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What’s All This FussWhat’s All This FussAbout Promotion & Tenure?About Promotion & Tenure?

Sandra Burge, Ph.D.Dept. Family & Community Medicine

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What is the Purpose of a University?

• Teaching• Research • Service

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What is Academia?

• Community of scholars• who demonstrate excellence in

– teaching – research– service

with expertise built by peer review.

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What is Academia?

• Community of scholars• who demonstrate excellence in

– teaching – research– service

with expertise built by peer review.

THIS is Scholars

hip!

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What is Promotion?

• Assistant Professor• Associate Professor• Professor

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What is Tenure?

• University recognition of value & commitment to the faculty.

• Protections awarded after faculty have demonstrated their value to the institution.

• Designed to protect academic freedom.

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Tenure at UTHSCSA• Tenure-track should be negotiated with

Dept Chair, when you are offered a position. • Full-time faculty only • 3-9 year probationary period• Usually sought with promotion to Associate

Professor• Requires recommendation from Dept Chair

& Dept P&T Committee

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Tenure at UTHSCSA• What does it take to get tenure?

– Exceptional competence & scholarly achievement– Original accomplishments and sustained

performance in 2 of 3 missions – Recognized as outstanding by one’s peers, both

inside and outside the institution– Local, state, national and international recognition– And/ or unique value to the institution

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Two-Track System

• UTHSCSA has two tracks for promotion, with different requirements for each track.

• Tenure track• Non-tenure track

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Promotion & Tenure at UTHSCSAAssistant to Associate Professor

• Tenure Track– Strengths in 2 missions– Developing national

reputation (peer recognition)

– Scholarly achievements

• NonTenure Track– Strength in 1 mission– Developing reputation

within institution (peer recognition)

– Scholarly achievements

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Promotion & Tenure at UTHSCSAAssociate to Full Professor

• Tenure Track– Strengths in 2 missions– Established national or

international reputation – Sustained scholarly

achievements

• NonTenure Track– Strength in 1 mission– Established extramural

reputation – Sustained scholarly

achievements

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Can You Change Tracks?• Yes - See Handbook of Operating Procedures, Policies 3.4.1 & 3.7.3

– At mid-term review, 3-5 years from initial appointment– When changing departments– If tenure is denied, the chair may appoint that faculty to a

nontenured position.– When employment is terminated, tenure is terminated – When moving from full-time to part-time, tenure is

terminated

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Excellence in Teaching• Responsible for a course or a curriculum, “Course Director”• Excellent student & faculty evaluations• Teaching awards• Innovations in teaching methods• Continuing education speaker• Exemplary scientist or clinician = role model• Student advising; supervising dissertations• Publications: text books, chapters, journal articles about

teaching, software, online or electronic materials• Letters of support from students

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Excellence in Research• Publications in refereed journals• Presentations at professional meetings• Grants for research• Sustained activity • Independent investigations (PI)• Serves on dissertation committees• Serves on grant review committees

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Excellence in Service• Staff responsibility for a specific area of patient care• Key administrative role in patient care, research, or teaching

(or dept/division)• Serves on institutional committees (chair)• Service to the profession:

– Professional society committees or offices, grant review committees, editorial boards, reviews for journals

• Consultant, visiting professor• Community service

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Tips:• YOU are responsible for your academic advancement!• Document EVERYTHING you do!

– Keep a file– Community work counts!

• For recognition within the Department, volunteer for committees; give talks about your work; collaborate

• For recognition outside the Department, volunteer for committees; join interest groups; give talks about your work

• Teaching, Research, Service should be related to each other

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