Adjunct Appointment Policy and Procedures

All staff members and adjunct appointees to the University.

The relationship of adjunct academic staff members to the University and the procedures for appointing them.

1. Adjunct appointments are usually for a period of up to three years and appointees may be reappointed as appropriate

Adjunct academic appointments

• Adjunct appointments can be made in a situation where a person:
  • does not have the academic experience that would normally entitle him/her to an academic rank but it is eminent in professional or business fields
  • can make a significant contribution to the University's academic or service activities

Adjunct appointments

1. Adjunct appointments will normally involve fractional employment arrangements of less than 0.2FTE.

2. In rare circumstances the title Adjunct may be used for persons who meet the above criteria but are not staff members.

3. Adjunct appointees will be given titles that are appropriate in terms of academic rank of the appointee relative to those of academic staff who are employed by the University, recognising that there cannot be precise comparison between the two. Judgement should be made on their relative eminence in their professional or business fields.(i.e. adjunct lecturer, senior lecturer, associate professor, professor).

4. For adjunct appointments, other than professor, the academic head/ manager will recommend and the dean may approve the appointment.

5. For adjunct appointments at the grade of professor the academic head will provide information to the dean for approval by the Provost.

6. All such appointments require a Curriculum Vitae and a recommendation from the dean which includes the following:

• reason for appointment
• length of appointment
• professional credentials (brief outline)
• expected contribution to the department
• previous association with or contribution to the university
• identification of resource and financial implications

7. A check must be carried out to ensure that a person recommended for appointment as an employee to an adjunct academic position has either New Zealand citizenship or a current work permit or residency.

8. The offer of an adjunct academic appointment must be confirmed in a fixed term employment agreement.

9. It is recommended that all adjunct academic appointees have an academic sponsor i.e. a nominated staff member assigned, for the term of the appointment, who is able to act as a mentor and/or manage the adjunct appointee’s requirements, responsibilities and expectations. It is suggested the academic sponsor will be:

• involved in the same field of research and/or
  
• a senior academic

The following definitions apply to this document:

Academic head covers heads of departments, schools and other teaching and research units at Level 3 in the University Organisation Structure.

Academic sponsor is a nominated staff member assigned to honorary appointees for the term of the appointment. This person is able to act as a mentor and/or manage the relationship with the honorary appointee.

Staff member refers to an individual employed by the University on a full or part time basis.

University means the University of Auckland and includes all subsidiaries.  

Include the following:

• Employment Relations Act 2000
• Health and Safety in Employment Act 1992
• Holidays Act 2003
• Privacy Act 2020

Owner: Director, Human Resources
Content manager: Associate Director, HR Services
Approved by: Pro VC Education
Date approved: 14 April 2021
Review date: 14 April 2026