Criteria for Appointments and Promotions.
A. Overview of Expectations for SPH Faculty by Track
Faculty with primary appointments at SPH engage in a mix of activities that to varying degrees includes education, research/scholarship, service, and administration and citizenship. Each faculty member has the flexibility to engage in the particular combination of activities that best aligns with their interests and strengths. Accordingly, excellence in each of these core areas can reasonably be expected to vary commensurate with the amount of time dedicated to each. For this reason, faculty have the flexibility to pursue appointment and promotion on a number of different tracks, thereby providing a path to promotion for every faculty member at SPH. This section provides an overview of the expectations for appointment and promotion on the main tracks used at SPH.
General Expectations of SPH Faculty on the Unmodified Track by Rank
Faculty on the unmodified track are expected to demonstrate excellence in the domains of education, research/scholarship, service, and administration/citizenship. They are expected to develop and lead an innovative program of research and scholarship that improves public health, establishing themselves as a global thought leader, and growing their reputation in the field over time.
| |
Assistant Professor |
Associate Professor |
Professor |
| Preparation |
Generally has doctoral or equivalent degree |
Generally has doctoral or equivalent degree |
Generally has doctoral or equivalent degree |
| Education |
Exhibits commitment to teaching and mentoring |
Shows a high degree of proficiency and commitment to teaching and mentoring |
Shows a high degree of proficiency and commitment to teaching and mentoring |
| Research/ Scholarship |
Exhibits commitment to research/
scholarship of high caliber with plans to develop and lead an innovative program of research/scholarship |
Has demonstrated thought leadership and developed a national reputation for research/ scholarship in their field |
Is an established thought leader and has developed a global reputation for research/scholarship in their field |
| Service |
Participates actively in service to the profession |
Actively participates in service to the profession at the national level |
Demonstrates leadership in service to the profession at the global level |
| Administration and Citizenship |
Participates actively in administration and citizenship at least at the departmental level |
Participates actively in administration and citizenship beyond the departmental level |
Demonstrates leadership in administration and citizenship activities |
General Expectations of SPH Faculty on the Clinical Track by Rank
Faculty on the clinical track are expected to demonstrate excellence in the domains of education, service, and administration/citizenship. Faculty on this track spend the majority of their time on activities related to education and are evaluated accordingly. They may also choose to engage in research and scholarship, but this is not required for appointment or promotion.
|
Clinical Assistant Professor |
Clinical Associate Professor |
Clinical Professor |
| Preparation |
Has doctoral degree or has master’s degree plus relevant experience |
Has doctoral degree or has master’s degree plus relevant experience |
Has doctoral degree or has master’s degree plus relevant experience |
| Education |
Exhibits commitment to quality teaching |
Exhibits high degree of proficiency in teaching |
Makes outstanding and sustained contributions to the School’s teaching program |
| Research/ Scholarship |
May engage in research/ scholarship |
May engage in research/ scholarship |
May engage in research/ scholarship |
| Service |
Participates actively in service to the profession |
Participates actively in service to the profession at the national level |
Participates actively in service to the profession at the national level |
| Administration and Citizenship |
Participates actively in administration and citizenship at least at the departmental level |
Participates actively in or preferably leads administration and citizenship beyond the departmental level |
Demonstrates leadership in administration and citizenship activities |
General Expectations of SPH Faculty on the Research Track by Rank
Faculty on the research track are expected to demonstrate excellence in the domains of research/scholarship, service, and administration/citizenship. Faculty on this track spend the majority of their time on research and scholarship and are evaluated accordingly. They may also choose to engage in teaching and/or mentoring but this is not required for appointment or promotion.
|
Research Assistant Professor |
Research Associate Professor |
Research Professor |
| Preparation |
Has doctoral degree or has master’s degree plus relevant experience |
Has doctoral degree or has master’s degree plus relevant experience |
Has doctoral degree or has master’s degree plus relevant experience |
| Education |
May engage in teaching and mentoring |
May engage in teaching and mentoring |
May engage in teaching and mentoring |
| Research/ Scholarship |
Exhibits commitment to quality research/ scholarship |
Has a national reputation for research/ scholarship |
Has a global reputation for research/ scholarship |
| Service |
Participates actively in service to the profession |
Participates actively in service to the profession at the national level |
Participates actively in service to the profession at the national level |
| Administration and Citizenship |
Participates actively in administration and citizenship at least at the departmental level |
Participates actively in or preferably leads administration and citizenship beyond the departmental level |
Demonstrates leadership in administration and citizenship activities |
General Expectations of SPH Faculty on the Professor of the Practice Track by Rank
Faculty on the “of the practice” track are expected to demonstrate excellence in the domains of education, service, and administration/citizenship. Faculty on this track spend the majority of their time on activities related to public health practice and education. They may also choose to engage in research and scholarship but this is not required for appointment or promotion.
|
Associate Professor of the Practice |
Professor of the Practice |
| Preparation |
Has experience as an accomplished practitioner |
Has experience as an accomplished practitioner at a senior level |
| Education |
Exhibits potential for quality teaching |
Exhibits high degree of proficiency in teaching |
| Research/ Scholarship |
May engage in research/scholarship |
May engage in research/scholarship |
| Service |
Participates actively in service to the profession |
Participates actively in service to the profession |
| Administration and Citizenship |
Participates in administration and citizenship at the school and/or the department level |
Participates in administration and citizenship at the school and/or the department level |
In addition to the faculty tracks described above, the BU Faculty Handbook includes the Lecturer track as an additional option. Historically at SPH, the Lecturer track has only been used rarely, and there has not been a Lecturer at SPH for many years. Given the framing of the four main tracks above, all of which are in use and serve SPH well, no current need for the Lecturer track exists at SPH. If circumstances change and such a need arises, then this track could be revisited in future years.
Importantly, the Boston University Medical Campus does not have a traditional tenure system and therefore there is no set timeline for promotion at SPH. Progress towards promotion is expected to be discussed at the annual review meeting between each faculty member and their department chair. Generally, faculty spend at least five years in rank before pursuing promotion. However, individual circumstances may justify deviating from these general guidelines, either shortening or lengthening the time to promotion. In all cases, promotion is granted on the basis of accomplishment and merit, not on time in rank.
B. Criteria and Documentation for Appointment and Promotion
This section provides more specific guidance on evaluation criteria and types of activities in the areas of education, research/scholarship, service, and administration and citizenship, with the understanding that the levels of productivity and ability to demonstrate excellence in each domain will vary by track. At each level of promotion, evaluation is focused on accomplishments since the previous appointment or promotion.
1. Education
Excellence in the area of education can be demonstrated while serving as primary instructor or co-instructor in courses, advising and mentoring students, and developing or redesigning courses. Examples of ways to demonstrate excellence include (but are not limited to) positive student evaluations, awards for teaching or mentoring, and professional success of trainees. A more detailed list of activities in this domain includes the following:
- Serving as primary instructor or co-instructor in courses since previous promotion, with specific information for each course (including directed and independent studies):
- course number, semesters taught, and student enrollment
- teaching awards and student evaluations
- role in developing and/or restructuring courses
- Major or primary dissertation advisor for doctoral students and post-doctoral fellows, with specific information for each advisee:
- completion of doctoral degree
- papers or presentations completed by the student or fellow
- professional success of the student or fellow (position(s) after completing training)
- Committee member for doctoral students (e.g., dissertation or exam committees), with general information for each student to document activities.
- Academic advisor to MPH or MS students, and students in other and non-doctoral degree programs.
- Instruction via Directed Research or Directed Study, with specific information for each student to document activities. For example, student scholarship as a result of the faculty member’s involvement with the student (e.g., authorship of posters or publications).
- Advising and mentoring students, with specific information for each student to document activities.
- Involvement of students in the faculty member’s research and practice will be considered, based on specific information to document student activities.
- Invited lectures at other universities and colleges, as well as guest lectures in other courses at SPH and Boston University, and invited lectures at learned professional society meetings.
- Involvement in curriculum development for the department and/or the School.
- Other teaching activities not included in the above will also be considered based on specific information provided by the faculty member.
2. Scholarship/Research
Excellence in the area of research/scholarship can be demonstrated while generating new knowledge or applying existing knowledge in new ways to increase understanding of a problem and/or recommend insightful responses to a problem, documenting the new knowledge or new ideas, and sharing the documentation so that it is accessible to others for review and critique. Thought leadership in particular areas is demonstrated by leadership in initiatives that shape the field, including peer-reviewed publications, meeting presentations, synthetic and public writing, and others as defined by the candidate themselves and as reflected by peer evaluators.
Scholarship in research includes the generation of research proposals, research protocols, working papers, journal articles, research reports, book chapters, and books. Research activities and knowledge generated from private consultancies that are not distributed beyond the client would not be considered academic scholarship.
Scholarship in education includes publications associated with teaching materials or methods, developing funded grant proposals to support instructional activities, producing and disseminating videos and curricula intended for instructional purposes, and publishing review articles and books.
Scholarship in practice includes technical reports, presentations at professional meetings that summarize new knowledge or new applications of practice-based principles, the publication of new materials or principles for public health program content, and contributions to the writing of new public health policy and legislation.
It is recognized that publication expectations will vary by academic discipline and by the amount of time dedicated to research/scholarship. A more detailed list of activities in this domain includes the following:
- The quantity and quality of a faculty member’s scholarship and research output since previous appointment or last promotion will be the most important factor in determining productivity. It is recognized that the typical number of scholarly works or research publications may vary widely by academic discipline and appointment track, so no set number of publications or other appropriate outputs is required. In instances where a faculty member’s application contains fewer outputs, they should be of high impact and demonstrated importance to be strongly supportive for promotion.
- Publication in peer-reviewed journals is highly valued. Reports, monographs, books, and other types of publications or outputs created from scholarly activities are also appropriate. In all cases, the faculty member must demonstrate that these are recognized as scholarship.
- Depending on the field, first, second, and third, or first, second, and senior or “corresponding” authorship can be given greater weight.
- Substantive role in the planning, implementation, analysis, or writing of the scholarly output is essential.
- The quality of the journals and the impact of individual papers may be considered in assessing national and global reputation.
- For faculty on the unmodified track, demonstrated ability over the evaluation period (or several years for new appointments) to attract independent external funding and/or contribute to existing grants sufficient to support the faculty member’s salary as consistent with annual reviews with the department chair will be strongly considered (while also taking into account disciplinary norms). External funding includes grants, contracts, and other mechanisms with government agencies (including other nations as well as local or state governments), foundations, and private sources.
- Participation in (including presentation at) major professional conferences and within professional meetings and forums at the local, national, and/or global levels as appropriate for the faculty member’s position is expected.
- Recognition of the faculty member’s scholarship and research by others is important, especially for promotion on the unmodified track. Evidence of such recognition includes citing in academic publications and notable scores in citation indices and other alternative metrics of impact.
- Recognition of scholarly stature can also be documented, for example, by membership on grant review panels, study sections, data safety and monitoring boards, research advisory groups, editorial boards, and paper reviews for journals. Note that the activities completed as part of these activities could also be considered service activities.
- Other research/scholarship activities not included in the above will also be considered based on specific information provided by the faculty member.
3. Service
In line with the terminology used by the Council on Education for Public Health (CEPH), service refers to activities conducted outside of Boston University for the benefit of the profession and/or society. Examples of ways to demonstrate excellence in service include (but are not limited to) active involvement in local, national, and global public health organizations; serving as an external reviewer for grant funding agencies or journals; and public health service awards or recognition.
- Active involvement in local, national, and global public health organizations or groups.
- Public health service awards or recognition.
- Service as a reviewer for grant funding agencies, journals, and other types of reports or publications.
- Public health practice that serves the community not included in other areas.
- Other service activities not listed above.
4. Administration and Citizenship
In line with CEPH terminology, citizenship refers to activities conducted within Boston University for the benefit of the department, school, or university. Additionally, some faculty serve in administrative roles, including but not limited to deans, chairs, center directors, academic program directors, and certificate directors. Examples of ways to demonstrate excellence in citizenship include (but are not limited to) serving on committees at the department, school, campus, or university levels; advising and mentoring; participation in student recruitment activities; and participation in special events (e.g. signature programs, alumni events, etc).
- Membership and leadership on departmental and school-wide standing, ad-hoc, and short-term committees (e.g., faculty search committees). Leadership roles should be noted but are not required for instructor and assistant and other junior ranks.
- Active involvement in campus or university-wide committees.
- Advising student groups or committees at the School or University.
- Other administration and citizenship activities not listed above.
C. Distinction from Other Positions in the Academic Job Family
The Academic Research Job Family (ARJF) includes a set of job titles for the appointment of non-faculty academic researchers at Boston University. These job titles vary by duties, education and skill requirements, and policies related to employment and benefits. Briefly, these positions include:
- Visiting Researcher: An uncompensated member of the University community who participates in and contributes to its research programs and scholarly projects.
- Visiting Fellow: A short-term, compensated member of the University community who participates in and contributes to its research programs and scholarly projects.
- Research Fellow: A compensated member of the University community who participates in and contributes to its research programs and scholarly projects; has a master’s degree or equivalent.
- Postdoctoral Fellow: An individual who is supported via a training grant or individual fellowship and who is engaged in a temporary and defined period of mentored advanced training and professional development following completion of a doctoral degree program. Not a BU employee.
- Postdoctoral Associate (and Senior Postdoctoral Associate): An individual who has received a doctoral degree or equivalent and is engaged in a temporary and defined period of mentored scholarly development or research. Can be considered for promotion to Senior Postdoctoral Associate after a minimum of three years of postgraduate experience.
- Research Scientist (and Senior Research Scientist): An individual who contributes to the research programs of the University under supervision of a Principal Investigator, and holds a post-graduate degree appropriate to the field of research, or an equivalent combination of education and advanced research experience as appropriate to the field of expertise. Can be considered for promotion to Senior Research Scientist after a minimum of five years’ experience and a record of demonstrated ability to develop new concepts and/or to conduct independent research as evidenced by publications, patents, or other professional accomplishments.
The appointment and promotion criteria and process for positions in the ARJF (described here) are different from those for faculty with primary appointments at SPH (described above). Appointments and promotions for ARJF positions require approval by the department chair and the Dean (or Dean’s designee).
Additionally, the title of Instructor is sometimes bestowed to postdoctoral associates or research scientists at SPH who are planning to pursue career development awards. In such cases, the department chair submits a letter of support and the CV of the candidate to the Dean for review. If approved by the Dean, Instructor appointments are made for a one-year term, which may be renewed provided there is mutual interest.