Most faculty members are appointed in a single “primary” department. The term of a primary appointment is defined by the following guidelines: Faculty members holding nontenure-eligible appointments at the rank of lecturer, instructor, and associate, as well as clinical associates, are appointed for one-year. These appointments can be renewed annually at the same rank by the school’s administration unless a department chair recommends promotion or requests that the appointment be terminated. Faculty members at the rank of assistant professor and associate professor (nontenured) usually are appointed for three-year terms. Faculty members at the rank of professor who are nontenured usually are appointed to five-year terms. Under unusual circumstances, the department chair may request a shorter-term appointment for faculty members holding these professorial ranks. Reappointment of nontenured faculty members holding professorial ranks must be initiated by the department chair. A faculty appointment with tenure has an indefinite term. If a faculty member without tenure in a regular faculty rank is to be released at the expiration of his or her appointment, notice of such intended release is given a year in advance of the expiration of the appointment, except in the case of one-year appointments. | 
