When is it appropriate to begin using new title?

[jmprof]

I went up for tenure and promotion this year and just received my 2021-2022 contract at the level of Associate Professor with tenure. It's a relief to have made it through this arduous process and I'm thrilled that I get to keep doing a job I love.

Perhaps I am overthinking this, but I am wondering when people typically start using their new title? Once the current academic contract ends and the new one is signed? Not until the first day of the new contract? I had just assumed the latter, but in the next few weeks I'll be submitting IRB amendment for a study with 8 consent forms, which will all need to be revised with my new title. Is it appropriate to just make the change with this submission? It's easiest on both ends (I doubt the IRB wants another amendment) but I also don't want to do this if it would be viewed as inappropriate. Thoughts are appreciated.

[Parasaurolophus]

I'm not the one to ask, but I always assumed it was like getting your PhD. Once you've defended, it's normal to announce yourself as 'Dr. So-and-so', even if your graduation date--when the degree is actually conferred--is months away. I've always thought of gaining tenure the same way, and that seems borne out by the announcements my friends have made over social media and the like (indeed, I think department websites get updated pretty quickly to reflect the promotion, even if the contract hasn't officially ended and re-begun yet).

I think you could just submit the IRB forms with the change. I'm on my (admittedly rinky-dink) university's IRB (well, we call it an REB over here), and we would never notice that kind of detail. I mean, we'd notice your rank, but we wouldn't check up on you to make sure everyone agrees you're an associate prof now. 

[research_prof]

I have seen people using both titles during the transition period. Some say "Assistant (Associate starting August 2021) Professor".

[Ruralguy]

On a CV you can put new title and a start date. In email, don't use new title until start date or very close.
When on doubt, stick to what you can back up officially.

[Aster]

In my experience, its much like the inverse rule with academic dressing styles.

The higher ranked one's institution, the less well dressed are the professors. And vice-versa.

Most of my colleagues don't acknowledge their promotion status formally until the university does so publicly, like in a departmental meeting or general faculty announcement. Usually something like this happens at the end of spring or the beginning of fall.

Also, what ruralguy said about CV's.

[littleapple]

In mid-May when the regents approved tenure and promotions, all titles on the university website were immediately changed to the new title (even though the official date was for fall).  I took that as a sign that new titles can be used.

[clean]

Perhaps I m not the person to ask either....
Im more of the crowd that thinks, "What difference does your title make?"  IF they dont change it for you beforehand - Wait until the new contract start date.  I didnt change mine until the new contract went into effect (September 1). That is the day that they started PAYING me to be a full professor.  However, you may be able to order new business cards NOW, just dont 'officially' distribute them until 9/1.  (again, though, i dont think that it makes a big difference, but you should use up your Assoc. Prof cards until you are officially Full).

As I said, though, to me, rank makes little difference to the job of Teaching, Research and Service.  The 'benefit' of being a Full (vs Associate) professor is that I get to (and am expected to!) serve on nastier committees. 

Congratulations on your promotion, though! 

[Vkw10]

but in the next few weeks I'll be submitting IRB amendment for a study with 8 consent forms, which will all need to be revised with my new title. Is it appropriate to just make the change with this submission? It's easiest on both ends (I doubt the IRB wants another amendment) but I also don't want to do this if it would be viewed as inappropriate. Thoughts are appreciated.

It's a fine point of etiquette that many will dismiss, but there are always a few sticklers. To be absolutely correct, you prepare for the change now but wait until effective date to use the new title publicly. It's fairly common for others to start using the new title immediately, which you wouldn't correct, but you wait until it's official.

In this particular instance, you are requesting IRB approval of consent forms that will be used after the effective date of your new title, correct? Prepare for the change by submitting the consent forms with your name, title, and address as of the date you will be using them. If your amendment request includes a section for reason you are requesting the IRB amendment, list your other reasons first, then say something like, "The consent forms reflect my title as High Muckity Muck, which will be effective on [date]. The forms will be used after the effective date." On the IRB request form and/or cover letter, you use your title as of the date you submit form.

Seems a bit silly, because most people won't care, but the etiquette pedant on our IRB told us to do it that way when my research partner was in process of changing his name from Smith to Smith-Jones a few years ago.

[Ruralguy]

+1 Vkw.

This is also what I was trying to get across in my comments. Public usage of a title is a tricky etiquette thing. I once started using a revised title (including the name attached to a partially endowed professorship) about a week before the contract date. One or two people wrote back after I sent around an email with the revised title and said "Congratulations, but you really shouldn't use new title until July 1." I replied with a very professional re-phrasing of "F you." The next time I got such a title (we don't keep them consistently here, necessarily), I purposely started using it *two* weeks early!

So, personally, whatever. Use it, don't use it. Use it early, or don't. But keep in mind that a few stickler will care. There always is "that guy"...and lets not be sexist because sometimes its a woman who does that (but mostly its men).

[jmprof]

In this particular instance, you are requesting IRB approval of consent forms that will be used after the effective date of your new title, correct? Prepare for the change by submitting the consent forms with your name, title, and address as of the date you will be using them. If your amendment request includes a section for reason you are requesting the IRB amendment, list your other reasons first, then say something like, "The consent forms reflect my title as High Muckity Muck, which will be effective on [date]. The forms will be used after the effective date." On the IRB request form and/or cover letter, you use your title as of the date you submit form.

Seems a bit silly, because most people won't care, but the etiquette pedant on our IRB told us to do it that way when my research partner was in process of changing his name from Smith to Smith-Jones a few years ago.

Wkw10, thank you for the feedback and suggestion. For a little more clarification, the forms need to be revised now because I was just awarded a research grant which provides funding for us to expand our sample size and conduct longitudinal follow-up for several more years. My IRB is efficient and given the nature of the amendment it should take no more than two weeks for approval (estimate third week of May), at which time the funding kicks in and we'd begin using the new consents. My new contract goes into effect July 1, so (while less urgent) we'd need to amend the consents again just a few weeks after they are approved.

I appreciate everyone's feedback and the confirmation that there is no clear standard around this thing but generally waiting is the safest thing to do. I appreciate the great suggestions re: CV and e-mail signature, though after this crazy academic year I have no energy to do anything that isn't absolutely necessary right now, which means maybe I'll get to that in the fall. It is precisely for this reason that I was hoping to avoid amending the consents for a second time (and save others the extra work too). After reading your suggestions I think I will just submit two sets now, one to be used until July 1 and the second with the title change to be used after.

For anyone who needs a laugh, after reading from some of you that some universities automatically update faculty titles when the promotion is announced I looked to see whether that was done on my faculty profile. I took on a department leadership position last year and on my department website under leadership I am listed as an Associate Professor, but my faculty profile still lists me as Assistant. Since the titles of my colleagues who were also promoted have not changed, I'm guessing that when I took over the leadership position someone forgot to change the title from the previous faculty member in that position and I've incorrectly been listed that way all year! Which is indicative of how much attention we pay to this sort of thing...

Hang in there as we crawl to the finish line!

[jmprof]

+1 Vkw.

This is also what I was trying to get across in my comments. Public usage of a title is a tricky etiquette thing. I once started using a revised title (including the name attached to a partially endowed professorship) about a week before the contract date. One or two people wrote back after I sent around an email with the revised title and said "Congratulations, but you really shouldn't use new title until July 1." I replied with a very professional re-phrasing of "F you." The next time I got such a title (we don't keep them consistently here, necessarily), I purposely started using it *two* weeks early!

So, personally, whatever. Use it, don't use it. Use it early, or don't. But keep in mind that a few stickler will care. There always is "that guy"...and lets not be sexist because sometimes its a woman who does that (but mostly its men).

Ruralguy, Good for you!  I asked the question in the first place (as silly as it might seem) because it's the kind of thing that I would never judge anyone else doing (there are far more important things to worry about), but it's the kind of small error that someone with too much free time could get up in arms about. I guess the choice is to not piss off "that person" or to not do unnecessary extra work. Hmm...

[AeroProf]

Congratulations! When did previously tenured colleagues begin using the new title?

[jmprof]

Congratulations! When did previously tenured colleagues begin using the new title?

Thank you! Great question and the answer is that I have no idea. It's not something I paid much attention to (and I doubt they pay much attention to). Which probably means whatever I do will be fine...

[Vkw10]

Wkw10, thank you for the feedback and suggestion. For a little more clarification, the forms need to be revised now because I was just awarded a research grant which provides funding for us to expand our sample size and conduct longitudinal follow-up for several more years. My IRB is efficient and given the nature of the amendment it should take no more than two weeks for approval (estimate third week of May), at which time the funding kicks in and we'd begin using the new consents. My new contract goes into effect July 1, so (while less urgent) we'd need to amend the consents again just a few weeks after they are approved.

After reading your suggestions I think I will just submit two sets now, one to be used until July 1 and the second with the title change to be used after.

Getting both approved makes sense. Congratulations on the new grant!

[Hibush]

Congratulations on tenure, on getting a new grant, and for having an efficient IRB office. Those are all valuable and should make your working life nicer in the coming year.

As to the IRB forms and other internal bureaucratic processes, I'd be surprised if the rank you put on the form has any effect on the evaluation, so you'll get neither criticism nor validation if you go with the pending rank.