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COHS Clinical Faculty Promotion Policy

Download a PDF of COHS Clinical Faculty Policy

Boise State University College of Health Sciences
Effective Date: May, 2019

Purpose:

To provide guidelines for the initial appointment, employment, and promotion of COHS clinical faculty.

Scope:

Applies to all Clinical Faculty and academic administrators.

Responsible Party:

College of Health Sciences, Promotion and Tenure Committee,

Provost and Vice President of Academic Affairs, 426-1202

Definitions:

Clinical Faculty – Faculty who focus principally on excellence in instruction and engagement. In addition to their instructional responsibilities on campus, Clinical Faculty also may be serving as administrators, such as clinical coordinators and/or department chairs or be professionals in a practice site and provide clinical supervision of students; collaborate and develop professional relationships with industry and governmental agencies; and/or supervise internships, service learning and other student activities outside the classroom. While they may, they are not required to participate in research or scholarship activities as part of their regular assignment, unless required by school/department accreditation standards. They typically serve on committees involving curriculum or program-related issues but may serve on other types of committees depending on school/department policies. They are eligible for promotion but not tenure.

University Policy Reference:

University Policy 4210

University Policy 4340

University Policy 4490

POLICY

I. Policy Statement

Clinical Faculty play a critical role in the professional curricula and are essential to the mission of the University’s academic programs. Flexibility in appointing Clinical Faculty is crucial to designing and maintaining educational programs in traditional classrooms and learning experiences outside the classroom or in clinical settings. Such flexibility also gives the University the opportunity to recruit and retain highly qualified professionals who bring unique experiences to the University’s educational mission. Clinical Faculty members have teaching, clinical and/or administrative commitments as assigned by their direct supervisor.

II. Titles

Titles and Required Degrees, and Experience Clinical Faculty are:

A. Clinical Instructor:

The title normally granted to newly employed individuals without a graduate clinical/ practical degree who occupy a Clinical Faculty position with field, lab, or community engagement  work experience. No teaching experience is required.

B. Clinical Assistant Professor:

The usual entry-level rank for individuals who hold a graduate clinical/ practical degree, have demonstrated experience in a clinical area, and have some teaching experience. Schools/departments may have additional degree/ certification/ license requirements.

C. Clinical Associate Professor:

A rank marking an individual who holds a graduate clinical/ practical degree, as defined below by the college. These Clinical Faculty members have a consistent track record of accomplishment as a clinical educator and/or demonstrated leadership in their department or discipline.

D. Clinical Professor:

A rank of high distinction for an individual with a terminal academic degree (doctorate) and who is regarded as a regional or national authority in the relevant discipline.

E. Discipline-Specific Certification, Licensure, Registration

All Clinical Faculty must hold appropriate certification/licensure/registration in their disciplines.

Academic Rank

As is the case with academic rank for tenured and tenure-track faculty, titles within the clinical professor series imply a hierarchy of combined education, experience, achievement, and responsibility, with the title of clinical professor corresponding to the highest rank.

III. General Administration

A. Supervision

The department chair or unit supervisor is responsible for the supervision of a member of the Clinical Faculty. The chair or supervisor may delegate supervisory responsibility to an appropriate administrator in the department or unit.

B. Benefits

Clinical Faculty members are benefit-eligible provided they meet state and university eligibility guidelines.

C. Sources of Funding

While it is desirable that Clinical Faculty members be supported by state appropriated monies, any combination of funding sources may be used to support the salary of a member of the Clinical Faculty, providing that all policies and regulations of the university and the funding sources are satisfied.

D. Obligation of the University

Boise State is not obligated to provide salary or program support to a member of the Clinical Faculty except as expressed in the terms of employment.

E. Voting Privileges

The voting privileges of a member of the Clinical Faculty are determined by policies of the appropriate school, department or unit but only if these policies are consistent with the policies of the university.

F. Leave of Absence

A leave of absence may be permitted for up to six months upon the recommendation of the department chair or unit supervisor and the college dean with approval by the Provost. The leave must comply with all specified university and SBOE policies.

IV. Appointment

A. Search Procedure

The initial appointment to an established clinical faculty position is made as the result of a search by a department or unit using a search procedure that is defined by the department or unit and is carried out in compliance with university and SBOE policies.

B. Initial Employment Procedure

The procedure for employing the successful candidate is the same as the procedure for employing tenured and tenure- track faculty and is described in University Policy #4210. The following information should be attached to the normal paperwork:

  1. A recommended title and annual salary;
  2. A statement of justification for the appointment and salary including the qualifications of the recommended individual (attach resume of candidate);
  3. Expectations regarding the teaching assignment, participation in department and university service committees, student advising, administrative duties, possible supervision of graduate students;
  4. Agreements regarding the supporting resources and commitments required of the department or unit, the college, and the university, including office space, secretarial and technical support, communications (mail, photocopy, phone, fax, internet), disposable supplies, computer usage, and faculty/staff prices for university-sponsored entertainment events;
  5. Other agreements regarding conditions of employment.

C. Appointment Renewal

Clinical Faculty members may, at the recommendation of the department chair and dean, and with approval from the Provost, be appointed for a renewable multi-year term of up to three years.

D. Change from Non-Tenure Track to Tenure Track Appointments:

With approval from the chair, dean, and Provost, Clinical Faculty members may change from their non-tenure track position to a tenure track position when it is in the best interest of the program and Boise State. All faculty appointments are subject to approvals as required by SBOE policies.

V. Performance Evaluation and Salary Adjustment

A. Performance Evaluation

Each Clinical faculty member’s performance is evaluated at least annually by the department chair or unit supervisor using the timelines and procedures defined in University Policy #4290. Emphasis is on teaching, clinical supervision, and departmental, and/or university service, and community engagement activities. More frequent evaluations may be conducted at the discretion of the department chair or unit supervisor. The evaluation must include student evaluations and service and may include research/scholarship if any of these activities are part of the current year’s activities. As part of the evaluation process, the employee undergoing evaluation shall prepare an annual activity report in a format specified by the department chair or unit supervisor.

B. Annual Salary Adjustment

Salary adjustments for clinical faculty are considered on an annual basis according to procedures and guidelines established by the University for Faculty.

VI. Promotion

The guidelines used to award promotion of rank encourage and reward faculty excellence. The guidelines presume that clinical faculty members are already highly motivated and that they look to the promotion guidelines for direction as they seek to serve in ways most valuable to the faculty members’ departments and colleges, and to the university.

Further, the guidelines provide a link between clinical faculty members’ workload assignments and their achievement of promotion. The guidelines must be sufficiently specific to ensure that clinical faculty members understand the relationship between the nature of their workload responsibilities and successful attainment of promotion; and also to ensure that the College of Health Science Promotion and Tenure Committee, as well as administrators, can understand these relationships and make judgments that remain consistent even as different people occupy these positions of responsibility. However, the guidelines must also leave ample room for professional judgment on the part of that faculty committee and administrators since each candidate for promotion presents a unique set of characteristics and services to the department, college, and university.

The College of Health Science recognizes three main areas of clinical faculty involvement pertinent to the attainment of the ranks of Clinical Assistant Professor, Clinical Associate Professor, and Clinical Professor:

  • Teaching
  • Service/Administration (e.g., Coordinator, Director of Field Education)
  • Professional Preparation/Development

Candidates for promotion must meet or exceed expectations in all three areas as dictated by their workload assignments and as prescribed in the appropriate college and department guidelines.

A. Experience Requirements

Except under extraordinary circumstances, advancement may not occur before the acquisition of a required number of years of experience as a Clinical Faculty member.

  1. At the time of initial appointment, the department chair or unit supervisor shall make a written recommendation to the college dean regarding the application of experience at another academic institution and application of professional (non-academic) experience toward the years of experience required for promotion; the dean is responsible for making the final determination. Professional (non-academic) experience of two years or more in the relevant discipline may be substituted for a maximum of two years of the required total experience. University experience requirements are necessary but not sufficient conditions for promotion.
  2. For promotion from clinical instructor to clinical assistant professor, a graduate clinical/ practical degree and at least two years of full-time experience as a clinical faculty member are required (i.e., an application for promotion can be submitted no earlier than during the third full year of employment at Boise State).
  3. For promotion from clinical assistant professor to clinical associate professor, a graduate clinical/practical degree is required as defined by the School or Department. Also, five years of full-time experience as a clinical faculty member, or other full-time faculty experience in a similar position, is required.
  4. For promotion from clinical associate professor to clinical professor, a doctoral degree and a minimum of eight years of full-time experience as a clinical faculty member or other full-time faculty experience in a similar position is required.

B. Promotion Folder

Faculty being reviewed should provide the COHS P&T committee with materials demonstrating that they meet or exceed the expectations for teaching, service/administrative activities, and professional preparation/development. The promotion folder must have a table of contents and contain at least the following documentation:

  1. a letter from the applicant requesting promotion,
  2. a comprehensive vita,
  3. a concise summary of evidence that describes how they have met or exceeded the requirements for promotion for teaching, service/administrative activities and professional preparation/development,
  4. student/course evaluations for at least the previous three years,
  5. all annual evaluations,
  6. a copy of the job description for the position held by the applicant,
  7. and letters as indicated in Section V.C.2 and 3
  8. a copy of the promotion policy the candidate is applying under.

C. Promotion Criteria by Rank

1.   Clinical Assistant Professor

The candidate shall be evaluated on the following criteria:

  • Current certification and/or license as specified by the department of appointment.
  • Teaching – Faculty being reviewed should provide the committee with materials demonstrating that they meet or exceed the expectations for teaching.

Evidence may include:

    • A narrative discussion of teaching philosophy, methods (e.g., online, clinical teaching, clinical instruction-on or off campus, etc.), development of technical skills pertinent to teaching, and outcomes,
    • ­Course structure (e.g., course syllabi, assignments, exams, handouts, and other evidence of encouraging creative and analytical thinking)
    • ­Official Course Evaluations—provide a narrative that explains low scores and/or outlines actions taken to improve these.
    • ­Portfolio of sample student work
    • Personnel/P & T /Departmental Committee Evaluations
    • Annual Performance Evaluations by Department Chair or unit supervisor
  • Service/Administration — Candidates applying for promotion must demonstrate how they meet or exceed expectations of commitment to serving Boise State University, his/her profession, and the community. This type of commitment is demonstrated by service to students (such as advising); participation and leadership in department, college, or university committees, the faculty senate, and professional organizations; and, as appropriate to their discipline, affairs of the local, state, or national community.

Evidence may include:

    • ­Number of advisees and descriptions of service to advisees
    • ­Job description for the administrative position, i.e. Coordinator, Director of Field Education.
    • Reviewer of abstracts or conference journals
    • ­Chair or member of conference organizing committee
    • Service within a professional organization
    • Pro bono consulting
    • ­Publications in peer-reviewed or non-peer reviewed journals, as specified by the department, that discusses clinical techniques/practice, methods or standards in clinical supervision or practice
    • ­Publication of clinical handbooks, textbooks, or chapters in clinical textbooks
    • ­Production of videos or other multi-media materials on clinical instruction
    • Appointment or election to leadership positions in professional organizations
    • Awards and honors from professional organizations
    • School/departmental committees
    • College committees
    • University committees
    • Advisor to student organization
    • Administrative duties or special projects
    • Community service
  • Professional Preparation/Development – Candidates applying for promotion must demonstrate how they meet or exceed expectations for professional preparation/development. Evidence may include:
    • Participation in teaching and or clinical practice conferences and workshops,
    • Development of technology/pedagogical skills pertinent to teaching,
    • Visiting comparison institutions
    • Earning additional clinical credentials/certifications/degrees and/or taking applicable coursework.
2. Clinical Associate Professor

Candidates will be evaluated based on the criteria listed in VI.C.1 of this policy. Additionally, the promotion folder must also include:

  • Evidence that the faculty member has a consistent track record of accomplishment as a clinical educator
  • Evidence of leadership in their department or discipline.
  • Internal letters of evaluation from two department colleagues holding clinical or tenure-track faculty appointments that document achievements commensurate with this rank.
3. Clinical Professor

Candidates will be evaluated based on the criteria listed in VI.C.1 of this policy. Additionally, the promotion folder must also include:

  • The candidate is regarded as a regional or national authority in the relevant discipline.
  • External letters of review from three recognized leaders in the relevant discipline are required to support and document achievements commensurate with this rank. Refer to Boise State Policy #4340 IV.B.1 and 2 for external review instructions.

D. College Promotion and Tenure Committee

The College Promotion and Tenure Committee is comprised of the existing Promotion & Tenure committee from the College’s Schools and Departments plus one Clinical Faculty member of at least clinical associate rank, and if possible, a Clinical Faculty from the applicant’s School/Department, or related field  when a Clinical Faculty is to be considered for promotion. A candidate for promotion cannot serve on this committee during the year they apply for promotion. Clinical Faculty may not evaluate the promotion or tenure activities of tenured or tenure-track faculty. See University Policy #4340 Promotion and Tenure for details.

E. Procedure and Timelines

The following procedure and timelines closely follow the promotion guidelines for tenured and tenure-track faculty described in University Policy #4340.

  1. Candidates for promotion must notify their departments that they plan to apply no later than April 1 of the year they plan to put forward their application.
  2. The candidate for promotion submits to the department chair a promotion folder by September 15.
  3. During the month of September, Faculty on the department/school P & T committee reviews the promotion folder and provides written input to the chair or supervisor.
  4. The chair forwards the promotion folder along with their recommendation, any clarification that may be required on the applicant’s specific responsibilities to the COHS Promotion Committee by October 15.
  5. The COHS Promotion and Tenure Committee reviewing the clinical faculty for promotion will review and make a recommendation to the Dean, and notify the applicant of that recommendation no later than December 1. In the case of a recommendation to deny promotion, the candidate may request a meeting with the committee. The request must be made within five working days of the notification of denial, and the meeting must occur within five working days of the request for a meeting.
  6. The College Promotion and Tenure Committee reviewing the Clinical Faculty for promotion shall forward all documents and its recommendation to the college Dean by December 15.
  7. The college Dean reviews the promotion packet and notifies the candidate of their recommendation by January 15. In the case of a recommendation to deny promotion, the candidate may request a meeting with the dean. The request must be made within five working days of the notification of denial, and the meeting must occur within five working days of the request for a meeting. The dean forwards the promotion packet with his/her recommendation to the Provost by January 31.
  8. The Provost reviews the promotion packet. The President, in consultation with the Provost, makes their decision to grant or deny promotion and notifies the candidate of the decision by March 1. In the case of a decision to deny promotion, the candidate may request a meeting with the President. The request must be made within five working days of the notification of denial, and the meeting must occur within five working days of the request for a meeting.
  9. A candidate may withdraw from consideration for promotion at any time in the above process.
  10. If the promotion is approved by the President, the candidate is notified by April 15.
  11. Salary Enhancement – The salary enhancement for promotion of a member of the clinical faculty is the same as for promotion of a member of the tenured and tenure-track faculty for comparable ranks.