VCOM Faculty Handbook

f. history of significant accomplishment in medical practice by proven sustained contributions to the health of a population, community, or health system g. outstanding sustained leadership experience in health care education in the healthcare setting. Tenure As a private college without state funding or a state retirement plan, tenure status at VCOM applies only in the case of sustained outstanding contributions to the College and is prescribed by the policies of VCOM. Tenure is not defined by national standards, nor by documents of the Association of University Faculty (who do not define tenure for private institutions). Tenure at VCOM is not defined by any prior legal action that has occurred at a state institution or another private institution. Based upon the stated policy of the Board, tenure applies “only to position as it relates to job security and academic freedom.” The status of tenure is a recognition of accomplishment and is not tied to the level of salary, office space, administrative role or title, or assigned duties. To be eligible for tenure, a faculty member must: • Be employed by VCOM and be engaged in full-time administration, education, research, scholarly activity, and service; • Be employed by VCOM for a minimum of seven years as a full-time faculty member at VCOM; • Be awarded the rank of Professor; and • Faculty members seeking both promotion and tenure must formally request consideration of both elements individually. Tenure is a matter for separate consideration and is made apart from promotion in rank. • Have sustained outstanding performance in the areas of teaching, research (with research funding considered as essential), scholarly activity, professional service and leadership activities, with sustained evaluations at the highest level and who have made exceptional long-term positive impacts on the College. Tenure will not be granted solely upon meeting or exceeding the seven-year period of employment, nor is it granted solely upon attaining the rank of professor. Tenure is reserved only for those reaching the level of professor who have sustained outstanding performance in the areas of education, research (with research funding considered as essential), scholarly activity, professional service and leadership activities, with sustained evaluations at the highest level and who have made exceptional long-term positive impacts on the College. Further, the faculty member must demonstrate the ability to maintain the same level of contributions for the coming seven years. Tenure is awarded for a seven-year term and is subject to review prior to renewal. The award of tenure may not exceed seven years. The review for tenure renewal will take place in the sixth year of the award period and will be repeated at seven year intervals thereafter. Failure to apply or to show sustained outstanding activity in teaching, research (with research funding considered as essential), scholarly activity, professional service and leadership activities will result in an early review and loss of tenure at the time of review. Loss of tenure at the six year interval time period is possible if the work and accomplishments of the faculty member have not been sustained. As in some institutions, loss in tenure status at VCOM does not equate to dismissal of the faculty member. The VCOM Provost, with approval by the Board, at its discretion, may award a maximum of three years toward tenure upon hiring, if the faculty member was in a tenure track position before coming to VCOM and has achieved years toward tenure. This is a rare case and the person applying must already have achieved tenure at the institution he or she is departing. Faculty who apply for and are not awarded tenure within seven years may continue as a non-tenured faculty and or may be dismissed at the discretion of the Provost and Board.

A faculty member who is denied tenure and continues as a non-tenured faculty may not reapply for tenure for a

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