Appointments as officers of instruction may be made primarily for teaching, whether full-time or part-time, with or without tenure.

Officers of instruction are granted term appointments (i.e., for a specified length of time, or appointments with tenure (i.e., without stated term).  All officers of instruction without tenure shall initially be appointed for one year.

Appointments as officers of research (OOR), regardless of whether they carry compensation or not, are reserved for persons who are participating actively in a formal research program of a department, school, institute, or center.

These appointments are organized into four categories: professional, postdoctoral, staff, and student officers of research.

Professional and staff OORs may be appointed for a term of up to 12 months, which is renewable. Postdoctoral OORs may be appointed for full- or part-time service for a term of up to 12 months, which is renewable for up to a total period of service in any postdoctoral rank of three years.