological Science, in Riyadh is? I am not an American Citizen, but I have 3 years experience in my home country, and 7 years in U.S. (10 years total) I do not have a greencard.

Answer: 16000 and up

Question: What is the average starting salary for a tenure-track Assistant Professor in the social sciences/humanities? I'm thinking about doing a PhD in political science to become a professor and am wondering what sort of money professors make starting out. Thanks!

Answer: Starting salaries vary wildly from place to place, according to these factors: State-underfunded public vs. well-endowed private Urban (high cost of living) vs. rural (low cost of living) Prestige of particular department in the specific field of study Community college vs. bachelor's-only college vs. doctoral-granting university Whether you have PhD in hand, or are ABD The range for poli sci is from about 35 K on the low end to about 65K on the higher end. Some very few prestigious private universities are able to offer to start you at as much as 70K, but the most common starting salaries will be around 45K.

Question: What is the difference between an assistant professor and a visiting assistant professor? I know it seems like "visiting" means the individual will be there for a short or predetermined amount of time, but in my estimation (and observation) this is not the case. What does the term visiting imply.... other than a lower salary?

Answer: A visiting assistant professor is not tenure-track, and must have his/her contract renewed every year. Even VAPs who have been at one university for a very long time must be renewed annually in order to stay. There is no formal long-term assurance of continuing employment, even though there may be an "understanding" with the department in which s/he is employed. Often, VAPs do not have salaries comparable to APs. In the vast majority of cases, VAPs do not have the employment benefits that APs have, such as health care, retirement plan, tuition remission for spouses/children, etc. A VAP need not publish in order to keep his/her job. A VAPs value to a department is in his/her ability to teach courses, usually at the introductory level. A VAP does not usually have a voice (a formal vote) in faculty matters, such as hiring, tenure, and major curricular decisions. A VAP also does not have any administrative responsibilities (committee work, university service, service to the profession, etc.). Most often, VAPs are seeking tenure-track positions, but have not yet found one. However, sometimes, people in VAP positions choose to stay in them as long as possible because their spouses or partners are tenure-track at that university, or at one nearby, or for other personal reasons. I know one VAP who simply does not want the pressures of research, publishing, and administrative work. She lives in a city she likes, and enjoys teaching introductory courses (and excels at so doing). She will always be "low on the totem pole," but she has her own (not university-provided) retirement account, and is happy in her work. She will stay as long as the university keeps renewing her contract, and hopes it will be for a long time.