For Faculty
Introduction to Promotion and Tenure
712 Statements
Medical School - Duluth
Guidelines for Departmental Statements Required by Section 7.12 of Regulations Concerning Faculty Tenure
April 22, 2005: Approved by Medical School - Duluth faculty
Introductory Statement
This document specifies the standards and procedures that will be used to evaluate candidates for their promotion, tenure and/or continuation as faculty members with Regular Appointments in the Medical School - Duluth. In doing so, it describes the indices and standards which will be used to determine whether candidates meet the general criteria in Section 7.11 of the University of Minnesota Regulations Concerning Faculty Tenure as approved on March 9, 2001 by the Board of Regents. For a complete perspective, the reader is advised to review Section 7 of the Regulations in its entirety.
The criteria, standards and procedures are applied without regard to race, religion, color, sex, national origin, handicap, age, veteran status or sexual orientation.
I. Mission Statement
The mission of the University of Minnesota Medical School is to be a leader in enhancing the health of people through the education of skilled, compassionate, and socially responsible physicians and through research which advances the understanding of health and disease. With two campuses serving diverse populations in rural and urban Minnesota, the Medical School is dedicated to exemplary primary and specialty care, innovative research, and educaion.
The goal of the Medical School - Duluth, within the broad mission of the University of Minnesota Medical School, is to educate students who will practice family medicine and other primary care specialties in rural Minnesota and American Indian communities, to provide high quality academic and clinical education programs for professional, graduate, and undergraduate students and to create distinguished research programs that advance knowledge in the health sciences, including rural and American Indian health issues.
II. Criteria for Tenure
In fulfilling its mission, the faculty of the Medical School - Duluth recognizes that faculty scholarship includes research (discovery, integration, and/or creative application of knowledge) and teaching. Section 7.11 of the Regulations Concerning Faculty Tenure states:
A. General Criteria
The basis for awarding indefinite tenure is the determination that the achievements of an individual have demonstrated the individual's potential to continue to contribute significantly to the mission of the University and to its programs of teaching, research, and service over the course of the faculty member's academic career. The primary criteria for demonstrating this potential are effectiveness in teaching (see footnote 6) and professional distinction in research (see footnote 7); outstanding discipline-related service contributions will also be taken into account where they are an integral part of the mission of the academic unit. The relative importance of the criteria may vary in different academic units, but each of the criteria must be considered in every decision.The individual's participation in the governance of the institution and other services to the University and service to the academic unit may be taken into consideration, but are not in themselves basis for awarding tenure. Indefinite tenure may be granted at any time when the candidate has satisfied the requirements. A probationary appointment must be terminated when the appointee fails to satisfy the criteria in the last year of probationary service and may be terminated earlier if it appears that the appointee is not making satisfactory progress toward meeting the criteria within that period.
A recommendation for tenure is made when an eligible faculty member has fulfilled the general criteria for tenure, as stated in Section 7.11, and the standards stated by the Medical School - Duluth.
When distinction in research is the primary basis for tenure, the candidate must show, at a minimum, evidence of competence in the scholarship of teaching. When distinction in teaching is the primary basis for tenure, the candidate must also show, at a minimum, evidence of competence in research. Distinction in teaching requires documented evidence of innovation and effectiveness in teaching which has attracted national recognition. When outstanding discipline-related service is the primary basis for tenure, the candidate must show evidence of competence in research and teaching.
B. Research/Scholarship
When distinction in teaching is the primary basis for tenure, the candidate must also show, at a minimum, evidence of competence in research.Competence
For demostration of competence in research, candidates must meet criteria 1 for publication indicated below. In addition, either the criteria for external funding or recognition of scholarly contributions should be evident.Distinction
If distinction in research is the primary criteria for tenure, than all three criteria listed below should be met.Primary criteria for assessment of distinction in research/scholarship:
1. Publication in peer-reviewed journals
Articles reporting high quality research that significantly advance the candidates's field of research must be published in national or international peer-reviewed journals. Evidence is sought that the investigator is independent and that the work is scholarly, creative, and of high quality and significance, whether focused on basic biomedical laboratory endeavers or health services, behavioral, and outcomes research. Generally, faculty members are expected to generate peer-reviewed publications each year (the absolute number depends on such factors as authorship, impact of articles and journals, consistency of publication record, etc.).2. External funding
Candidates must participate in a research program, either as a principal investigator or major collaborator. In this capacity, they should attract external funding based upon peer review from federal, state, regional, national, or private agencies appropriate to their discipline. This external funding should be consistent, but may not necessarily be continuous.3. Recognition of scholarly contributions
Letters will be sought from authorities in the candidate's discipline assessing his/her contributions to the discipline, documenting that the candidate's contributions are sholarly, creative, and have contributed significantly to advancement of the field. Additional criteria that could provide evidence for the significance of the candidate's contributions include invitations to speak at national meetings and conferences, presentation before peers at other institutions, and participation in peer review of manuscripts and grants in the disciplinary area.B. Teaching/Education
When distinction in research is the primary basis for tenure, the candidates must show, at a minimum, evidence of competence in the scholarship of teaching. Teaching activities may occur in a variety of educational settings and formats, including, for example, didactic presentations, lectures, seminars, conferences, tutorials, laboratories, case discussions, problem-based learning, and continuing education (see footnote 6 of the 7.11 statement reproduced at the end of this document).Competence
Assessment of competence in teaching and advising students is based upon:1. Evidence of teaching excellence at the undergraduate, graduate, and/or post-doctoral levels, evaluated by the written statements and/or compiled rating of students.
2. Written statements by the head of the department, course directors, academic peers, and others familiar with the candidate's performance in teaching.
3. Accumulation of above forms of evidence on teaching competence and excellence over a sustained period of time.
4. Review of course(s) taught, directed, or developed; a list of students and degree candidates for whom the faculty member has served as academic and/or research advisor.Distinction
When distinction in teaching is the primary basis for tenure, the candidate must also show, at a minimum, evidence of competence in research. Distinction in teaching requires documented evidence of innovation and effectiveness in teaching which has attracted national recognition. Assissment of distinction in teaching and advising students is based upon:1. The four items given above as sources of evidence for assessment of competence in teaching.
2. Evaluation of publications, such as books, peer reviewed journal articles, audiovisual aids, and/or other significant contributions to educational advances in the discipline that are distributed at a national level.
3. Letters from leading educators in the discipline attesting to the candidate's national reputation and assessing the candidate's contributions to the development of advances in education in the field.
4. Participation in national or international organizations, such as the discipline specific socities that have significant activities devoted to education and educational development. Evidence of leadership in such an organization (such as by election to an officer position) would be of particular value.
5. Having significant responsibilty in a training program for graduate, undergraduate, professional, post-doctoral students and obtaining funding for such programs in the form of traning grants.D. Service
The individual's participation in the governance of the institution and other services to the University and service to the academic unit are expected and may be taken into consideration, but are not in themselves basis for awarding tenure.In the Medical School - Duluth, discipline-related service contributions are an integral part of the academic unit. Therefore, outstanding discipline-related service contributions, when accompanied by documentation of competence in research and teaching, can be used as a criterion for tenure. Outstanding discipline-related service to the local and regional or national professional community may be demonstrated by:
1. Leadership roles in discipline-specific regional and national organizations and professional societies.
2. Membership or leadership in University, hospital, regional, and national professional organizations, programs, or committees.
3. Participation in projects to monitor clinical outcomes, quality improvement, etc.
III. Criteria and Standards for Promotion in Faculty Rank
A. To Assistant Professor
For recommendation for promotion to the rank of Assistant Professor, the candidate should have demonstrated ability in teaching and research. Although independent research will not always be evident, the individual should have demonstrated involvement in high quality research, which has been accepted for publication or is published in peer-reviewed national journals. There should be documentation of competence and growth in the candidate's skills of communication, including effective communication in teaching students, and in oral and written presentations of research.B. To Associate Professor
The criteria and standards for promotion to the rank of Associate Professor are those stated for consideration of tenure (see III above).A recommendation for promotion to Associate Professor is made when an eligible faculty member has fulfilled the general criteria applicable to tenure, as stated in Section 7.11, and the specific criteria and standards for promotion to Associate Professor (same standards as for tenure) as stated by the Medical School - Duluth.
C. To Professor
A recommendation for promotion to Professor is made when an Associate Professor has fulfilled the criteria and standards for the rank of Professor as stated by the Medical School - Duluth. The criteria and standards stated for promotion to Associate Professor will continue to be applicable. The proposal of a candidate for Professor will also present evidence of additional academic, scientific, scholarly, and professional achievements, such as:1. Letters from authorities attesting to the candidate's acknowledged national and international reputation and recognition of leadership in his/her field; letters from prominent, senior faculty members at other universities assessing the candidate's qualifications for promotion to the rank of Professor.
2. Election to prestigious scientific and/or professional organizations which recognize excellence and significant academic contributions.
3. Having significant responsibility in a training program for pre- and/or post-doctoral Fellows in a specific discipline.
IV. Procedures
The Medical School - Duluth complies with the procedures for reviewing the performance of Regular Probationary Faculty as provided in Sections 7.4, 7.61, and 16.3 of the Regulations Concerning Faculty Tenure and distributed annually by the Vice President for Academic Affairs.
Footnotes (taken from the 7.11 statement)
[6] "Teaching" is not limited to credit-producing classroom instruction. It encompasses other forms of communication of knowledge (both to students registered in the University and to other persons in the community) as well as the supervision or advising of individual graduate or undergraduate students.
[7] "Research" is not limited to the publication of scholarly works. It includes activities which lead to the public availability of products or practices which have a significance to society, such as artistic production or the development of new technology or scientific procedures.