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About Research Faculty
Research faculty represent a key resource of the USC Computer
Science Department. They are (in general) full-time USC employees
(prior to being appointed) that then receive research faculty
appointments in the CS Department, who thus advise students,
teach courses, and participate in the department, but whose
teaching is limited to one class a year and whose salary is
supported primarily by external research funding.
NB: this position is for full-time USC employees
only. This appointment changes the status of an existing full-time
employee from staff to faculty, and does not affect salary
directly.
USC CS Research Faculty status provides a unique opportunity
to participate fully in the Computer Science Department, with
all the rights and privileges of full-time tenure-track faculty,
including voting rights, except for tenure
(also minor exceptions as noted *).
Some current statistics for Spring 2003:
- Total faculty (not including joint, which are another
12): 65
- Total tenure-track: 25 (38%)
- Total research: 31 (48%) (19, or 29% of total at ISI,
remainder at ICT, IMSC, IRIS, off-site)
- Total adjunct: 9 (14%)
More detailed info below:
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Current CS Research faculty (unlinked)
About the Position:
Definition:
From the USC Faculty Handbook:
"designates an individual conducting research, principally
on external funding, usually associated with a center, institute,
or laboratory rather than a degree-granting department.
May engage only in limited teaching and only as an ancillary
responsibility. The term is used to modify the titles: Instructor,
Assistant Professor, Associate Professor, and Professor
(such as "Research Assistant Professor")."
More informally, in the CS department:
Most of the rights of being faculty, except:
- no tenure (i.e., supported on soft funding)
- no votes on tenure-track positions
- limited to teaching one class per academic year
Purpose:
There are several purposes to being a research faculty:
- to be the advisor of record of a student
- to be able to unilaterally sign directed research credits
- to more formally (e.g., including votes) participate in
the CS faculty
- to be a PI on certain research grants and contracts (a
rule more general across some USC schools, though this is
not the primary purpose of being research faculty)
Types of faculty:
Tenure-track:
Able to apply for or receive tenure. Able to vote on
all department issues and appointments (at or below level).
Able to advise students in all aspects.
Research:
Able to vote on all department issues and appointments
(at or below level) except tenure-track.
Able to advise students in all aspects. Must be full-time
USC employee.
Adjunct:
Able to advise students for directed research credit,
and able to participate on Ph.D. committees more formally
than outside members. Not able to chair Ph.D. committees,
or to vote on department issues and appointments. Does
not require full-time USC employment; in fact, must not
be a USC employee to be eligible.
Rights and Responsibilities
Rights
- Faculty status (may join the Faculty Club, etc. - listed
as faculty)
- May teach (up to one class per academic year only)
- Chair Ph.D. committees
- Member Ph.D. qualifying and Ph.D. thesis committes
- Advise M.S. and Ph.D. students
- PI on research grants and contracts
- Vote on all non-tenure-track decisions and other department
issues (including appointments of research faculty at
or below the individual's level).
NB: non-faculty may also teach courses, but all other above
functions must be supervised by a faculty member.
Responsibilities
- Encouraged to attend at faculty meetings (not required)
- Should participate in the department in a substantive
way (teach, advise, develop curricula, assist admissions,
etc.)
Application and Retention
Research faculty must be full-time employees of USC; exceptions
are approved by the CS Chair and Dean of Enginneering. Most
current exceptions are former full-time employees who retain
their research faculty appointments after leaving USC, to continue
to advise students (typically those they already advise).
Evaluations are performed on the same criteria used for tenure-track
faculty, excepting considerations of salary financing and
full-time teaching load.
Application Procedure:
Research Assistant Professor:
Candidate forwards the following to the department (cschair@usc.edu):
- Resume
- List of references - at least 3, including (for recent
graduates, within 5 years) the candidate's primary Ph.D.
advisor, most recent work supervisor, current work supervisor,
etc. At least 2 of the letters should be from references
with academic appointments if possible, and all three
letters should come from outside USC. Additional letters
from within USC are not encouraged, except for the applicant's
immediate supervisor(s).
- Statement of interest, describing the reasons for
desiring an appointment. This letter should address
specific interest in participation in the department
in developing curricula, advising students, participating
in department procedures (reviewing applications, etc.),
etc.
Candidate solicits letters of recommendation from the
references. These letters should be addressed to the CS
Dept. Chair, "ATTN: (name) research faculty appointment".
These letters are expected to explicitly address the candidate's
background, research potential, and interest in participating
in the department as faculty. Letters may be sent on paper
or via email.
Candidate gives a technical presentation on campus, and
spends the day meeting with faculty and students.
Research Associate Professor / Research Professor:
Candidate forwards the following to the department (cschair@usc.edu):
- Resume
- List of references - at least 10, including notable
researchers and faculty in the candidate's field. This
list should include contact information (at least email
addresses). Candidates may want to contact these individuals
for permission to include them in the list before submission.
- Statement of interest, describing the reasons for
desiring an appointment. This letter should address
specific interest in participation in the department
in developing curricula, advising students, participating
in department procedures (reviewing applications, etc.),
etc.
The candidate does NOT solicit letters of recommendation.
Instead, the committee solicits letters from a subset
of the references provided, as well as other notable researchers
not listed as references.
Requirements to Retain:
Research faculty are expected to continue to contribute
to the CS Department in any of the following ways:
- Participate in faculty meetings (invited but not required)
- Publication in the scientific literature
- Supervise graduate students
- Perform other activities visible in the scientific community
(officerships, chairships, etc.)
These criteria are evaluated yearly, on examination of
an Annual Faculty Record submitted by individual research
faculty on their own behalf.
Appointment will normally be for 3 years for Research Assistant
Professors; 5 years for Research Associate Professors and
Research Professors. In the Fall of the last year of the
Appointment, the faculty member will submit an updated CV
plus a personal statement listing past and planned involvement
with the department. In those cases where the Chair is concerned
that the level of involvement may be inadequate to justify
reappointment, the Chair will establish a three member faculty
committee (containing at least one tenure-track and at least
one research member) to recommend reappointment or non-reappointment.
Reappointments are voted on by all eligible faculty.
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