FA-5002 Review of Faculty Progress Toward Promotion

1.0      Purpose

To establish the expectation that all VTCSOM faculty members will remain engaged in academic activities and, if interested in pursuing promotion, show progress toward promotion in rank.

2.0      Policy

It is an expectation that all VTCSOM faculty members will undergo periodic review of their activities based on faculty appointment track and rank.

3.0      Procedures

All faculty with appointments in the tenure, tenure to title and non-tenure tracks may choose to work toward a promotion in rank, consistent with VTCSOM promotion guidelines. A faculty member seeking promotion must be academically engaged such that there is recognizable evidence of academic contribution and steady progress toward promotion. Such contributions are expected to build upon those activities that constitute a minimum for maintenance of appointment.

Faculty appointed in the tenure track are required to pursue promotion, and are provided guidelines for periodic review both in this document as well as in the university’s faculty handbook.

Tenure or tenure to title is the conferring of permanent appointment to the Virginia Tech Carilion School of Medicine. Tenure or tenure to title is recognition by VTCSOM of service and accomplishment of the faculty member to VTCSOM and the university, and represents the expectation of a continuing high level of service and accomplishment by the faculty member.

As the criteria for tenure and tenure to title are virtually identical to criteria for promotion, tenure or tenure to title is most often awarded at the time of promotion, typically at the promotion in rank from assistant professor to associate professor.

Tenure or tenure to title may be awarded at the initial appointment of a faculty member with demonstrated accomplishment, typically upon transfer of a faculty member to VTCSOM who had attained tenure at another academic institution and has an exemplary portfolio. Awarding of tenure or tenure to title at the time of initial appointment will follow the procedures outlined in this procedure as well as in the university’s faculty handbook.

Awarding of tenure at the time of initial appointment is contingent on consensus of the department chair, the departmental APRT committee, the VTCSOM APT committee, the Dean, the university promotion and tenure committee, the Provost, and the President.

Awarding of tenure to title at the time of initial appointment is contingent on consensus of the same entities as that of tenure, except that tenure to title is not reviewed by the university promotion and tenure committee.

Initial appointments with tenure or tenure to title also require endorsement by the Board of Visitors.

It is the responsibility of the department chair and the departmental APRT committees to define and adhere to departmental promotion guidelines and expectations developed for that department.

Tenure and Tenure to Title Track Faculty

Tenure and tenure to title track faculty members have either:

1. Not yet been conferred tenure or tenure to title by VTCSOM, but are working toward achieving it at the Associate Professor rank; or,
2. Achieved tenure or tenure to title at the Associate Professor rank and are working toward promotion to the Full Professor rank.

The intent of periodic reviews of tenure and tenure to title track Assistant Professors and Associate Professors is to assure both the department APRT committee and the faculty member that adequate progress is being made towards promotion. There is a limitation in the time permitted in rank for Assistant Professors on the tenure and tenure to title tracks (time-in-rank). Unless there are approved extensions, an Assistant Professor on the tenure or tenure to title track is expected to be ready for promotion to Associate Professor in seven (7) or fewer years from the time of initial appointment. Although there is no requirement to advance from the rank of Associate Professor on either the tenure or tenure to title tracks, it is likely that an Associate Professor on either of these tracks will be ready for promotion to Professor in ten (10) or fewer years from the time of promotion to Associate Professor.

In order for an Assistant Professor on the tenure or tenure to title track to have optimal preparation for promotion, it is expected that each department APRT committee will determine progress towards promotion, functioning in the role of advisor and mentor. This evaluation of progress should occur during the second (2^nd) year and the fourth (4^th) year following the initial appointment. The four (4) year review would confirm that the faculty member would be making significant progress toward submission of materials for promotion. When considering someone on the tenure to title track, if adequate progress toward promotion has not been made, it will likely be the case that the department APRT committee recommends that the faculty member consider a change to the non-tenure track.

In order for an Associate Professor on the tenure or tenure to title track to have optimal preparation for promotion, it is expected that each department APRT committee will determine progress towards promotion, functioning in the role of advisor and mentor. This evaluation of progress should occur during the fifth (5th) year and the eighth (8th) year following promotion from Assistant Professor. If adequate progress toward promotion to Professor is not evident, the committee can make specific recommendations for improvement in the remaining time, or can advise the faculty member that a terminal rank of Associate Professor is likely to be assigned.

Because each department APRT committee is expected to develop its own criteria for promotion, each department APRT committee will judge the progress of Assistant Professors and Associate Professors on the tenure and tenure to title tracks with those departmental criteria in mind.

Reviews must be substantive and thorough. Departmental promotion and tenure committees must review the faculty member’s promotion portfolio including an updated curriculum vitae, relevant annual activity reports, evaluations of teaching by students and/or peers, and other materials. It is strongly suggested that faculty refer to the Office of Faculty Affairs guidelines and policies in organizing and presenting the portfolio for review.

The review should analyze the faculty member’s progress toward promotion and tenure or tenure to title and offer guidance regarding future activities and plans. All reviews must be in writing, with the faculty member acknowledging receipt by signing and returning a copy for the departmental file. In addition, the departmental APRT committee and/or the department chair may wish to meet with the faculty member to discuss the review and recommendations.

Individual faculty members are also encouraged to regularly seek guidance and mentoring from senior colleagues and the department chair; for example, the annual academic performance review is a good opportunity for such guidance to be provided. Faculty members bear responsibility for understanding departmental expectations for promotion and tenure or tenure to title and for meeting those expectations.

Tenured or Tenured to Title Faculty

Tenured or tenured to title faculty members have been granted tenure or tenure to title and hold either the Associate Professor or Professor rank.

Tenured or tenured to title faculty members at the Associate Professor rank may wish to seek consideration of promotion to the Professor rank, consistent with the Office of Faculty Affairs guidelines.

Tenured or tenured to title faculty members at the Professor rank are expected to be leaders who continue to contribute to the academic environment of VTCSOM. There is no requirement for periodic review of academic activities for tenured or tenured to title Professors other than the annual academic performance review.

Non-Tenured Faculty

Faculty members in non‐tenure track appointments have a significant commitment to education, and may also have commitment to scholarly activity/research, clinical care (if relevant), teaching and service at VTCSOM if pursuing promotion in rank.

Faculty members in this track, whether at the levels of Assistant Professor, Associate Professor, or Professor are expected to contribute to the academic environment of VTCSOM. If desirous of promotion in rank, there is an expectation that Assistant Professors and Associate Professors on the non-tenure track will continue to make progress for eventual consideration of promotion in that particular track. However, there is no time-in-rank requirement for this track. The department APRT committee will complete a review of accomplishments during the maintenance of appointment (MOA) cycle. Each department APRT committee can develop its own process by which this review is done; its own criteria for assessment of faculty activities and, if applicable, progress toward promotion; and its own means of informing the faculty member of the results of the review.  A faculty member who seeks promotion in the non-tenure track will be advised to develop those activities that are eventually considered within the promotion criteria as developed by the Department APRT committee and the School APT committee.

Faculty members in the non-tenure track may also have the ranks of Clinical Preceptor, Senior Instructor, Instructor, professor of practice or visiting Assistant Professor. These faculty members may or may not hold a faculty appointment at another academic institution. Regardless, they are expected to be involved in the education of VTCSOM medical students and/or other learners. These ranks expect that regular teaching and/or precepting, along with evidence of effort to improve one’s teaching, is adequate to maintain one’s appointment. Faculty members in this category do not undergo a periodic review for promotion. If a faculty member in one of these ranks is developing a body of academic accomplishment, they may apply for promotion. If the promotion occurs, the faculty member would then be expected to undergo periodic review as specified for that track.

Affiliate faculty would be assigned a rank by their home department at the university and would follow the promotion procedures outlined by that department.

Peer Review of Teaching

All faculty members seeking promotion in any track are required to undergo a process of peer review of teaching on two occasions prior to each promotion. Further information about this process may be obtained from the Office of Faculty Affairs. It is expected that results of the review will be conveyed to the faculty member in a written format, which could be referred to during any subsequent review.

Retirement, Non-Renewal or Termination of Faculty Appointment

Continued appointment to the faculty of the medical school is predicated on the ability and willingness of the faculty member to contribute to the academic mission of the department and the school. When a change of status and/or employment occurs, the VTCSOM faculty appointment will be continued only if specific arrangements are made to continue the appointment, and only where it is determined by the department chair that the faculty member will continue to make a meaningful contribution to the mission of the department and the school. Further, the continuation of the appointment will be contingent upon:

1. Receipt of a letter from the department chair within 30 days of the date of the change of status or employment, confirming that the individual should continue to have a faculty appointment and outlining the ongoing contribution of the faculty member to the academic/teaching mission.
2. In the case of a clinical chair, the letter will come from the Carilion Clinic Chief Medical Officer.

The letter requesting continued appointment will be reviewed by the Dean and, at the Dean’s discretion, the VTCSOM APT Committee. The final decision about continuing the appointment rests with the Dean.

4.0      References

• Office of Faculty Affairs