UNIVERSITY OF MINNESOTA
MEDICAL SCHOOL
CLINICAL SCIENCE DEPARTMENTS
Departmental Statement Required by Section 7.12 of Regulations Concerning Faculty Tenure
Department of Ophthalmology
I. INTRODUCTORY STATEMENT
This document describes the specific criteria and standards, which will be used to evaluate whether candidates meet the general criteria in Section 7.11 of the Regulations Concerning Faculty Tenure. For a complete perspective, the reader is advised to review Section 7 in its entirety. Section 7.11 is printed in its entirety in III. Criteria for Tenure (see below).
The criteria, standards and procedure are applied without regard to race, religion, color, sex, national origin, handicap, age, veteran status or sexual orientation.
II. MISSION STATEMENT
The mission of the Medical School is to conduct high quality programs of research, education, and service through which the college contributes significantly to the provision of excellent health care for the people of Minnesota.
The missions of the Department of Ophthalmology are teaching, research and provision of excellent clinical service. Primary academic missions of the department are to teach medical students, post-M.D. trainees (residents and fellows) and students in allied health programs and to advance knowledge in the specialty through basic scientific and clinical research endeavors. In their academic activities, some faculty members may concentrate on one or two of the three major missions (teaching/ research/ service), but the entire faculty must participate in all three of those functions. Departmental activities are conducted in the following special fields: basic medical sciences in ophthalmology, cornea and anterior segment, glaucoma, neuro-ophthalmology, retina, and pediatric ophthalmology. The Department of Ophthalmology is responsible for conducting certificate educational programs for students in Orthoptics and for training of Ophthalmic Technicians.
III. CRITERIA FOR TENURE
Section 7.11 of the Regulations Concerning Faculty Tenure states: "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 and professional distinction in research; 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."
Standards for Tenure - Department of Ophthalmology
The Department of Ophthalmology accepts and subscribes to the statement on Criteria and Standards for tenure of Faculty at the University of Minnesota Medical School, with the following standards specific to the department.
A. TEACHING
Teaching activities may occur in a variety of educational settings and formats, including: didactic presentations, lectures, seminars, conferences, tutorials, laboratories, advising of students, case discussions, grand rounds, hospital and clinic rounds, patient care, surgical and other procedures, continuing education.
The following are educational activities in which competence and accomplishments in teaching can be demonstrated:
Participation and competence in teaching undergraduate (pre-baccalaureate) students.
Participation and competence in teaching graduate students.
3. Participation and competence in teaching professional students, including students in the M.D. curriculum and other professional educational programs.
4. Service and distinction as a faculty adviser to post-M.D. residents (Medical Fellow Specialists or Medical Fellows), post-residency clinical fellows, or advanced degree candidates in medical disciplines, interdisciplinary programs or collaborative research programs.
5. Service as a faculty mentor or advisor to students in any of the above categories, including medical students in the clinical courses of the M.D. curriculum.
6. Service as a faculty mentor to students in any of the above categories who engage in research activities in the department.
7. Participation in teaching students in the certificate educational programs in Orthoptics and for training Ophthalmic Technicians.
B. RESEARCH / SCHOLARSHIP
Scholarly activities of a faculty member will be evaluated according to the following standards:
1. Scientific Publications
Scientific articles reporting quality biomedical research should be published in appropriate peer-reviewed journals related to the discipline(s) of medicine
Peer-reviewed journals that are recognized as outstanding and appropriate to the discipline include, but are not necessarily limited to:
American Journal of Ophthalmology
American Society of Ophthalmic Plastic & Reconstructive Surgery
Archives of Ophthalmology
Journal of the American Association of Pediatric Ophthalmology & Strabismus
Binocular Vision
Biochemistry
British Journal of Ophthalmology
CLAO Journal
Cornea
Current Eye Research
Experimental Eye Research
Glaucoma
Investigative Ophthalmology and Visual Science
Journal of Biological Chemistry
Journal of Cataract and Refractive Surgery
Journal of Glaucoma
Journal of Muscle Res and Cell Motility
Journal of Neuro-Ophthalmology
Journal of Neuroscience
Journal of the Association for Pediatric Ophthalmology and Strabismus
Movement Disorders
Muscle and Nerve
Neurology
Ophthalmic Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery
Ophthalmic Surgery and Lasers
Ophthalmology
Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery
Retina
Survey of Ophthalmology
2. External Research Funding
A candidate should be the recipient of a grant(s) or contract(s) by designation as Principal Investigator, a major collaborator, or other similar title, from a national or regional granting agency, which customarily utilizes scientific peer review as the primary basis for awards. Examples of granting agencies include, but are not necessarily limited to:
American Federation for Aging Research
American Health Assistance Foundation
Benign Essential Blepharospasm Research Foundation
British Retinitis Pigmentosa Society
Fight for Sight
Foundation for Fighting Blindness
Glaucoma Foundation
Glaucoma Research Foundation
Howard Hughes Medical Institute
Juvenile Diabetes Foundation
National Eye Institute
National Institute of Aging
National Institutes Foundation of Health
Research to Prevent Blindness
Veterans Health Affairs of Health (NIH)
National Science Foundation
Pew Charitable
W.M. Keck Foundation
Whitaker Foundation
3. Publications in Monographs, Reviews and Other Books
Publications through these modalities are part of the scholarly activities of a faculty member, but cannot be considered as the sole basis for tenure.
4. Service as an Editor or a Member of the Editorial Board of a Reputable Journal or Monograph in a Biomedical Discipline
5. Invited participation in Symposia, Meetings and Seminars
Faculty members should be invited by national and international scientific organization to participate in symposia and meetings and should be invited to give seminars before peers in other institutions both nationally and internationally. However, this cannot be used as the sole criteria for tenure.
C. SERVICE
Service, although not a primary criterion for tenure, will be taken into consideration in making decisions on tenure. Performance of service, however exemplary, cannot substitute for the primary criteria, research and training.
IV. PROMOTION
Standards for Promotion - Department of Ophthalmology
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 as for tenure) as stated by the Medical School and the Department.
C. To Professor
A recommendation for promotion to Professor is made when as Associate Professor has fulfilled the criteria and standards for the rank of Professor as stated by the Medical School and the Department. The criteria and standards stated for promotion to Associate Professor would continue to be applicable during the intervening period of time. The proposal of a candidate for Professor will also present evidence of additional academic, scientific, scholarly and professional achievements, such as:
1. The establishment of a training program for pre-and/or post-doctoral Fellows in a specific discipline.
2. Election to prestigious scientific and/or professional organizations, which recognize excellence and significant academic contributions.
3. 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.
V. PROCEDURES
In considering proposals for tenure and/or promotion in rank, the Medical School and its Departments comply with the procedures described in the document, "Procedures for Reviewing Performance of Probationary Faculty", distributed annually by the Vice President for Academic Affairs. These procedures are provided for by Sections 16.3, 7.4 and 7.61 of the Regulations Concerning Faculty Tenure.
The Medical School issues annually to each department, for distribution and information to faculty members, a set of instructions, memoranda, and other documents, giving detailed information on the procedures to be followed in the preparation and consideration of each proposal for tenure and/or promotion in rank. The pertinent documents are identified as exhibits enclosed with a cover memorandum from the Dean.
Designated non-tenured faculty members holding appropriate appointment and rank at affiliated hospitals are eligible to vote on proposals for promotion in rank of candidates, in accordance with approval for this procedure granted by University Tenure Committee and the Vice President for Academic Affairs.
Approved: _______________________________ Dated: ________________
Jay H. Krachmer, MD
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