VCOM Faculty Handbook

• Cover letter formally requesting consideration for promotion to the academic rank of Assistant Professor; • Current Curriculum Vitae (CV); • Proof of degree; o For the purpose of accreditation and state licensure, proof of degree of an academic track faculty member whose doctoral degree comes from outside the U.S., must be accompanied by a letter from the Campus Dean that:  Justifies the faculty member’s professional and scholarly achievements and/or demonstrated competences in the discipline of hire, and The review of these candidates will follow the same procedures as other requests for promotion in rank, except that these candidates’ packets may be reviewed throughout the academic year. Additionally, as VCOM’s APT policy has changed over the years, there may be cause to review a faculty member for an expedited promotion to the rank of Assistant Professor (which is now considered an entry level rank for those faculty who hold a doctoral degree) if, per former policy, they were initially appointed to the rank of Assistant Instructor or Instructor but had a doctoral-level degree at the time of initial appointment. These promotions in rank shall be considered by the APT Committee throughout the academic year. A faculty member may request such an expedited promotion, or the appropriate Associate Dean may request this of the APT Committee. Proof of the doctoral level degree must be submitted as part of the review process. Faculty Portfolio for Consideration of Promotion in Rank A faculty member seeking a promotion in academic rank or tenure assumes the responsibility for preparing a detailed portfolio summarizing and documenting professional credentials and accomplishments in teaching, research, scholarly activity, service, and leadership (if in an administrative leadership role). 1. Cover letter formally requesting consideration for promotion or tenure that specifies the rank sought (Assistant Instructor, Instructor, Assistant Professor, Associate Professor, Professor); 2. Completed Academic Rank Promotion Matrix (currently only for academic and research track faculty); • Promotions in academic rank are key milestones in the career of faculty members. In addition to specific, minimum career-track requirements (e.g., education, years of service) defined by the College, promotions in academic rank are based on the contributions of faculty members in medical education, research and scholarly activity, and service/outreach. The Academic Rank Promotion Matrix uses a scoring system to frame the appropriate levels of accomplishment in these areas for promotion in academic rank. This innovative tool can be used to assess faculty members' readiness for promotion and may also pinpoint areas in need of further development, thereby improving their prospects for advancement. It can also facilitate the evaluation of candidates by the Appointment, Promotion, and Tenure (APT) committee. Thus, this tool is designed to enhance the transparency and efficacy of the process for faculty promotion in academic rank. No promotions in academic rank should be solely based on a point system. Important intangible aspects that will also be evaluated include the individual’s commitment to College values, including professionalism, integrity, compassion, altruism, knowledge, critical thinking, and duty to the College. The promotion process, and this matrix, are meant to describe and reward continued professional growth and achievement. 3. Current Curriculum Vitae (CV), which should include accomplishment in the areas of teaching, research and scholarly activity, service, and leadership (if in an administrative leadership role);  States the findings of the transcript evaluation service as to the equivalency and verification process of the degree (a copy of the report from the evaluation service must be included).

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