Academic positions at Bilkent University are classified under the following categories:
– Academic-Promotion-Track Faculty Positions (Professorial Faculty Positions)
– Teaching-Track Faculty Positions
– Extension Faculty Positions
– Research Faculty Positions
– Visiting Faculty Positions
– Adjunct Faculty Positions
– Temporary Research Positions
Academic departments collaborate with their Deans and the Provost Office to determine their faculty hiring needs. Search committees are formed in each department to advertise available positions and identify candidates. Suitable candidates are interviewed and evaluated by the departments, their Deans, and the Provost Office. Position-specific appointment requirements are fulfilled accordingly. Successful candidates are sent offer letters by the Provost.
All faculty members at the rank of assistant professor, associate professor, and professor levels must hold a doctorate or an equivalent degree.
Sabbatical leaves are available only to academic-promotion-track faculty members.
Academic-Promotion-Track Faculty Positions (Professorial Faculty Positions)
Academic-promotion-track faculty positions represent the main professorial academic career path at Bilkent University. These faculty members are expected to conduct independent academic research and/or produce artistic output (where applicable), as well as teach at the undergraduate and graduate (where applicable) levels.
A. Assistant Professor: The entry-level position in the academic-promotion-track. Appointments are made by the Rector upon the recommendation of the Provost. Initial appointments are for two to four years, followed by annual reappointments. Assistant Professors must be promoted to Associate Professor within a prescribed time frame, typically seven years. Failure to achieve promotion within this time frame results in either termination of employment or reassignment to a non-professorial faculty position.
B. Associate Professor: The mid-level academic-promotion-track position. Appointment requires completion of a three-step process: The first step is a requirement of the Council of Higher Education and conducted by the affiliated Inter-University Board. The second step is Bilkent University’s own promotion and appointment process that is based on external reviewer reports and internal assessments. The last step is again a requirement of the Council of Higher Education that calls for a University Executive Board decision based upon reports by national reviewers, followed by a final appointment by the President of the Board of Trustees.
C. Professor: The highest-level academic-promotion-track position. Appointment involves a two-step process: The first step is Bilkent University’s own promotion and appointment process that is based on external reviewer reports and internal assessments. The second step is a requirement of the Council of Higher Education that calls for a University Executive Board decision based upon reports by national reviewers, followed by a final appointment by the President of the Board of Trustees.
D. Emeritus Professor: An honorary title that may be granted on an annual basis by the University Executive Board to retired professors who wish to remain academically active without compensation or benefits.
E. Interim Associate Professor / Interim Professor: Interim faculty positions are for faculty members who have successfully completed Bilkent University’s Promotions and Appointments Process but await fulfillment of Council of Higher Education requirements for official appointment. Applicants are nominated to the Provost by the Dean. Bilkent University Promotions and Appointments Process begins only upon the Provost’s approval. Successful candidates are appointed by the Rector for a two-year term that is renewable by the Rector upon the Provost’s recommendation. Interim faculty positions are available exclusively at the associate professor and professor level.
Teaching-Track Faculty Positions
Teaching-track faculty members are primarily responsible for teaching undergraduate and graduate (where applicable) courses. While research is not their main focus, the university encourages teaching-track faculty to pursue academic research and/or artistic output (where applicable). Appointments at all levels are made by the Rector upon the recommendation of the Provost. Initial appointments are for two years, followed by annual reappointments.
Promotions to Lecturer or Senior Lecturer positions for existing teaching-track faculty require initiation by the Provost; faculty applications are not accepted.
F. Instructor: The primary teaching-track faculty level. When necessary, this position may be further specialized (e.g., Laboratory Instructor).
G. Lecturer: An advanced-level of teaching-track faculty position.
H. Senior Lecturer: The highest-level of teaching-track faculty position.
I. Assistant Professor of Teaching: A teaching-track faculty position available to assistant professors who were not promoted to Associate Professor within the required time frame but demonstrate exceptional teaching performance or new junior faculty applicants with strong teaching potential but limited independent research potential. “Of-Teaching” appointments are restricted to the Assistant Professor level.
Extension Faculty Positions
Extension faculty positions are non-promotion-track roles for individuals who either were professors at other institutions but have chosen not to pursue full professorship at Bilkent University or are professionals with non-academic backgrounds. Appointments require the Rector’s approval based on a favorable recommendation from the Provost. For Professor and Associate Professor level appointments, Council of Higher Education procedures that call for a University Executive Board decision based upon reports by national reviewers also have to be completed, followed by a final appointment by the President of the Board of Trustees. Initial appointments are for two to four years, renewable annually. While extension positions do not lead to professorial appointments, holders may apply for academic-promotion-track positions through standard procedures.
J. Professor in Residence: A position for academics previously appointed as Professor at another institution but have elected not to pursue an academic-promotion-track Professor position at Bilkent University. In-Residence appointments are restricted to the Professor level.
K. Professor / Associate Professor / Assistant Professor of Practice: Roles for individuals with professional expertise and career experience but without the academic record necessary for academic-promotion-track faculty positions at Bilkent University. Promotions between “of-Practice” levels are not possible.
L. Professional in Residence: Teaching-track positions for individuals with recognized expertise in their field, demonstrated through professional achievements. The title may specify the profession (e.g., Artist in Residence).
Research Faculty Positions
Research faculty members are responsible for securing their own salaries and research funding through external awards. Their primary duties include conducting independent research and advising graduate students, with a reduced teaching load. Appointments require approval of the Rector based on the Provost’s recommendation. Research faculty appointments are limited to the fixed term of the support funding. For Professor and Associate Professor level appointments, going through Bilkent University’s own promotion and appointment process which relies upon reports by external reviewers in addition to internal assessments is necessary. In addition, Council of Higher Education procedures that call for a University Executive Board decision based upon reports by national reviewers also have to be completed, followed by a final appointment by the President of the Board of Trustees. Upon the approval of the Provost, faculty at Research Assistant Professor or Research Associate Professor levels may apply for promotion to higher Research faculty positions, going through the same multi-step processes as academic-promotion-track Assistant and Associate Professors. Even though Research faculty positions are not considered to be a path to professorial faculty appointments, Research faculty may apply to be considered for academic-promotion-track faculty positions.
M. Research Professor / Associate Professor / Assistant Professor
Visiting Faculty Positions
Visiting faculty members are scholars who join Bilkent University for temporary appointments not exceeding two years. Visiting faculty positions may be awarded to individuals who wish to spend sabbatical leaves, conduct collaborative research, or teach at Bilkent University. Appointment requires approval of the Rector based on the Provost’s recommendation. An exception to the two-year limit can be made by the Provost in cases when the faculty member applies for appointment to a permanent position and the process takes longer than two years. It is not possible to get promoted from one visiting position to another visiting position. Visiting positions are inherently temporary and cannot be converted to permanent status without going through standard hiring procedures for regular faculty positions.
N. Visiting Professor / Associate Professor / Assistant Professor
Adjunct Faculty Positions
Adjunct faculty positions are for academicians who have a regular academic appointment at another institution but are associated with Bilkent University in teaching, research, or collaboration. Adjunct appointments are normally part-time fixed-term positions and may or may not be salaried appointments.
O. Adjunct Professor / Associate Professor / Assistant Professor
Temporary Research Positions
Appointment requires approval of the Rector upon a favorable recommendation by the Provost.
P. Research Assistant: Students enrolled in a graduate level program may be appointed as Research Assistants for a fixed term. Research Assistants are not eligible to benefit from any Bilkent University stipend scholarships during their term of employment.
Q. Post-Doctoral Researcher / Research Scientist / Researcher: Researchers holding a PhD degree and residing at Bilkent University to collaborate with a faculty member solely for academic research may be employed on a fixed-term basis if funded by the faculty member.
Part-time academic positions are fixed-term teaching appointments with compensation based on weekly contact hours. As the need arises, the university may appoint part-time faculty members to teach specific courses or sections. Deans forward their part-time faculty requests for each semester to the Provost Office for approval. The term of any part-time employment may not exceed the duration of the semester or the summer school.
All full-time academic staff including research assistants but excluding visiting faculty, adjunct faculty, and those holding temporary research positions other than research assistants are reported to the Council of Higher Education for inclusion in their faculty database YÖKSİS. Interim faculty members are reported as having the highest rank for which they have fulfilled Council of Higher Education requirements for appointment, not to exceed their current rank at Bilkent University.