Instructor = Lecturer I/Lecturer II Assistant Professor = Senior Lecturer Associate Professor = Reader Professor = Professor Ike
These are the basic academic ranks of professors (at least in US universities). Assistant Professor - Early career, usually means a tenure track position, but not yet tenured. The first several years after completing the doctorate. Associate Professor - Mid Career, probably tenured, has published a fair amount of articles or books. Professor - This is the highest academic rank. Usually reserved for faculty who have been around quite a while (more than 15 years maybe??). Often means strong teaching and/or significant academic publications. The basic difference between these is that the higher your rank, the more money you get, etc. However, having a higher rank doesn't necessarily make an individual the superior of those in the lower ranks (like it would in any military organization). Hope that helps, Jeff
Where? Certainly not in the UK. An assistant professor (US) is in the first 6 years of that particular appointment; a lecturer (UK) is roughly either an assistant or associate professor (US), depending on length of service. A senior lecturer (UK) would clearly be at least an associate professor (US), maybe even full; a reader a full professor (US); and a professor (UK) would translate into an endowed chair. A lecturer (US) can mean pretty much anything (it varies from place to place); an instructor generally does not have a terminal degree (and certainly ain't equal to a UK lecturer). jmbp ------------------ J. M. B. Porter, PhD Lecturer in World History
You are right but it may be difficult to accurately match the positions one to one, because of the differences in the UK and US systems. What I gave was roughly the equivalence in most countries that operate the British system or pseudo-British system. Ike