Academic posts at Oxford
All academic posts at Oxford have a formal association with a college, and both the college and the University (i.e. the subject department or faculty) are represented on selection committees.
Further information about the collegiate system at Oxford is available here. The different roles of the University and the colleges are explained here.
All holders of academic posts undertake both teaching and research.
Lecturerships
This is the main academic grade at Oxford, roughly equivalent to associate professor in the USA.
Lecturers are appointed for an initial period of up to five years, at the end of which a review takes place with a view to reappointment to retirement.
There are four basic types of lecturership depending on the way in which the lecturers’ duties are divided between the college and the department or faculty.
1. CUF (Common University Fund) Lecturerships
These posts are found in the Humanities and Social Sciences Divisions and the Mathematical Institute. They are always associated with a tutorial fellowship at the college of association. The majority of a CUF lecturer’s teaching time is spent on duties for the college, but he or she may also give undergraduate lectures and teach masters and doctoral students for the faculty or department. Around 40% of the combined salary comes from the University and 60% from the college.
2. Faculty Lecturerships
These posts are found in the Humanities Division and are always associated with a college tutorial fellowship. The postholder’s teaching time is divided roughly equally between the college tutorial fellowship and the duties for the faculty (undergraduate lectures, teaching masters and doctoral students etc.). Around 50% of the combined salary comes from the University and 50% from the college.
3. University lecturerships with a tutorial fellowship
These posts are found mainly, but not exclusively, in the Sciences, and are associated with a college tutorial fellowship. The majority of the lecturer’s teaching time will be spent on duties for the University (undergraduate lectures, teaching masters and doctoral students etc. About 84% of the combined salary comes from the University and 16% from the college.
4. University Lecturerships without a tutorial fellowship (ULNTF)
Some university lecturers do not hold a tutorial fellowship with their associated college, either because the college does not admit undergraduates, or because there is no undergraduate teaching in their particular subject area (e.g. Education). They receive 100% of their salary from the University in return for additional teaching and/or administrative duties in the department or faculty.
Titular Lecturerships
Occasionally titular university and CUF lecturerships may be advertised where the college will bear all of the combined costs of the appointment until such time that the University is able to fund its share and so make a normal appointment. In such cases the lecturer will hold a college tutorial fellowship and the title of university lecturer or CUF lecturer; he or she will be expected to undertake some duties for the department or faculty while holding the title but the majority of duties will be for the college.
Professorships
This is the senior academic grade at Oxford, equivalent to full professor in the USA. Professors are expected to take an academic leadership role within their department or faculty as well as more widely in the University and beyond. They do not generally teach undergraduates but concentrate on teaching masters and doctoral students. They are always associated with a college but do not hold a tutorial fellowship, and 100% of their salary comes from the University. The majority of professorships (also known as “chairs”) are statutory, i.e. they are permanent posts within the University’s staff structure and are listed here, although occasionally a fixed-term professorship may be created in particular circumstances.
Titular Professorships
Particularly distinguished lecturers may on occasion be awarded the title of professor, either in a regular exercise for the conferment of titles, or by a panel chaired by the Vice-Chancellor as cases arise on recruitment or in between exercises. The award of the title does not change the post, the duties or the salary of the holder; it is simply a means of recognising a lecturer’s academic distinction.
Readerships
Some academic staff hold readership posts at an intermediate level between that of professor and lecturer. No new appointments are being made to readerships.
In addition, some staff hold the title of reader but this title is no longer available for new conferrals
Other posts
Departmental Lecturerships
Departmental lecturers undertake teaching and research in their subject but typically will not be as far advanced in their career as staff on the main lecturer grade. They may be linked to a college on a personal basis but these posts do not involve holding a tutorial fellowship.
Language teaching posts
Language teaching in Medieval and Modern Languages, Oriental Studies and Classics is carried out by Instructors and, for modern languages, native-speaker Lectors. These staff are not expected to carry out research (although some may do) and are not normally attached to a college.
Senior research posts
Many of the staff employed on senior research posts will undertake some teaching, although the principal focus of their role is research. A number of them hold the title of professor. They may be linked to a college on a personal basis but these posts do not involve holding a tutorial fellowship.
College Lecturerships
Many colleges appoint their own staff to teach their undergraduate students. College lecturers generally have a link to the relevant department or faculty but are not employed or paid by the University.
Tutorial fellowship: a college appointment which carries with it an obligation to undertake undergraduate teaching in very small groups (tutorials) and other duties.