Preparing for the Reappointment or Promotion Review

Departments, the School and University share the common goal of creating a culture and building an environment in which faculty members can develop, flourish and succeed.  By its decision to hire a new faculty member, the department has expressed its confidence not only in the individual’s past and present achievements but in his or her promise for the future.

At the same time, it is important to understand that the faculty member must be an active partner in the process of preparing for reappointment or promotion and that the ultimate responsibility for career trajectory and success lies with him or her.  As the primary stakeholder in the process, the faculty member should actively seek out information that will be of value and benefit in preparing for the reappointment or promotion review. The investment of time and effort in learning as much as possible about what is expected can pay dividends later.

Things to do:

• Reread offer letter for details about faculty line, responsibilities, and appointment term

• Study the School of Medicine Faculty Handbook to learn about the fundamentals of criteria, policies and procedures

• Study information on Establishing Regional and National Reputation
  
• Study the information in the Toolbox to learn about the following for your faculty line:
  • Process timelines (in Evidence Tables + Guidelines > Guidelines > A&P)
  • Levels of review for Professoriate and Clinician Educators (in Evidence Tables + Guidelines > Guidelines > A&P)
  • Review committees and decision-makers (in Review Committee Schedules and Rosters; also see Decision-Maker Roles in the Process)
• If applicable, study information on Career Guidance to Faculty with an Interest in Quality Improvement
  
• Keep your curriculum vitae up to date by systematically collecting and recording relevant achievements as they occur
• Prepare your Candidate's Statement

• Use annual meetings with your department chair (or designate) as a regular opportunity to discuss and measure progress against criteria for reappointment or promotion.

• Attend reappointment/promotion and skills building workshops

A note about accomplishment versus promise:

Candidates for reappointment or promotion are responsible for designing and pursuing a schedule of research that results in publication in advance of the review.  Generally, by the time materials have been submitted for the reappointment or promotion review, the candidate’s dossier should predominantly reflect a record of actual accomplishment (which confirms status in the field) rather than work that has been submitted or accepted but not yet published (which may speak more to promise).  Similarly, the faculty member’s career should be managed so that teaching and clinical care records are robust and ready to be evaluated by the time the reappointment or promotion package is submitted.