Faculty Tracks & Ranks
| Tracks and Ranks | |
|---|---|
| Tenure Track |
Full-Time Clinical Track |
| Research Track | Lecturer Track |
| Adjunct Faculty |
Volunteer Clinical Faculty |
| Visiting Instructor | Distinguished Professor |
The School of Medicine recognizes that faculty members are its most important asset. The quality of teaching, clinical care and scholarship depend upon their contributions. Appointment, promotion retention and tenure guidelines are established to assure that the School of Medicine appropriately recognizes the contributions made by individual members of the faculty. The following points clarify the School of Medicine guidelines:
- All faculty members except those on the research track are expected to teach and bear some of the administrative burden in the School of Medicine.
- Some faculty positions are eligible for tenure and some are not.
- Only one tenure track exists.
- Faculty members in the tenure track are described by University regulations as “Regular Faculty.”
- The School of Medicine recognizes two types of tenure track faculty positions that can be differentiated by the amount of time and effort devoted to the clinical mission.
- The non-tenure generating faculty positions are designated “clinical” and “research” “lecturer,” “adjunct,” “visiting” and are encompassed by the term “Auxiliary Faculty” in University regulations
- A schematic of the time and effort spent on the missions of the School of Medicine by the different types of faculty members is:
| Teaching | Administration |
Clinical |
Scholarship |
|
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Research | No |
No |
0 |
++++ |
| Scientist-Scholars | Yes |
Yes |
0 to + |
+++ to ++++ |
| Clinician-Scholars | Yes |
Yes |
++ |
++ |
| Clinical | Yes |
Yes |
+++ |
+ |
Tenure Track
Tenure Track appointments are considered full-time in the ranks of:
| Rank | Job Code |
|---|---|
| Professor | 9176 |
| Associate Professor | 9125 |
| Assistant Professor | 9139 |
| Instructor | 9170 |
(3 year term - Can only be used for faculty that are completing training and/or board certification - refer to instructor policy
The main emphasis for Tenure Track faculty is in the areas of teaching, research, clinical service, and administration.
Tenure Track faculty have full voting privileges on appointments, retention, promotion, and tenure actions, and on the College Council.
These appointments are initiated at the department level following OEO/AA recruitment procedures and require a 2/3 quorum approval of the eligible tenure track faculty.
TENURE TRACK PATHS:
At the 3rd year review, faculty must declare whether they will be reviewed under Scientist Scholar or Clinician Scholar criteria.
| Expectation | Scientist Scholar |
Clinician Scholar |
|---|---|---|
| PI of extra mural | ||
| grant or contract |
Yes | No |
| At least 50% clinical service | No |
Yes* |
| Scholarly Activity |
Yes |
Yes |
| Teaching |
Yes |
Yes |
| Admin | Yes |
Yes |
*Exception if eligible for K-awards or equivalent.
Formal Reviews RPT/TFR
Assistant Professor
Retention reviews for faculty hired at the Assistant Professor level occur in the 3rd and 5th years with required tenure review in the 7th year.
The Department Chair and the candidate may elect to substitute 6th year retention for the 5th year review by notifying the Office of Faculty Administration in writing.
Associate Professor & Professor
Retention reviews for faculty hired as Associate Professor or Professor occur at the 3rd year and required tenure review in the 5th year. Promotion to Associate Professor must be linked with tenure. Promotion can occur any year and can take the place of a required review.
TFR/CFR
Tenured Faculty Reviews (TFR) are conducted every five years after receiving tenure.
Full-Time Clinical Track
Clinical Track appointments are considered full-time in the ranks of:
| Rank | Job Code |
|---|---|
| Professor (Clinical) | 9177 |
| Associate Professor (Clinical) |
9126 |
| Assistant Professor (Clinical) | 9140 |
| Instructor (Clinical) |
9171 |
The main emphasis is in the areas of teaching, clinical service, and administration service. Some scholarly activity must be evident.
Full-time clinical track faculty receive the same benefits as tenure track faculty, except they do not hold full voting privileges (http://www.admin.utah.edu/fhb). However, the School of Medicine has a policy that allows Full-time Clinical faculty to vote at the school level.
Clinical track appointments are initiated at the department level using OEO/AA recruitment procedures and require approval of a 2/3 quorum of the eligible (tenure track) faculty.
Formal Reviews RPT/CFR
Full-time clinical faculty are reviewed at the third year, sixth year, and then every five years using the Clinical Faculty Review (CFR) process.
They do not receive tenure and are reappointed annually. These appointments automatically end on June 30 of each academic year. A contract may be entered into between the faculty member and the Department Chair.
Suggested lengths of contracts are:
Professor (Clinical): one to five years
Associate Professor (Clinical): one to three years
Assistant Professor (Clinical): one to two years
Instructor (Clinical): one year
Research Track
Research Track appointments are considered full-time in the ranks of:
| Rank | Job Code |
|---|---|
| Research Professor |
9183 |
| Research Associate Professor | 9179 |
| Research Assistant Professor | 9180 |
| Research Instructor |
9182 |
The main emphasis for appointment in this track is research, but may also include administration and teaching.
Research track faculty receive the same benefits as Tenure Track faculty, except they do not hold full voting privileges (http://www.admin.utah.edu/fhb). However, the School of Medicine has a policy that allows research track faculty to vote at the school level.
These appointments are initiated at the department level using OEO/AA recruitment procedures and require approval of a 2/3 quorum of the eligible (tenure track) faculty.
Promotions must be processed utilizing the SOM RPT policy and procedures.
There is no limitation on the maximum number of years for these appointments.
They do not receive tenure and are reappointed annually. These appointments automatically end on June 30 of each academic year. A contract may be entered into between the faculty member and the Department Chair.
Suggested lengths of contracts are:
Professor: one to five years
Associate Professor: one to three years
Assistant Professor: one to two years
Instructor: one year
Annual reappointment reviews are conducted until the faculty member has completed a probationary period of seven years if initially appointed as a Research Instructor or Research Assistant Professor, or five years if initially appointed as a Research Associate Professor or Research Professor. After research faculty have completed their probationary periods, the Department Chair may approve their annual reappointment by writing a letter to the Dean, if the specified funding on which the positions are dependent is available.
Lecturer Track
Lecturer Track appointments are considered full-time in the ranks of:
| Rank | Job Code |
|---|---|
| Professor (Lecturer) |
9196 |
| Associate Professor (Lecturer) | 9195 |
| Assistant Professor (Lecturer) |
9194 |
| Instructor (Lecturer) |
9193 |
The main emphasis for appointment in this track is teaching, but may also include administration and scholarship.
Research track faculty receive the same benefits as Tenure Track faculty, except they do not hold full voting privileges (http://www.admin.utah.edu/fhb). However, the School of Medicine has a policy that allows research track faculty to vote at the school level.
These appointments are initiated at the department level using OEO/AA recruitment procedures and require approval of a 2/3 quorum of the eligible (tenure track) faculty.
Promotions must be processed utilizing the SOM RPT policy and procedures.
There is no limitation on the maximum number of years for these appointments.
They do not receive tenure and are reappointed annually. These appointments automatically end on June 30 of each academic year. A contract may be entered into between the faculty member and the Department Chair.
Suggested lengths of contracts are:
Professor: one to five years
Associate Professor: one to three years
Assistant Professor: one to two years
Instructor: one year
Adjunct Faculty
Adjunct appointments may be held by faculty members who hold primary appointment(s) in other departments within the School of Medicine or elsewhere on campus. These appointments may also be given to individuals, i.e., consultants with primary responsibilities elsewhere -- in business, industry, or other academic institutions that have a close working relationship with a SOM department but hold no other appointment on campus.
| Rank | Job Code |
|---|---|
| Adjunct Professor | 9106 |
| Adjunct Associate Professor | 9102 |
| Adjunct Assistant Professor |
9104 |
| Adjunct Instructor |
9105 |
Adjunct faculty are reappointed annually with no limitation on the maximum number of years. No advertising or offer letter is required.
Some clinical departments use Adjunct faculty to provide coverage for absences of full-time faculty. Adjunct faculty are covered by the University malpractice insurance when they are working in that capacity and receive benefits described on the website at http://www.admin.utah.edu/fhb.
Benefits
University of Utah policy states that these faculty and their spouse are eligible for tuition reduction after a six-month waiting period.
These appointments are initiated at the department level and require approval of a 2/3 quorum of the eligible (tenure track) faculty.
They are reappointed annually and are not eligible for tenure.
Adjunct Faculty a.k.a. Volunteer Clinical Faculty (VCF)
Adjunct/Volunteer faculty appointments are usually for "downtown" physicians who participate in a voluntary relationship within a department.
| Rank | Job Code |
|---|---|
| Adjunct Professor (unpaid faculty) |
6001 |
| Adjunct Associate Professor (unpaid faculty) | 6001 |
| Adjunct Assistant Professor (unpaid faculty) | 6001 |
| Adjunct Instructor (unpaid faculty) |
6001 |
They must provide proof of a valid and unrestricted Utah license and their own malpractice insurance. Departments are encouraged to have written guidelines for appointment criteria.
Volunteer faculty may be paid, but not more than 50%.
Benefits
There is a 50% tuition reduction for 0% FTE Adjunct faculty and their spouse with no waiting period. However, if volunteer faculty are paid any amount they lose this benefit. Benefit information can be found by going to http:// www.admin.utah.edu/fhb
These appointments are initiated at the department level and require approval of a 2/3 quorum of eligible (tenure track) faculty.
They are reappointed annually and do not receive tenure. There is no limitation on the maximum number of years for these appointments.
Volunteer Benefits
Visiting Instructor
| Rank | Job Code |
|---|---|
| Visiting Instructor |
9190 |
A faculty member may hold the rank of Visiting Instructor up to three years. If the Visiting Instructor is appointed to a tenure generating rank, the time spent, or yearly portions thereof, may be counted toward the pre-tenure probationary period unless stated otherwise in writing by the candidate or in the Department Chair's Offer Letter. Refer to U of U PPM 9-2.2.D
A chief resident may be appointed to the faculty position of Visiting Instructor.
- Resident must be board-eligible at the time of appointment,
- Must have significant teaching responsibilities during the year of appointment.
- If on housestaff, they must have GME Committee approval for dual faculty/housestaff appointment.
Faculty members in this rank have a yearly contract. No advertising or search is required. These are temporary positions with the University renewable at the end of the academic year (up to three years.) Recruitment procedures must be followed if the individual is recommended for appointment as an Instructor or Assistant Professor in any of the other tracks.
Visiting Appointments
Visiting faculty appointments are given to faculty from other institutions for a period of one year in most cases. Visiting faculty are normally on sabbatical from their home institution. The Department Chair, the Dean/Associate Vice President and the Sr. Vice President may request appointments for less than three months by submitting a request directly to the President. Longer appointments are processed using normal appointment procedures. Visiting faculty may be reappointed annually for a maximum of three years.
Distinguished Professor
This appointment is reserved for selected individuals whose achievements exemplify the highest goals of scholarship as demonstrated by recognition accorded to them by peers. To initiate this type of appointment, a letter is written to the Senior Vice President by the Department Chair, proposing a candidate for Distinguished Professor status. This letter must include suggested reviewers who are known internationally, in the candidate's field, who could evaluate the candidate. Candidate's files are reviewed by the campus Distinguished Professor's Committee (comprised of Distinguished Professors).
