A Supplement To System Regulation 33.99.04
Approved July 7, 2000
TTI Research Professor titles are granted to recognize outstanding scholarly accomplishments (or, in the case of Assistant Research Professor, potential for such accomplishment) in research, coupled with commitments to education of students and/or practicing professionals in transportation. These positions provide career opportunities for TTI research professionals to participate in the educational activities of degree-granting universities, including classroom teaching and thesis supervision, without requiring tenure-track appointments in those institutions. These appointments permit participating universities to enrich their transportation research and educational programs through participation of TTI research professionals who are advancing the state-of-the-art of transportation knowledge and practice. References in this rule to the term “TTI Research Professor” includes the titles of TTI Research Professor, TTI Associate Research Professor, and TTI Assistant Research Professor. Although it is expected that initial participants will be universities in the Texas A&M System, any university in Texas will be considered eligible to take part.
1.1 Process for Requesting Appointment
A request for an initial appointment to a TTI Research Professor position, or promotion in rank within the TTI Research Professor category must be made jointly by the individual’s supervisor (or potential supervisor in the case of new employees joining TTI) and the department head, dean or provost of a sponsoring university. Proposals for appointment to, or promotion within these ranks must include the credentials of the candidate, a statement of the intended academic role to be played by the individual in the sponsoring university, and as appropriate, letters of recommendation from outside TTI. Among the academic duties the TTI research professors may undertake are student research and design, project supervision, classroom and laboratory teaching, continuing education, service on university committees, and assisting in the development of research programs involving university faculty. Holders of these positions may be compensated for their teaching activities by payroll transfers to TTI from sponsoring universities within the Texas A&M System, or by interagency agreements with other Texas universities. TTI will consider these teaching duties part of the holder’s job responsibilities within TTI, and they will be reflected in their job descriptions.
1.2 Review and Approval Process
Approval for both initial appointments and promotions is vested in the TTI Director, but also requires the approval of a sponsoring university unit. To provide peer evaluation from both the academic and agency perspectives, and to ensure the highest standards of quality are met, the Director, in consultation with appropriate university officials (e.g. department heads in the case of TAMU and deans or provosts in the case of TTI Regional Divisions or other universities), will appoint a peer review committee to evaluate the credentials, accomplishments, and future potential of the candidate. It is anticipated that the review committee will include faculty from the sponsoring university unit, together with selected TTI professionals. This committee will present a recommendation to the TTI Director and the appropriate university official regarding the appointment or promotion. The TTI Director will approve or deny the appointment, with the approval of the appropriate university official, taking into account the advice of this committee, as well as the initial recommendation.
1.3 Term of Appointment and Tenure Status
Appointments to the ranks of TTI Research Professor will be for a term of three years, and may be renewed. Annual performance reviews of duties performed in the sponsoring academic institution will be conducted by that unit using existing procedures for such reviews. The results of these reviews will be made available to TTI for incorporation in the TTI annual performance reviews for the individual concerned.
TTI Research Professor positions are non-tenure track, non-tenure accruing. No form of tenure, implied or otherwise is associated with these positions.
1.4 Contact for Interpretation
Office of the Director, Texas A&M Transportation Institute
