Mason's Onboarding Portal

Instructional faculty appointments focus primarily on teaching undergraduate and graduate courses. These positions may have the following designations: tenure (without term), tenure-track, term (non tenure-track).

Research and clinical faculty assignments focus primarily on research or clinical practice.

Instructional and research faculty may hold the following ranks: Instructor (Research Associate), Assistant Professor, Associate Professor, or Professor.

Adjunct faculty are part-time appointments appointed to fulfill the teaching and advising responsibilities associated with a specific course (or a set of specified courses) on a semester by semester basis.

Administrative Faculty and Professional Faculty are normally referred to collectively as Administrative/Professional Faculty (A/P faculty). Both require advanced learning acquired by prolonged formal instruction and/or specialized training and work experience.

Administrative faculty positions are generally senior administrators who perform work related to the management of the educational and general activities of the university. Professional faculty positions may support education, research, University Life, and other such activities and may typically hold positions as librarians, counselors, coaches, physicians, or lawyers.

Classified staff hold positions that include a wide range of roles within the University. They are typically non-teaching employees and may be classified as either exempt (not overtime eligible) or non-exempt (overtime eligible). These employees are covered by the provisions of the Virginia Personnel Act (Title 2.2, § 2.2-2900 of the Code of Virginia), once they have completed the 12-month probationary period.

Non-student wage employees’ primary relationship with Mason is intended to cover peak workloads, seasonal or short-term needs. These types of positions are all part-time and typically pay is based on an hourly basis.

Student employment is designed to provide financial support while attending Mason. Student wage employees’ primary relationship with Mason is the pursuit of an academic degree. Student employees are students first and foremost and, in recognition of this, should be limited to a total of 20 hours per week. During semester breaks students may work up to an average of 29 hours per week. Types of student employment may be categorized in work study positions, student wage (hourly) positions, or graduate assistantships.