Leadership role
Professor / Faculty
Teaches courses in an academic subject and may conduct research or scholarship in it.
Reporting and scope
Reports to a department chair or Dean / Associate Dean. Authority covers the faculty member's courses, students and research.
Core responsibilities
- Teaches courses and advises students
- Develops curriculum and assessments
- Conducts research or creative work and seeks grant funding
- Serves on department and institution committees
- Supervises graduate students or teaching assistants
- Takes part in accreditation reviews and program assessment
How it differs
The Dean / Associate Dean leads an academic unit. The Principal Investigator focuses on research awards. The Academic Director oversees academic programs, often in a school or non-degree setting.
By organization size
At small colleges faculty carry heavy teaching loads. At research universities faculty spend more time on grants and research, and pay varies widely by discipline and rank.
Filings from the last five years mapped to this role commonly report titles such as: Teacher; Professor; Instructor; Faculty; Lead Teacher; Director/Teacher