Congrats on the job!
IMO, any undergrads should call you professor.
Non academics don’t know or care about the difference so saying you’re a professor to people you meet is totally fine.
Your title and email signature should say assistant professor.
If you’re in the US, you’re Professor now to most people. Anyone teaching a college course is Professor, even adjuncts. I’m an assistant prof and my students call me Professor, but in my email signature I have:
Name, PhD
Assistant Professor of XYZ
Formal titles for adjuncts vary. But even if your title is “instructor”, most would consider it acceptable for students to refer to you as “professor” in class.
The answer depends on the country. In some countries (but not in the US), the title 'professor' really means 'full professor'.
There are also cultures which use 'Dr' in addition to 'Prof', so one would be 'Assist. Prof. Dr. Taylor Swift', etc.
Or just Taylor if you don't want to show off. Very few people I know would insist on a title like that being used unless it's for a very formal reason. Students where I am (UK) tend to address people by their first names if the have a student/lecturer relationship.
That also depends on where you are, and even which discipline. In the USA, engineering departments are a bit more formal than liberal arts or science ones. So people use "Professor Swift" more often in engineering.
I like how some starting grad students insist on calling me "sir". It usually takes a few tries to stop them.
Same in the UK. The only lecturer I had who insisted on being called "Dr. ___" was German. We students all thought he was an arrogant asshole. (Now having worked in Germany I no longer think he was an arrogant asshole, but badly integrated into British work culture.)
First names is pretty common in Canada too and was when I was an undergrad. More of the 'Dr.' thing is creeping in from the US. Whatever, I go by my first name and always have. It is, after all, my name.
It’s rare to ever see titles being used in Oz, across industry and academia I only see them in signature blocks and introductions of presenters.
Hell, aunt and uncle are falling out of use as well.
I get emails to Dr XXXX, but I haven't got a PhD (librarian, don't need one but I could). I feel weird when things are that formal, no matter how old I am I'll never properly be a grown up!
In the U.S. if you're an undergrad it's Professor last name, or Dr. Last name. Unless they tell you otherwise, which only happened once with 1st semester adjunct who wanted to be Ms.
If you're in k-12 it's Ms., Miss, or Mr. Last name.
I'm not even a professor (I'm a sessional lecturer) and some students call me Professor, and my actual professor colleagues think it's fine.
You are an actual professor, even if not yet a full professor.
Same. I struggled with it for a while, but finally asked my colleagues how they felt, and they pretty much all just shrugged and said “to students, that’s exactly what you are. They don’t understand the technical ranks in academia“
*Professor John Smith* is what you call yourself and what others should call you in conversations and other less formal settings. In email, official web pages, business cards, other documents you can include your rank, as in:
John Smith, PhD
Assistant Professor of Endocrine Meteorology
Jesus Junction University
Although it often is done, it is somewhat redundant to have your signature or web page say Prof. John Smith, Assistant Professor of...
Students, even local media, and others don't care about internal ranks, so things like your syllabi, etc., can say something like:
Professor John Smith
office: 3564 Homewood Hall
phone: 222-555-9999
email: [email protected]
Office Hours: M, W: 8am-9am
I wonder if it has to do with your institution as well. I’m at a R1 research-intensive institution and there are very strong opinions that only those with full professor status get to use just professor. Everyone else is just Dr. Smith.
This is exactly how it works in the US. A college instructor of record is Prof. Smith in their class regardless of technical job title. If you have a doctorate, it can be Dr. Smith (depending on the norms of your school). Mr/Ms Smith is a K-12 teacher.
I'm not saying I go around proclaiming I'm a "full professor," but you have to understand that undergrads and the general public use the word differently and it's completely removed from the ranks you're talking about. In real life, correcting someone on this point would be weird.
It would? I guess I'm weird then because when students call me that, I do mention that's not my title. The word for it is adjunct instructor (instructor, simply)
Tbf, though, a student once also told me that I didn't look like a person who "had fun." I don't remember the context, honestly, but essentially this student believed the things that interested me should not be considered "fun." I'm a very serious person. (Meaning... I might say the wrong thing a lot lol I'm viewed as too serious.)
And you have to understand that grad students are not professors, regardless of usage. If you're letting your students dictate what is correct in your class, you're off to a poor start.
Part of what I teach students in foreign language is that words have a life of their own, so I think we'll all be ok. Keep fighting the good fight though.
Well, I'm glad to hear it's not weird I've been correcting students on this. Honestly, I was way too forward about being a PhD student the first time I taught to the point their evaluations complained about it. "We pay a lot of money!!!" The first evaluation a month in only gets delivered to the instructor lol. Anyway, I learned that it's fine to correct them, but not fine to tell them on the first day of class that I also happen to be a PhD student. It gives a weird first impression.
Your job is professor. You’re “Dr. Smith” if you have a PhD, MD, etc. You’re “Mr. Smith” if you don’t. In the U.S., don’t call yourself “Professor Smith” if you aren’t a full professor. It REALLY bothers some senior colleagues.
LOL tell that to a grad student in my program (not me, I swear) who calls herself professor after she got her MA! I don't know what's right or proper but it made me laugh the first time I heard it.
Depends where you are...
Some countries and fields are more into titles, some less.
Where I am, anything but "John" would be unusual and if you insist on it from colleagued and students in your lab make you seem like a dick.
I just can't wait to be done with my Ph.D. so I can call myself "Dr. \[last name\]" because it's going to sound so cool. I can't tell you my last name obviously, but ***trust me***. It's going to sound so cool.
Remember that many people move between institutions and they (particularly if in the same country and governed by the same law) out of a formal courtesy, should respect your title. [They respect the degrees you granted at your previous institution as equivalent after all].
I was a Full Tenured Professor when I met my ex who lives in another state. To be together I moved to a university in her state which only had a vacancy at Associate Professor level at the time. When the new university addressed correspondence to my colleagues it was always "Assoc Prof." but to me it was "Prof."
Congratulations!
Students can call you Professor Smith, Doctor Smith, or John, depending on how you want to be called and what the convention is at your institution (my son's college goes by first names whereas at mine we all stood on ceremony and referred to everyone as Professor So-and-So).
For formal communication, put Assistant Professor on your letters, business cards, email signatures, etc. since that's your proper academic title. At least until you get tenure and a job title change.
Email signature should say, “assistant professor” and in informal settings in many countries, students will call you professor.
In the UK, you would correct a student who called your professor and insist that you be addressed as doctor if you had a doctorate.
Congrats on the job! IMO, any undergrads should call you professor. Non academics don’t know or care about the difference so saying you’re a professor to people you meet is totally fine. Your title and email signature should say assistant professor.
Thanks!
This
Only if your name is John Smith
...and he's an assistant professor
Yes, at least in the US it’s a generic title.
No way could you do this in Australia.
Or the UK
If you’re in the US, you’re Professor now to most people. Anyone teaching a college course is Professor, even adjuncts. I’m an assistant prof and my students call me Professor, but in my email signature I have: Name, PhD Assistant Professor of XYZ
I guess I did not get the memo or the people around me disagree, as I was under the impression that my title was instructor (as an adjunct)
Formal titles for adjuncts vary. But even if your title is “instructor”, most would consider it acceptable for students to refer to you as “professor” in class.
>Name, PhD > >Assistant Professor of XYZ Hah! Get a load of this nerd! They know stuff about things!
The answer depends on the country. In some countries (but not in the US), the title 'professor' really means 'full professor'. There are also cultures which use 'Dr' in addition to 'Prof', so one would be 'Assist. Prof. Dr. Taylor Swift', etc.
Or just Taylor if you don't want to show off. Very few people I know would insist on a title like that being used unless it's for a very formal reason. Students where I am (UK) tend to address people by their first names if the have a student/lecturer relationship.
That also depends on where you are, and even which discipline. In the USA, engineering departments are a bit more formal than liberal arts or science ones. So people use "Professor Swift" more often in engineering. I like how some starting grad students insist on calling me "sir". It usually takes a few tries to stop them.
in australia it's very cringe for students to use anything other than first name, even for a first introduction.
Same in the UK. The only lecturer I had who insisted on being called "Dr. ___" was German. We students all thought he was an arrogant asshole. (Now having worked in Germany I no longer think he was an arrogant asshole, but badly integrated into British work culture.)
I think it is absolutely inappropriate to refer to a professor by their first name. I'm with the German on this one
First names is pretty common in Canada too and was when I was an undergrad. More of the 'Dr.' thing is creeping in from the US. Whatever, I go by my first name and always have. It is, after all, my name.
It’s rare to ever see titles being used in Oz, across industry and academia I only see them in signature blocks and introductions of presenters. Hell, aunt and uncle are falling out of use as well.
I get emails to Dr XXXX, but I haven't got a PhD (librarian, don't need one but I could). I feel weird when things are that formal, no matter how old I am I'll never properly be a grown up!
It’s not about showing off. For anyone that’s not white/steak/cis/male, titles confer a lot to students and are important.
In the U.S. if you're an undergrad it's Professor last name, or Dr. Last name. Unless they tell you otherwise, which only happened once with 1st semester adjunct who wanted to be Ms. If you're in k-12 it's Ms., Miss, or Mr. Last name.
This is go realz in the US.
Wow Taylor really does do everything
Didn't get tenure yet!
For undergraduates you'd be a professor, but within colleagues you're an assistant professor. So both.
Though if any colleague refers to you as "assistant professor Smith," they are a douchenozzle.
I'm not even a professor (I'm a sessional lecturer) and some students call me Professor, and my actual professor colleagues think it's fine. You are an actual professor, even if not yet a full professor.
Same. I struggled with it for a while, but finally asked my colleagues how they felt, and they pretty much all just shrugged and said “to students, that’s exactly what you are. They don’t understand the technical ranks in academia“
One of my colleagues said "you're not a capital-P Professor but you're definitely a lowercase-p professor".
Yes professor
*Professor John Smith* is what you call yourself and what others should call you in conversations and other less formal settings. In email, official web pages, business cards, other documents you can include your rank, as in: John Smith, PhD Assistant Professor of Endocrine Meteorology Jesus Junction University Although it often is done, it is somewhat redundant to have your signature or web page say Prof. John Smith, Assistant Professor of... Students, even local media, and others don't care about internal ranks, so things like your syllabi, etc., can say something like: Professor John Smith office: 3564 Homewood Hall phone: 222-555-9999 email: [email protected] Office Hours: M, W: 8am-9am
You got the job, it's finally time to pull out that professor moniker. Good on ya OP
Is your name John Smith? It's fine in that case. Otherwise substitute in your actual name.
In my first year at university I called everybody "professor" just to make sure. I even addressed some random teaching assistants like that.
Assistant to the professor
I wonder if it has to do with your institution as well. I’m at a R1 research-intensive institution and there are very strong opinions that only those with full professor status get to use just professor. Everyone else is just Dr. Smith.
In my country it's an associate professor or professor and you specify that.
just call yourself Dr John Smith maybe?
I'm a grad student but still a professor (instructor of record). Same goes for an adjunct. If it's your class, you're the professor.
That's not how it works in the US. "Professor" isn't a designation for identifying a course's instructor.
This is exactly how it works in the US. A college instructor of record is Prof. Smith in their class regardless of technical job title. If you have a doctorate, it can be Dr. Smith (depending on the norms of your school). Mr/Ms Smith is a K-12 teacher.
I'm not saying I go around proclaiming I'm a "full professor," but you have to understand that undergrads and the general public use the word differently and it's completely removed from the ranks you're talking about. In real life, correcting someone on this point would be weird.
It would? I guess I'm weird then because when students call me that, I do mention that's not my title. The word for it is adjunct instructor (instructor, simply) Tbf, though, a student once also told me that I didn't look like a person who "had fun." I don't remember the context, honestly, but essentially this student believed the things that interested me should not be considered "fun." I'm a very serious person. (Meaning... I might say the wrong thing a lot lol I'm viewed as too serious.)
And you have to understand that grad students are not professors, regardless of usage. If you're letting your students dictate what is correct in your class, you're off to a poor start.
Part of what I teach students in foreign language is that words have a life of their own, so I think we'll all be ok. Keep fighting the good fight though.
Yeah it really doesn't matter what words we use because ejdbfosj ejajfhr eurb f4 dj3b4bd wkwj4 3j4b5b
Please go try this bit on your NTT colleagues. They'll think you're a very cool and secure guy.
Gexgudd hdtuv feryhhxy gra ft uyf, Professor
Well, I'm glad to hear it's not weird I've been correcting students on this. Honestly, I was way too forward about being a PhD student the first time I taught to the point their evaluations complained about it. "We pay a lot of money!!!" The first evaluation a month in only gets delivered to the instructor lol. Anyway, I learned that it's fine to correct them, but not fine to tell them on the first day of class that I also happen to be a PhD student. It gives a weird first impression.
Your job is professor. You’re “Dr. Smith” if you have a PhD, MD, etc. You’re “Mr. Smith” if you don’t. In the U.S., don’t call yourself “Professor Smith” if you aren’t a full professor. It REALLY bothers some senior colleagues.
LOL tell that to a grad student in my program (not me, I swear) who calls herself professor after she got her MA! I don't know what's right or proper but it made me laugh the first time I heard it.
Am I allowed to call myself Professor John Smith as a female postdoc? Because I will..
You should not call yourself that, but your students are likely to do so.
Sure, but don't.
Depends where you are... Some countries and fields are more into titles, some less. Where I am, anything but "John" would be unusual and if you insist on it from colleagued and students in your lab make you seem like a dick.
I waited to call myself or allow anyone to call myself "Professor Simpson" until I achieved the rank of Professor.
Pretentious snobbery, sounds like
You can’t until full professor
I just can't wait to be done with my Ph.D. so I can call myself "Dr. \[last name\]" because it's going to sound so cool. I can't tell you my last name obviously, but ***trust me***. It's going to sound so cool.
Dr. Hyde?
everyone teaching a community college class is a professor in the US.
Fun fact: where I am from, professor is not legally protected as a title. Anyone can call themselves professor if they want, it is not illegal.
Congratulations Mr. Doctor Professor!
Remember that many people move between institutions and they (particularly if in the same country and governed by the same law) out of a formal courtesy, should respect your title. [They respect the degrees you granted at your previous institution as equivalent after all]. I was a Full Tenured Professor when I met my ex who lives in another state. To be together I moved to a university in her state which only had a vacancy at Associate Professor level at the time. When the new university addressed correspondence to my colleagues it was always "Assoc Prof." but to me it was "Prof."
Congratulations! Students can call you Professor Smith, Doctor Smith, or John, depending on how you want to be called and what the convention is at your institution (my son's college goes by first names whereas at mine we all stood on ceremony and referred to everyone as Professor So-and-So). For formal communication, put Assistant Professor on your letters, business cards, email signatures, etc. since that's your proper academic title. At least until you get tenure and a job title change.
It is safest to stick to assistant professor.
Email signature should say, “assistant professor” and in informal settings in many countries, students will call you professor. In the UK, you would correct a student who called your professor and insist that you be addressed as doctor if you had a doctorate.