There are five types of faculty appointments: (1) tenure-track appointments (Section 422), (2) appointments with tenure (Section 423), (3) visiting professor on special contract (Section 424), (4) guest professor (Section 425) and (5) adjunct faculty (Section 426).
The contractual instrument for the faculty member is the letter of employment. The terms of employment of a faculty member indicated in any correspondence of the President, Chief Academic Office (CAO), or other representative of the institution must be clearly and completely stated in the letter of employment. The CAO is responsible for ensuring that faculty members are informed of college procedures. Oral agreements must be put into writing to be binding. McPherson College recognizes that the letter of employment is binding for the faculty member and the institution.
The letter of employment will stipulate any exceptions to standard tenure and promotion procedures as described in this Faculty Handbook. The letter of employment will clearly delineate conditions for employment and faculty responsibilities. It will specify any unusual responsibilities and requirements for the particular faculty member. The faculty member will receive the appropriate rank as defined by Section 450 Academic Ranks. Any credit for previous experience must be established in the initial letter of employment or statement of compensation.
If both parties agree that the terms of the letter of employment need modification, then these terms can be renegotiated for subsequent letters of employment.