VCOM Institutional Policy and Procedure Manual

VCOM Policy and Procedure

Policy #F007

holding a Master’s Degree) This title is generally awarded to biomedical graduate assistants with a Master’s degree who may contribute to the curriculum by participation in the educational program by mentoring research. 3.2.2 Instructor Appointment to the rank of Instructor requires a minimum of a master’s-level degree or who holds the appropriate terminal degree for a specific health occupation in the case of inter-professional education. The faculty member must have been reviewed and have obtained a written endorsement from the Associate Dean for Curriculum, Assessment and Medical Education, the Associate Dean for Clinical Affairs, or the Associate Dean for OMS 4 and GME and written approval by the Campus Dean as to having the appropriate expertise to teach in their area of expertise (required by accreditation to teach at the doctoral level if holding a Master’s Degree). The entry level assignment in research, teaching, and/or clinical practice must be in a subject area appropriate to their teaching and research education and experience and must be a health sciences terminal degree in their educational field. Additional faculty who are included in this category are those employed by VCOM and who hold a Master’s degree or a terminal degree in nursing, athletic training, physical therapy, or other inter professional degree appropriate to the content being taught and must have endorsement by the Associate Dean and the Campus Dean. The title of Clinical Faculty Instructor may be awarded to those clinical faculty who completed a DO or MD degree and post-doctoral training prior to 1994 when board certification was not required in their primary field of practice and/or to those clinical faculty who achieved initial board certification that has since expired and rendered them ineligible to test again to gain board certification. In this case of student education, a board-certified or board eligible physician that is appointed by VCOM as clinical faculty at the rank of Assistant Professor or higher must also be present in the clinical site and be the faculty of record. These individuals are not eligible for promotion. 3.2.3 Assistant Professor Appointment or promotion to the rank of Assistant Professor requires a doctoral-level degree in a subject area appropriate to their expertise and is considered an entry level rank for teaching for those faculty who hold a doctoral degree. The rank is appropriate for newly graduate physicians entering a teaching or research career rather than a clinical practice occupation. The rank is also appropriate for VCOM employed fellows and residents who are in an academic residency program and have commitments in research and teaching. The title appropriate for clinical fellows and post-doctoral biomedical fellows and new faculty upon entry to their first academic position. The faculty member must hold a doctoral level degree (DO, MD, PhD, DVM, PsychD, PharmD, DRPH, EdD) at the time of entry to this position. The Committee will consider the teaching contributions, research, and service (includes research, clinical teaching responsibilities, and on campus teaching) collectively to determine when to move from initial appointment of Assistant Professor to Associate Professor.

VCOM Faculty Appointments and Promotion Policy

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