Visiting Assistant Professor Request Protocol September 2020
The College recognizes the significant value and contributions of Visiting Professors (VAPs) to the life of W&L and intends to support the needs of the Departments and Interdisciplinary Programs. However, due to the increase in complexity of the various Departments, the College is instituting a process for Departments to use when the need of a VAP has been identified.
The highest priority for hiring VAPs will be for full-year sabbatical replacements in order to ensure availability of courses that are part of the foundational academic core for majors, minors, and/or general education (i.e., FDRs). Once those needs are met, secondary consideration will be given on a case by case basis based on departmental/program needs to fulfill major requirements of students and then minor requirements of students.
Due to sabbatical requests being the key driver of VAP needs, the College will use that deadline as its starting point. Once sabbaticals have been submitted to the Provost by November of each year, the Department/Program Head will submit the attached form, filled out in its entirety, for approval from the Dean for VAP hiring. The Head must identify the following:
- Is a faculty member going on full year sabbatical?
- What are the courses that will be offered?
- Are these courses part of the foundational core for majors, minors, or FDRs?
- What would be the result if the courses were not offered in the given year?
- What other means have been considered to teach the courses?
- Suggestion on where the VAP will be located? (If replacing a sabbatical, they will sit in that faculty member's office). Please see College Space Protocol for additional information.
While the College appreciates the desirability to offer students a range of upper level courses to choose from, the College prioritizes the courses needed to fulfill major/minor requirements for graduation.
All requests must be received into the Dean's Office by January 31. Requests received after January 31 will be given secondary consideration.