Key Responsibilities and Required Skills for University Faculty

🎯 Role Definition

University Faculty are responsible for delivering high-quality instruction, leading original research, securing external funding, mentoring students, and contributing to departmental and institutional governance. This role typically spans classroom and online teaching, curriculum development and assessment, scholarly publishing in peer-reviewed venues, supervising graduate research, and active participation in faculty committees and community outreach. Ideal candidates demonstrate a strong record of teaching effectiveness, a robust research agenda, successful grant or contract acquisition, and a commitment to diversity, equity, and inclusion in higher education.

📈 Career Progression

Typical Career Path

Entry Point From:

Postdoctoral Fellow or Research Associate with a record of publications and teaching experience.
Lecturer or Adjunct Faculty with proven course delivery and curriculum design success.
Industry Researcher or Professional switching to academia with applied expertise and credentials.

Advancement To:

Associate Professor (tenure-track) following successful review of teaching, research, and service.
Professor (full/tenured) with sustained scholarship, leadership, and external funding.
Department Chair, Program Director, or Academic Dean with administrative and strategic leadership responsibilities.

Lateral Moves:

Research Faculty or Research Scientist positions focused on funded projects.
Director of Teaching and Learning, Instructional Designer, or Educational Technologist.
Industry partnerships manager, policy fellow, or applied research leader in non-academic settings.

Core Responsibilities

Primary Functions

Deliver high-quality undergraduate and graduate instruction across assigned courses, developing clear learning objectives, engaging lesson plans, and inclusive assessment strategies that demonstrate measurable student learning outcomes.
Design, revise and implement curriculum and course sequences, including learning outcomes alignment, syllabus preparation, assessment rubrics, and integration of digital learning technologies (e.g., Canvas, Blackboard, LMS).
Develop and maintain an active, independent research agenda resulting in peer-reviewed publications, conference presentations, technical reports, and creative works appropriate to the discipline.
Prepare competitive external grant proposals and contracts to secure research funding from federal agencies, foundations, industry partners, and internal university sources; manage awarded grants including budgets, compliance, and reporting.
Supervise, mentor, and advise undergraduate interns, graduate students (MA, MS, PhD), and postdoctoral researchers on research projects, theses, dissertations, and professional development, fostering academic growth and career readiness.
Conduct rigorous inquiry, data collection, analysis, and interpretation using appropriate qualitative and/or quantitative methodologies; maintain research integrity, reproducibility, and data management best practices.
Publish original research in high-impact, peer-reviewed journals and book series; edit volumes, contribute to scholarly monographs, and collaborate on multi-author research projects.
Serve on and lead departmental, college, and university committees related to curriculum, hiring, assessment, faculty governance, tenure and promotion, and strategic planning.
Engage in student recruitment, retention, and advising activities including orientation sessions, academic counseling, undergraduate research opportunities, and graduate program admissions.
Provide regular, constructive evaluation and feedback to students through grading, office hours, supervision of independent study, and formal mentoring activities to support academic success and inclusive classroom climates.
Integrate active learning strategies, inclusive pedagogy, accessibility accommodations, and culturally responsive teaching practices to support diverse student populations.
Collaborate with colleagues on interdisciplinary research and curricular initiatives, developing joint courses, co-authored grants, and cross-unit partnerships that enhance institutional reputation and impact.
Manage laboratory or studio facilities, equipment, budgets, inventories, and safety protocols; ensure compliance with institutional and regulatory standards (e.g., IRB, IACUC, biosafety, hazardous materials).
Lead community-engaged scholarship and outreach activities, building partnerships with K–12 schools, industry, government agencies, and non-profits to translate research into public impact and experiential learning.
Participate in accreditation reviews, program assessment cycles, and systematic evaluation of student learning outcomes; prepare documentation and implement continuous improvement plans.
Develop and deliver online, hybrid, and blended courses using best practices in instructional design, multimedia content creation, and remote student engagement while tracking online course analytics for quality assurance.
Advise on program budgeting, resource allocation, and strategic initiatives; contribute to grant budgeting, expenditure oversight, and annual program reviews.
Recruit, train, and supervise teaching assistants, graders, lab managers, and research personnel; develop training materials and implement mentorship frameworks to ensure teaching and research quality.
Represent the department and university at national and international conferences, professional organizations, editorial boards, and review panels; engage in peer review for journals and funding agencies.
Maintain professional development through participation in workshops, continuing education, certificate programs, and disciplinary networks to keep pedagogy and research methods current.
Contribute to institutional diversity, equity, and inclusion goals by participating in DEI training, advising culturally based student organizations, and integrating diverse perspectives into curriculum and research agendas.
Prepare and deliver public lectures, policy briefings, media interviews, and continuing education workshops to disseminate research findings and raise the profile of the discipline and institution.
Ensure compliance with university policies, legal requirements, intellectual property management, and ethical standards related to research, teaching, and student interactions.
Participate in performance reviews, trainee evaluations, and annual reporting processes; maintain accurate records for tenure and promotion dossiers, accreditation, and program assessment.

Secondary Functions

Support departmental enrollment initiatives, program marketing, and community outreach to attract high-quality students and external collaborators.
Provide ad-hoc academic expertise for institutional initiatives such as curriculum mapping, retention task forces, and strategic planning working groups.
Contribute to the university’s data-informed decision-making by sharing assessment results, student performance trends, and research metrics with administrators.
Assist with short-term academic staffing needs such as substituting for colleagues, covering lectures, or developing emergency course materials.
Mentor junior faculty on grant development, pedagogy, career planning, and tenure dossier preparation.
Participate in interdisciplinary teaching clusters, cross-listed course development, and summer/special session programs.
Advise on library acquisitions, research infrastructure needs, and specialized equipment procurement relevant to the discipline.
Engage in professional service such as organizing conferences, symposia, guest lecture series, and community advisory boards.

Required Skills & Competencies

Hard Skills (Technical)

Demonstrated subject-matter expertise in discipline-specific content with a robust portfolio of peer-reviewed publications and/or creative works.
Evidence of effective college-level teaching and course design, including syllabus development, assessment design, and measurable learning outcomes.
Successful grant writing and administration experience: proposal preparation, budget development, compliance, and reporting for federal, state, foundation, or industry-funded projects.
Advanced research methods proficiency (quantitative, qualitative, mixed methods) and statistical analysis using tools such as R, Python, SPSS, Stata, NVivo, or MATLAB as appropriate to the field.
Experience supervising graduate research, thesis/dissertation committees, and undergraduate research projects with demonstrated mentorship outcomes.
Familiarity with learning management systems (Canvas, Blackboard, Moodle), instructional design principles, and online pedagogy for hybrid and fully online courses.
Compliance knowledge: IRB protocol preparation, human subjects protection, lab safety, IACUC, biosafety level requirements, and responsible conduct of research.
Curriculum development and accreditation expertise, including program assessment, learning outcomes mapping, and preparation of accreditation/self-study materials.
Data management and reproducible research practices, including version control (Git), data repositories, and open science tools.
Budgeting and resource management experience for lab, program, or grant-funded project administration.
Proficiency with presentation tools and scholarly communication platforms: LaTeX, MS Office Suite, academic databases, and citation management software (EndNote, Zotero).

Soft Skills

Strong verbal and written communication skills for teaching, grant writing, and scholarly dissemination.
Student-centered mentorship and coaching skills with demonstrated ability to support diverse learners and foster academic development.
Collaborative mindset and interpersonal skills to work across departments, units, and external partners on interdisciplinary projects.
Leadership and organizational ability to manage research teams, course loads, budgets, and service commitments.
Critical thinking and problem-solving aptitude to design research studies, troubleshoot experiments, and adapt pedagogy.
Cultural competency and commitment to diversity, equity, and inclusion in teaching, scholarship, and service activities.
Time management and prioritization skills to balance teaching, research, administrative duties, and community engagement.
Resilience and adaptability in a dynamic academic environment, including responding to shifts in enrollment, funding, and policy.

Education & Experience

Educational Background

Minimum Education:

Doctoral degree (Ph.D., Ed.D., or other terminal degree) in the relevant discipline; in rare cases, a master’s degree with exceptional professional experience for certain lecturer or clinical faculty roles.

Preferred Education:

Ph.D. or terminal degree with postdoctoral experience, a sustained record of peer-reviewed publications, external funding, and documented excellence in higher education teaching.

Relevant Fields of Study:

Discipline-specific fields (e.g., Biology, Computer Science, English, History, Education, Business, Engineering, Psychology, Fine Arts, Social Sciences).
Interdisciplinary areas (e.g., Data Science, Environmental Studies, Public Health, International Development).
Applied and professional fields for clinical or practice-oriented faculty (e.g., Nursing, Law, Social Work, Business Administration).

Experience Requirements

Typical Experience Range:

3–10+ years of combined teaching and research experience; entry-level tenure-track commonly requires postdoctoral research or adjunct/lecturer teaching experience.

Preferred:

Demonstrated record of scholarly productivity (publications, presentations), successful grant applications or external funding history, substantive teaching experience at the tertiary level, experience supervising graduate students, and meaningful service contributions to departmental or professional communities.