Getting Started

Tenure track faculty are evaluated on teaching, research and service for promotion and tenure. You must document excellence in one area and satisfactory in the other two areas. Example of title: Professor of Anesthesia. Tenure track faculty members have a defined “clock” which mandates that the review for tenure occurs under a specified timeline. 

Clinical track faculty are evaluated on teaching and service for promotion. You must document excellence in one area and satisfactory in the other. There is no set timeline for faculty to go up for promotion and should be based on promotion readiness. Example of title: Associate Professor of Clinical Surgery

Research or scientist track faculty are evaluated on excellence in research for promotion. There is no set timeline for faculty to go up for promotion and should be based on promotion readiness. Examples of titles: Assistant Scientist in Biochemistry and Molecular Biology or Associate Research Professor of Anatomy, Cell Biology and Physiology

What does an "Area of Excellence" mean?

The area of excellence is the primary reason you were hired, for example, to conduct research or for a clinical niche (service). Depending on your track, your area of excellence could be either teaching, research or service.

What should I be doing now to get promoted?

Start early (within your first 6 months). Tips include:

• Create a filing system to save your documentation. For example,
  • In your Teaching folder you would save documents such as learner evaluations of teaching, invitations to give didactics or grand rounds, peer reviews of teaching, notes from learners.
  • In your Research folder you would save information such as grant summary sheets, other sources of support, team science contributions, intellectual property.
  • In your Service folder, you would documentation such as invitations to serve on committees, serving as peer reviewer of manuscripts, program development documents, clinical quality and productivity information.
• Begin writing a personal statement that will serve as a roadmap for your career path. This should discuss the problems/issues/questions that your work addresses, what you specifically accomplished, how you made that happen and your future plans. Review and revise this annually and seek feedback from peers.
• Download the IUPUI CV format and keep it updated by reviewing it at least once a month.
• Attend FAPD promotion and tenure workshops.
  
  
  

How will I know when I have achieved enough to be promoted?

Discuss your promotion readiness with one or more of the following:

• Your department chair, division chief, center director or his/her designee, either during your annual faculty review or at least a couple of years before going up for a promotion review
• A mentor or mentoring panel
• A member of Faculty Affairs and Professional Development (FAPD). It is highly recommended to meet with a member of FAPD within your first year to understand the criteria and expectations for successful advancement. You can request a meeting by emailing FAPD.

While expectations vary based on track, in general, for advancement to associate professor, you must be able to demonstrate an emerging national reputation as evidenced by invited talks, presentations at local and regional organizations, involvement in local/regional professional societies accompanied by a body of scholarship.

For advancement to professor, you must be able to demonstrate a sustained national reputation as evidenced by invited talks at major universities, presentations at national professional societies, memberships on editorial boards, grant reviews, and study sections, and/or the receipt of national awards accompanied by a robust body of scholarship. You will be required to submit a dossier supporting your activities and contributions.