Officers of Instruction

      All individuals providing instructional services (including advising students) at the University must hold appointments as officers of instruction in one of the grades of officer defined in the University Statutes as determined and approved by the appropriate dean or executive vice president. Appointments as officers of instruction or faculty are grouped into six categories: research faculty, practice faculty, at the Columbia University Medical Center (at CUMC) faculty, clinical faculty, special instructional faculty, and student officers of instruction. The first five are described here; the sixth is discussed in Officer of Research Titles. Officers of research, administration, and the libraries who are asked to teach a course, in full or in part, in addition to performing their regular duties, are given a second, part-time instructional appointment.

       No officer of instruction may simultaneously hold more than one grade of instructional appointment.

       The University does not make courtesy appointments as officers of instruction, and only in rare and special circumstances are non-salaried instructional appointments approved.

Updated November 02, 2022