FA-5003 Maintenance of Appointment

1.0      Purpose

It is important for any academic institution to be fully aware of the teaching activity and academic status of its faculty. VTC School of Medicine must identify qualified active faculty to teach in all four value domains. The school intends for all faculty to provide evidence of contribution to the mission of VTCSOM and the academic health system in order to maintain a faculty appointment. The school maintains an up-to-date roster of active faculty; faculty who are no longer contributing to the mission of the school have their faculty appointment discontinued.

2.0      Policy

Maintenance of appointment (MOA) is assessed by evidence of academic activity, which should include, at a minimum, 1) some form of teaching or other contribution to the school’s mission and 2) efforts to improve one's teaching. Teaching of VTCSOM medical students is of primary importance but teaching of affiliated residents, fellows and/or other learners is satisfactory to maintain one’s appointment. Teaching that solely involves medical students or residents from other schools or health systems is not adequate for maintenance of appointment at VTCSOM. MOA will be completed by each VTCSOM faculty member based on the term of faculty appointment (five years for faculty at rank of associate professor or professor; three years for faculty at lower ranks). Under specific circumstances described below, certain faculty may be exempt from the MOA process.

3.0      Procedures

Fulfillment of expectations for maintenance of appointment can be most easily accomplished by evidence for the following within the three-year MOA cycle:

• Direct and continued involvement in teaching
• Involvement in research/scholarly activity, service or other aspects of the school’s mission
• Other requirements, depending upon the category of faculty appointment

While teaching (defined broadly) is the primary reason for having a faculty appointment at VTCSOM, contributions other than teaching are also considered for maintenance of appointment. Other contributions in areas important to the functioning of VTCSOM as an academic institution will also be noted as part of the MOA process. Such contributions might include (but are not limited to):

• Significant research productivity and/or scholarship developed as a consequence of one's relationship to VTCSOM.
• Leadership and service to VTCSOM or affiliated institutions germane to full functioning of VTCSOM as a medical school (e.g., participation/leadership of functions relevant to the Carilion Clinic medical staff).
• A significant supportive role in one of the value domains of VTCSOM, assuming such a role directly supports VTCSOM even if direct teaching is not involved.
• Clinical care in the presence of learners.

For all faculty members, a desire for promotion in rank may or may not be present. If desired, promotion in rank must reflect activity in all four categories of faculty activity: teaching, scholarly activity/research; service; and, if applicable, clinical care. Faculty not desirous of promotion in rank are not expected to show activity in all four of these domains.

It is the responsibility of the departmental Appointment, Promotion, Retention and Tenure (APRT) committee to advise the chair of each department on issues of maintenance of appointment (MOA). The APRT committee shall develop, and modify as necessary, the criteria for each faculty member to maintain the faculty appointment. Departmental criteria cannot be less than the requirements of the school itself.

In order to manage the MOA process, the time frame for MOA will be variable in accordance with these procedures. The process to certify maintenance of appointment is initiated each calendar quarter. The Office of Faculty Affairs initiates the MOA process by notifying appropriate faculty members that they are due for reappointment and including instructions and forms for completion. Each department chair and APRT committee chair will receive a roster of faculty for whom maintenance of appointment is due. It is the responsibility of the department chair and/or APRT committee chair to ensure that faculty within their departments complete the process in a timely manner.  The department chair may delegate this duty to the chair of the departmental APRT committee. Those faculty members so notified should submit their documentation of teaching and/or other efforts to maintain academic status to the office of the department chair. The department APRT committee will apply its criteria to the submitted documentation and assess fulfillment of the requirements. Clarification of submitted materials occurs directly between the committee and the individual faculty member. Findings of the committee (i.e., maintenance of appointment or recommendation that the faculty appointment be discontinued) shall be conveyed to the department chair.

The chair of each department will review the findings of the department APRT committee. The chair shall then forward the required MOA materials to the Office of Faculty Affairs (OFA). Decisions by the chair to discontinue a faculty appointment shall also be forwarded to OFA, along with the required discontinuation form. Upon determination that maintenance of appointment materials fulfills the requirements, the Dean approves reappointment.

For those faculty members who have their appointment discontinued, the effective date shall be effective as of the date specified in a letter from the Dean, and in no instances later than three (3) months following the end of the relevant calendar quarter (i.e., the end of the quarter following the determination that the appointment should end). A faculty member whose VTCSOM faculty appointment was discontinued due to failure to complete the maintenance of appointment process can apply one time for re-appointment to the faculty. Because this would be treated as a new appointment, the former faculty member could not be assured of the same rank, track, and/or tenure to title as when the appointment lapsed. Once reappointed, if this faculty member does not complete the maintenance of appointment process a second time and the faculty appointment is discontinued a second time, no further consideration for appointment a third time would be allowed.

The chair of each department is also expected to undergo assessment for maintenance of appointment. In the case of the chair, the relevant supporting documents are sent directly to the Dean who will make the determination to extend the chair’s appointment. Most department chairs, by virtue of the fact that they direct the academic activities of the department, will routinely satisfy the requirements for maintenance of appointment.

If a given candidate undergoes a successful promotion in any of the tracks, that candidate shall be exempt from the next regularly occurring maintenance of appointment (MOA) process, since the promotion process thoroughly examines all aspects of faculty progress relevant to MOA.

If a faculty member is granted tenure or tenure to title, the MOA requirement is no longer applicable, as these are considered to be permanent appointments to the faculty.

Expectations Concerning Faculty Development on Teaching (FDT)

Maintenance of appointment should include evidence of efforts to improve one's teaching. It should be recognized that, at any level of experience or accomplishment, one’s teaching skills can always be improved. Consistent with this expectation, VTCSOM has established that all faculty members involved in teaching must provide evidence of efforts to improve teaching skills. While no particular activities are specified in this regard, the faculty member’s updated curriculum vita should contain evidence of efforts made to improve one’s teaching skills.

4.0      References

• Virginia Tech Faculty Handbook, Statement on Annual Faculty Activity Report and Performance Review (Section 3.6.2)
• Office of Faculty Affairs