In May 2015, Category Status 25 (formerly used for Faculty Contractual positions) was re-purposed for a specific use - the position/appointment of Post Doc Scholars. Official announcement referencing the re-purposed category status: Use of Re-purposed Category Status 25 for Post-Doctoral Scholar Positions
Post-Doctoral Scholar Current Definition (positions adhering to this repurposed definition beginning in June 2015):
Category Status 25 positions are academic positions that hold the title Post-Doctoral Scholar. This employment category is assigned to allow for continued training to acquire discipline-specific independent research skills under the direction of a faculty mentor. Appointees are eligible for benefits as provided for by policies applying to faculty appointments. Appointments are typically for one (1) to three (3) years and are renewable, provided no appointee serves in this rank for more than three (3) years. The appointee generally shall hold a doctorate in a field of specialization earned within three (3) years of initial appointment to this rank.
Faculty Contractual Former Definition (some positions adhering to this definition were still valid in FY16):
Faculty Contractual positions are academic positions that involve teaching, research, scholarship, artistic creativity or academic administration. “Faculty Contractual” is an employment category assigned to personnel who were hired into a faculty title on a legal contract. A contractual employee is an employee with the University of Maryland who is hired under a specific agreement at a specified title, for a specified period of time not to exceed one year, are salaried and are eligible for negotiated benefit subsidies and leave as specified in the contract. Faculty Contracts must be approved by Academic Affairs and may be renewed on a continuing basis. Titles typically used in this category included Faculty Research Assistant, Faculty Extension Assistant, and Research Associate.
