Morsani College of Medicine
Revised June 5, 2015 (Effective July 1, 2015)
- Preface
- Organization of the Faculty
- Core Faculty
- Collateral Faculty
- Voluntary Faculty
- Collaborative Faculty
- Documentation of Merit and Accomplishment
- Faculty Professional Practice
- Amendment Of Guidelines
1. PREFACE
This document is a summary of commonly used terms and relevant conditions of employment of faculty in the Morsani College of Medicine (College), a component of USF Health, at the University of South Florida (University), as provided by current governing rules and policies of the University and the College. Nothing stated herein precludes the University Board of Trustees, the University or College from altering or amending any policies or rules described, or from otherwise exercising ordinary and customary functions of management with regard to these matters. Other University policy and procedure statements, such as the Search and Selection Guidelines, provide additional information related to the matters described herein.
2. ORGANIZATION OF THE FACULTY
Faculty in the College are assigned academic classifications and titles in accordance with the University's Classification Plan. Classifications and titles depend upon the nature of the assignments and individual qualifications; appointments are made on an annual basis.
2.1 ACADEMIC DEPARTMENTS
The College is comprised of a number of academic departments, schools, and centers. All faculty appointments and awards of tenure are ordinarily made in one or other of the academic departments. The School of Physical Therapy and Rehabilitation Sciences is an academic component of the College that is considered equivalent to a Department and its Director equivalent to a Department Chairperson for purposes of these guidelines.
2.1 THE FACULTY
The faculty of the Morsani College of Medicine is organized into three major groupings.
(1) Core Faculty: The Core Faculty is comprised of faculty with:
- The ranks of Assistant Professor, Associate Professor, Professor, Graduate Research Professor and Distinguished University/USF Health Professor, and
- University appointments that include one of the following appointment categories (defined under Section 2.4 below):"Regular","Clinical","Research","Scientist Educator" and"Courtesy", and
- Continuing appointments that are either full-time (1.0 FTE) or, if less than full-time, involve professional activities entirely pursuant to College assignment or duties that are solely at College of Medicine affiliated institutions or other sites approved by the Dean, provided that the total amount of their professional activities is not less than 0.5 FTE in total.
Refer to Section 3 for details.
(2) Collateral Faculty: The Collateral Faculty is comprised of faculty:
- With the ranks of Assistant Professor, Associate Professor and Professor whose University contracts include one of the following appointment categories:"Visiting,""Adjunct,""Joint," or"Emeritus," or
- With non-rank classifications such as Instructor, Research Associate, Librarian, Associate in _____, Assistant in _____, or Post Doctoral Fellow, or
- Have appointments of less than 0.5 FTE by the affiliate in total, and/or
- Are compensated from OPS funding sources, or
- Are full-time VA, H. Lee Moffitt Cancer Center, (and other major affiliate employees) who practice independently of the College faculty practice plan, or
- Are employed by one of the College's affiliated institutions, but participate in the College's academic instructional and research programs on an incidental basis.
- Who engage in the practice of medicine or other health care profession independent of their College appointment.
Refer to Section 4 for details.
(3) Voluntary Faculty: The Voluntary Faculty is comprised of appropriately qualified community-based physicians and other health professionals including basic scientists who:
- Contribute with specific departmental assignments to the College's teaching and/or research programs on a voluntary basis without compensation from the College, and
- Are appointed by means of a time-limited Appointment Agreement following receipt and review of appropriate verified academic documentation with specific commitment to meet minimum performance standards specified by the respective department. Such agreements are customarily one to three years in duration and are signed by the Dean and Department Chairperson, and
- Are assigned working titles of Affiliate Instructor, Affiliate Assistant Professor, Affiliate Associate Professor, and Affiliate Professor by virtue of their practice or association with a USF Health affiliated health care or other affiliated facility recognized through a formal affiliation agreement.
Refer to Section 5 for details.
2.3 ACADEMIC TITLES
The Academic titles that are most commonly used in the College are:
(1) Assistant in ________: This appointment requires a Bachelor's degree in an appropriate area of specialization and five years of related professional experience. Appointees must be able to assist the regular professional staff in their teaching and/or research responsibilities. The working title includes the name of the discipline in which the individual is appointed (e.g., Assistant in Molecular Medicine).
(2) Associate in ________: This appointment requires a Master's degree in an appropriate area of specialization and three years of related professional experience. Appointees must have a demonstrated capability for assisting the regular professional staff in their teaching and/or research service responsibilities. The working title includes the name of the discipline in which the individual is appointed (e.g., Associate in Molecular Medicine).
(3) Post Doctoral Fellow: This appointment requires a Doctoral degree and relevant experience and training within the appointee's area of specialization.
(4) Research Associate: This appointment requires a Doctoral degree, degree considered terminal for the discipline if other than doctoral, or an equivalent combination of training and experience in an area appropriate to the appointment. Appointees should be capable of contributing independently to the design, conduct, analysis, and/or publication of research projects.
(5) Instructor: This is an appointment for individuals who have not yet met the requirements for appointment as Assistant Professor and requires a minimum of a Master's degree in an appropriate area of specialization relevant to the planned assignment.
(6) Assistant Professor: This appointment requires a Doctorate or other recognized terminal degree in the appointee's field of specialization. Appointees should have a minimum of two years experience following receipt of their Doctorate and should be Board Admissible in their specialty and sub-specialty, if applicable, or demonstrate an equivalent level of specialized accomplishment, in accordance with the criteria set out in Section 3.4 below.
(7) Associate Professor: This appointment ordinarily requires a minimum of five years of continuing and productive service as an Assistant Professor at the University, or the equivalent if transferring from another academic institution, in accordance with the criteria set out in Section 3.5 below. Appointment at the Associate Professor level is considered an appropriate terminal appointment.
(8) Professor: This appointment ordinarily requires a minimum of five years of continuous productive accomplishment as an Associate Professor at the University, or the equivalent if transferring from another academic institution, in accordance with criteria set out in Section 3.6 below.
2.4 APPOINTMENT CATEGORIES
Core faculty members' appointments are further defined by the designation of an appropriate appointment category as indicated by the term"modifier" in their University employment contract. Faculty members do not ordinarily include these appointment categories as part of their working academic titles, except as specifically noted below.
Tenure Earning or Tenured Appointments
(1) Regular: This category identifies a tenure earning or tenured appointment for Core Faculty members. Promotion in this category to Associate Professor and Professor is determined in accordance with the criteria for the Tenure Earning Pathway found in Sections 3.5 (2) and 3.6 (2) respectively.
Non-Tenure Earning Appointments
(1) Clinical: This category identifies a non-tenure earning appointment for Core and Collateral Faculty members primarily engaged in clinical care and clinical teaching activities. Promotion to Associate Professor and Professor in this category is determined in accordance with the criteria for the Clinician Educator Pathway found in Sections 3.5 (3) and 3.6 (3) respectively.
(2) Research: This category identifies a non-tenure earning appointment for Core and Collateral Faculty members primarily engaged in scientific research. Promotion to Associate Professor and Professor in this category is determined in accordance with the criteria for the Research Scientist Pathway found in Sections 3.5 (5) and 3.6 (5) respectively.
(3) Scientific Educator: This category identifies a non-tenure earning appointment for Core and Collateral Faculty members primarily engaged in teaching in the College of Medicine. Promotion to Associate Professor and Professor in this category is determined in accordance with the criteria for the Scientist Educator Pathway found in Sections 3.5 (4) and 3.6 (4) respectively.
(4) Courtesy: This category identifies a non-tenure earning appointment without compensation from the University related solely to instructional and research academic duties. Ordinarily, such appointments are not extended to individuals who are directly competitive or can be construed to be directly competitive with the clinical programs of USF Health unless provided otherwise by an agreement of affiliation. Courtesy appointments to the Core and Collateral Faculty may be offered to qualified full-time employees of institutions that have an Affiliation Agreement with the College who meet the criteria in Section 2.2 (1). Courtesy appointment contracts should specify whether they are being appointed on the Clinician Educator, Scientist Educator, or Research Scientist Pathway, as specified in Section 3.3 below. Promotion of such faculty is determined in accordance with the criteria for the Clinician Educator, Scientist Educator, or Research Scientist Pathway found in Sections 3.5 and 3.6.
(5) Visiting: This category identifies an appointment extended to a Faculty member available only for a short time, to meet an urgent need of USF Health, or to a position only expected to be available for the duration of a specific project. The appointment is ordinarily of not more than one year duration. Extensions for additional periods of time must be justified by special circumstances and will not ordinarily be given. This modifier may not be held for more than four years unless justified by unique circumstances and approved by the USF Health Vice President and the University President. Appointees visiting from other academic institutions, and appointed for a limited time, customarily include the Visiting modifier in their working academic title.
(6) Adjunct: This category identifies either a part-time or full-time temporary appointment extended to a Collateral Faculty member whose compensation is from Other Personnel Services (OPS) funding. Appointees do not customarily include the Adjunct modifier in their working academic title.
(7) Emeritus: This appointment category identifies an honorary appointment conferred upon a retired faculty member in recognition of distinguished service to the University in accordance with established University policy and procedure. Appointees customarily include the Emeritus modifier in their working academic title.
(8) Acting: This modifier is used only for administrative titles, such as Dean, Chairperson and Director. Faculty members who have both administrative and academic titles (e.g. Chairperson and Professor) may have the administrative component designated as Acting when filling a vacancy for a limited time.
(9) Courtesy: This category identifies a non-tenure earning appointment without compensation from the University related solely to instructional and research academic duties. Ordinarily, such appointments are not extended to individuals who are directly competitive or can be construed to be directly competitive with the clinical programs of USF Health unless provided otherwise by an agreement of affiliation. Courtesy appointments to the Core and Collateral Faculty may be offered to qualified full-time employees of institutions that have an Affiliation Agreement with the College who meet the criteria in Section 2.2 (1) . Courtesy appointment contracts should specify whether they are being appointed on the Clinician Educator, Scientist Educator, or Research Scientist Pathway, as specified in Section 3.3 below. Promotion of such faculty is determined in accordance with the criteria for the Clinician Educator, Scientist Educator, or Research Scientist Pathway found in Sections 3.5 and 3.6.
(10) Visiting: This category identifies an appointment extended to a Faculty member available only for a short time, to meet an urgent need of USF Health, or to a position only expected to be available for the duration of a specific project. The appointment is ordinarily of not more than one year duration. Extensions for additional periods of time must be justified by special circumstances and will not ordinarily be given. This modifier may not be held for more than four years unless justified by unique circumstances and approved by the USF Health Vice President and the University President. Appointees visiting from other academic institutions, and appointed for a limited time, customarily include the Visiting modifier in their working academic title.
(11) Adjunct: This category identifies either a part-time or full-time temporary appointment extended to a Collateral Faculty member whose compensation is from Other Personnel Services (OPS) funding. Appointees do not customarily include the Adjunct modifier in their working academic title.
(12) Emeritus: This appointment category identifies an honorary appointment conferred upon a retired faculty member in recognition of distinguished service to the University in accordance with established University policy and procedure. Appointees customarily include the Emeritus modifier in their working academic title.
(13) Acting: This modifier is used only for administrative titles, such as Dean, Chairperson and Director. Faculty members who have both administrative and academic titles (e.g. Chairperson and Professor) may have the administrative component designated as Acting when filling a vacancy for a limited time.
3. CORE FACULTY
Appointments to the Core Faculty may be tenure earning, non-tenure earning, or a combination of both. Under the terms of the College Faculty Bylaws , only Core Faculty are entitled to vote in the affairs of the College or to hold office in its Faculty Council. Core Faculty may not engage in the practice of medicine or other health care profession independent of their College appointment or employment at an affiliated facility.
- 3.1 PROCEDURES FOR APPOINTMENT
- 3.2 PATHWAYS FOR APPOINTMENT AND PROMOTION
- 3.3 PROCEDURES FOR PROMOTION TO HIGHER RANK OR FOR TENURE
- 3.4 CRITERIA FOR APPOINTMENT OR PROMOTION TO ASSISTANT PROFESSOR
- 3.5 CRITERIA FOR APPOINTMENT OR PROMOTION TO ASSOCIATE PROFESSOR
- 3.6 CRITERIA FOR APPOINTMENT OR PROMOTION TO PROFESSOR
- 3.7 TENURE
- 3.8 APPOINTMENT, PROMOTION, AND TENURE COMMITTEES
3.1 PROCEDURES FOR APPOINTMENT
(1) General: Appointments to the Core Faculty are made in writing by the Dean and Vice President USF Health upon the recommendation of the Department Chairperson. Recommendations for appointment must be accompanied by a current Curriculum Vitae and a cover letter from the Department Chairperson that outlines the candidate's qualifications and scholarly accomplishments and indicates his or her proposed departmental role and responsibilities. Recommendations for appointment to the rank of Assistant Professor must be accompanied by three letters of recommendation from individuals who are well acquainted with the candidate's work and professionalism. Recommendations for appointment to the rank of Associate Professor or Professor require the approval of both the Department and College Appointment, Promotion and Tenure Committees, and must meet the criteria specified for the individual pathways.
(2) Tenure Earning Appointments: Core Faculty with the rank of Assistant Professor, Associate Professor, or Professor may be appointed on a full or partial tenure earning basis at the time of their initial appointment by means of a"Regular" appointment category. Faculty members are tenure earning only to the amount indicated in their contract of employment, regardless of whether they also have an additional non-tenure earning appointment.
(3) Non-Tenure Earning Appointments: Members of the Core Faculty whose assigned duties may not permit them to meet the expectations of tenure or who are supported solely by practice-generated, grant, or contract funds, may be appointed on a non-tenure earning basis to a"Clinical","Research", Scientific Educator, or"Courtesy" category.
(4) Transfer of Tenure Earning Credit on Appointment: Faculty members with prior tenure earning credit at another institution may apply to have their tenure earning credit transferred at the time of their initial appointment to the College. Upon recommendation of the Department Chairperson, up to two years of tenure earning time may be credited for an Assistant Professor, up to three years for an Associate Professor, and up to four years for a Professor, subject to the approval of the Dean and Senior Vice President USF Health. Such approval must be in writing prior to the start of employment and must be based upon official documentation of the faculty member's tenured or tenure earning status at the previous institution(s) customarily obtained by request from an academic official of the academic institution from which the candidate is transferring.
(5) Change to Tenure Earning Status: Change from non-tenure earning to tenure earning status may be accomplished within the first five years of full-time employment or upon application related to achievements essentially equivalent to those expected of tenure accruing faculty related to the needs and mission of the College of Medicine as documented by a recommendation for support from the College APT committee after a review substantially similar to that of mid tenure review. Such changes to tenure accruing status are subject to state appropriated fund availability and the approval of the Department Chairperson, Dean, and Senior Vice President USF Health. Faculty requesting such change may request that all or part of their previous employment time be considered toward tenure eligibility on the recommendation of the Department Chair and approval by the Dean and Senior Vice President USF Health. The tenure clock will commence with the date of transfer to tenure-earning status for such individuals unless written approval is granted by the Dean and Vice President for employment time at this College of Medicine prior to the date of transfer.
(6) Change to Non-Tenure Earning Status: Faculty may voluntarily request to change permanently from tenure earning to non-tenure earning status at any time prior to the initiation of the tenure review process for them. Members of the Core Faculty may also elect to change from tenure earning to non-tenure earning status for a specified time period under exceptional circumstances, such as medical exigencies, provisions of FMLA or ADA, at any time prior to the initiation of the tenure review process for them without change of University contracted salary. Following the period of appointment to a non-tenure earning appointment category, such faculty members will return to the tenure-earning position and the tenure clock will resume. Requests to change to non-tenure earning status must be made in writing in advance and be approved by the Department Chairperson, Dean, and Vice President USF Health.
(7) Promotion on Appointment: Exceptionally qualified faculty may be recommended for promotion to Associate Professor or Professor at the time of their initial appointment. Such recommendations require submission of a full dossier in the same format as that utilized in the College's annual promotion and tenure review process including evaluations of teaching, research, and scholarly activity. Promotion on appointment requires the concurrence of the Department Chairperson, the Department and College Appointment, Promotion and Tenure Committees, and the approval of the Dean and Senior Vice President USF Health.
(8) Tenure on Appointment: Exceptionally qualified faculty may be recommended for tenure at the time of their initial appointment, independent of their previous tenure-earning or tenured status. Such recommendations require submission of a full dossier in the same format utilized in the College's annual tenure review process. The award of tenure on appointment requires the concurrence of the Department Chairperson, the Department and College Appointment, Promotion and Tenure Committees, and the approval of the Dean, Senior Vice President USF Health, the President and approval of the Board of Trustees.
3.2 PATHWAYS FOR APPOINTMENT AND PROMOTION
The College has various pathways for appointment and promotion so that the nature of a Core Faculty member's departmental responsibilities can be taken into consideration in evaluating recommendations for promotion. The non-tenure earning Clinician Educator, Scientist Educator and Research Scientist Pathways described below allow for promotion of faculty whose assignments or source of support may not allow them to meet the amount of research and scholarly activity required for the subsequent award of tenure. The Core Faculty member's pathway must be specified at the time of recommendation for appointment or promotion.
(1) Tenure Earning Pathway: The Tenure Earning Pathway is designed for Core Faculty with either full or partial"Regular" category appointments who are expected to be able to meet the criteria for tenure outlined in Section 3.7(3) below.
(2) Clinician Educator Pathway: The Clinician Educator Pathway is designed for Core Faculty with non-tenure earning"Clinical" category appointments whose primary responsibilities involve teaching and clinical care.
(3) Scientist Educator Pathway: The Scientist Educator Pathway is a non-tenure earning pathway designed for Core Faculty with earned terminal degrees, customarily the Ph.D. with post doctoral training, who are assigned and evaluated principally related to teaching in the College of Medicine.
(4) Research Scientist Pathway: The Research Scientist Pathway is designed for Core Faculty with non-tenure earning"Research" category appointments who are primarily supported by research grants and who are engaged principally in research activities.
(5) Collaborative Research Scientist Pathway: This pathway is designed to provide a career advancement for Core Faculty with non-tenure earning"Research" category appointments who are biostatisticians, epidemiologists, nutritionists, research associates and other scientific investigators who participate exclusively as collaborative investigators with other grant funded faculty scientists in the design, execution, and evaluation of collaborative research grants, contracts, and projects primarily supported by research grants and who are engaged exclusively in those research activities but not at principal investigators with independent funding. Not withstanding the above, promotion to Professor will require evidence of independence as an investigator.
3.3 PROCEDURES FOR PROMOTION TO HIGHER RANK OR FOR TENURE
(1) General: The judgment of readiness for promotion to higher academic rank or for tenure is based upon a careful evaluation of a candidate's contributions in teaching, research/creative work, service and clinical care. Promotion and tenure require that a determination of the candidate's effectiveness in teaching has been made, as well as an evaluation of their collegiality and participation as a citizen of the University, as these are integral parts of faculty performance.
Applications for promotion of Core Faculty to the ranks of Associate Professor or Professor or for the award of tenure may be initiated by the individual faculty member, the Department Appointment, Promotion, and Tenure Committee, or the Department Chairperson, in accordance with guidelines and procedures established by the Department, College and University. The application must be accompanied by cover letters from the Department Chairperson and the Department Appointment, Promotion, and Tenure Committee that outline the faculty member's pertinent qualifications and accomplishments and evaluate whether he or she meets the criteria that have been established for the designated rank or for tenure. The application must also be accompanied by letters of review as specified in Sections 3.5 and 3.6, as applicable. Recommendations for tenure should be accompanied by a statement from the Department Chair evaluating the importance of the contributions the candidate has made and is expected to make toward achieving the mission, goals and educational needs of the department and College. All materials are submitted electronically as of Fall 2007, will be posted for review initially at department level, then at collegiate level and finally will be given after review, recommendations and actions in an electronic format to the applicant.
(2) Early Tenure and Promotion Consideration: Under exceptional circumstances, outstandingly qualified faculty may apply for promotion or tenure prior to the usual time limits. Such early decisions require truly exceptional performance, which should be identified and justified as such at every review level. External reviewers must be advised of the expectations of the University and College regarding such early decisions. Faculty normally should not apply for promotion to Associate Professor or Professor unless they have at least five years of service in the prior rank, nor for the award of Tenure unless they have five years of tenure-earning service.
3.4 CRITERIA FOR APPOINTMENT OR PROMOTION TO ASSISTANT PROFESSOR
Appointments and promotions to the rank of Assistant Professor are made upon the recommendation of the Department Chairperson, without review by the Department and College Appointment, Promotion, and Tenure Committees, based on the following criteria:
- A minimum of two years experience following receipt of their Doctorate,
- Board admissibility in their specialty and sub-specialty, if applicable, or demonstration of an equivalent level of specialized accomplishment usually through completion of post doctoral training of at least two years duration,
- An expectation of continued growth as a teacher and scholar/researcher,
- An expectation of contributions in the area of service commensurate with the College's mission,
- An expectation of collegiality and participation as a citizen of the University.
3.5 CRITERIA FOR APPOINTMENT OR PROMOTION TO ASSOCIATE PROFESSOR
(1) General: The following criteria must ordinarily be met for appointment or promotion to the rank of Associate Professor:
- A minimum of five years of continuous and productive accomplishment as an Assistant Professor at the University, or the equivalent,
- Collegiality and participation as a citizen of the University and the College,
- Contributions in the area of service to the College or University, their profession and/or the community,
- Board or professional certification in their specialty, if applicable, or equivalent,
- Supportive letters of review from appropriately qualified individuals at other institutions in the faculty member's field who can document their standing and reputation and assess their qualifications, professionalism, and scholarly accomplishments. Such reviewers should be of an academic rank, which is equal or greater than the one proposed for the nominee. The reviewers should also disclose any potential conflicts of interest in providing an unbiased review, including information about whether they have previously worked with, trained with, or taught the candidate and, if so, where and for how long, or if they are personally or socially related to the candidate,
- Submission of up to five representative reprints of the candidate's scholarly publications or works, and
- The pathway specific criteria outlined below.
- Establishment of a reputation, within both the College and the larger academic community as an authority in their chosen field, either as an original investigator, an outstanding teacher, or a superb clinician. This may be evidenced by documenting achievements such as those listed in Section 6 below and by at least five independent external letters of review.
- Acknowledged record of accomplishment in classroom, laboratory, or clinical teaching as demonstrated by student and faculty evaluations in a quantitative format with comparison with the departmental and Office of Education benchmarks.
- Demonstration of a focused program of independent or collaborative research/creative work supported by a consistent record of publications of high quality in major journals in the faculty member's field of endeavor, or their equivalent. The record should be sufficient to predict, with a high degree of confidence, continuing productivity in research/creative work throughout the individual's career.
- The following metrics (Table 1) are a guideline for promotion and tenure to Associate Professor along the Tenure-Earning pathway and will be used by the APT Committee, which also reserves the right to consider elements outside of those listed in the metric but within USF APT criteria, when deciding upon promotion and tenure recommendations after July 1, 2015;
- Successful completion of three out of four of the metric criteria (publications, grants and patents, teaching and service) is sufficient to recommend promotion and tenure; and
- Further, the time for promotion and tenure from Assistant to Associate Professor along the Tenure-Earning pathway is extended from six to eight years, although individual faculty may elect to come up for promotion and tenure earlier if they satisfy the promotion and tenure requirements.
Table 1. Summary of representative metrics used to assess suitability
for promotion to the rank of Associate Professor with Tenure.
1 For clinicians seeking tenure, accommodation should be made for the time devoted to clinical practice as reflected in percent effort or average RVUs/FTE. For example, a 25 to 50% clinical commitment might reduce the required number of publications and H index by 25%. Publication in specialized clinical journals would reduce the impact factor requirement. However, evidence of at least co-investigator status in one of the grant categories listed above is a prerequisite to tenure. For clinicians with a greater than 50% clinical commitment there should be either evidence of co-investigator status in one of the grant categories listed above as a prerequisite to tenure and/or strong publication record (i.e., ≥ 15 peer review publications) coupled with clear evidence of regional reputation for clinical excellence and innovation. Similar accommodations can be made on the basis of educational commitments.
(3) Clinician Educator Pathway:
- Board certification in specialty and sub-specialty, if applicable, or equivalent.
- Establishment of a regional reputation as an authority in chosen field, either as an outstanding teacher or as a superb clinician, as evidenced by documented achievements such as those listed in Section 6 below and by at least three (3) independent external letters of review and up to two (2) letters attesting to performance in the College may be requested from colleagues at the College.
- Documentation of continuing effectiveness and outstanding accomplishment as a teacher and clinician, together with a minimum of satisfactory achievement in scholarly activity.
- Recognition of superior clinical accomplishment, as evidenced by having established a regional practice referral base and/or being sought out for consultation by colleagues and/or holding leadership office in a professional or learned society and/or holding a leadership role in a hospital or health care organization and/or serving as an examiner for a recognized Specialty Board and/or the demonstration of an equivalent level of skill and qualification in other related areas.
(4) Scientist Educator Pathway:
- Establishment of a regional reputation as an educational authority in a basic science or related discipline as an outstanding teacher, as evidenced by student and faculty peer comparative evaluations and documented achievements such as those listed in Section 6 below and by at least three (3) independent external letters of review and up to two (2) letters attesting to performance in the College may be requested from colleagues at the College and University.
- Documentation of continuing effectiveness and outstanding accomplishment as a teacher, together with a minimum of strong achievement in scholarly activity.
- Recognition of outstanding educational accomplishment, as evidenced by having established a national reputation through peer reviewed educational publications, creative works, educational grant awards, being sought out for educational consultation by colleagues, membership in the teaching academy, and/or holding leadership office in a professional or learned society and/or serving as a contributor for test item writing for the National Board of Medical Examiners in related disciplines and/or the demonstration of an equivalent level of skill and qualification in other related areas.
(5) Research Scientist and Collaborative Research Scientist Pathways:
- Establishment of a reputation as an authority in the individual's chosen field as an independent or collaborative investigator with a focused or collaborative area of independent research accomplishment, as evidenced by documenting achievements such as those listed in Section 6 below and by at least five independent external letters of review.
- Demonstration of outstanding accomplishment in research and scholarly activity including the demonstration of independent extramural funding or collaborative extramural funding as a principal investigator or collaborative co-investigator.
3.6 CRITERIA FOR APPOINTMENT OR PROMOTION TO PROFESSOR
(1) General: The following criteria must ordinarily be met for appointment or promotion to the rank of Professor:
- A minimum of five years of continuous and productive accomplishment as an Associate Professor at the University, or the equivalent,
- Collegiality and participation as a citizen of the University and the College,
- Contributions in the area of service to the College or University, their profession and/or the community,
- Board or professional certification in their specialty, if applicable, or equivalent,
- Supportive independent letters of review from appropriately qualified individuals at other institutions in the faculty member's field who can document their standing and reputation and assess their qualifications, professionalism, and scholarly accomplishments. Such reviewers should be of an academic rank, which is equal or greater than the one proposed for the nominee. The reviewers should also disclose any potential conflicts of interest in providing an unbiased review, including information about whether they have previously worked with, trained with, or taught the candidate and, if so, where and for how long, or if they are personally or socially related to the candidate,
- Submission of five representative reprints of the candidate's scholarly publications or works, and
- The pathway specific criteria outlined below.
(2) Tenure Earning Pathway:
- National or international recognition for excellence and accomplishment in their chosen academic field. This may be evidenced by documenting achievements such as those listed in Section 6 below and by at least five (5) independent external letters of review.
- A record of accomplishment in classroom, laboratory, or clinical teaching that must be demonstrated by student and faculty evaluations.
- Established record of productive research/creative work of national or international visibility, supported by a consistent record of substantial publications in peer-reviewed journals and/or textbooks, or their equivalent. The record should predict continuing high quality productivity in research/creative work throughout the individual's career.
- The following matrix describes the criteria that should be considered for promotion of a tenured Associate Professor to Professor on this pathway.
- The following metrics (Table 2) are a guideline for promotion with tenure to Professor along the Tenure-Earning pathway and will be used by the APT Committee, which also reserves the right to consider elements outside of those listed in the metric, but within USF APT criteria, when deciding upon promotion and tenure recommendations after July 1, 2015; and
- Successful completion of three out of four of the metric criteria (publications,grants and patents, teaching and service) is sufficient to recommend promotion.
Table 2. Summary of representative metrics used to assess suitability
for promotion to the rank of Professor with Tenure.
2For clinicians seeking promotion to Professor with tenure, accommodation should be made for the time devoted to clinical practice as reflected in percent effort or average RVUs/FTE. However, for those with 25 to 50% clinical effort, evidence of at least co-investigator status in one of the grant categories listed above is a prerequisite for tenure. For clinicians with a greater than 50% clinical commitment, there should be either evidence of co-investigator status in one of the grant categories listed above and/or strong publication record, coupled with national/international recognition of clinical excellence. Similar accommodations can be made on the basis of educational commitments.
(3) Clinician Educator Pathway:
- National recognition for excellence and accomplishment in chosen academic field, either as an outstanding teacher or as a superb clinician, or the demonstration of an equivalent recognition in the academic community for outstanding accomplishments within their discipline, as evidenced by documenting achievements such as those listed in Section 6 below and by at least five (5) independent external letters of review. Up to three (3) additional letters of review attesting to performance in the College may be requested from colleagues at the College.
- Documentation of continuing effectiveness and accomplishment as a clinical teacher, together with satisfactory achievement in scholarly activity as evidenced by the publication of original articles or reviews in professional publications, or a lifetime of achievement in their chosen professional field.
- Recognition as an outstanding clinician as evidenced by a state-wide pattern of clinical referrals and/or a national reputation for clinical excellence and/or holding leadership office in professional or learned societies at the state or national level and/or evidence of equivalent recognition of extraordinary clinical skill and effectiveness.
(4) Scientist Educator Pathway:
- Establishment of a regional reputation as an educational authority in a basic science or related discipline as an outstanding teacher, as evidenced by student and faculty peer comparative evaluations and documented achievements such as those listed in Section 6 below and by at least three (3) independent external letters of review and up to two (2) letters attesting to performance in the College may be requested from colleagues at the College and University.
- Documentation of continuing effectiveness and outstanding accomplishment as a teacher, together with a minimum of strong achievement in scholarly activity.
- Recognition of outstanding educational accomplishment, as evidenced by having established a national reputation through peer reviewed educational publications, creative works, educational grant awards, being sought out for educational consultation by colleagues, membership in the teaching academy, and/or holding leadership office in a professional or learned society and/or serving as a contributor for test item writing for the National Board of Medical Examiners in related disciplines and/or the demonstration of an equivalent level of skill and qualification in other related areas.
(5) Research Scientist and Collaborative Research Scientist Pathways:
- Establishment of a reputation as an authority in the individual's chosen field as an original or collaborative investigator with a focused or collaborative area of independent research accomplishment, as evidenced by documenting achievements such as those listed in Section 6 below and by at least five independent external letters of review.
- Demonstration of outstanding accomplishment in research and scholarly activity including the demonstration of independent extramural funding or collaborative extramural funding as a principal investigator or collaborative co-investigator.
3.7 TENURE
(1) General: The award of tenure to a faculty member represents a guarantee of annual reappointment at the level of their tenured appointment until voluntary resignation, retirement, removal for just cause (misconduct or incompetence), job abandonment, or layoff in accordance with University policies. It is based on a consistent record of achievement and contribution in teaching, scholarship, and service that indicates that the individual is likely to contribute productively to the mission of the College during the remainder of his or her career. Because the decision projects lifetime performance from the first years of a faculty member's career, tenure is awarded only as a result of careful assessment over a period of time sufficient to judge the faculty member's documented accomplishments, ability, and future productivity. Tenure shall be held as ranked faculty in an academic department/unit and shall not extend to administrative appointments.
(2) Progress-Toward-Tenure Review: It is the responsibility of the Department Chairperson to include a progress-toward-tenure review as part of the annual assignment and evaluation process for all faculty appointed to tenure earning positions, regardless of full-time equivalency. A more extensive pre-tenure review must be conducted by the Department Chairperson and Departmental Appointment, Promotion, and Tenure Committees during the third year of tenure earned time for faculty with tenure earning appointments. Faculty members in less than 1.0 FTE tenure earning positions who wish to apply for promotion at the end of five years of employment must participate in this mid-point review in the third year of employment and are encouraged to participate in collegiate mentoring programs. The review addresses the performance of annual assignments, including teaching, research/creative activity, and service, during the preceding tenure earning years of employment, as well as overall performance and contributions in terms of progress towards meeting the criteria for tenure. It should be based on a minimum of a review of: (a) a current vita; (b) annual faculty evaluations; (c) student/peer evaluations of teaching; (d) selected examples of teaching materials and scholarship; and (e) a brief self-evaluation by the faculty member supplemented by other relevant materials. At the request of the faculty member, this mid-point review may be forwarded for brief review by the College Appointment, Promotion, and Tenure Committee and Dean. This process is restricted to University employed faculty only and does not extend to"courtesy" faculty.
(3) The Tenure Review Process: Tenure earning faculty are ordinarily reviewed for the award of tenure not later than the eighth year of a full-time tenure earning appointment or its equivalent. They may be reviewed earlier at the faculty member's request and with concurrence of the Department Chairperson, but must be reviewed no later than the eighth year of their appointment. A faculty member who is appointed to a less than 1.0 FTE tenure earning appointment who wishes to apply for promotion on the Tenure Earning Pathway prior to the accrued eighth year of tenure earned time will ordinarily be expected to apply for tenure at the same time as considered for promotion regardless of the amount of tenure earning time that has been accrued, since the criteria for the award of tenure are substantially similar to those for promotion to the rank of Associate Professor on this Pathway.
(4) Criteria for Tenure: The minimum standard for tenure involves documented evidence of outstanding performance in either teaching (classroom, laboratory or clinical) or research/creative activity, with strong performance in the other, together with satisfactory achievement in professional, public, or clinical service and evidence of collegiality and participation as a citizen of the University and College. The specific criteria that must be met for the award of tenure are as follows:
- Teaching: The candidate must be an effective teacher, whether at the departmental or discipline level. Effective teaching requires a thorough knowledge of the subject, the ability to present material in a clear fashion, and the ability to work with, motivate, and serve as a positive role model for students. Evaluations of the candidate's teaching by students, trainees, or resident physicians are a required part of the review.
- Research/Creative Activity: The candidate must have established an independent program of research/creative activity which adds substantively to the body of knowledge within the discipline, as evidenced through peer-reviewed publications in nationally recognized journals, awards of competitive grants, and invited national or international presentations. The candidate's contributions must be judged against the national standards in their discipline, focusing on the significance of the work and the quality of the contribution made, rather than on the quantity of publications.
- Service: Candidates must have a record of service to the University, College, their profession, and/or the external community. Service must relate to the basic mission of the University and capitalize on the faculty member's professional expertise. The normal service activities associated with good citizenship are not usually evaluated as part of the tenure and promotion process.
- Academic Needs: Tenure primarily reflects recognition of a faculty member's importance to the future of the University. The awarding of tenure is based on consideration of the anticipated needs of the academic program for the foreseeable future, not just on the individual's professional accomplishments. A decision not to award tenure is not solely a judgment of professional or academic competence, as not all accomplishments meet the specific standards necessary for tenure, nor are all of those who meet such standards automatically fitted to serve the needs of the University's programs.
(5) Denial of Tenure: Tenure earning faculty members who are not granted tenure by the end of their eighth year of continuous tenure earning appointment must be given notice of non-renewal which will end their employment not later than one year from the date of notice. A faculty member whose appointment has not been renewed as a result of tenure denial is not precluded from application for appointment to a non-tenure earning position, provided such appointment results from search and selection procedures in conformance with all position vacancy announcement regulations and University procedures.
(6) Tenure of Title (Clinician Educator): Tenure of Title may be awarded to a faculty member whose scope of duties for the College and USF Health are primarily clinical or patient care who, in the opinion of the College (a) has shown sustained excellence in scholarly activity, teaching and professional/collegiate service; (b) has achieved national recognition in their field by professional office, awards, and/or recognition in their discipline; (c) has demonstrated clinical work productivity by exceeding collegiate and national benchmarks for their discipline; and (d) who is judged capable of continuing such activity over the balance of his or her career. Tenure of title is only available to faculty members with the rank of associate professor or professor for clinician educators. Tenure of title shall require a minimum of seven (7) years of outstanding performance at this University College of Medicine for eligibility for consideration for recommendation in the customary format through the annual collegiate promotion and tenure process with documentation and criteria enumerated in Section 6 substantially the same as required for all faculty.
Tenure of Title is an honorary title granted at the discretion of the College without any right to, interest in, or expectation of any compensation or guarantee for compensation or future employment and is granted only in the Department in which the faculty member has his or her primary appointment.
(7) Tenure of Title (Scientist Educator): Tenure of Title may be awarded to a non tenure accruing faculty member whose scope of duties for the College and USF Health are primarily educational with educational scholarship who, in the opinion of the College (a) has shown sustained excellence in scholarly activity, teaching and professional/collegiate service; (b) has achieved national recognition in their field by professional office, awards, and/or recognition in their discipline; (c) has demonstrated sustained excellence in student and peer teaching evaluations by exceeding collegiate benchmarks for their discipline; and (d) who is judged capable of continuing such activity over the balance of his or her career. Tenure of title is only available to faculty members with the rank of associate professor or professor for scientist educators. Tenure of title shall require a minimum of seven (7) years of outstanding performance at this University College of Medicine for eligibility for recommendation in the customary format through the annual collegiate promotion and tenure process with documentation and criteria enumerated in Section 6.2 and 6.3 in substantially the same manner as required for all faculty.
Tenure of Title is an honorary title granted at the discretion of the College without any right to, interest in, or expectation of any compensation or guarantee for compensation or future employment and is granted only in the Department in which the faculty member has his or her primary appointment.
(8) Tenure of Title (Research Scientist): Tenure of Title may be awarded to a non tenure accruing faculty member whose scope of duties for the College and USF Health are primarily research and scholarly activities supported by extramural research funding who, in the opinion of the College (a) has shown sustained excellence in scholarly activity, research productivity, and professional/collegiate service; (b) has achieved national recognition in their field by professional office, research grant awards, and/or recognition in their discipline; (c) has demonstrated sustained excellence in research recognition through publication in peer reviewed journals and research grant support (d) who is judged capable of continuing such activity over the balance of his or her career. Tenure of title is only available to faculty members with the rank of associate professor or professor for research scientist. Tenure of title shall require a minimum of seven (7) years of outstanding performance at this University College of Medicine for eligibility for recommendation in the customary format through the annual collegiate promotion and tenure process with documentation and criteria enumerated in Section 6.2 and 6.3 in substantially the same manner as required for all faculty.
Tenure of Title is an honorary title granted at the discretion of the College without any right to, interest in, or expectation of any compensation or guarantee for compensation or future employment and is granted only in the Department in which the faculty member has his or her primary appointment.
(9) Post Tenure Review: There shall be a collegiate policy that all tenured, core faculty in the College of Medicine participate in a process of post-tenure review if the individual faculty member has a summary five-year performance score assigned by the department chair of less than satisfactory on the collegiate evaluation form for the most recent five year period.
The purpose of the post-tenure review process is to assure the faculty member's continued professional growth and development beyond the award of tenure and to provide a process for both periodic and episodic ('triggered") college level evaluation.
An episodic review may occur at the request of the Dean of the Morsani College of Medicine when there is reason to believe that performance expected of a faculty member in the Morsani College of Medicine is below expectation.
The full process shall be available on the Collegiate Faculty Affairs web page.
3.8 APPOINTMENT, PROMOTION, AND TENURE COMMITTEES
(1) College Appointment, Promotion, and Tenure Committee: The College Appointment, Promotion, and Tenure (APT) Committee consists of 15 faculty members with no less than six tenured members of the Core Faculty, representing both the Clinical and Basic Science Faculty, and one faculty member each from USF-Lehigh Valley campus and the School of Physical Therapy and Rehabilitation Services. At least four Core Faculty Committee members shall be from the basic science faculty and at least six shall be from the clinical science faculty. Two-thirds of the tenured Core Faculty and the committee in general shall hold the rank of Professor, with the remainder holding rank of Professor or Associate Professor appointed by the Dean under terms and conditions outlined in the College Faculty Bylaws. No Department/School/Partnership Campus shall have more than two members on this Committee, and the Committee should adequately represent the different constituencies within the College of Medicine. All members of the Committee on Appointment, Promotions and Tenure are voting members. Voting for faculty rank will be completed by all committee members that are at or above the rank of the appointment being considered by the applicant. The Committee is responsible for reviewing all applications for appointment and promotion of Core and Collateral Faculty to the ranks of Associate Professor and Professor, as well as all applications for the award of tenure, and for making recommendations concerning these to the Dean. The Committee reviews all applications for promotion and tenure in the late Fall each year for Core Faculty, in order for them to become effective at the beginning of the following academic year. The Committee also reviews requests for Joint appointments as Associate Professor and Professor when the primary University department is not within the College of Medicine and provides a third year tenure review as a service to the faculty, and reviews all requests for sabbatical leave and makes recommendations about these to the Dean.
(2) Department Appointment, Promotion, and Tenure Committees: Each Department Appointment, Promotion, and Tenure (APT) Committee is comprised as far as practicable of senior members of its Core Faculty. Departmental committees may develop department-specific policies and criteria for appointment, promotion, and tenure that supplement those of the College. Each department is required to have departmental guidelines for appointment, promotion, and tenure that include the following:
- The composition of the Department APT Committee and the method of selection or appointment of its members,
- A listing of any departmental criteria for appointment, promotion, and tenure that exceeds established College‑wide criteria, and
- Description of the process by which the guidelines may be amended.
The Department Appointment, Promotion, and Tenure Committee is responsible for reviewing all applications for appointment or promotion to the ranks of Associate Professor or Professor, as well as all applications for tenure, and for making recommendations concerning these to the Department Chairperson and the College Appointment, Promotion, and Tenure Committee. It is also responsible for disseminating Departmental and College appointment, promotion, and tenure policies and procedures so that faculty members are aware of the requirements they are expected to meet, and for providing mid-point reviews of the progress of departmental faculty towards tenure.
4. COLLATERAL FACULTY
- 4.1 PROCEDURES FOR APPOINTMENT AND PROMOTION
- 4.2 PART-TIME FACULTY
- 4.3 VISITING FACULTY
- 4.4 EMERITUS FACULTY
- 4.5 JOINT FACULTY
- 4.6 NON-RANK FACULTY
4.1 PROCEDURES FOR APPOINTMENT AND PROMOTION
Collateral Faculty are appointed by the Dean upon the recommendation of the Department Chairperson, in accordance with the academic working titles of Section 2.3 and the criteria for faculty ranks set out in Section 2.2. Appointment to the collateral faculty is a privilege and not an entitlement of association with an affiliated entity or organization and is to be granted only after careful consideration of commitment to and congruency with the goals and objectives of USF Health and its component programs. All collateral faculty must have a commitment to the goals and objectives of the College and to advancing its reputation and welfare. Ordinarily, unless specifically exempted by the Dean of the Morsani College of Medicine, collateral faculty appointments will not be granted for clinical activities that may be, or may be perceived to be, at variance with USF Health mission, programs, and objectives. Recommendations for appointment to the Collateral Faculty should be accompanied by a current Curriculum Vitae and a cover letter from the Chairperson outlining the candidate's qualifications for the appointment and their proposed duties in instruction and research and responsibilities, together with three letters of recommendation from appropriately qualified individuals. Appointments and promotions of members of the Collateral Faculty require the approval of the Department and College Appointment, Promotion, and Tenure (APT) Committees in accordance with the criteria and procedures outlined in Sections 4.2, 4.3 and 4.5 below. All Collateral Faculty appointments are non-tenure-earning.
4.2 PART-TIME FACULTY
Faculty members who (a) have appointments of less than 0.5 FTE in total, or (b) are compensated from OPS funding sources, or (c) are full-time VA (and other major affiliate employees) who practice independently of the College faculty practice plan, or (d) who are employed by one of the College's affiliated institutions, but participate in the College's academic programs on an incidental basis, may be appointed to the Collateral Faculty on either the Clinician Educator or the Research Scientist Pathway. Appointment and promotion of such part-time faculty follow the criteria for these pathways set out in Sections 3.5 , and 3.6, with special consideration being given in these decisions to their limited time availability for academic duties.
4.3 VISITING FACULTY
Visiting Faculty may be appointed on a temporary basis for up to 12 months, subject to the approval of the Dean and Vice President. Such appointments may be renewed, but may not be held for more than four years unless justified by special circumstances and approved by the University President. Visiting Faculty may be appointed without compensation by means of a Courtesy appointment contract.
Visiting Assistant Professor appointments are made by the Dean upon the recommendation of the Department Chairperson. Visiting Associate Professor or Visiting Professor appointments of less than 12 months duration for faculty who hold a similar academic rank in the institution from which they are visiting are made by the Dean upon the recommendation of the Departmental Appointment, Promotion, and Tenure Committee and the Department Chairperson.
Appointments as Visiting Associate Professor and Visiting Professor anticipated to extend beyond 12 months or that involve a recommended promotion to one of these ranks must undergo the same review procedures and meet the same criteria for appointment as members of the Core Faculty.
4.4 EMERITUS FACULTY
Retired Core Faculty members who hold the rank of Associate Professor or Professor for a period of five years or more immediately prior to their retirement and who have distinguished themselves at the University are eligible to be nominated for the honorary title of Associate Professor Emeritus or Professor Emeritus. Such appointments are made by the President upon the recommendation of the Vice President and the University's Honors and Awards Council, following guidelines established by that Council.
4.5 JOINT FACULTY
College Faculty may be offered a Joint appointment at the same rank as held in another College department for a renewable term of three years, but are regarded as Core Faculty only in their primary department. Faculty who have an appointment in a University department that is not part of the College and who participate in a College department's teaching and/or research programs may be offered a Joint appointment in the College department for renewable terms of three years. Renewal of Joint Faculty appointments is based on satisfactory performance as evaluated by the Chair of the Joint (involved) department. Joint appointments at the level of Associate Professor or Professor for faculty who do not have a primary appointment in the College must meet the College criteria for appointment at these ranks and be approved by the Department and College APT Committees. Joint appointments are not required to be at the same rank as in the primary Department or College. All joint appointments require the approval of the involved Chairpersons and respective Dean(s).
Refer also to the procedures pertaining to Joint Appointments .
4.6 NON-RANK FACULTY
Faculty who have a University appointment to any other faculty classification, such as Instructor, Research Associate, Librarian, Associate in ____, Assistant in ____, or Postdoctoral Fellow are members of the Collateral Faculty, regardless of their appointment category.
5. VOLUNTARY FACULTY
- 5.1 GENERAL
- 5.2 CRITERIA FOR APPOINTMENT
- 5.3 VOLUNTARY FACULTY TITLES
- 5.4 PROCEDURES FOR APPOINTMENT
- 5.5 PROCEDURES FOR REAPPOINTMENT
- 5.6 PROCEDURES FOR PROMOTION
- 5.7 CRITERIA FOR SENIOR APPOINTMENT OR PROMOTION
- 5.8 COLLEGE VOLUNTARY FACULTY COMMITTEE
- 5.9 DEPARTMENT VOLUNTARY FACULTY COMMITTEES
- 5.10 TERMINATION AND NON-REAPPOINTMENT
- 5.11 USE OF VOLUNTARY FACULTY TITLE AND USF NAME OR SYMBOLS
5.1 GENERAL
The purpose of the Voluntary Faculty is to enable appropriately qualified physicians engaged in the private practice of medicine in the community (and other similarly qualified health professionals), to participate in and contribute to the College's teaching and/or research programs without remuneration. The members of the Voluntary Faculty make a unique contribution to the College's academic mission as a result of their practical experience and diversity of opinion. Members of the Voluntary Faculty are appointed and serve at the pleasure of the Dean by means of a time-limited Appointment Agreement signed by the Dean and the Department Chairperson.
5.2 CRITERIA FOR APPOINTMENT
All members of the Voluntary Faculty must meet the following College-wide criteria during the period of their appointment, as well as any applicable criteria established by the department to which they are appointed:
(1) Professional Qualifications:
- Possess a terminal degree in an appropriate discipline, or the equivalent,
- Have completed Residency Training or comparable graduate education in an ACGME or AOA accredited program, or the equivalent,
- Possess a high degree of knowledge and skill in their area of professional competence,
- Be of high ethical and moral character, and
- Be of good standing in the professional community.
(2) Academic Activities:
- Participate actively in the teaching and/or research programs of the department to which they are appointed,
- Contribute a minimum of 24 hours per year of service to their department's academic programs, unless appointed as an Affiliate Instructor,
- Demonstrate a personal commitment to education and scholarship by maintaining their own professional skills and competence,
- Achievement of certification/recertification (where applicable), and
- Have a commitment to the goals and objectives of the College and to advancing its reputation and welfare.
5.3 VOLUNTARY FACULTY TITLES
All voluntary faculty titles are dependent upon a relationship with a facility or entity currently formally affiliated with USF Health or in the active process of development of such an affiliation agreement. All titles are normally initiated as"Affiliate" followed by rank except that"Clinical" is achieved on an annual basis by departmental review of documented commitment to advancing the reputation and welfare of USF Health through a performance assessment of"Exemplary" or"Outstanding" by the Department of appointment.
(1) Affiliate or Clinical Instructor: This appointment requires at least a Master's degree and two years of related professional experience. Appointees are expected to be able to contribute to the College's teaching and/or research programs in association with more senior members of the faculty.
(2) Affiliate or Clinical Assistant Professor: This title requires a Doctoral degree and Board Admissibility or Certification in the area of appointment, or other recognized terminal degree in the appointee's field of specialization and an equivalent level of specialized experience. It may be used as an initial appointment for appropriately qualified individuals.
(3) Affiliate or Clinical Associate Professor: This title ordinarily requires active and sustained participation in the College's activities as an Affiliate Assistant Professor for a period of at least seven years, together with evidence of superior accomplishment, in accordance with the criteria outlined in Section 5.7(1) below. Appointment at the Affiliate Associate Professor level is considered an appropriate terminal appointment level.
(4) Affiliate or Clinical Professor: This title ordinarily requires active and sustained participation in the College's activities as an Affiliate Associate Professor for a period of at least seven years, together with evidence of outstanding accomplishment, in accordance with the criteria outlined in Section 5.7(2) below.
5.4 PROCEDURES FOR APPOINTMENT
Appointments to the Voluntary Faculty are made by means of a written Appointment Agreement signed by the Dean and Department Chairperson that outlines the conditions and expectations of the appointment. The appointment is effective once the appointee signs a copy of the Agreement and returns it to the department to which he or she is being appointed. Appointment to the rank of Affiliate Associate Professor or Affiliate Professor ordinarily requires the approval of both the Department and College Voluntary Faculty Committees, based on established criteria. Members of the Voluntary Faculty who are involved in clinical practice activities are required to hold a current medical staff appointment at one of the College's Affiliated Institutions or else to provide documentation of their professional degree and current licensure status.
Recommendations for appointment must be accompanied by a current Curriculum Vitae and a cover letter from the Department Chairperson that outlines the qualifications of the candidate and the contributions he or she has committed to make to the department to satisfy the minimum hours requirement. Recommendation for appointment as Affiliate or Clinical Instructor or Affiliate or Clinical Assistant Professor must be accompanied by three letters of recommendation from individuals who are well acquainted with the candidate's work and professionalism. Recommendations for appointment to the ranks of Affiliate or Clinical Associate Professor or Affiliate or Clinical Professor must be accompanied by five letters of recommendation from individuals who are appropriately qualified to assess the candidate's professional qualifications in relation to the criteria for these appointments. The majority of the recommendations should ordinarily be from organizations and institutions other than those where the candidate trained in order to document the candidate's professional standing and reputation except that up to two local letters are permissible for those who have trained at this University. Recommendations should not be solicited from colleagues in the same practice group. Where possible, recommendations for appointment to these senior ranks should also be accompanied by up to five representative reprints of the candidate's scholarly publications or works.
Appointments to the Voluntary Faculty are ordinarily made for a period of three years, generally from August 1 to July 31 three years later, although they may be made for shorter periods. Appointments at these ranks made at other times of the year terminate on the July 31 following that is closest to an appointment period of three years. Voluntary Faculty members may be offered an appointment in more than one College department, provided they independently meet the required criteria and procedures for each appointment.
5.5 PROCEDURES FOR REAPPOINTMENT
Departments that appoint Voluntary Faculty are required to develop standardized methods for annually documenting the nature, amount, and effectiveness of their participation in the department's teaching and/or research activities, including evaluations by students and residents where applicable. Appointments to the Voluntary Faculty are reviewed during the third year of their term to evaluate their participation in the department's teaching and/or research activities, to assess for appropriateness and documentation of earning the"Clinical" modifier and to determine whether they continue to meet department and College criteria for their level of appointment. Reappointment for an additional three-year period is made upon the recommendation of the Department Chairperson. If not recommended for reappointment a letter of non reappointment should be sent by the Department Chairperson so that they may remove their appointment from the Department of Health Medical Quality Assurance Practitioner Profile accessible to the public within the prescribed 15 days for notification of change of status.
5.6 PROCEDURES FOR PROMOTION
Promotions of members of the Voluntary Faculty are made by the Dean upon the recommendation of the Department Chairperson. Such recommendations, together with all of the required documentation, should be delivered to the Office of the Dean by March 15 to take effect on the following August 1. Promotion of Voluntary Faculty to the rank of Affiliate or Clinical Associate Professor or Affiliate or Clinical Professor requires the approval of both the Department and College Voluntary Faculty Committees, based on the criteria listed in Section 5.7 below.
Recommendations for promotion must be accompanied by a current Curriculum Vitae and a cover letter from the Department Chairperson that outlines the accomplishments of the candidate and documents the manner in which he or she meets the criteria for the designated position.
Recommendations for promotion to the rank of Affiliate or Clinical Associate Professor or Affiliate or Clinical Professor must be accompanied by five letters of recommendation from individuals who are appropriately qualified to assess the faculty member's professional qualifications in relation to the criteria for these ranks. The majority of these recommendations should ordinarily be from organizations and institutions other than those where the candidate trained in order to document the candidate's professional standing and reputation.
Recommendations should not be solicited from colleagues/partners in the same practice group.
Where possible, recommendations for promotion to these senior ranks should be accompanied by up to five representative reprints of the candidate's scholarly publications or works.
5.7 CRITERIA FOR SENIOR APPOINTMENT OR PROMOTION
Members of the Voluntary Faculty are ordinarily expected to meet the following College-wide criteria for appointment or promotion to the ranks of Affiliate or Clinical Associate Professor or Affiliate or Clinical Professor, as well as any applicable criteria established by the relevant department. Affiliate or Clinical Associate Professor is an appropriate terminal rank for those, who although meeting the years of service criterion, do not otherwise meet the criteria for promotion to Affiliate or Clinical Professor. These criteria are intended to serve as guides for assessing the scholarly and professional accomplishments of Voluntary Faculty, as well as the extent of their contributions to the College's programs. In determining eligibility for promotion or appointment to a senior faculty rank, the quality of the individual's contributions is taken into consideration, as well as the quantity.
(1) Affiliate or Clinical Associate Professor:
- At least seven years of continuous, active participation as an Affiliate or Clinical Assistant Professor, or the equivalent,
- Documentation of continuing effectiveness and accomplishment as a clinical teacher and/or of continuing publication of original articles or reviews in professional publications, and
- Recognition of superior clinical accomplishment as evidenced by having established a regional practice referral base and/or being sought out for consultation by colleagues and/or holding leadership office in a professional or learned society and/or holding a leadership role in a hospital or health care organization and/or serving as an Examiner for a recognized Specialty Board and/or the demonstration of an equivalent level of skill and qualification in other related areas. Members of the Voluntary Faculty who are not engaged in clinical practice activities are required to furnish equivalent evidence of recognition in the academic community for superior accomplishments within their discipline.
5.8 COLLEGE VOLUNTARY FACULTY COMMITTEE
The College Voluntary Faculty Committee serves in an advisory capacity to the Dean. It is comprised of five senior members (Affiliate or Clinical Professor or Affiliate or Clinical Associate Professor) of the Voluntary Faculty appointed by the Dean from among nominees active in the teaching programs of the College as submitted by the Chairpersons of the Clinical Departments (including Pathology), with no more than one such member from any department, together with the Chair of the College APT Committee and an officer of the Faculty Council appointed by the Dean. The Dean appoints the Chair of the Committee and the Voluntary Faculty members of the Committee serve two-year, staggered terms.
The Committee considers all recommendations for appointment or promotion to the ranks of Affiliate or Clinical Associate Professor and Affiliate or Clinical Professor. In addition, the Committee periodically reviews all College Voluntary Faculty Policies and Procedures and makes recommendations concerning these to the Dean.
5.9 DEPARTMENT VOLUNTARY FACULTY COMMITTEES
College departments that appoint Voluntary Faculty are required to have a Departmental Voluntary Faculty Committee, a majority of the members of which should be members of its APT Committee. This may be constituted as either: (a) a free-standing committee composed of an appropriate representation of senior members of its Voluntary Faculty and APT Committee, appointed by the Department Chairperson, or (b) a modification of its Department APT Committee that includes an appropriate representation of its Voluntary Faculty at such times as it is considering matters pertaining to the Voluntary Faculty.
Department committees may develop departmental policies and procedures for appointment, reappointment, promotion, and termination of Voluntary Faculty to amplify and supplement those of the College, and should promulgate these to the Voluntary Faculty so that they will be aware of what is expected of them. Such departmental policies and procedures must be approved by the Department Chairperson and the Dean. Departmental committees consider all departmental recommendations for appointment and/or promotion to the rank of Affiliate or Clinical Associate Professor or Affiliate or Clinical Professor and make recommendations concerning these to the Department Chairperson and the College Voluntary Faculty Committee.
5.10 TERMINATION AND NON-REAPPOINTMENT
Appointments of Voluntary Faculty are for a specified term and automatically terminate at the end of such term unless notice of reappointment is given. Appointment to the Voluntary Faculty is not considered a property right and specific notice of non-renewal is not required. Voluntary Faculty members who do not meet the criteria for renewal of their appointment may subsequently be reappointed when they again meet these criteria. Voluntary Faculty physicians are expected to keep their Department of Health profile current with regard to their Voluntary Faculty appointments and to notify the Department of Health if an appointment is not renewed.
Voluntary Faculty members who resign, retire from active teaching, relocate, or fail to meet the requirements of their Appointment Agreement, may have their appointments terminated without prejudice by the Dean at any time during their term. Voluntary Faculty members who violate established standards of ethical, moral or professional behavior, or act in a manner prejudicial to the College or the University, may have their appointments terminated during their term without eligibility for future reappointment. Termination or non-reappointment of Voluntary Faculty is at the sole discretion of the Dean and without recourse.
5.11 USE OF VOLUNTARY FACULTY TITLE AND USF NAME OR SYMBOLS
Membership in the Morsani College of Medicine's Voluntary faculty generally entitles that Voluntary faculty members identify himself or herself as such, and permits inclusion of his/her Voluntary faculty title, as appropriate, on stationery, business cards, curriculum vitae, and in presentations and publications where such is performed on behalf of the College. Additionally, the use of the Voluntary faculty title on presentations and publications may only be included when the use is approved in advance in writing by the Chair of the College's academic department in which the Voluntary faculty member is appointed.
The Voluntary faculty title may not be used in any advertisements, marketing or promotional materials, yellow pages or other telephone listings, websites, office signage or any direct or indirect practice marketing programs or media.
USF Policy does not permit the use of the USF name or symbols (e.g. USF Health and USF Morsani College of Medicine logos) in commercial or other advertising or promotional materials where such use is not approved in advance by USF in accordance with Policy 0-215,"Use of USF System Names and Symbols."
For questions about the appropriate use of the Voluntary faculty title, please contact the Senior Executive Associate Dean for Faculty & Academic Affairs, USF Morsani College of Medicine.
Examples of appropriate use of the Voluntary faculty title are found below.
(1) Appropriate Use of Voluntary faculty title and USF name on stationery, business cards and CVs:
"Affiliate (applicable faculty rank, e.g. Instructor, Assistant Professor, Associate Professor, Professor), Department of __________, USF Morsani College of Medicine"
Notes:
1. The term "Clinical" may be used following the term "Affiliate" (e.g. "Affiliate Clinical Assistant Professor") if that title is conferred in the applicable appointment letter issued by the Morsani College of Medicine.
2. When using their USF faculty title, a Voluntary faculty member must include the term "Affiliate" or "Affiliate Clinical", as applicable, along with their faculty rank.
6. COLLABORATIVE FACULTY
- 6.1 GENERAL
- 6.2 CRITERIA FOR APPOINTMENT
- 6.3 ALLIED COLLABORATIVE FACULTY TITLES
- 6.4 PROCEDURES FOR APPOINTMENT
- 6.5 PROCEDURES FOR REAPPOINTMENT
- 6.6 TERMINATION AND NON-REAPPOINTMENT
- 6.7 USE OF FACULTY TITLE AND USF NAME OR SYMBOLS
6.1 GENERAL
The purpose of the Collaborative Faculty is to establish collaborative academic relationships between the College and appropriately qualified physicians engaged in the private practice of medicine in the community (and other similarly qualified health professionals), who perform educational, research and/or other academic duties in support of graduate medical education and/or other education and/or research programs of an Affiliated Sponsor with whom the College maintains an Affiliation Agreement. Members of the Collaborative Faculty are not employed by the College and are appointed and serve at the pleasure of the College Dean by means of a time-limited, non-compensated Appointment Agreement signed by the College Dean and the individual faculty member. Collaborative Faculty Members do not have an agency relationship with USF/College unless they are separately appointed and assigned responsibility for the training and supervision of USF students or residents and designated to have a USF agency relationship for such assigned function on behalf of USF.
6.2 CRITERIA FOR APPOINTMENT
All members of the Collaborative Faculty must meet the following criteria during the period of their appointment:
(1) Professional Qualifications:
- Possess a terminal professional degree in an appropriate discipline, or the equivalent;
- Have completed Residency Training or comparable graduate education in an ACGME or AOA accredited program, or the equivalent;
- Possess a current unrestricted Florida health professional license;
- Possess and maintain current board certification by the American Board of Medical Specialties (ABMS) or American Osteopathic Association (AOA) in the relevant health professional discipline/specialty/subspecialty together with maintenance of certification and/or maintenance of licensure requirements;
- Possess a high degree of knowledge and skill in their area of professional competence;
- Be of high ethical and moral character; and
- Be of good standing in the professional community.
(2) Academic Activities:
- Participate actively in the graduate medical education and/or other education and/or research programs of the Affiliated Sponsor;
- Participate actively in joint and collaborative educational and/or research programs and activities pursuant to the Affiliation Agreement between the College and the Affiliated Sponsor;
- Demonstrate a personal commitment to education and scholarship by maintaining their own professional skills and competence; and
- Achievement of Board certification/recertification in their medical specialty (where applicable).
6.3 COLLABORATIVE FACULTY TITLES; DEPARMENTAL AFFILIATION
All appointments to the Collaborative Faculty shall have the title "Member". Appointments to the Collaborative Faculty shall not include any other modifier (such as "Clinical", "Adjunct", etc.), or professorial title (such as "Assistant Professor", "Associate Professor" or "Professor"). There is no University/College ranking of, or promotion procedures applicable to, Members of the Collaborative Faculty.
The Appointment Agreement may provide for the Collaborative Faculty Member's affiliation with designated College Departments or other units.
6.4 PROCEDURES FOR APPOINTMENT
Appointments to the Collaborative Faculty are made by means of a written Appointment Agreement signed by the College Dean and the appointed individual. The appointment is effective once the appointed individual signs a copy of the Agreement and returns it to the College's Office of Faculty Affairs.
Applications for appointment must be accompanied by a current Curriculum Vitae, a certified transcript of the terminal earned professional degree record is required for appointment ( Foreign degrees must be evaluated by an agency certified by the National Association of Credential Evaluation Services (NACES) to establish their equivalency to American degrees) and the certified translation must be provided with the application, together with a recommendation letter from the authorized representative, generally the Chief Medical Officer, of the Affiliated Sponsor (as designated by the Affiliation Agreement) that outlines the qualifications of the candidate and the duties he or she has committed to perform in support of the program which has an academic affiliation with the College. Applications for appointment also must be accompanied by three other letters of professional recommendation from individuals who are well acquainted with the candidate's work, clinical care, and professionalism. The majority of the recommendations should ordinarily be from organizations and institutions other than those where the candidate trained in order to document the candidate's professional standing and reputation. Recommendations should not be solicited from colleagues in the same practice group.
Appointments to the Collaborative Faculty are ordinarily made for a period of three years, generally from August 1 to July 31 three years later, although they may be made for shorter periods.
6.5 PROCEDURES FOR REAPPOINTMENT
Affiliated Sponsors are expected to develop standardized methods for documenting the nature, amount, and effectiveness of each Collaborative Faculty Member's participation in teaching and/or research activities, including evaluations by residents where applicable. Appointments to the Collaborative Faculty are reviewed during the third year of their term to evaluate the individual's participation in teaching and/or research activities, to assess for appropriateness and to determine whether the individual continues to meet College criteria for the appointment. Reappointment for an additional three-year period is made upon the recommendation of the authorized representative of Affiliated Sponsor (as designated by the Affiliation Agreement) and as approved by the College in its sole discretion. If not recommended or approved for reappointment, a letter of non reappointment will be sent by College's Office of Faculty Affairs so that the individual may remove their appointment from the Department of Health Medical Quality Assurance Practitioner Profile accessible to the public within the prescribed 15 days for notification of change of status. If the faculty member should relocate or leave the employment of the affiliated facility, the appointment shall be co-terminous with the cessation of employment by the affiliate and shall not be subject to appeal or review.
6.6 TERMINATION AND NON-REAPPOINTMENT
Appointments of Collaborative Faculty Members are for a specified term and automatically terminate at the end of such term unless notice of reappointment is given. Appointment to the Collaborative Faculty is not considered a property right and specific notice of non-renewal is not required. Collaborative Faculty Members who do not meet the criteria for renewal of their appointment may subsequently be reappointed when they again meet such criteria. Collaborative Faculty Members who are physicians must keep their Department of Health practitioner profile current with regard to their faculty appointments and must notify the Department of Health if an appointment is not renewed.
Collaborative Faculty Members who cease to participate in the pertinent education and/or research programs of the Affiliated Sponsor, or fail to meet the requirements of their Appointment Agreement including maintenance of an unrestricted license to practice their health profession in Florida, may have their appointments terminated without prejudice by the College Dean at any time during their term. Collaborative Faculty Members who violate established standards of ethical, moral or professional behavior, or act in a manner prejudicial to the College, the University, or the Affiliated Sponsor may have their appointments terminated during their term without eligibility for further reappointment. Termination or non-reappointment of Collaborative Faculty is at the sole discretion of the College Dean and without recourse.
6.7 USE OF FACULTY TITLE AND USF NAME OR SYSTEM
Membership in the Collaborative Faculty generally entitles the Member to identify himself or herself as such, and permits inclusion of his/her Collaborative Faculty Member title on stationery, business cards, curriculum vitae, Department of Health practitioner profile and in presentations and publications where such is performed on behalf of the College. Additionally, the use of the Collaborative Faculty Member title on presentations and publications may only be included when the use is approved in advance in writing by the College's Vice Dean for Faculty and Academic Affairs.span>
The Collaborative Faculty Member title and USF name or symbols (e.g. USF Health and USF College of Medicine logos) may not be used on lab coats. The Collaborative Faculty Member title may not be used in any advertisements, marketing or promotional materials, yellow pages or other telephone listings, websites, office signage or any direct or indirect practice marketing programs or media.
USF Policy does not permit the use of the USF name or symbols (e.g. USF Health and USF College of Medicine logos) in commercial or other advertising or promotional materials where such use is not approved in advance by USF in accordance with Policy 0-215,"Use of USF System Names and Symbols."
Examples of appropriate use of the Collaborative Faculty Member Title are below.
Appropriate Use of Collaborative Faculty Member title and USF name on stationery, business cards and CVs: "Member, Collaborative Faculty, USF Morsani College of Medicine".
7. DOCUMENTATION OF MERIT AND ACCOMPLISHMENT
The College review of applications for appointment, promotion, or tenure assesses the overall quality of the individual's contributions in relation to both the criteria for the position and the nature of the individual's faculty duties and responsibilities. The activities listed below are intended to serve as examples of the types of achievement that are used to assess meritorious accomplishment in teaching, scholarly activity, service, and clinical care. The quality of an individual's contributions in such activities is evaluated, not just the quantity, since accomplishment cannot be measured simply by meeting numerical criteria.
7.1 SCHOLARLY ACTIVITY
Scholarly activity includes basic and applied research, published works, creation of innovative teaching and clinical materials or procedures, and other original contributions to the health science knowledge base, such as:
- Authorship of publications in scholarly, peer-reviewed journals,
- Authorship/editorship of scholarly books, chapters and non‑print materials (e.g. video),
- Authorship of other scholarly publications,
- Principal investigator of peer-reviewed, externally funded research grants,
- Principal investigator of other funded research grants,
- Co-investigator of peer-reviewed, funded research grants,
- Editor or editorial board member of scientific journals,
- Membership on national/state research peer-review panels,
- Manuscript reviewer for scientific journals,
- Officer of national/international scientific societies,
- Unsolicited invitations to present research findings at other institutions or at national/international professional or scientific meetings,
- Frequency of citations,
- Scientific honors and awards,
- Service on national research committees and task forces,
- Demonstration of initiative and sustained activity as independent researcher,
- Publication of clinical observations, reviews, investigations, computer programs or contributions dealing with new clinical insights, improved methods of diagnosis and treatment and more effective delivery systems,
- Publication of educational innovations, including curriculum development and new teaching materials,
- Election to membership or fellowship in prestigious scholarly societies, advisory groups or study sections,
- Other evidence of original contributions to the health science knowledge base.
7.2 TEACHING
Teaching includes instructional activities in the classroom, laboratory, or clinical setting that involve medical students, residents, fellows, graduate students, continuing professional education, and public education. It also includes participation in didactic lectures, presentations, and discussions at Grand Rounds, seminars, workshops, journal clubs, research meetings, supervisory sessions, and laboratory and clinical training.
- Teaching effectiveness evidenced by mastery of both content and method, documented by student and faculty evaluations,
- Innovation in teaching methods and production of texts or educational software,
- Responsibility for design, organization, coordination and evaluation of a high quality course or series of lectures,
- Responsibility for successful curriculum innovation and design,
- Unsolicited invitations to teach at other institutions,
- Thesis or dissertation advisement,
- Achievement of graduate students,
- Award of training grant,
- Ability to attract students to electives,
- Teaching award,
- Informal influence on student growth and development,
- Effective participation in research training,
- Invitations to direct or teach in programs of professional societies and CME courses,
- Serving as an effective mentor for junior faculty,
- Serving as an exemplary clinical or research role model for trainees,
- Demonstration of ability to communicate enthusiasm, stimulate students, keep abreast of new developments and exhibit a scholarly approacli to learning.
7.3 SERVICE
Service activities include service to the department, College and University or to the faculty member's local, state, national, professional, or academic communities.
- Recognized achievement in administration and/or leadership at department, College or University level,
- Recognized achievement as member of department, College or University committee,
- Continuing and effective consultation and service to local, state, regional, national or international organizations,
- Provision of continuing and effective counseling and guidance services to students,
- Holding leadership office in professional or learned societies at state, national or international level,
- Serving as examiner for recognized specialty board, or the equivalent,
- Serving on civic organizations concerned with health care issues at local, state, national, or international level.
7.4 CLINICAL CARE
Clinical care involves the provision of professional health care services to patients at the College's clinics and affiliated institutions, either in connection with the faculty's teaching responsibilities or as a means of
- Recognition as an outstanding clinician as evidenced by a state-wide pattern of clinical referrals and/or reputation for clinical excellence,
- Recognition of superior clinical accomplishments as evidenced by being sought out for consultation by colleagues,
- Holding leadership role in an affiliated hospital or health care organization, or recognized achievement on behalf of such an organization,
- Membership or fellowship in elected professional organization that denotes a high level of clinical competency,
- Board certification/recertification in specialty, and sub-specialty where applicable, or equivalent.
- Achievement of performance objectives such as work Relative Value Units in comparison to national benchmarks for the discipline.
8. FACULTY PROFESSIONAL PRACTICE
The College provides educationally oriented clinical practice settings and opportunities through which faculty members provide health care and treatment to patients, including patients at affiliated hospitals and clinical sites, as an integral part of their academic activities and employment as faculty. Participation in such faculty practice is vital to the educational mission and for the maintenance of patient management skills and clinical expertise, and is a necessary part of employment as faculty. Faculty who practice medicine and provide clinical instruction and supervision to medical students and resident physicians are required to hold a valid medical license in the State of Florida or a Medical Faculty Certificate issued by the Florida Board of Medicine in connection with their University responsibilities at an affiliated site. Members of the Core Faculty who participate in clinical care activities are not permitted to engage in the practice of medicine or other health care professions independent of their College appointment or employment at an affiliated facility.
9. AMENDMENT OF GUIDELINES
The College Guidelines for Faculty Appointment, Promotion, and Tenure, and any amendments thereto, must be approved by the Faculty Council, the Executive Council, and the Dean, subject to final approval by the Vice President for USF Health and President of the University. The Guidelines must be consistent with prevailing University requirements and are considered to be automatically amended to be in compliance with any changes in these.
Original Policy Effective May 1, 2002; Subsequently Updated.
Latest Revision: June 5, 2015 (Effective July 1, 2015)