Academic Tracks (Research/Teaching, Clinical Care/Research/Teaching) (Full-Time)

A. Eligibility: Full-time faculty member engaged in the full range of academic activities in the discipline.

B. Tenure: Faculty member may nor may not be tenured or in a tenure-accruing line depending upon budgeted positions provided by the Medical school.

Clinical Educator Track (Full time)

A. Eligibility: Full-time clinical faculty member engaged in clinical services, teaching and/or administration.

B.  Tenure: Does not accrue tenure.

Research Track (Full-time)

A. Eligibility: Full-time faculty member whose primary responsibility is to develop the research program of the department and/or medical school.

B. Tenure: Does not accrue tenure.

Clinical Track (Part-Time)

Adjunct Track (Part-Time)

A. Eligibility: Part-time faculty member who is appointed to a basic science department or clinical department and who holds a Ph.D., in a non-clinical scientific discipline.

B. Tenure: Does not accrue tenure.

Lecturer Track (Part-Time)

A. Eligibility: Part-time faculty member who holds a full-time or part-time academic title at another institution.

B. Tenure: does not accrue tenure.

Professors Emeriti Track

A. Eligibility: Awarded to a full-time faculty member who has resigned or retired after at least ten years of distinguished service to the medical school.

Visiting Professor Track

A. Eligibility: Nationally or internationally renowned scientists.

B. Tenure: Does not accrue tenure.

A. Eligibility: Faculty member with productive involvement in two departments.

B. Tenure: Based on status in primary department.

This document contains the criteria, guidelines and procedures for faculty appointment, career track, academic rank, promotion and tenure at the Loyola University Chicago Stritch School of Medicine (SSOM). In this document, "track" indicates a particular development emphasis as it is described in detail in various sections.

Appointments and promotions are usually initiated by the relevant department chairperson. When faculty are due for tenure consideration, the chairperson is officially notified by the Senior Academic Officer to initiate the process. It is the chairperson’s responsibility to inform faculty of eligibility for promotion. Faculty who choose to be considered for promotion or tenure without support of their chair are free to initiate their own proposal to the Dean who will forward it to CART. The dean of SSOM is responsible for obtaining the required documentation regarding admission and appointment, rank designation, title, tenure and promotion for each faculty person. This documentation is submitted to the Committee on Academic Rank and Tenure (CART) and, when appropriate, to the University Committee on Faculty Appointments (CFA). With regard to promotion, the candidate’s only role is to prepare a summary statement of his/her academic achievements and contribution to the institution and to provide a list of references to be solicited by the Dean. CART assesses faculty members’ qualifications and performance, focusing carefully and equally on all areas of scholarship as well as on patient care and academic administration, considering all these factors of vital importance to the mission of SSOM. CART renders its recommendations to the dean of SSOM. CFA renders its recommendations to the Senior Vice President for the Health Sciences. This document will govern the individual policies developed by departments in relation to promotion and tenure. Each department shall develop clear and concise policies that will be reviewed by CART. Once approved, the policies will be distributed to faculty within the department.

The main ranks for faculty members are instructor, assistant professor, associate professor and professor. Other titles are adjunct professor, lecturer, emeritus and visiting.

The rank of instructor is ordinarily restricted to faculty with an M.D. degree who have not yet been board certified in their specialty.

The rank of assistant professor is for individuals with a terminal degree in their discipline. Candidates for appointment in a basic science department at this rank are generally expected to have completed one or more years of postdoctoral training. They are also expected to have published their doctoral (possibly postdoctoral) research in refereed journals.

For appointments to the clinical faculty, board certification in the appropriate specialty is a requirement. An instructor who passes his or her specialty certifying examination will automatically be promoted to assistant professor.

Faculty members at this rank should ordinarily have completed at least five years as an assistant professor or equivalent at the time the promotion review is initiated. Early promotion for extraordinary reasons may be considered. Performance will be evaluated according to the criteria described for the assigned track or tracks (see Section IV).

This rank signifies a high level of professional accomplishment and a significant commitment to the university’s programs. Documentation of excellence is required. There is no automatic promotion to the associate level based solely on years in rank.

The rank of professor is the highest rank at SSOM. Accordingly, appointment or promotion to professor requires excellence in scholarship, a record of continuous contribution to the faculty member’s discipline, an established reputation as a teacher, dedication to the university, and, for clinicians, a reputation among peers for excellence in patient care. Candidates for the rank of professor will be evaluated by the same criteria as those detailed for the rank of associate professor but at a higher level. The criteria for evaluation are based on the assigned track (as described in Section IV) and may vary according to teaching, clinical or research activity.

The definition and requirements of adjunct, lecturer, emeritus, visiting and joint appointments are given in the last section of this document.

Faculty members may be appointed in one of the following tracks: academic (research/teaching or clinical care/research/teaching), clinical educator, or research. Or faculty members may have one of the following titles: clinical (for part-time clinical faculty), emeritus, adjunct, lecturer, visiting or joint.

Recommendations for appointment to and promotion in academic and clinical educator tracks for full-time faculty are kept in the medical school and faculty records, but there is no public indication of the tracks. However, titles or descriptors such as clinical (for part-time clinical faculty), emeritus, lecturer, adjunct and visiting are publicly qualified titles.

Only full-time faculty members are eligible for academic tracks, which may or may not be tenure-accruing. There are two sub-tracks within the academic track: research/teaching and clinical care/research/teaching.

This sub-track is for faculty members who have a Ph.D. and/or a terminal clinical degree and who should engage in research activity for at least 80% of the time while working toward tenure as well as teaching and service including patient care, where applicable. Appointment and subsequent promotion in this track depends primarily on evidence that the faculty member is involved in research conducive to new knowledge and teaching activities.

The individual should be conducting original and creative research, presenting the results in scholarly national and international meetings and in peer-reviewed medical and basic science journals. The quality of publications and a pattern of consistent scholarly effort are more important than the number of articles. Consideration for appointment in the RT sub-track should also show evidence of potential for achieving external research support and obtaining grant awards. For advancement to the rank of associate professor or professor, the faculty member will have achieved the level of independent investigator, obtained external support and be likely to sustain this effort in the future.

The second component of the track is teaching and service to SSOM. There should be serious engagement in teaching medical students and/or graduate students as well as residents and fellows, where applicable. In the RT sub-track, no faculty member may be promoted without evidence of substantial contribution to teaching. In judging the effectiveness of a candidate’s teaching ability, CART should consider evaluations of teaching by faculty members and students and the following competencies: command of the subject; continuous growth in the subject field; ability to organize and effectively present teaching material; ability to stimulate students’ curiosity and encourage high standards; and development of teaching materials, including new curriculum offerings, education programs, textbooks, syllabi, computer programs or videotapes that significantly improve the method or quality of instruction within SSOM.

Permanence in this track requires continuous activity in funded research. In addition to the normal annual faculty evaluation:

This sub-track is for clinical faculty, including Ph.D.s with clinical responsibilities in clinical departments, who are committed primarily to patient care and teaching but who are also committed to independent research. The criteria for teaching are as described for the RT sub-track. It is expected that faculty members appointed to this sub-track will be excellent clinicians and able to develop a practice used for teaching students and residents. Appraisal of the candidate’s ability in this area is based upon an evaluation by the department chairperson and faculty colleagues. The faculty members are expected to be able to develop creative advances in medical care and clinical techniques.

In addition to evidence of clinical and teaching activities in this track, candidates must meet criteria for research and publication. In the CRT sub-track, evidence of independent research activity is required. Publications required for this track may include case reports and book chapters, but must be primarily original clinical and/or basic research. All articles considered for appointment or promotion must be published in peer-reviewed journals. The candidate need not be the senior author or the first author in all of them, but must provide evidence of significant involvement in development and preparation of such publications. Additional criteria for promotion include presentation of papers at scholarly meetings or conferences and participation in national and international meetings or symposia. External funding is encouraged but not required, with evidence of qualified, peer-reviewed, published research.

Criteria for appointments and promotion of faculty members in academic tracks.

This rank is only available to faculty members with terminal clinical degrees who have not received board certification in their clinical specialties. At the time of appointment, there should already be evidence of adequate training and scholarship to ensure an engaged research career.

In addition to meeting the criteria outlined in Section II, faculty members in this rank must present evidence of familiarity with original research and submission of research proposals for external funding, when appropriate, as well as publication in refereed journals.

Faculty members in this rank should be actively engaged in either clinical and/or basic research. Faculty members in either sub-track should be contributing to scientific literature and present evidence demonstrating recognition in the related field, locally and nationally. Faculty members in the RT sub-track must have external funding. In addition to research activities, candidates should meet the following five criteria:

For new appointments, information on the candidate’s teaching ability should be provided whenever possible. Letters of recommendation should include an appraisal of the individuals’ teaching abilities and potential. For promotion and tenure consideration, evidence of the individual’s teaching ability will be obtained from the department chairperson, students, house staff and select faculty members.

Excellence in patient care by clinical faculty in the CRT sub-track is essential. Appraisal of the candidate’s patient care ability is based upon evaluations by the department chairperson, faculty colleagues and postgraduate trainees.

This aspect of academic life is usually reflected in participation on university, SSOM, or LUMC standing or ad hoc committees. For both new appointments and promotions, due consideration is given to the individuals’ contribution to this important responsibility.

Letters from two non-Loyola academicians (other than the candidate’s prior mentors) in the candidate’s discipline or specialty area must be solicited. These letters should include an appraisal of the quality, contribution and goals of the candidate’s academic career. One or more additional letters should be obtained from outside or within the Loyola community. All letters must come from his/her referees at no lower than the academic rank of associate professor or its equivalent. Other criteria demonstrating national recognition include: appointment as a reviewer for journal or research grants; appointment to editorial boards, advisory boards or review committees; invitations to present seminars or lectures; appointment or election to offices in local, national or international societies or associations; and other appropriate clinical or basic science activities.

Except when outstanding merit is recognized, at least five years should elapse between appointment to assistant professor and consideration of promotion to associate professor. However, when part of the five years has been spent as an instructor or at other positions in an institution where the rank is deemed to be comparable to the rank in SSOM, that period may be included in the five years.

For appointment or promotion to this rank, faculty members should meet the criteria specified in Section II. They should show evidence of current and continued growth in all areas described in the section above on associate professor. Faculty members at this rank should have achieved leadership in their field, bringing recognition to SSOM, and should have developed a substantial clinical practice, where applicable. In addition, senior basic scientists should demonstrate the ability to successfully mentor doctoral and postdoctoral students within their sections. Letters of recommendation must originate from referees at the rank of professor or its equivalent.

Except when outstanding merit is recognized, at least five years should elapse between appointment to associate professor and consideration of promotion to professor. However, when part of the five years has been spent at an institution where the rank is deemed to be comparable to the rank at SSOM, that period may be included in the five years.

All departments are required to form a mentorship and evaluation committee to advise the chairperson on selection of tracks for faculty and to help the chairperson formally evaluate members regarding promotion and tenure recommendations. The evaluations and recommendations must be a permanent part of the faculty member’s file and accompany the application at the time of submission to CART.

Track switching may be considered if a faculty member’s commitment to his or her academic sub-track changes. Such track changes should not affect promotion or tenure decisions. Should a switch be recommended, there are specific times that it should be considered and other times when it is not permitted. For those in the RT sub-track, an important element of progress in this track and/or further likely promotion in rank is the three-year review. At this review, the faculty member must show evidence that he or she is progressing toward external funding or is already funded. While sub-track switching at the time of promotion is discouraged, it is not prohibited. However, one cannot change sub-tracks and be resubmitted to CART during the same cycle that promotion is denied. Switching from the CRT sub-track to the RT sub-track is also permitted. In addition, switching from RT or CRT to the Clinical Educator Track is permitted, but only when the chairperson of the clinical department believes that the faculty member can and will provide a needed clinical service and maintain the appropriate level of teaching activity. Faculty are eligible for only one track switch in their academic careers at SSOM.

Appointment in the RT and CRT academic tracks may be in a tenure-accruing or non-tenure-accruing line. Faculty members who are appointed to SSOM at the instructor or assistant professor level in a tenure-accruing line shall be considered for tenure after five years. If granted, tenure takes effect the following academic year. Because the time-in-rank criteria for tenure consideration is the same as for promotion, assistant professors who are recommended for promotion should also be recommended for tenure. Faculty members appointed to SSOM at the associate professor or professor level in a tenure-accruing line shall be considered for tenure after two years. If granted, tenure takes effect the following academic year.

Faculty in a tenure-accruing line who do not receive tenure will be given a terminal contract for the following academic year. Under special circumstances, early consideration for tenure for a faculty member maybe recommended by the dean of SSOM.

The criteria set forth for tenure are intended to serve as minimum standards in judging the candidate, not to set boundaries or exclude other elements of performance that may be considered. In evaluating an individual faculty member, CART will use the same criteria for recommending tenure as for promotion. Excellence in research, publication and teaching is expected. For faculty in the RT, external funding is required as well.

CART must judge whether the candidate is engaged in a program of work that is sound, productive and meaningful to SSOM. As LUC enters new fields of endeavor and refocuses its ongoing activities, cases may arise in which the work of faculty members deviates from established academic patterns. In such cases, CART must take exceptional care to apply the criteria for tenure with sufficient flexibility.

For faculty members recommended for tenure, superior intellectual attainment and specific contribution to SSOM through teaching, clinical activity, research or other creative achievement are expected. Under no circumstances will tenure be recommended unless there is clear documentation of ability and diligence in teaching.

This track, for which there is no tenure accrual, is for the full-time clinical faculty member, including Ph.D.s with clinical responsibilities in clinical departments, who are involved primarily in patient care, teaching and administration. For an initial appointment and subsequent promotion, the faculty members must show commitment to contribute to the department’s clinical practice and the teaching requirements of SSOM. Track designation is kept in SSOM records but there is no public qualification of title for the CET.

This is an initial rank of appointment for faculty members who have terminal clinical degrees and who have not yet achieved board certification. These faculty members are expected to participate in the full range of the department’s clinical and teaching responsibilities. The rank is reserved for full-time faculty; SSOM does not appoint physicians in residency or fellowship training to the faculty.

This rank is awarded to faculty members who apply for their initial appointment after acquiring board certification or to current instructors after documentation of board certification is received. It is also the entry-level appointment for clinical faculty with a terminal Ph.D.

Faculty members at this rank must have demonstrated excellence in clinical practice and teaching. Rarely, this rank may be used to recognize only teaching excellence in a clinical department when performed at a very high level and resulting in scholarly contributions in terms of curricular developments. The following six requirements should be met for appointment or promotion to this rank in CET:

Patient care and community service are a valuable asset to the university and should be considered a significant contribution. Documented evidence of clinical activity should be presented by the department chairperson. The candidate should have attained a reputation at SSOM for clinical excellence.

This aspect of academic life is usually reflected in participation on university, SSOM or LUMC standing or ad hoc committees. For both new appointments and promotions, due consideration is given to the individual’s contributions to this important academic responsibility.

Documented evidence of ability should be sought from colleagues, postgraduate trainees and students. The administration of teaching programs is critical to the success of SSOM, and individuals who show strong abilities and interest in this facet of academic medicine should be recognized appropriately.

For this rank, published original research is not required. However, written material prepared for teaching purposes – such as lecture hand-outs, syllabi, video programs, exhibits, presentations and clinical case reports – are required to justify promotion. These need not be peer reviewed. Peer-reviewed case reports or education articles and book chapters will strongly support this rank.

Except when outstanding merit is recognized, at least five years should elapse between appointment to assist professor and consideration of promotion to associate professor. Time in rank at another similar facility may be applied.

Three letters of recommendation from colleagues at the associate professorial rank or its equivalent are required. For this rank, all letters may originate from fellow SSOM faculty members.

Faculty members at this rank in the CET should have demonstrated continuous excellence in teaching, patient care and service. In addition to meeting all of the same expectations for associate professor in this track, the candidate must be a leader in his or her clinical field in the Chicago region.

Except when outstanding merit is recognized, at least five years should elapse between appointment to associate professor and consideration of promotion to professor.

Three letters of recommendation from colleagues at the professorial rank or its equivalent are required. At least one letter of support must originate from outside SSOM.

Research track appointments are initiated at the research assistant professor level. Appointment to this category requires a terminal degree in the candidate’s field of expertise; two or more years of postdoctoral experience; documentation of creativity and innovation in research; demonstration of original contributions in the specific area of research; and extramural funding to support the position. There is no tenure in this track and salary support must come entirely from extramural sources.

Research faculty appointments are designed to enhance research programs in the department and/or the medical school, especially where unique expertise is required. These faculty members have a primary commitment to the medical school in the conduct of research. The faculty member may also participate in teaching.

The appointment of research faculty members is contingent upon external funding and will be terminated when funding ceases. Research appointments may or may not be made for the duration of grant-derived financial support and without limits of time through successive reappointments.

Promotion in this track, based on availability of external funding and quality of research and publications, will be considered by CART on the recommendation of the department chair.

The title of emeritus or emerita may be granted to full-time faculty members by the Senior Academic Officer upon the recommendation of the chairperson, the dean of SSOM, and Committee on Faculty Appointments when the faculty member has resigned or retired after at least ten years of distinguished service to the university.

This title is for part-time faculty members who hold terminal clinical degrees (e.g., M.D., D.O., D.D.S., D.P.M., or Ph.D. in a clinical discipline) and who are engaged in teaching and/or clinical service. These are publicly qualified titles, i.e. Clinical (Rank) of (Specialty).

This is the customary appointment for clinical faculty members who have terminal clinical degrees and who have not been certified by the appropriate specialty boards.

This may be the starting rank for clinical faculty members who have been certified by the appropriate specialty board.

Appointment or promotion to this rank is based upon excellence in teaching of medical students and/or postgraduate trainees, and clinical service. Documentation attesting to the candidate’s abilities in these areas should be solicited from peers, students, and house staff. Accomplishments in research will be considered, but this is not a requirement. Candidates should hold the clinical assistant professor rank for at least five years before being considered for promotion to clinical associate professor.

Promotion for appointment to the rank of clinical professor requires documented evidence of excellence in teaching and clinical service. Accomplishment in research will be considered, but this is not a requirement. Candidates should hold the rank of clinical associate professor for at least five years before being considered for promotion to clinical professor.

These are part-time faculty members who hold a Ph.D., or its equivalent and are appointed to basic or clinical science departments. This is a publicly qualified title, i.e. Adjunct (Rank) of (Department).

Adjunct instructors customarily hold doctorate degrees, but this is not a requirement.

This may be a starting rank for faculty members holding doctorate degrees who have completed one or two years in a postdoctoral fellowship.

Appointment or promotion to this rank requires demonstrated ability in teaching, clinical care and/or research. Documented evidence of teaching ability should be provided whenever possible. Candidates should hold the adjunct associate professor rank for at least five years before being considered for promotion to adjunct professor.

This rank is reserved for part-time faculty members who have terminal degrees and who hold full-time or part-time faculty appointments at other institutions.

This title is reserved for those very senior nationally or internationally renowned scientists who are affiliated with SSOM and provide considerable prestige to the respective department as well as to the medical school during their stay. This status may be assigned for a limited period of time.

In addition to primary appointments, faculty members may have joint appointments in other departments of SSOM. Recommendations for joint appointments are made by the chairpersons of both departments and are normally based upon constructive involvement in two related departments. Such appointments should facilitate interdepartmental academic program development or enhance the professional development of the faculty member. All recommendations for tenure or promotion considerations must be initiated by the department of primary appointment and supported by the department of secondary appointment.