Senior Rank Appointment, Promotion, and Tenure

Promotion and appointment at a medical institution reflect a rigorous and thoughtful review of a faculty member’s contributions to education, research, clinical excellence, and service. This achievement honors the dedication, innovation, and leadership that shape the future of medical education and research. The UConn SOM by-laws, Appendix B provide guidelines for the senior rank appointment, promotion and tenure process.

  • Appointment: A candidate who has previously held a senior faculty rank at another academic institution, or who otherwise meets the criteria for a senior rank appointment at the School of Medicine (SOM), may be nominated through the senior rank appointment process. If you are a faculty member hired from another institution where you held senior rank, the department chair can provide you with an initial Visiting title at the rank held at your current institution (for example, Visiting Associate Professor or Visiting Professor) as a placeholder until your confirmation. However, all required nomination materials supporting a senior rank appointment must be submitted to the SAPC within 60 days of your start date. Additional guidance for department chairs can be found on the Appointment at Senior Rank-Procedure and FAQs page. Each year, the Office of Faculty Affairs provides a workshop for navigating faculty promotion. Please contact Cindy Sullivan for a recording of the workshop for basic science or clinical faculty.
  • Promotion: Academic promotion and tenure seek to recognize and reward excellence in our faculty. All faculty members are both eligible and encouraged to seek academic promotion. Individuals holding the rank of Instructor, Assistant Professor, or Associate Professor may be considered for advancement, regardless of modifiers such as "adjunct" or "clinical." There are no limits or quotas on the number of faculty who may be promoted. Promotion decisions are based on meeting established standards and are open to all qualified candidates. While the evaluation considers the faculty member’s overall career contributions, particular emphasis is placed on accomplishments achieved since the initial appointment or most recent promotion.
  • Tenure: Tenure in the professorial ranks will be granted only to persons of outstanding achievement. In general, the qualifications for tenure will be equivalent to those for promotion or appointment at senior rank. The review for tenure shall be concerned with assurance that the faculty member will continue a high level of performance consistent with senior rank.

Faculty Tracks

All faculty are assigned to a specific track at the time of appointment or hire. The UConn SOM faculty tracks include Tenure Track or In-Residence for Paid (Employed) faculty, Affiliated Faculty, Community-Based Clinical Faculty, Adjunct Faculty.

Professional Categories

All faculty in the in-residence, affiliated, or tenure tracks must select a professional category at the time of hire or appointment. The description of each professional category along with the criteria for promotion or appointment are outlined in the by-laws

Preparing your nomination package

All nominations for appointment at or promotion to senior rank, and award of tenure, must be reviewed by the Senior Appointments and Promotions Committee (SAPC) and approved by the Dean of the School of Medicine, the Provost, and the Board of Directors. It is important to provide the SAPC with all the required information. Candidates seeking appointment at or promotion to senior rank are encouraged to familiarize themselves with the materials and evidence required within their nomination package in consultation with their department chair/center director. The Office of Faculty Affairs has created nomination instructions and checklists (see below) and a companion document intended to assist all faculty, including department chairs and Type II center directors, in gaining a better understanding of the criteria for appointment at and promotion to senior rank, as well as award of academic tenure, by specifically describing the faculty tracks, professional categories, along with FAQ. Below you will find information for the appointment and promotion process organized by faculty track. We suggest that you begin by reviewing the nomination instructions.

 

Employed Faculty

 

Appointment

Nomination Instructions and Checklist This comprehensive instructions guides faculty through the nomination process including required documentation. For faculty within the Medical Educator Professional Category, checklists are available to assist in collecting and summarizing objective evidence.

Applications can be submitted at any time before your start date and up to 60 days after your start date.

  1. A Nomination Form, completed by the Department Chair
  2. A Nomination Letter, completed by the Department Chair, based on the candidate’s professional Category. In addition to Nomination Letter Instructions, templates are provided below by Professional Category.
  1. A CV, properly formatted according to the CV Instructions, completed by faculty and reviewed by chair.
  2. A Personal Statement, organized around each criterion in the nominee’s designated professional category and leg, completed by the faculty and reviewed by the chair.
  1. A Summary of Teaching Responsibilities Form and Summary of Clinical Responsibilities Form, completed by faculty and reviewed or signed by the Chair.

For New Appointments references: Letters submitted during the nominee’s recruitment may be used as reference letters; however, these will only be useful if they support the specific criteria in the category in which the nominee is being considered. Additional details are provided within the References Instructions , a References Template can be used to organize references.

  • Six (6) to eight (8) references outside, four (4) references from within the nominee’s previous institution, eight (8) to twelve (12) names of students/residents
  • A list of external, internal and student/trainee references, identified by the faculty.
  1. Publications/manuscripts including:
  • Significant manuscripts provided by the faculty, as described in the publication/manuscript Instructions
  • A PDF document including the first page of each of the publications since hire or the last promotion.
  1. Additional information including documentation of grants (formatted per instructions) , awards or academic accomplishments mentioned in the nomination material as outlined in the Required Additional Information Instructions.

Promotion

Nomination Instructions and Checklist This comprehensive instructions guides faculty through the nomination process including required documentation. For faculty within the Medical Educator Professional Category, checklists are available to assist in collecting and summarizing objective evidence.

All application material for promotion are due by the second Friday in July.

Required Documents

  1. A Nomination Form, completed by the Department Chair
  2. A Nomination Letter, completed by the Department Chair, based on the candidate’s professional Category. In addition to Nomination Letter Instructions, templates are provided below by Professional Category.
  1. A CV, properly formatted according to the CV Instructions, completed by faculty and reviewed by chair.
  2. A Personal Statement, organized around each criterion in the nominee’s designated professional category and leg, completed by the faculty and reviewed by the chair.
  1. A Summary of Teaching Responsibilities Form and Summary of Clinical Responsibilities Form, completed by faculty and reviewed or signed by the Chair.
  2. A list of external, internal and student/trainee references, identified by the faculty. Additional details are provided within the References Instructions , a References Template can be used to organize references.
  3. Publications/manuscripts including:
    • Significant manuscripts provided by the faculty, as described in the publication/manuscript Instructions
    • A PDF document including the first page of each of the publications since hire or the last promotion.
  1. Additional information including documentation of grants (formatted per instructions) , awards or academic accomplishments mentioned in the nomination material as outlined in the Required Additional Information Instructions.

Award of Academic Tenure

Recommendations for the award of tenure are done separately from recommendations for promotion. Additional information is provided in the tenure instructions

 

AFFILIATED FACULTY

 

Appointment

Nomination Instructions and Checklist This comprehensive instructions guides faculty through the nomination process including required documentation. For faculty within the Medical Educator Professional Category, checklists are available to assist in collecting and summarizing objective evidence.

Applications can be submitted at any time before your start date and up to 60 days after your start date.

    1. A Nomination Form, completed by the Department Chair
    2. A Nomination Letter, completed by the Department Chair, based on the candidate’s professional Category. In addition to Nomination Letter Instructions, templates are provided below by Professional Category.
    1. A CV, properly formatted according to the CV Instructions, completed by faculty and reviewed by chair.
    2. A Personal Statement, organized around each criterion in the nominee’s designated professional category and leg, completed by the faculty and reviewed by the chair.
    1. A Summary of Teaching Responsibilities Form and Summary of Clinical Responsibilities Form, completed by faculty and reviewed or signed by the Chair.
    2. Reference letters:
      For New Appointments references: Letters submitted during the nominee’s recruitment may be used as reference letters; however, these will only be useful if they support the specific criteria in the category in which the nominee is being considered. Additional details are provided within the References Instructions , a References Template can be used to organize references.
      • Six (6) to eight (8) references outside, four (4) references from within the nominee’s previous institution, eight (8) to twelve (12) names of students/residents
      • A list of external, internal and student/trainee references, identified by the faculty.
    1. Publications/manuscripts including:
      • Significant manuscripts provided by the faculty, as described in the publication/manuscript Instructions
      • A PDF document including the first page of each of the publications since hire or the last promotion.
    1. Additional information including documentation of grants (formatted per instructions) , awards or academic accomplishments mentioned in the nomination material as outlined in the Required Additional Information Instructions.

      Promotion

      Nomination Instructions and Checklist This comprehensive instructions guides faculty through the nomination process including required documentation. For faculty within the Medical Educator Professional Category, checklists are available to assist in collecting and summarizing objective evidence.

      All application material for promotion are due by the second Friday in July.

      Required Documents

      1. A Nomination Form, completed by the Department Chair
      2. A Nomination Letter, completed by the Department Chair, based on the candidate’s professional Category. In addition to Nomination Letter Instructions, templates are provided below by Professional Category.
        • Medical Educator.
        • Medical Researcher
        • Investigator
        • Clinician Scholar
        • Clinician Investigator
        • Clinical Xology
          *Clinical Xology is no longer available as a selection but some faculty are grandfathered: The Clinical Xology professional category was eliminated as an option for newly appointed faculty in 2001, but those already in that professional category were allowed to remain. Faculty members who have been in the Clinical Xology professional category and who change to another professional category are not eligible to transfer back into the Clinical Xology professional category.
      1. A CV, properly formatted according to the CV Instructions, completed by faculty and reviewed by chair.
      2. A Personal Statement, organized around each criterion in the nominee’s designated professional category and leg, completed by the faculty and reviewed by the chair.
        • Medical Educator
        • Medical Researcher
        • Investigator
        • Clinician-Investigator
        • Clinician-Scholar
        • Clinical Xology
          *Clinical Xology is no longer available as a selection but some faculty are grandfathered: The Clinical Xology professional category was eliminated as an option for newly appointed faculty in 2001, but those already in that professional category were allowed to remain. Faculty members who have been in the Clinical Xology professional category and who change to another professional category are not eligible to transfer back into the Clinical Xology professional category.
      1. A Summary of Teaching Responsibilities Form and Summary of Clinical Responsibilities Form, completed by faculty and reviewed or signed by the Chair.
      2. A list of external, internal and student/trainee references, identified by the faculty. Additional details are provided within the References Instructions , a References Template can be used to organize references.
      3. Publications/manuscripts including:
        • Significant manuscripts provided by the faculty, as described in the publication/manuscript Instructions
        • A PDF document including the first page of each of the publications since hire or the last promotion.
      1. Additional information including documentation of grants (formatted per instructions) , awards or academic accomplishments mentioned in the nomination material as outlined in the Required Additional Information Instructions.

      COMMUNITY/ADJUNCT FACULTY

       

      Appointment

      Nomination Instructions and Checklist This comprehensive instructions guides faculty through the nomination process including required documentation. For faculty within the Medical Educator Professional Category, checklists are available to assist in collecting and summarizing objective evidence.

      Applications can be submitted at any time before your start date and up to 60 days after your start date.

          1. A Nomination Form, completed by the Department Chair
          2. A Nomination Letter, completed by the Department Chair, based on the candidate’s professional Category. In addition to Nomination Letter Instructions, templates are provided below by Professional Category.
          1. A CV, properly formatted according to the CV Instructions, completed by faculty and reviewed by chair.
          2. A Personal Statement, organized around each criterion in the nominee’s designated professional category and leg, completed by the faculty and reviewed by the chair.
          1. A Summary of Teaching Responsibilities Form and Summary of Clinical Responsibilities Form, completed by faculty and reviewed or signed by the Chair.
          2. A list of external, internal and student/trainee references, identified by the faculty. Additional details are provided within the References Instructions , a References Template can be used to organize references.
          3. Publications/manuscripts including:
            • Significant manuscripts provided by the faculty, as described in the publication/manuscript Instructions
            • A PDF document including the first page of each of the publications since hire or the last promotion.
          1. Additional information including documentation of grants (formatted per instructions) , awards or academic accomplishments mentioned in the nomination material as outlined in the Required Additional Information Instructions.

            Promotion

            Nomination Instructions and Checklist This comprehensive instructions guides faculty through the nomination process including required documentation. For faculty within the Medical Educator Professional Category, checklists are available to assist in collecting and summarizing objective evidence.

            All application material for promotion are due by the second Friday in July.

            Required Documents

              1. A Nomination Form, completed by the Department Chair
              2. A Nomination Letter, completed by the Department Chair, based on the candidate’s professional Category. In addition to Nomination Letter Instructions, templates are provided below by Professional Category.
              1. A CV, properly formatted according to the CV Instructions, completed by faculty and reviewed by chair.
              2. A Personal Statement, organized around each criterion in the nominee’s designated professional category and leg, completed by the faculty and reviewed by the chair.
              1. A Summary of Teaching Responsibilities Form completed by faculty and reviewed or signed by the Chair.
              2. A list of external, internal and student/trainee references, identified by the faculty. Additional details are provided within the References Instructions , a References Template can be used to organize references.