APP Promotion

Career advancement as an APP in Neurology can take several pathways.

1. Career advancement can take the form of increased responsibility within the section and within the department, including curriculum development, committee work, and teaching assignments.
2. Advancement from Instructor to Senior Instructor is available when specific criteria are met, and a departmental promotion committee agrees that the APP meets criteria for advancement to a Senior Instructor.
3. The CU School of Medicine Faculty Rank Promotion* pathway is also available, and for all those considering this pathway, it is recommended that the faculty member take steps to determine if this pathway will meet their career goals. In particular, the faculty member should determine if the requirements for promotion from Assistant to Associate Professor will be able to be met within seven years after being hired as an Assistant Professor. Before beginning the process of application to become an Assistant Professor in the SOM, please review the important points to consider below.

* The the SOM Faculty Series is a series that begins with Assistant Professor and is not to be considered the next step after Senior Instructor position is met. Most importantly, SOM faculty who are appointed to the level of Assistant Professor should always be on the path to becoming a full Professor over the following 10-15 years and must go up for promotion to Associate Professor by 7 years. A promotion package for each promotion is put together by the APP and then the package is reviewed at several levels must be approved by each level before movement on to the next level. The first level is the Neurology Department promotions committee, and if approved, the package will go outside the department to the School of Medicine Faculty Promotions Committee. If approved by the promotions committee, it will then go to the School of Medicine Executive Committee for a vote.

Important Considerations for the CU School of Medicine Faculty Rank Promotion Pathway

1. The SOM Faculty Rank Promotion Series pathways, which includes Clinical Practice, Regular, and Research, begins as an Assistant Professor. The track should be considered by APPs who are ready to take on both leadership and independent roles over the course of their career within four levels defined as the Department of Neurology, the SOM, local/regional (i.e., state of Colorado), and nationally (i.e., the United States) in the following contexts:
   • a. Clinical care
   • b. Teaching
   • c. and/or Scholarly Activity (required for Regular Series promotion to Associate Professor and Professor)
   • d. and/or Research (necessary for Regular Series and Research Series promotion to Associate Professor)
2. The faculty member must consider that when they are hired as an Assistant Professor, the work by the faculty member and their accomplishments that will be judged for promotion to Associate begins AFTER they are hired as an Assistant Professor. The work and accomplishments prior to being hired as an Assistant Professor are critical to setting up the faculty member for success.
3. After 7 years, if not able to be promoted, the faculty member is given notice of non-renewal of their appointment. The following three points should be considered prior to going up for promotion due to this potential for non-renewal:
   • a. If the faculty member, in consultation with their mentors, their section chief, and/or the department chairperson, determines that they will not be able to meet requirements for promotion to Associate Professor, they can request an extension of no longer than 3 years to attempt to meet requirements. The request must be filed before submitting a dossier for formal review for promotion to Associate Professor and will need to be approved by the department and then the SOM. The reason(s) for the request for an extension (e.g., extenuating personal circumstances, career changes, etc. that resulted in a delay in meeting career goals) and a plan to meet requirements by the end of the extension will be necessary.
   • b. If the faculty member is not promoted after review of the promotion dossier by year 7 or at the end of an approved extension, the faculty member will be given notice of non-renewal of their Assistant Professor position within the department. If this occurs, the faculty member will not be able to be re-appointed as Assistant Professor anywhere else in the SOM.
   • c. If the faculty member will not be able to meet the requirements for promotion from Assistant Professor to Associate Professor, the faculty member can consider and request a demotion and return to Senior Instructor rank. This option should not be considered as a routine option. This should be considered as a last resort in extenuating circumstances. It can occur after comprehensive mid-term review (or prior if movement forward cannot occur for one or more reasons) and must occur before submitting a dossier and formal review for promotion.
4. The Assistant Professor promotion is only available to those who are and will remain >50% FTE based on SOM rules.

Application requirements for APP Senior Instructors to be hired as an Assistant Professor of Neurology

1. Must be a Senior Instructor in the Department of Neurology and >0.5 FTE.
2. Must be at the level of Senior Instructor in Neurology for 12 months prior to applying.
3. Must submit the following items:
   • a) CV (use of SOM template is required)
   • b) CV Abstract (use of the SOM template is required)
   • c) Letter of approval from section chief that acknowledges and agrees with the career development plan proposed by APP (template for letter can be provided if needed)
   • d) Letter from any faculty member in the section that outlines how the APP meets requirements for promotion. This letter can be written by the section chief as well but the letter must expand upon the qualifications of the APP applying for promotion that go beyond the letter noted above in “c”.
   • e) Letter from any SOM faculty member (within or outside the Department of Neurology) noting the potential for success in the CU School of Medicine Faculty Rank Promotion pathway.
   • f) Promotion Criteria Matrix sections as appropriate for the promotion series selected.
   • g) Career development plan narrative for the selected promotion series that answers the questions below:
     • i. Clinical Practice Series: Per SOM Faculty Affairs documents, “This is an academic pathway designed for faculty members who focus most of their time on direct patient care and other activities related to improving health care quality (for example, outcomes, access to care, efficiency, patient safety or the health of populations). There is an expectation of greater clinical effort, and excellence in clinical work (as measured against the School of Medicine Promotion Matrix) is required. There is no requirement for written scholarship, although clinically relevant scholarship is encouraged. Teaching (at least at the meritorious level) is required. Because scholarship is not required, faculty members in the Clinical Practice Series are not eligible for tenure.”
       Narrative should answer each of the following questions using specifics that can be found in the School of Medicine Promotion Matrix:
       1. How will you reach excellence in Clinical Care? Use specific examples that are outlined in the matrices that you will be able to accomplish; do not use examples of what you have already accomplished.
       2. How will you develop local or regional reputation for Clinical Excellence? Use specific examples that are outlined in the matrices that you will be able to accomplish; do not use examples of what you have already accomplished.
       3. How will you reach excellence or meritorious in Teaching? Use specific examples that are outlined in the matrices that you will be able to accomplish; do not use examples of what you have already accomplished.
     • ii. Regular Faculty Series: Per SOM Faculty Affairs documents, “The Regular Series is the appropriate promotion pathway for the majority of School of Medicine faculty members, including basic scientists, clinician-scientists and clinician-teachers. Faculty members seeking promotion to Associate Professor in the Regular Series must demonstrate excellence in one of the principal areas of accomplishment: teaching; research; or clinical practice. Importantly, at least meritorious achievements (the lower standard) must be demonstrated in scholarship, teaching and clinical work or service. “Scholarship” is broadly defined and includes not only research (the scholarship of “discovery”), but also the scholarship of teaching, application and integration.” See the Rules of the School of Medicine for more information. “All faculty members in the Regular Series, who are employed by the University of Colorado, are eligible for tenure.”
       Narrative should answer each of the following questions using specifics that can be found in the School of Medicine Promotion Matrix:
       1. How will you reach excellence in one: Teaching, Clinical Activity, or Research? Use specific examples that are outlined in the matrices that you will be able to accomplish; do not use examples of what you have already accomplished.
       2. How will you reach meritorious in all: Teaching, Scholarly Activity, Service or Clinical Activity? Use specific examples that are outlined in the matrices that you will be able to accomplish; do not use examples of what you have already accomplished.
     • iii. Research Faculty Series: Per SOM Faculty Affairs documents, “Faculty members who devote almost all their time to grant-funded research, with limited teaching and service responsibilities, may be appointed and promoted in the Research Professor Series. Faculty in the research professor series are at-will employees and are not eligible for tenure, in accordance with Colorado laws and University of Colorado Policies.”
       Narrative should answer each of the following questions using specifics that can be found in the School of Medicine Promotion Matrix:
       1. What training and/or degrees do you have that will support your participation in the Research Faculty Series? Use specific examples that are outlined in the matrices that you will be able to accomplish; do not use examples of what you have already accomplished.
       2. How will you secure support with funds from external grants and contracts? (A requirement for this series.) Use specific examples that are outlined in the matrices that you will be able to accomplish; do not use examples of what you have already accomplished.