Department of Clinical Sciences Reappointment, Promotion and Tenure Standards and Procedures RUL05.67.851

Department of Clinical Sciences Reappointment, Promotion and Tenure Standards and Procedures

RUL 05.67.851

Reappointment, Promotion and Tenure

Authority: Provost and Executive Vice Chancellor

History: First Issued: September 3, 1999. Last Revised: February 13, 2008. Additional History Information.

Additional References:
Office of the Provost RPT Website
Department of Clinical Sciences Web Site

Contact Info: Department Head (919-513-6230)

1. Introduction

This rule describes the standards and procedures for reappointment, promotion and tenure (RPT) in the Department of Clinical Sciences and is supplemental to and consistent with the college rule and university Academic Tenure Policy.

1.1 The Department of Clinical Sciences (DoCS) is one of three departments in the College of Veterinary Medicine at North Carolina State University. The department is divided into sections each of which concentrates on a specialty area within clinical veterinary medicine. The department is also the administrative home for the university's Laboratory Animal Resources division.

1.2 DoCS is charged with preparing veterinarians and veterinary specialists to enhance medical care for client patients and patients from referring veterinarians. This is accomplished through didactic and clinical teaching and research to yield new methods to prevent, diagnose, and treat disease in companion animals, horses, laboratory animals, aquatic species, and wildlife. DoCS faculty operate research laboratories and are also involved in other patient care initiatives. DoCS research programs include ophthalmology, equine, cardiopulmonary, pharmacology, gastrointestinal physiology, leukocyte biology, and tick-transmitted diseases, immunodermatology, oncology, pain management, and neurology. In addition, clinical research is conducted by many faculty to evaluate the effectiveness of diagnostic tests and therapies in animals with disease. Funding sources include the federal government, state agencies, industry, and foundations.

1.3 DoCS faculty members are well known for research and medical breakthroughs in veterinary and human health care. They have an excellent publication record and are continually seeking/receiving extramural funding. Consequently, they are in demand for scientific presentations and continuing education presentations throughout the world.

2. Areas of Faculty Responsibility

The five realms of faculty responsibility include: (1) teaching and mentoring students, (2) discovery of knowledge through discipline-guided inquiry, (3) technological and managerial innovation, (4) extension and engagement with constituencies outside the university, and (5) service in professional societies and within the university itself. The manner in which DoCS faculty members may demonstrate their credentials in these realms is described in the individual's Statement of Mutual Expectations.

3. General Standard

3.1 Evidence of good teaching must accompany each positive recommendation for promotion.

3.2 Each faculty member is expected to work in a collegial manner.

3.3 Evidence of good research must accompany each positive recommendation for promotion. The standard to be considered is the number of substantive works accepted for publication through a peer review process.

The evaluation of quality as well as quantity of research for reappointment, promotion and/or tenure must be applied with judgment, since there may be substantial variation among refereed works in terms of their contribution to the academic and professional community. The quality of the work itself and the quality and prestige of the journal or other media in which the work appears are factors to be considered.

Most of the published works should be in the candidate's field, broadly defined, and some should be in professional or academic journals recognized to be of high quality.

Papers presented at professional meetings and research grant proposals will also be considered. The quality and quantity of unpublished working papers, manuscripts, and grant proposals is an important element in assessing a candidate's continuing commitment to scholarly activities. This is particularly relevant for decisions regarding tenure. Activities such as membership on editorial boards of refereed journals, serving as a referee, assisting colleagues with their research activities, and other contributions to the scholarly life of the department will also be considered.

3.4 Evidence of service in professional societies and within the university must accompany each positive recommendation for promotion.

4. Standards for Reappointment as Assistant Professor

Reappointment as Assistant Professor requires that the individual is making satisfactory progress towards meeting the standards for promotion to the rank of Associate Professor with tenure (Section 5).

5. Standards for Associate Professor with Tenure

Promotion to Associate Professor with tenure will be evaluated for each faculty member with an appropriate and individual integration across the faculty member's contributions in teaching, research and extension with due consideration to effective service to the institution. The expectation is that a faculty member will have demonstrated scholarly activity in teaching, research, clinical service, and organizational service and the potential to achieve national or international recognition as noted below:

5.1 A faculty member will have demonstrated scholarly activity in teaching based on the following criteria:

5.1.1 On evaluations for previous 3 years, 80% of students have rated the faculty member as A or B for overall effectiveness as a teacher (question 8 on student evaluation form) in didactic teaching; and,

5.1.2 On evaluations for previous 3 years, 80% of students have rated the faculty member as A or B (question 8, paper form) or the average student rating is greater than 3.0 (question 1, web-based evaluation form) for overall effectiveness as a teacher in clinical teaching (if applicable); and,

5.1.3 Peers agree that faculty member has provided effective didactic and clinical teaching (if applicable; comprehensive VTH evaluation) during the previous 2 years; and,

For subsections 5.1.4, 5.1.5 and 5.1.6, the faculty member will select, from all of their accomplishments in these areas, the requisite items she/he wants to be considered for review.

5.1.4 3 improvements or innovations in teaching that have been implemented based on student, peer, or self-evaluation; and,

5.1.5 5 activities that have been implemented by their section to provide clinical and/or research experience to years 1-3 students (special rounds, case presentations, lectures in non-DoCS courses, summer opportunities, selectives, etc.); and,

5.1.6 10 activities that have been implemented to provide professional development opportunities for veterinarians, such as activities for individual veterinarians (visiting veterinarians, interactions with practitioner adjunct faculty, etc.), continuing education lectures and proceedings, book chapters, or review articles. These must include at least 3 activities for North Carolina veterinarians and at least 3 national or international presentations.

5.2 A faculty member will have demonstrated scholarly activity in research. From all of their manuscripts and grants, the faculty member will select the designated items she/he wants to be considered for review for each of the following subsections:

5.2.1 5 manuscripts that have been published in refereed journals, reporting original research beyond the level of a case-report. The faculty member being reviewed should be first author or identified as a major contributor to the research (e.g., as the mentor of a trainee or as the corresponding author). {Significant scholarly activity in teaching, clinical service, or organizational service may substitute for 1 or 2 manuscripts. The work needs to be creative and be designed to include assessment of significance and outcome. External review is required}; and,

5.2.2 2 grant proposals that have been submitted for extramural funding.

These guidelines for scholarly activity in research are based on percent time distribution for faculty with a 6-month hospital assignment and typical resource allocations (technical support, laboratory space) for the department. Greater productivity will be required of some individuals as discussed during the annual planning process.

5.3 If a faculty member has had responsibilities in the Veterinary Teaching Hospital (VTH), she/he will have demonstrated scholarly activity by providing effective and efficient patient care and hospital management, with continually improving quality.

5.3.1 Peers, staff and hospital administrators agree that faculty member has provided effective service in the VTH (if applicable) during the previous 2 years (comprehensive VTH evaluation); and,

5.3.2 Diplomat status (board-certification) has been achieved if there is an appropriate specialty college for their clinical discipline. (The decision on whether such a specialty college exists will be made by the department head and tenured full professors within the first 2 years of the faculty member's career at NCSU); and,

For subsections 5.3.3 and 5.3.4, from all of his/her accomplishments in these areas, the faculty member will select the items she/he wants to be considered for review.

5.3.3 3 innovations in clinical service that have been introduced to the VTH (new techniques developed or learned, new methods for delivery of service, clinical protocols established, etc.); and,

5.3.4 2 manuscripts that have been published based on clinical observations and/or studies (including case reports; manuscripts are not necessarily in addition to those listed under research).

5.4 A Faculty member will have provided a leadership role in Department, CVM, VTH, NC State and/or specialty/professional organizations by documented contributions to the process and accomplishments of committees and teams. (Although faculty may serve in an advisory role for some committees, faculty are expected to take an active working role on at least one committee).

5.5 A Faculty member will have contributed time and talents to the wider community. (Contributions could include such activities as presentations to schools; Science-Teacher Partnership; other service to community organizations, such as the YMCA, Literacy League, sports teams, etc.)

6. Standards for Professor

6.1 Promotion to Professor will be evaluated for each faculty member with an appropriate and individual integration across the faculty member's contributions in teaching, research and extension with due consideration to effective service to the institution. In general, the expectation is that a faculty member will have demonstrated internationally recognized scholarly accomplishments. These accomplishments may be in the area of teaching, research, clinical service, and/or organizational service. However, for promotion to Professor, cumulative outstanding leadership within the university, over an extended number of years, that contributes to the national or international recognition of university programs be heavily weighed in lieu of the faculty member's individual national or international recognition for scholarship and leadership.

6.2 The types of activities detailed in section 5 above (Standards for Associate Professor with Tenure) will be used to assist in these deliberations, but the expectations are above and beyond those detailed in that section. Most importantly, the contributions of the faculty member must have made a difference, whether it is in the way veterinary students learn, the manner in which veterinary medicine is practiced and delivered, or in the creation and application of new knowledge.

7. Standards for Promotion of Special Faculty

Special faculty appointments are non-tenure track, fixed-term appointments as lecturer, assistant professor, associate professor, or professor. Professorial special faculty appointments have a prefix modifier of either "clinical" or "research." Qualifications for special faculty professorial ranks are the same as for comparable tenure track ranks. Promotions within the professorial special faculty ranks are considered through the same process as for promotion and tenure. Special faculty members appointed at the rank for which the candidate is being considered will participate in the DVF deliberations and vote.

8. Procedures for RPT Review

8.1 The Department head will meet with its faculty each winter to determine which individuals should be considered for mandatory and non-mandatory reappointment, promotion and tenure. Individual faculty may also request to be considered for non-mandatory promotion.

8.2 All Department procedures will be consistent with those of the College of Veterinary Medicine and NC State University.

8.3 The schedule of deadlines for dossier submission and Department Faculty Voting meetings will be set and communicated by the Department Head.

8.4 Absentee votes may be submitted to the Head by faculty who are unable to attend the DVF meeting. The Head will announce the deadline for absentee vote submission to enable the department to meet the college submission deadline.

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