Honorary and Voluntary Appointments
IN-POL-FA21
About This Policy
- Date of Last Review/Update:
- 03-19-2026
- Responsible Campus Administrator:
Office of the IU Indianapolis Provost
- Policy Contact:
Office of the IU Indianapolis Provost, ude[dot]ui[at]tsvrp
Scope
These honorary, collaborative appointments may be held in a department, school, center, or academic service unit at IU Indianapolis, IU Columbus, and IU Fort Wayne subject to the approval of the senior academic administrative officer of the unit and the provost and executive vice chancellor.
Policy Statement
Civic engagement at IU Indianapolis takes many different forms and draws upon both institutional and external resources to meet educational objectives across teaching, research, and service. The initiative for applying for an appointment of this type may come from either the candidate or an IU Indianapolis faculty or staff person. In either case, a letter from a center director, chair, or dean stating how the nominee will contribute to the mission of the appointing unit and stating the privileges to be granted to the individual for what period of time should be sent, along with supporting documentation, to the Office of Academic Affairs for review and approval, just as for any full-time academic appointment.
These individuals are not employees of Indiana University and are not subject to IU Indianapolis or Indiana University regulations except that they will voluntarily consent to observing IU Indianapolis policies regarding academic ethics, non-discrimination, and sexual harassment. Contingent on the scope and nature of their affiliation, they may be asked to observe other specific policies upon initial appointment or renewal of appointment. They may be accorded certain academic privileges as specified in the letter of appointment. They do not have any rights or privileges implied by an employment relationship and may be terminated at any time at the discretion of the appointing unit. Renewal or extensions of appointments are to be based on a review of its mutual benefit.
Procedures
Community Scholar
The community scholar title may be modified by the use of one of the terms: teaching, research, or service. Alternative titles: field experience supervisor; clinical supervisor.
A community scholar represents a formal, flexible, and term appointment with academic status at IU Indianapolis. The appointment reflects a colleague’s significant and meaningful contributions to meeting educational objectives for IU Indianapolis students through community-based learning activities, research, or professional service. A community scholar is expected to engage in these activities though such roles as supervising community-based internships, clinical placements, field experiences, or service learning; teaching in an approved curriculum of the Community Learning Network or other formally recognized school-based continuing education program; serving as a co-teacher from another state or nation via distance education; participating in organized research conducted under the auspices of an academic or academic service unit; or providing direct services at a high level of responsibility in cooperation with an academic unit of the campus. The community scholar is differentiated from an adjunct appointment by not having direct responsibility and authority for teaching (i.e., awarding credit), research (i.e., receiving grants or contracts), or implementation of service (i.e., obligating the institution).
Qualifications
Community scholars are expected to have expertise through experience or training that prepares them to contribute to the educational achievement of students in community-based learning. A record of sustained participation with academic units of IU Indianapolis is expected, ordinarily of at least a year’s duration. Recommendation for appointment should be based on a documented record of significant contribution (e.g., certification as a qualified internship or field experience supervisor). The candidate’s expertise and training must be broadly consistent with clearly understood learning objectives, research objectives, or professional service. Ordinarily, a community scholar will hold a baccalaureate or advanced degree.
Term
Appointments can be for up to five years. Appointments may be renewed. This appointment may not be held concurrently with any other academic appointment whether full or part-time.
Community Associate
A community associate represents a formal yet flexible appointment with academic status at IU Indianapolis. The appointment reflects a colleague’s significant and meaningful alignment with and support of the mission of IU Indianapolis in cooperation with full time faculty or academic administrators. Community associates, however, do not have direct responsibility for supervising IU Indianapolis students or staff.
Qualifications
Community associates are expected to have specific knowledge and expertise deriving from their roles in the community that allow them to support the mission of IU Indianapolis.
Term
Appointments are for up to two years. Appointments may be renewed. This appointment may not be held concurrently with any other academic appointment whether full or part-time.
Visiting Community Associate
A visiting community associate represents a formal yet flexible appointment with academic status at IU Indianapolis. The appointment reflects a colleague’s significant and meaningful alignment with and support of the mission of IU Indianapolis in cooperation with full time faculty or academic administrators. Visiting community associates, however, do not have direct responsibility for supervising IU Indianapolis students or staff. The visiting status is designed to accommodate a person with a short-term involvement with IU Indianapolis of six months or less. It may appropriately be used for members of program review or accreditation teams, for government officials with specific limited needs and roles, members of a task force or commission, and the like.
Qualifications
Visiting community associates are expected to have specific knowledge and expertise deriving from their roles in the community that allow them to support the mission of IU Indianapolis.
Term
Appointments are for up to six months. Appointments may be renewed but persons with involvement beyond a short time should be appointed as a community associate or community scholar. This appointment may not be held concurrently with any other academic appointment whether full or part-time.
International Scholar
The international scholar title is similar to the community scholar and should be viewed as its equivalent. On occasion, the title may be modified by the use of one of the terms: teaching, research, or service.
An international scholar represents a formal, flexible, and term appointment with academic status at IU Indianapolis. The appointment reflects a colleague’s significant and meaningful contributions to meeting IU Indianapolis’s mission through internationally-based learning activities, research, or professional service. An international scholar is expected to engage in these activities through such instructional roles as supervising students in study abroad programs including service learning, internships, and clinical rotations, serving as a mentor to graduate students or faculty in sustained academic work in a nation or region outside the United States, or participating in an instructional program through distance education on more than an occasional basis; through collaborating in research that continues beyond a year; or through providing direct services at a high level of responsibility in cooperation with an academic unit of the campus. The international scholar is differentiated from an adjunct appointment by not having direct, sole responsibility and authority for teaching (i.e., awarding credit), research (i.e., receiving grants or contracts), or implementation of service (i.e., obligating the institution). The international scholar will have another nation as the principal site for work and living and will not hold any permanent visa status with the United States.
Qualifications
International scholars are expected to have expertise through experience or training that prepares them to contribute to the academic mission of IU Indianapolis. Recommendation for appointment should be based on a documented record of prior significant contribution for a sustained period (e.g., certification as a contributor to distance learning, collaboration on externally funded research) or an expectation that the candidate will be in residence at IU Indianapolis for at least a semester. The candidate’s expertise and training must be broadly consistent with clearly understood learning objectives, research objectives, or professional service. Ordinarily, an international scholar will hold a terminal degree appropriate for a professorial appointment.
Any appointment that involves residence at IU Indianapolis that requires a visa will need to be cleared in advance with the Office of International Affairs.
Term
Appointments can be for up to five years. Appointments may be renewed. This appointment may not be held concurrently with any other academic appointment at IU Indianapolis, whether full or part-time.
International Associate
An international associate designation represents a formal yet flexible appointment with academic status at IU Indianapolis. The appointment reflects a colleague’s significant and meaningful alignment with and support of the international dimensions of the mission of IU Indianapolis in cooperation with full-time faculty or academic administrators. International associates, however, do not have direct responsibility for supervising IU Indianapolis students or staff.
Qualifications
International associates are expected to have specific knowledge and expertise deriving from their roles in their home nations or international organizations that allow them to support the mission of IU Indianapolis. Ordinarily, an international associate will hold a terminal degree appropriate for appointment at the lecturer or higher rank.
Any appointment that involves residence at IU Indianapolis that requires a visa will need to be cleared in advance with the Office of International Affairs.
Term
Appointments are for up to two years. Appointments may be renewed. This appointment may not be held concurrently with any other academic appointment at IU Indianapolis, whether full or part-time.
International Affiliate
An international affiliate represents a formal yet flexible appointment with academic status at IU Indianapolis for a short term of six months or less. The appointment reflects a colleague’s significant and meaningful alignment with and support of the international dimensions of the mission of IU Indianapolis in cooperation with full-time faculty or academic administrators, typically in conjunction with a project, course, or activity during a semester or summer session. International affiliates, however, do not have direct responsibility for supervising IU Indianapolis students or staff. The affiliate status may appropriately be used for members of program review or accreditation teams, for government officials with specific limited needs and roles, members of a task force or commission, persons teaching in a distance education course for a year or less, a collaborator on a research project for a year or less, and the like. Any appointment that involves residence at IU Indianapolis that requires a visa will need to be cleared in advance with the Office of International Affairs.
Qualifications
International affiliates are expected to have specific knowledge and expertise deriving from their roles in the community that allow them to support the mission of IU Indianapolis. Ordinarily an advanced degree is expected but exceptions can be made.
Term
Appointments are for up to six months. Appointments may be renewed but persons with involvement beyond a short time should be appointed as an international associate or international scholar. This appointment may not be held concurrently with any other academic appointment at IU Indianapolis, whether full or part-time.
Distinguished
The designation “Distinguished” may be added to any of the above appointment types. The designation is made in the “Notes” section of the appointing document. For an honorary volunteer to be designated as “Distinguished,” the relevant administrator must make a recommendation to, and receive an endorsement by vote of the faculty of the relevant unit, either as a whole or by an appropriate committee. Ordinarily, the qualification “Distinguished” would apply to persons with exceptional achievements and experience in professions, business, government, or community as appropriate. This designation applies only to these listed titles. It does not apply to adjunct or no-pay appointments which are not one of these listed titles. People who are in paid positions, full- or part-time, may not use the term “distinguished” unless they qualify under IU BOT-29 (formerly ACA-39), “Distinguished Ranks.”
Voluntary Appointments
In addition to the above honorary appointments, most of which are without pay, the university also provides units with the ability to make voluntary academic appointments to individuals who will contribute regularly or occasionally to academic programs or to students’ academic work. These may be physicians who occasionally lecture, or include students as observers in their practices, lawyers, nurses, teachers or social work practitioners who oversee students in professional settings, or any of several other individuals contributing to the academic mission. These appointments are without any remuneration or benefit and are renewed by the academic units at intervals through a written appointment process.
These are termed “ACNP” (academic no-pay) and are AC1 academic appointees.
If an individual, if employed by IU, would qualify for a professorial title, the typical administrative designation is “Adjunct xxxx” where “xxxx” is appropriate academic rank and type, such as “Adjunct Assistant Professor,” “Adjunct Clinical Professor.” This use of the term “adjunct” is different from the word “adjunct” used for those who are part-time instructors (per-course associate faculty) who are AC2 appointees.
History
Distinguished Ranks:Approved by the Faculty Affairs Committee, 1/2022
Approved by the IU Indianapolis Faculty Council, 2/1/2022
