Re: CHAT: "Mister" (WAS: Re: New Lang: Igassik)

Patrick Dunn wrote:

>On Mon, 23 Oct 2000, Andrew Chaney wrote:
>
>> > I know that 'professor' in American English doesn't mean 'the head of a
>> > university department' which is the meaning elsewhere ...
>>
>> A professor is anyone with a degree that teaches a class.
>
>No, no.  A professor must fulfill certain obscure criteria.  I, for
>instance, am not a professor, and I have a degree and have been known to
>teach a class or two.  For one thing,, a professor must have a PhD; I
>only have an MA.>
Probably things have tightened up since I was actively involved in Academe.
(There are so many PhD's driving cabs now, that colleges and even some high
schools can pick and choose.)  I"ve met many an "Asst. Prof." who had only
the MA, and may or may not have been working toward a doctorate.   Actually,
in the 60s, when I was visiting lots of schools, smaller places had many
older faculty without PhDs.
For the benefit of non-Usonians, "Asst. Prof." is the lowest rung on the
ladder that can lead to tenure (i.e. secure and reasonably permanent
position); next up is Associate Prof. (usually has tenure), finally (full)
Professor (of course tenured).  You might be hired temporarily as an Assoc.
or full Prof. (without tenure) but that would depend on your prestige/salary
demands etc.; and being temporary, you'd be called a "Visiting Prof.".
Below Asst. Prof. are a variety of positions, often part-time nowadays,
whose holders may or may not have a PhD, and are just trying to gain a
toehold, with hopes of a permanent appointment.  We usually call them
Lecturers (students might well call them Prof., however).

One department I know of, which shall remain nameless, had what was probably
the World's Only Tenured Assistant Prof., a pleasant fellow who got his PhD
at the school, was hired, neither promoted nor canned within 7years-- lo and
behold, by that school's rules, automatic tenure.......

Deans were always a mystery to me-- certainly one wanted to have as little
contact as possible with the Dean of Students.  Most of my friends who
aspired to dean-ships were people who had gotten tired of teaching