I. Introduction and General Policy Statements
The School of Medicine and each of its faculty members share a fundamental interest in sustaining and facilitating the faculty member's continuing enthusiasm and effort in scholarship, teaching, and professional service. This Policy on Faculty Development ("Policy") is stated in recognition that the faculty are the most important resource in the School of Medicine, which places a very high priority on maintaining and developing every faculty member's professional engagement throughout his or her career. The Policy is not intended to undermine the concepts of academic freedom and tenure. The Policy shall be implemented and conducted within the School of Medicine without discrimination in regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, age, national origin, disability, or veteran status.
All policies, procedures, and actions regarding faculty development procedures shall conform to the Bylaws of the University, the Statement of Principles Governing Faculty Relationships, and the Affirmative Action Program.
Departments shall make available to all departmental faculty members the School of Medicine Guidelines for Appointment, Promotion, and Tenure ("Guidelines"). The Guidelines include a discussion of the criteria and requirements for faculty performance leading to promotion and the award of tenure. Faculty are encouraged to be familiar with the Guidelines.
II. Faculty Development Policy
In each department of the School of Medicine, the Chair or Chair's designee shall conduct a periodic professional development review with each regular, full-time faculty member who holds primary appointment in the department. The Chair or Chair's designee will prepare a written summary of the review and a written professional development plan for the faculty member in which the faculty member and the Chair concur.
The review shall be based on performance in the areas of teaching, scholarship, and service. The general criteria for performance and promotion in these areas are included in the School of Medicine Guidelines for Appointment, Promotion, and Tenure. The departments may establish specific criteria beyond but in accordance with those described for the School of Medicine. These criteria must be included in the departmental guidelines for appointment and promotion and made available to the faculty of the department. Initial letters of appointment should reference the School of Medicine and departmental guidelines and general criteria.
To the extent possible, faculty development reviews should be coordinated in time with departmental preparation of the annual report and budget and salary determinations and allocation of departmental responsibilities and resources to faculty.
III. Objectives
The objectives of the periodic professional development review of each faculty member's performance are:
To provide useful feedback to the faculty member in the form of a written self-assessment and a written departmental assessment of the faculty member's academic performance during the review period in comparison to peers in the same and similar departments.
To provide to the faculty member a written professional development plan that sets goals for short-term and long-term career objectives in view of departmental objectives.
Through discussion with the Chair or Chair's designee, to provide to the faculty member career counseling by the department leadership.
To recognize substantial accomplishments by the faculty member by provision of support, when available.
To provide information to the Chair that can be used to facilitate and enhance faculty contributions and participation in scholarship, teaching, and service.
To provide information to the Chair that can be used as the basis for:
Consideration for salary increases;
Reappointment of non-tenured faculty;
Redefinition of duties and responsibilities, when appropriate; and
Allocation of space and facilities.
To assist the Chair and the faculty member in identifying any professional performance problems a faculty member may have and in developing plans to remedy such problems.
IV. Departmental Guidelines
Each department shall develop written departmental guidelines for faculty review and development, in accordance with the School of Medicine Guidelines on Faculty Development and Guidelines for Appointment, Promotion, and Tenure. The departmental guidelines shall include the specific criteria for faculty review or shall provide reference to the criteria stated in the departmental or School of Medicine Guidelines for Appointment, Promotion, and Tenure. The departmental guidelines may be more detailed if needed to conform to the needs and circumstances of the individual department. The departmental guidelines shall include a mechanism for accomplishing formal faculty mentoring in the department or division, when requested by the faculty member. These guidelines should not restrict the diverse interest, contributions, and creativity of individual faculty members.
A copy of the departmental guidelines on faculty review and development shall be submitted to the Dean of the School of Medicine for approval.
V. Departmental Procedures
Chair's letter to new faculty recruit
Initial faculty duties, responsibilities, career goals, and objectives should be established by the Chair or Chair's designee in writing during the recruitment stage for all regular, full-time faculty members and be part of the faculty member's departmental record. Ordinarily, the written document will be the recruitment letter(s) by the Chair or Division Chief.
Schedules for faculty development reviews
These guidelines establish the minimum schedule for periodic faculty development reviews. Reviews may be conducted more frequently if desired by the Chair or the faculty member. A review in which no weaknesses or deficiencies are identified occurring at any time during this timetable does not ensure that all future reviews will be similarly positive, and does not ensure promotions.
Associates, Senior Associates
Associates and Senior Associates will have development reviews at the discretion of the Chair or Chair's designee. Faculty in these ranks may request reviews.
Instructors
Instructors on the tenure track will have the initial development review with the Chair or Chair's designee at the end of the first full academic year and at three year intervals thereafter. Instructors on the research and clinical tracks will have development reviews at the discretion of the Chair or Chair's designee but may request such reviews.
Assistant Professors
Assistant Professors will have the initial development review with the Chair or Chair's designee at the end of the first full academic year.
The second development review will occur at the mid-term between initial appointment and the initiation of the recommendation for promotion to Associate Professor. This mid-term should be established at the time of initial appointment and communicated to the faculty member in writing, and may vary based on the specific appointment track. The Guidelines provide a minimum and maximum time in rank before promotion with tenure; these times should be considered in establishing the initial review.
The promotion review will occur at the time of recommendation for promotion from Assistant Professor to Associate Professor and will be consistent with the criteria established for that recommendation, as stated in the Guidelines for Appointment, Promotion, and Tenure.
Associate Professors
Associate Professors will have the initial development review at three years. Ongoing development reviews will occur at intervals of five (5) years after the first evaluation if promotion to Professor is not anticipated.
Professors
Professors will have development reviews at intervals of five (5) years after promotion to the rank of Professor.
Faculty member's dossier for development review
Faculty member's written report
The faculty member will prepare a written development report that includes the faculty member's accomplishments during the period since appointment or the last development review, as appropriate. The report should include:
A description of the faculty member's professional activities and allocation of time among scholarship, teaching, and service aspects of the activities;
A self-assessment of his or her accomplishments in scholarship, teaching, and service, using the standard criteria for promotion;
A discussion of any performance strengths and weaknesses and a proposed plan to remedy any weaknesses;
A statement of the faculty member's proposed goals and objectives for the next development review period and for the long term; and
A current curriculum vitae.
The written report may include evidence of ongoing collaborations, such as letters used in grant applications. The report ordinarily will not include other letters of evaluation from sources outside the University, but such letters are not precluded by these Guidelines.
Departments may require that faculty written reports follow a standard format.
Departmental additions to the dossier
The Chair or Chair's designee may add materials such as teaching evaluations to the dossier. The complete dossier will be available to the faculty member and to the Chair or Chair's designee.
Development review meeting
In each department, the Chair or Chair's designee will have periodic formal faculty development review meetings with each regular, full-time faculty member who holds primary appointment in the department according to the schedule described herein. The Chair's designee may be a Division Chief, a senior faculty member in the department, or the direct faculty supervisor of the faculty member. At the discretion of the Chair, other faculty participants internal or external to the department may be included in the meeting if desired by the Chair or Chair's designee or requested by the faculty member.
The development review meeting should be conducted in a manner free of arbitrary, capricious, or discriminatory elements; should reflect the nature of the individual's field of work; and must conform to fair and reasonable expectations as recognized by faculty peers in each department. All participants should be sensitive to the special needs and individual circumstances of individual faculty members. The development review will focus on the faculty member's development review dossier, including his or her accomplishments, research agenda, teaching program, and service contributions in view of his or her short-term and long-term professional goals and the goals of the department and School of Medicine.
Participants in the development review meeting will assist the faculty member in developing a professional development plan that establishes specific short- and long-term goals and objectives and includes activities that can accomplish the goals and objectives effectively. The development plan should set appropriate time lines for accomplishment of goals and objectives and should indicate criteria for self-monitoring by the faculty member. The plan should also include the participants' guidance on promotion matters. The review participants should assess the quality of the faculty member's accomplishments and contributions and identify any weaknesses or deficiencies in the record and develop a remedial plan that defines specific goals or outcomes that would help the faculty member overcome the identified weaknesses.
Written summary of development review meeting and development plan
Preparation of written meeting summary by Chair or Chair's designee In consultation with the faculty member and within a reasonable period of time after the development review meeting, the Chair will prepare a brief written report summarizing the contents of the meeting. This will include reference to the faculty member's development plan and goals and objectives for the period of time until the next development review; and the remedial plan, if any.
Execution by faculty member and Chair or Chair's designee The written meeting summary and development plan shall be signed by the faculty member and Chair or Chair's designee and shall reflect mutual agreement by the faculty member and Chair. This written document should also reflect whether the junior faculty member is on track for promotion and/or tenure, as appropriate, although no guarantee of promotion or tenure is construed. The signed written meeting summary and development plan will be made part of the faculty member's confidential departmental record. A copy will be provided to the faculty member.
VI. Follow-up
Follow-up meetings or reviews before the next scheduled development review may be part of the faculty member's development plan. Such additional meetings and reviews may also be requested by the Chair or the faculty member.
VII. Departmental Report to Dean
At the end of each academic year, each department will submit to the Dean of the School of Medicine a report indicating which faculty were due for and were reviewed for faculty development. A copy of the written meeting summary and development plan will be provided to the Dean for the faculty member's confidential file.
VIII. Additional Process
Departmental level
If the Chair or Chair's designee and the faculty member cannot agree on the contents of the written meeting summary and development plan as to the faculty member's performance, goals and objectives, and development or remedial plan, or if the faculty member so requests, the Chair shall, in consultation with the faculty member, appoint an ad hoc committee to conduct a second development plan, and provide necessary advice to the Chair on how to resolve areas of disagreement. The ad hoc committee will include senior faculty in the department and may also include senior faculty in the department in which the faculty member holds secondary or joint appointment or other senior faculty whose expertise may be desired. To the extent possible and reasonable, any ad hoc committee member should be knowledgeable about the faculty member's area of research or professional service.
Extra-departmental level
The procedures for appeal set forth in the School of Medicine Guidelines for Faculty Appointment, Promotion, and Tenure are available to any faculty member who feels aggrieved by the faculty development procedures a applied to that faculty member.
Approved by SOM faculty, ballot vote, November 1996
Administration & Faculty Affairs 
