The Lifecycle of a Faculty Member

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The Lifecycle of a Faculty Member

• Melanie T. Cushion, Ph.D.
• Senior Associate Dean for Research, COM
• Professor, Tenured
• Department of Internal Medicine
• Research Career Scientist, VAMC

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Lifecycle
New and diverse faculty through targeted and
strategic recruiting at all levels- University
and College efforts
Faculty transition from full-time teaching and
research to phased process of professionally
rewarding work- mentoring, lecturing,
philanthropy Emeritus Centers
Significant losses of young faculty, esp. women
due to stressed in this balance UC- LEAF,
Provost, AAUP -day care, tenure extensions, time
off
Concept of lifelong learning Need for time and
resources to retool skills as knowledge advances
in chosen fields
Thomas A. Kochan, March/April 2011m MIT
Newsletter
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Unfortunately.
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A few things to keep in mind as you begin
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People you should get to know

• Department Chair and division chiefs
• Full professors within your department and
  division
• Colleagues with whom a research collaboration is
  possible
• Colleagues who have a good understanding of any
  health and safety risks associated with your
  research
• Administrators and business administrators
• Institutional memory and key contacts
• Organizational charts of the College and
  University

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Promotion and Tenure Requirements

• Record of Action form- basic info with position
  you are seeking
• Department Directors recommendation letter and
  signature on RoA
• Department APT Committee Chairs recommendation
• Curriculum vitae
• Letters of recommendation
• 3 for Instructor to Assistant
• 3 external and 3 internal for Asst. to Associate
  Associate to Professor and Tenure Review
• Clinical, Educator, Field Service, Adjunct,
  Volunteer and Secondary Tracks- 3 from
  individuals who can assess activities
• Letter of appointment
• Copies of all annual evaluations
• Personal Statement
• Documentation of excellence and effectiveness in
  teaching/and
• or mentoring

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Develop a 5 year plan

• Sit down and write a 5 year plan
• Prepare an experimental schedule for Year 1
• Learn to LOVE Gantt Charts

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Year 1

• Set up your lab ASAP
• Try to remodel, order equipment, hire techs
  before you arrive
• Learn the COM ground rules for tenure
• Ask for a faculty mentor if you are not assigned
  one
• Need someone who will help wade through office
  politics and advise regarding the byzantine
  academic world
• Scientific mentor as well
• Get to work
• Write up your post doc research if pending
• Plan experimental schedule
• Apply for small internal and external grants
• Accept committee responsibilities, but avoid
  becoming bogged down
• death by committee

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Year 2

• Publish the research you did in your first year
• Apply to NIH, DOD etc for small grants (R03, R21,
  AHA)
• HAVE YOUR COLLEAGUES READ YOUR GRANTS
• Apply the Rule of 3
• Consider leadership/management course

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Year 3- Reappointment time!

• Check with mentors that you are on the right
  course
• Get departmental checklist for dossier
  information
• Resubmit R21 etc Submit R01
• Apply for internal funding, small external
  grants, explore Pharma

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Years 4, 5 and 6

• You should begin to be recognized in your field
  for your research
• If not, discuss with mentor, dept. chair for
  steps towards visibility (e.g. suggestion session
  on your subspecialty at a national meeting
• Funding
• If you dont have it, this is a danger
• Keep this as your 1 priority
• Teaching is limited at COM
• Participate in ongoing courses as part of a team
• Offer to organize a grad school course
• Review manuscripts
• Take on departmental and university committee
  memberships
• Build your networks within UC and externally
• Sit on Study sections
• Write book or reviews

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To Improve Promotion and Success

• MAKE A TIMELINE OF IMPORTANT DATES for the ARPT
  Process
• Provide sufficient prep time (e.g.letters of
  recommendation turn around)
• Be aware of your responsibilities for dossier
  components

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To Improve Promotion and Succes

• DOCUMENTS YOU WILL NEED
• Curriculum vitae/ Annual evaluation
• Desktop enter on the fly, both sources
• Research Directory (some Colleges do and some
  dont)
• THE RULE OF 3
• Activities count in 3 different ways, e.g.
  write a grant, use the Introduction for a review
  manuscript, lecture slides (avoid self-plagiarism
  though)
• Join a committee write a policy (product) that
  you can claim identify collaborators or
  important administrative faculty
• STANDARDIZED FORMAT
• Reverse chronological order for publications!

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TIPS

• Letters of recommendation
• Begin cultivating peers and upper level faculty
  who are nationally and internationally recognized
  EARLY (dont be shy!)
• International and national conferences,
  colloquia, workshops etc
• Create a social scientific network to bounce
  ideas, ask questions, recommend as reviewers
• Most will be happy to help as they too have
  needed such letters and understand the importance
  of networking
• Flattery usually works
• Annual evaluations
• Update on the fly to avoid trying to remember
  all your accomplishments the day before it is due
• Use the time to set realistic goals and assess
  progress
• Update 3-5 year plan based on attainment (or not)
  of goals
• Ask for help
• Dont forget professional development

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TIPS

• Personal Statement
• Use to highlight accomplishments, e.g. research
  grants, awards
• Re-iterate how you have hit the requirements
  for promotion/tenure/reappointment
• Provide future plans for the upcoming year (s)
• Document leadership of other professional
  training
• Documentation of excellence and effectiveness in
  teaching and/or mentoring
• Teaching evaluations standard forms if not, plan
  surveys for your students to document teaching
  effectiveness
• Work and subsequent placement of graduate
  students
• Early career faculty should describe their
  mentoring program
• Mid- and senior faculty should list mentees,
  workshops, seminars devoted to mentoring and
  successes or learning objectives satisfied of the
  various programs
• Identify leadership in charge of mentoring in
  your department and
• volunteer for training and participation

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The Review Process

• Year 2-3 of employment, promotion and tenure
  dossier is created
• Before the end of 3rd year, AAUP-represented
  faculty committee vote to recommend appointment
  for another 3 years
• After the vote, Dept. Chair meets to discuss any
  problems that may hinder future progress
• The dossier is submitted to the COM ARPT
  committee then to the Dean- Provost-President-
  Board of Trustees
• Year 5- letters are solicited from internal and
  external experts in your area
• Tenured faculty review dossier and vote on your
  tenure
• Follows same route Dept. Chair, ARPT committee,
  Dean, Provost, President, Board of Trustees

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Right to Appeal

• Faculty have the right to write a letter
  rebutting the Departmental Committee or
  Department Chairs recommendation
• Entered into the dossier as a formal document