Approved by the Executive Committee October 10, 2017
These broad guidelines are intended to provide a measure of uniformity for appointments and promotions of Clinical Track (CT) faculty at the UW School of Pharmacy. It is the expectation that candidates will be primarily engaged in either patient care or other clinical activities.
Excellence in clinical practice and in didactic and experiential teaching will be the primary metrics for promotion in this rank. Additionally, individuals in this track will also provide evidence of service commitments to the School of Pharmacy.
The usual clinical track Faculty appointment is at the level of Clinical Instructor for practitioners who participate in School of Pharmacy teaching activities primarily in the experiential programs. Those CT faculty who participate in additional teaching activities, such as course development and coordination, lectures in School of Pharmacy courses, or service on School of Pharmacy committees, may be considered for appointment or promotion to the Clinical Assistant Professor, Clinical Associate Professor, and Clinical Professor levels.
Appointments at the Clinical Assistant Professor, Clinical Associate Professor, and Clinical Professor levels are renewed annually, AND these individuals’ teaching activities will be reviewed by the Pharmacy Practice Division every three years. In the event that the CT faculty’s participation in School of Pharmacy teaching programs changes, the level of appointment may be adjusted or allowed to expire, as appropriate.
I. The Process for Appointment and Promotion
- Appointment to the rank of Clinical Assistant Professor must be awarded by the School of Pharmacy Executive Committee.
- For Clinical Assistant Professors who are being considered for promotion to the rank of Clinical Associate Professor or Clinical Professor, a mentoring committee will be appointed by the dean.
- Decisions regarding promotion of CT track faculty to ranks of Clinical Associate Professor or Clinical Professor will be made by the School of Pharmacy Executive Committee.
II. Promotion to Clinical Assistant Professor
- Candidates for appointment/promotion at this rank should have been in clinical practice or an administrative position and have held the rank of Clinical Instructor (or equivalent if from another academic institution, or department) for at least THREE years.
- Emphasis for promotion will be placed on documented excellence in clinical practice (or pharmacy administration), teaching (both practice-based and in-house School of Pharmacy), and service to the School of Pharmacy. The recommendation and documentation for each candidate will be reviewed using the criteria below as they pertain to clinical responsibilities, pharmacy education and service, if applicable (e.g. administrative assignments, clinical research/investigative collaborative activities, etc.). The candidate will provide a CV and personal statement of his/her experience and qualifications.
Evidence of excellence in discharge of clinical responsibilities, particularly patient care, or administrative duties should include letters of support (minimum of 2, maximum of 5) from pharmacist colleagues in the candidate’s specialty area or from collaborating physicians or other health professionals, if appropriate. One letter of support must additionally be obtained from a current UW School of Pharmacy CHS or tenure-track faculty member. - Criteria for Promotion/Appointment. At a minimum, individuals seeking promotion from Clinical Instructor to Clinical Assistant Professor should demonstrate clear commitment to and active engagement with the Doctor of Pharmacy professional curriculum within the UW School of Pharmacy. In addition to precepting, Doctor of Pharmacy students during experiential clerkships, there is an expectation of participation in teaching within the School of Pharmacy. Examples of this engagement might include providing lectures, participation in laboratory or discussion sessions, or substantive course administrative responsibilities such as course coordination.
Additional factors that will be considered include significant service activities within the School of Pharmacy (e.g., committee appointments, participation in admission interviews, active participation in student organizations, etc.), as well as evidence of collaborative scholarly activities with School of Pharmacy faculty.
III. Promotion to Clinical Associate Professor
- The candidate should have been in clinical practice or pharmacy/health care administration, and have held the rank of Clinical Assistant professor (or equivalent if from another academic institution, or department) for a minimum of FIVE years.
- Emphasis for promotion will be placed on documented excellence in clinical practice or pharmacy/health care administration, and substantial engagement in teaching (practice-based and in-house School of Pharmacy), and service to the School of Pharmacy. The recommendation and documentation for each candidate will be reviewed using the criteria below as they pertain to activities in clinical/administrative responsibilities, pharmacy education, and service (e.g. administrative assignments, clinical research/investigative collaborative activities, etc.). The candidate will provide a CV and personal statement of his/her experience and qualifications.
Evidence of excellence in discharge of clinical responsibilities, particularly patient care, or engagement in pharmacy/health care administration should be demonstrated with 2-5 letters of support from pharmacist colleagues in the candidate’s specialty as well as from collaborating physicians or other health professionals, if appropriate. Letters should compare the quality of the candidate with other faculty of similar rank and experience. The chair of the candidate’s mentoring committee will provide a brief description of the stature and qualifications of each evaluator and a copy of the letter requesting evaluation. - Candidates should provide evidence of significant accomplishment in a secondary area.
- Education: Teaching in the Doctor of Pharmacy program, in conjunction with clinical responsibilities, is an important role for clinical track faculty. The quantity and quality of teaching, as well as any administrative responsibility for educational programs, should be documented. Likewise, any teaching within the School of Pharmacy (lecturing, leading of discussion sections, etc.) should be documented.
- Service (e.g., School of Pharmacy committees; volunteer and outreach services; community and allied health lectures/presentations; involvement in local, state, regional, or international medical and/or professional organizations).
- Other Service (e.g., administrative assignments; clinical research/investigative collaborative activities, etc.)
- Unlike CHS appointments, evidence of scholarship (e.g., publications, extramural funding, etc.) is not required, but is strongly encouraged.
IV. Promotion to Clinical Professor
Emphasis in consideration of promotion to Clinical Professor will be principally based on the candidate’s active, sustained contributions (e.g., committee participation, experiential and/or didactic teaching, student mentoring, etc.) to the School of Pharmacy and Doctor of Pharmacy program since the time of appointment or promotion to Clinical Associate Professor rank. Documentation must include evidence that the candidate has continued to grow in stature and distinguish him/herself in their clinical service and in related activities. The candidate should have been in clinical practice and held the rank of Clinical Associate Professor for a minimum of 10 years and has displayed excellence in one or more of the domains described previously.