An associate professor is a teacher at a university, college, or postgraduate institution who participates in teaching programs. They may also be physicians who teach in hospitals. They design curriculums, teach classes, and serve as academic advisors. Tenure is more likely for professors who publish frequently. The job is a combination of research/writing and teaching.
An associate professor is one of several things. It could be a university professor at a university, four-year college, community college, or some postgraduate institutions like law school. Title associate professor may also be a designation given to some physicians who work in hospitals and who also participate in teaching programs in those hospitals. What the teacher does specifically will largely depend on the workplace, but one of these teachers’ primary jobs is to participate in teaching students.
Generally, the term associate professor is used to differentiate from the term professor. In most teaching environments, having teacher stature means ownership. Tenure usually means that a person has significant job security and is unlikely to lose their job as long as they want to keep it and do it well. In many cases, people are hired first for an associate professor position and may spend many years working towards a tenured position.
In carrying out this work, associate professors will design the curriculum and teach classes in their area of expertise. They may also serve as academic advisors for students, possibly employing graduate students to work as professors, teaching assistants or researchers. They will need to take an interest in departmental staff activity by attending meetings or working in whatever capacity is needed in this area. Courses taught can be assigned or some members can design and suggest their own courses and then teach them.
Associate professor hours may vary depending on the type of work environment. Professors at community colleges tend to work longer than those at four-year or graduate universities. One of the reasons for this is the emphasis on research and publishing. Tenure is more likely for professors in the latter environment who publish frequently; whereas it can be decided about different things at the community college level. The emphasis on tenure in any setting other than the community college tends to mean a smaller class load, as the associate professor is expected to spend some of his time preparing publishable work.
What this means for anyone considering accepting an associate professorship is that the job can be a combination of research/writing and teaching. There is also a tenuous degree in the nature of the work. It’s not quite the same as taking an adjunct job, where a person doesn’t receive benefits but doesn’t have the same job security as a full professor. Most people hired as assistant professors are well aware of this fact and will work hard to receive tenure after repeatedly distinguishing themselves in their field through research and publications.
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