EECS Lecturer Positions

    Last revised: November 2026.

    This document describes the Lecturer track in EECS, consisting of three positions: Lecturer, Principal Lecturer, and Senior Lecturer, and includes the expectations and opportunities available at each position, and conditions of appointments, evaluation, and promotion.

    MIT Policies and Procedures also describes these three positions, and this document is intended to be an elaboration and clarification of how EECS implements these MIT policies.  MIT policy takes precedence over this document in any case of disagreement or ambiguity.

    Lecturer

    Expectations of Lecturer role:

    • Teach and help administer one or more large core subjects in the department.  Teaching is expected every semester, at double the expected teaching load of a tenure-track faculty member.  “Double load” typically takes the form of teaching one large subject with classroom teaching shared equally with other instructors (the normal faculty load) while doing more backend administration (the second half of the load).  It can also take the form of teaching two subjects with a normal faculty load in each.
    • Undergraduate advising.  Advising starts after 1 or 2 terms as Lecturer, and ramps up to the normal share expected of a tenure-track faculty member.

    Opportunities open to Lecturers:

    • Can serve on departmental committees if asked.
    • Can ask to join a Lab as affiliate/associate member.
    • Can request summer salary.  Summer salary support may be available from the department for course development (funding may be limited) or from other sources (such as a grant obtained by an MIT principal investigator, or MIT summer programs).

    Appointment and evaluation. Lecturers are academic-year (9-month) positions with two-year appointments, with an annual review by the Lecturer Personnel Committee, and may be renewed at the discretion of the department head and Deans, on the basis of continuing need, fit with current mission, and availability of resources. Notice of nonrenewal will be sent at least 6 months before the end of the appointment. Evaluation is based on:

    • Effectiveness as a teacher
    • Ability to manage a class
    • Quality of student advising
    • Readiness to take charge of a subject

    To provide input to the process, Lecturers should make sure to submit the faculty/lecturer input form when requested every December.

    Promotion. Lecturers are normally considered for promotion to Principal Lecturer after at least 4 years at the Lecturer level. Criteria for promotion include performance on the evaluation criteria above, as well as readiness for the expectations of the Principal Lecturer position.  The promotion package includes the faculty personnel record (FPR), letters from faculty co-instructors, inputs from the UG office, subject evaluations, and a cover letter from department or Faculty head.  Promotion cases are considered first by the Lecturer Personnel Committee, then by Department Head and Faculty Heads, before advancing to the Deans of Engineering and Computing for further review.

    Principal Lecturer

    Expectations of Principal Lecturer role:

    • Act as instructor in-charge of a core subject in the department.
    • Continue to teach at double teaching load.
    • Undergraduate advising.
    • Supervise MEng, SuperUROP, and UROP students.
    • Engage in curricular innovation and course development.

    Opportunities open to Principal Lecturers:

    • Can serve on departmental committees at request of department leadership.
    • Can ask to join a Lab as affiliate/associate member.
    • Can request PI status on a case-by-case basis for external proposals for education-related research or activities, COUHES requests, etc.
    • Can request up to 20% time for consulting (see OPA permitted time).
    • Can request summer salary. Summer salary support may be available from the department for course development (funding may be limited) or from other sources (such as a grant obtained by an MIT principal investigator, or MIT summer programs).

    Appointment and evaluation. Principal Lecturers are academic-year (9-month) positions with three-year appointments, with an annual review by the Lecturer Personnel Committee, and may be renewed at the discretion of the department head and Deans, on the basis of continuing need, fit with current mission, and availability of resources. Notice of nonrenewal will be sent at least 6 months before the end of the appointment. Evaluation is based on the same criteria as Lecturer, applied to the Principal Lecturer expectations above, and also including:

    • evidence of substantial curricular development
    • professional stature: for example, teaching awards, conference participation, dissemination of teaching materials/innovations within MIT and beyond, applying for and receiving internal or external education grants.

    To provide input to the process, Principal Lecturers should make sure to submit the faculty/lecturer input form when requested every December.

    Promotion. Principal Lecturers are normally considered for promotion to Senior Lecturer after at least 4 years at the Principal Lecturer level (8 years total on the Lecturer track). Criteria for promotion include the performance on the evaluation criteria above, as well as readiness for the expectations of the Senior Lecturer position. The promotion package includes the faculty personnel record (FPR), letters from faculty co-instructors and other faculty with whom they have interacted (including at least one letter from outside the department), inputs from the UG office, subject evaluations, and a cover letter from department or Faculty head.  Promotion cases are considered first by the Lecturer Personnel Committee, then by Department Head and Faculty Heads, before advancing to the Deans of Engineering and Computing for further review.

    The outcome of a promotion process may include remaining as Principal Lecturer and revisiting promotion in future years. It’s also possible to remain Principal Lecturer indefinitely.

    Senior Lecturer

    Expectations of Senior Lecturer role:

    • Ability and willingness to teach across the curriculum.
    • Act as instructor in-charge of a core subject in the department.
    • Continue to teach at double teaching load.
    • Undergraduate advising.
    • Supervise MEng, SuperUROP, and UROP students.
    • Engage in curricular innovation and course development.

    Opportunities open to Senior Lecturers:

    • Can serve as department officer at request of department leadership.
    • Can serve on departmental committees at request of department leadership.
    • Can ask to join a Lab as affiliate/associate member.
    • Can request PI status on a case-by-case basis for external proposals for education-related research or activities, COUHES requests, etc.
    • Can request up to 20% time for consulting (see OPA permitted time).
    • Can request summer salary. Summer salary support may be available from the department for course development (funding may be limited) or from other sources (such as a grant obtained by an MIT principal investigator, or MIT summer programs).

    Appointment and evaluation. Senior Lecturers are academic-year (9-month) positions with three-year rolling appointments, renewed every year at the discretion of the department head and Deans, on the basis of continuing need, fit with current mission, and availability of resources. Evaluation is based on the same criteria as Principal Lecturer, applied to the Senior Lecturer expectations above.  To provide input to the process, Senior Lecturers should make sure to submit the faculty/lecturer input form when requested every December.