Demystifying the Promotion Process: Promotion to Professor

Maureen T. Connelly, MD, MPH

Acting Dean for Faculty Affairs

Promotion to ProfessorMcLean 3.10.10

Faculty Ranks at HMS Instructor: “Promise”

Assistant Professor: “Demonstrated Promise” Reputation may be “within the walls” of HMS and the local

community only

Associate Professor: “Promise Realized” Broader reputation outside the local area (usually national) Significant accomplishments since promotion to assistant

professor

Professor: “Extraordinary Accomplishment” True distinction as a scientist, teacher and/or clinician National, and often international, reputation

Promotion to ProfessorMcLean 3.10.10

Number of Faculty at HMS

3371

1748

1623

0

2000

4000

6000

8000

10000

12000

1985

1995

2001

2003

2005

2007

Num

ber

TotalFull timePart time

10,885

In 2008:

8,075

2,810

In 1980:

46% increase in full time faculty since 2000

Promotion to ProfessorMcLean 3.10.10

Fulltime Professors at HMS

0

100

200

300

400

500

600

700

800

900

1980

1985

1990

1995

2000

2001

2002

2003

2004

2005

2006

2007

2008

Num

ber

of

Pro

fess

ors

0%

10%

20%

30%

40%

50%

60%

70%

80%

90%

100%

Perce

nt o

f Facu

lty

# FT Professors% Professors

Promotion to ProfessorMcLean 3.10.10

Current HMS ProcessAffiliated Institution HMS

Dept. head proposes candidate

Dept. Executive Committee sign off

Hospital Committee (e.g., PCSA, COSA)

CAD

HMS identifies ad hoc committee with input from Academic Dean

HMS invites ad hoc committee

Chair mails materials to committee

Committee chair oriented

SOP

Chair hosts conference call

Committee finalizes evaluator list

Chair solicits evaluations

Chair tracks responses

OFA tracks responses as needed

OFA schedules final meeting

Promotion to ProfessorMcLean 3.10.10

What arrives at HMS...

Letter from the Department Head describing the candidate and his/her contributions

Approval from the Executive Committee of the Department

Approval from the institutional committee (Committee on Senior Appointments - COSA)

Internal (2) and external (2) letters of reference obtained as part of the institutional process

Candidate’s CV

Promotion to ProfessorMcLean 3.10.10

First steps at HMS

Review by the Council of Academic Deans (CAD)

Candidate is contacted by HMS to ask for copies of the “top 10” and an updated CV

“Top 10” may be original articles, reviews/chapters, educational material, CDs, etc.

Should be ones on which you have made a major contribution (for articles most often first or last author)

Choose those with the greatest impact on the field

An ad hoc committee of professors is appointed by the Dean to evaluate the candidate

Promotion to ProfessorMcLean 3.10.10

Ad hoc Evaluation Committee Committee of 6 professors appointed by the Dean

4 professors from within HMS (usually one from candidate’s department) 2 professors from outside HMS

Evidence used in the evaluation Material from the initial institutional evaluation

(Department head letter, letters of reference)

Curriculum vitae

“Top 10” articles

Request additional letters of reference 4-6 internal letters evaluating local as well as broader contributions 5-7 external letters evaluating candidate’s work compared with peers

Promotion to ProfessorMcLean 3.10.10

Final meeting of the ad hoc Committee Meeting attended by:

6 committee members (external by conference call) Representative of the Dean’s Office Reviewer from the Subcommittee of Professors

In depth review and discussion of candidate’s: Research contributions including a detailed review of the “top 10” National and international reputation Role in teaching and training Role in the department/institution

Committee produces a report with its findings

Promotion to ProfessorMcLean 3.10.10

Meeting of the Subcommittee of Professors

Report of the reviewer who attended the final meeting of the ad hoc evaluation committee

Report of a secondary reviewer

Comments from the chair of the ad hoc Evaluation Committee

SOP considers and makes a recommendation to the Dean

Promotion to ProfessorMcLean 3.10.10

Final Steps….

The Dean forwards his recommendation for approval to the Provost and President

When approval is received from the University, the Department chair is notified by the Dean’s office

Letter is sent by the Dean to the new Professor

Letter of Confirmation (“I beg to inform you”) is sent to the Professor by the Secretary to the University

CONGRATUALTIONS!

Promotion to ProfessorMcLean 3.10.10

Members: Streamlining Promotions Task Force Nancy Tarbell

Dean for Academic and Clinical Affairs, HMS

Maureen ConnellyActing Dean for Faculty Affairs, HMS

Joel GoldsteinPartner, Wellesley Partners

Michael GimbroneHead of the Department of Pathology, BWH

Michael GreenbergHead of the Department of Neurobiology, HMS

Douglas HantoActing Head of the Department of Surgery, BIDMC

T. Howard HowellDean for Dental Education, HSDM

Joseph LoscalzoHead of the Department of Medicine, BWH

Barbara McNeilHead of the Department of Health Care Policy, HMS

Orah PlattAcademic Dean, CHB

Scott RauchHead of the Department of Psychiatry, McLean Hospital

Barrett RollinsAcademic Dean, DFCI

Isaac SchiffHead of the Department of Obstetrics, Gynecology and Reproductive Biology, MGH

Vikas SukhatmeAcademic Dean, BIDMC

Joseph VolpeChair, Senior Appointments Committee, CHB

Jeanine Wiener-KronishHead of the Department of Anaesthesia and Critical Care, MGH

Promotion to ProfessorMcLean 3.10.10

Key Questions Can any of the existing steps be modified or eliminated?

Can more of the administrative process be managed locally? By HMS? A combination of the two?

Are all current review committees necessary?

Is the evaluation committee structure optimal?

How can incentive to accelerate the process be balanced by the need for objectivity?

What metrics could be used to confirm fairness across departments? Adequate rigor? Evidence of improvement in the process?

Promotion to ProfessorMcLean 3.10.10

Promotion to ProfessorMcLean 3.10.10

Promotion to ProfessorMcLean 3.10.10

Promotion to ProfessorMcLean 3.10.10

Creating a Promotion Profile

Promotion to ProfessorMcLean 3.10.10

One man’s story…..

John Enders (1897-1985)

Joined the HMS faculty in 1930 as an instructor

In 1954, he won the Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine for his discovery that polio virus could be grown in a variety of tissues, laying the groundwork for development of the polio vaccine

In 1956, he was promoted to Professor at Harvard Medical School

Promotion to ProfessorMcLean 3.10.10

Contact Us

Website: www.hms.harvard.edu/fa/promotion.htm Create “customized” criteria for their rank and

activities

Dedicated e-mail and phone line for questions E-mail: OFA_Promotions@hms.harvard.edu

Phone: 617-432-7112