NOTE: PLEASE REFER TO THE SCHOOL OF MEDICINE’S GUIDELINES FOR APPOINTMENT, PROMOTION AND TENURE FOR THE MOST UP TO DATE AND DETAILED INFORMATION.
What are the tracks and how do I know which one I belong on?
If you go up for promotion under the 2011 guidelines, there are the following options:
Medical Educator and Service rack (MEST)
Clinical Track
Research Track
Tenure Track
Click here for a detailed description of the School of Medicine tracks and levels.
Talk with your mentor(s) and/or your Division Director or the vice chair of faculty development (Yoland Smith, PhD) about which track is right for you.
Is it possible to switch tracks and if so, how do I go about doing so?
This only applies to faculty who intends to go up for promotion under the 2011 guidelines. Yes, it is possible to switch track, but it is under rare and unusual circumstances. For details on changing tracks, please see the section entitled Changing Tracks on the 2011 Guidelines for Appointments, Promotions, and Tenure.
Speak to your mentor(s) and Division director first, and carefully review the criteria for the track options here.
If you both agree that you should change tracks, contact the vice chair of faculty development (Dr. Yoland Smith) or Mrs. Teresa Utley. They will work with you to prepare the materials for the track switch request, which then will have to be approved by the A&P committee of the Neurology Department and the School of Medicine.
How much time will it take to prepare my packet for promotion?
You should work on your materials on an ongoing basis by keeping your Emory CV updated, and by keeping a folder in which you place records of any activities that will be included in your Teaching and Service Portfolios. This includes any teaching/mentoring, service activities, and evaluations of your teaching/clinical work/scholarly presentations, etc. This habit will make it much easier to assemble the requisite materials for promotion when the time comes.
Be aware that it will take a few hours per day over the course of several weeks/months to compile these materials in the required format. You will also need to write a teaching portfolio, service portfolio, and personal statement.
You will also need to leave adequate time to have requests for letters sent and received.
In summary, this is a labor intensive and time consuming process that requires considerable attention to detail and a lot of responsiveness to feedback. Therefore, please allow several weeks to months to prepare your packet. DO NOT submit it at the last minute before the due date. You should submit at least two weeks in advance of the final deadline for completion, so that if changes are required you will have time to make these changes.
Attend all workshops organized by the School of Medicine to help ensure that your packet contains all necessary elements
What is the timeline for getting promoted?
For the Tenure Track, there is a specific timeline for promotion to the rank of Associate Professor. You may only be at the rank of Assistant Professor on the Tenure Track for 11 years. If you become a parent by birth or adoption, you may request and be granted a one year extension.
No other track or rank has specific timeline requirements.
What is the minimum number of years I must be in rank before going up for promotion?
For all tracks, there is a minimum amount of time that you must be in rank before going up for promotion. For example, you must be at the rank of Assistant Professor for 5 years before being promoted to the level of Associate Professor, while you must be at the rank of Associate Professor for a minimum of four years before being promoted to the level of Professor.
What materials do I need to put together?
Materials supporting a faculty member’s candidacy for promotion are assembled into a promotion packet for which the faculty candidate provides specific content. Although this content varies slightly depending upon the track, the following set of materials are required: (1) A full Curriculum Vitae formatted according to School of Medicine specifications (a one page abbreviated CV is also required for tenure track candidates); (2) a personal statement that describes accomplishments in service, teaching, and scholarship as well as future plans in each area (5 pages maximum); (3) a teaching portfolio in School of Medicine format that also includes letters and teaching metrics (50 pages maximum); (4) a service portfolio that also includes letters (10 pages maximum); 5) copies of 5 representative publications (optional for MEST track candidates); and (6) list of proposed evaluators (description of who cannot be an evaluator can be found *). School of Medicine checklists for promotion on the different tracks and example personal statements, teaching portfolios, and service portfolios are available online under the Faculty Development link on the Departmental website.
Who do I contact to help me determine if I am ready for promotion, what else I need to do, and how to proceed with getting promoted?
First, you contact your mentor(s) and division director, discuss with them, and develop a plan. Once you have agreed on a plan forward, it is essential that you also discuss it with the vice chair of faculty development (Dr. Yoland Smith), who will review your materials, help determine readiness, and ensure that you are informed about timeline and expectations.
If I plan to go up for promotion under the 2017 guidelines, when do I need to pick my area of distinction?
You can decide the area of distinction you want to be promoted on only when you submit your CV for evaluation to the A&P Committee. Upon careful analysis of your CV, the A&P committee may make a recommendation about the area of distinction that best matches your strengths. If this area of distinction is different from the one you had chosen originally, you may change it and prepare your promotion packet accordingly.