It is inappropriate to use the term professor in that circumstance. He must not be aware of that and I think he should be made aware of it before he commences his job search. I would also communicate the sentiment in the last sentence at the same time if you wish to avoid giving the impression that you are just being petty about this issue.
Rick Dr. Rick Froman, Chair Division of Humanities and Social Sciences John Brown University Siloam Springs, AR 72761 rfro...@jbu.edu ________________________________________ From: Jeffrey Nagelbush [nagel...@hotmail.com] Sent: Sunday, October 18, 2009 4:00 PM To: Teaching in the Psychological Sciences (TIPS) Subject: [tips] Appropriate Self-description A colleague had a question that I had no real answer to because I really did not know my own opinion so I thought I would ask this group for input. An adjunct in our department, who is finishing his Ph.D., puts, as part of his signature, Professor of Psychology. He, of course, does not have the rank of any type of professor since he is an adjunct. Is his use of professor a misuse or is it just a generic term for any of us who teach at universities? If he applies to other places which may have tenure-track positions and he uses this signature file, is he misleading these places? Finally, if you believe that his use of professor is inappropriate, should we inform him of this. One last point. We are very happy with him and, when he finishes his degree, we would be very interested in hiring him on a tenure-track line if we ever get one in this miserable economy. --- To make changes to your subscription contact: Bill Southerly (bsouthe...@frostburg.edu)
