ABSTRACT
Several important initiatives have been implemented over the last two decades for non-tenure track faculty at Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University (Virginia Tech), and more are expected as a result of a task force on research faculty currently under way. In order to provide a background, this chapter briefly reviews the institutional context and the nature of faculty employment at Virginia Tech. Then a more detailed look at a recently implemented career ladder for non-tenure track instructors is given. Next, the author introduces a set of issues now being addressed for non-tenure track research faculty, a workforce that has increased by 50 percent over the last decade as Virginia Tech has aggressively expanded its sponsored research profile. To conclude, the author provides a summary of the lessons learned on supporting non-tenure track faculty at Virginia Tech.
