Overview
Under the criteria that have been used up to now, each faculty member has been classified as either an Investigator or a Clinician Teacher. However, this has been problematic as individual faculty members engage in a range of activities, often including teaching, research and clinical. The challenge of assigning a faculty member into a single category as either Investigator or Clinician Teacher has often been described as trying to fit a square peg into a round hole. Categorizing individuals in this way may also mean that some accomplishments are omitted, or at least downplayed.
The new promotion criteria have no categories such as Investigator or Clinician Teacher. Rather, there is a flexible structure which provides a “menu” of activities that support the academic mission, allowing assembly of a profile that reflects the unique combination of activities and accomplishments of each faculty member. The new guidelines also provide for explicit recognition of a broad range of faculty contributions, permitting consideration of the sum total of an individual’s achievements in the evaluation for promotion.
Under the new guidelines, there are three steps in the evaluation for promotion: identification of an area of excellence representing the major area of academic achievement; evaluation for contributions to teaching and education; and, if relevant, assessment of other significant supporting activities.
