Page updated on March 22nd, 2021

 

Tenure-Track

The probationary period for an Assistant Professor lasts 5 years, although a professor may apply to be considered for promotion to Associate Professor after 3 years if he/she meets the requirements.

Course load

The full course load is 12 credits per semester, which corresponds to 12 contact hours of instruction. Considering that many courses have 4 or 5 contact hours per week, a full course load typically varies between 3 and 4 courses per semester. In particular, first year intensive courses are all 5 hours per week. Therefore, a load can be completed
– either with 4 advanced courses
– or with 2 intensive courses and 1 advanced course.

Teaching-load reductions

Professors may benefit from teaching-load reductions for their administrative responsibilities or to carry out research projects. Each professor may request a semester release of 3 credits for research. During the whole tenure-track period, professors receive an automatic semester release of 3 credits for research.

Use of the Spanish language

In Puerto Rico, English and Spanish are both official languages and the vast majority of teachers and students at the University of Puerto Rico are bilingual. However, the language most used in the administration is Spanish, whether for official documents, continuing education workshops, meetings or communication with employees. Professor can express themselves in English, even with their students, but it is necessary to at least understand Spanish orally and in writing if one wants to participate fully in the administrative and academic life of the campus.