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From: (PROF A. R. Whitaker {FEC FAC})
Subject: Re: Professor
Date: 25 Jun 2002 13:59:42 -0400
References: <20020625055034.07372.00000768@mb-fe.aol.com>


I believe the meaning is about the same in the US and UK, but there
are differences. First, I believe that the UK does not use the terms
Associate Professor and Assistant Professor--I think they use Lecturer
and Reader. Second, in the US the various professorial titles are used
by institutions which would not use them in the UK, much as we use the
term University for schools which would never qualify in the UK, and
give degrees for programs which would rate only certificates.
In the US, the ranks of Professor and Associate Professor normally
carry life tenure at most schools. (Notable exception: Johns Hopkins
University tenures Professors--"full" professors--only.) We also have
Visiting Professorships. We often use the term Lecturer for someone
we want, but for some reason don't want to give a Professor's perks.
Also, the term "school" is perfectly all right to use for even our
most august institutions--Harvard, for example, being our most
distinguished school. Likewise "college"--in fact, one usually speaks
of going to college, not going to university.
A. Royall Whitaker, Gent.
Often in erorr, never in doubt

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