SMPH Tenure Track Faculty Promotions Committee

• Member Term Length: Three (3) years
• Committee members are selected by faculty election within each department where there is a vacant seat. They will generally serve one three-year term and then rotate off the committee to encourage the opportunity for broad participation across the faculty. Members should typically be off the committee for a minimum of one year before serving again. This requirement may be waived, however, if a department does not have a large eligible representation of faculty on a given track.
• Vice-Chair and Chair Terms/Length: Vice-chairs are appointed by the dean and are selected from the committee members who have served at least one year on the committee. The individual will serve one (1) year as vice-chair and then one (1) year as chair. The chair rotates off the committee at the end of his or her term.
• The goal is to have approximately one-third (1/3) of the committee members rotate off the committee each year. This allows for continuity while the new members acclimate, and for the number of inexperienced members to be kept to a minimum at any one time.

The Chair rotation scenarios are illustrated below:

*Approximately one-third (1/3) of committee members rotate off the committee each year.

• SMPH faculty promotions coordinator (FPC) contacts SMPH department chairs by email, alerting them that their department will have a vacancy on the SMPH Tenure Track Faculty Promotions Committee, and asking for a slate of tenure track nominations to represent their department for the upcoming three-year period. A description of the responsibilities of the SMPH Tenure Track Faculty Promotions Committee is included. The department chairs are asked to consider candidates that will ensure a diversity of individuals on the committee.
• The department chair will return the slate of candidates, who would potentially be interested in serving on the committee, to the FPC by the designated date. The FPC will review the nominees to ensure that they are eligible to serve on the committee, by rank/title, and submit those names to the Dean’s Leadership Team (DLT) for approval.
• Upon approval by the DLT, the FPC will inform the department that they may hold their faculty election. The method of election is at the discretion of the department.
• The department informs the FPC of the results of the election. The FPC prepares a formal ‘invitation to serve’ agreement for each of the selected new committee members, obtains the dean’s signature, and sends/collects/files the signed agreements.
• As committee members’ terms are completed, the FPC prepares a thank-you letter for each, obtains the dean’s signature, and sends the letters to the departing committee members.

• Term Length: The individual will serve one (1) year as vice-chair and then one (1) year as chair. The chair rotates off the committee at the end of their term.
• At the end of the promotions season, the FPC seeks input from the current committee chair, committee vice-chair, and Associate Dean for Faculty Affairs and Development for identifying possible committee members to serve as the next vice- chair and then chair.
• FPC forwards the names of the committee members identified to be strong vice- chair/chair candidates to the dean for his/her input. The dean may select one of the nominees or select another member of the committee to serve.
• Once the potential candidate has been identified, the FPC prepares a formal ‘invitation to serve’ agreement letter for the selected vice-chair/chair soliciting their acceptance of this committee role, explaining this is a commitment to be vice chair for one (1) year and then chair for one (1) year.
• FPC obtains the dean’s signature, and sends/collects/files the signed agreement.
• After serving a one-year term as vice-chair, committee member becomes the chair for the next season.
• In the event the potential candidate declines the invitation to serve as vice-chair/ chair, the process will start over.