Obstetrics, Gynecology and Women's Health

Department of Obstetrics, Gynecology and Women’s Health

DEPARTMENTAL STATEMENT
REQUIRED BY SECTION 7.12 OF
REGULATIONS CONCERNING FACULTY TENURE 

I. INTRODUCTORY STATEMENT

This document describes the specific criteria and standards, which will be used to evaluate whether candidates meet the general criteria in Section 7.11 of the Regulations Concerning Faculty Tenure. For a complete perspective, the reader is advised to review Section 7 in its entirety. Section 7.11 is printed in its entirety in III. Criteria for Tenure (see below). 

The criteria, standards and procedure are applied without regard to race, religion, color, sex, national origin, handicap, age, veteran status or sexual orientation. 

II. MISSION STATEMENT

The mission of the Medical School is to conduct high quality programs of research, education, and service through which the college contributes significantly to the provision of excellent health care for the people of Minnesota, the nation and the world. 

The missions of the Department of Obstetrics, Gynecology and Women’s Health are teaching, research and provision of excellent clinical care. Primary academic missions of the department are to teach medical students and post-M.D. trainees (residents and fellows) and to advance knowledge in the specialty through basic science and clinical research endeavors. In their academic activities, some faculty members may concentrate on one or two of the three major missions (teaching, research and service), but the entire faculty must participate in all three of those functions. Departmental activities are conducted in gynecologic oncology, maternal-fetal medicine, reproductive science, general gynecology and gynecologic pathology. 

III. CRITERIA FOR TENURE

Section 7.11 of the Regulations Concerning Faculty Tenure states: “General Criteria. The basis for awarding indefinite tenure is the determination that the achievements of an individual have demonstrated the individual’s potential to contribute significantly to the missions of the university and to its programs of teaching, research, and service over the course of the faculty member’s academic career. The primary criteria for demonstrating this potential are effectiveness in teaching and professional distinction in research; outstanding discipline-related service contributions will also be taken into account where they are an integral part of the mission of the academic unit. The relative importance of the criteria may vary in different academic units, but each of the criteria must be considered in every decision. 

The individual’s participation in the governance of the institution and other services to the University and service to the academic unit may be taken into consideration, but are not in themselves bases for awarding tenure. 

Indefinite tenure may be granted at any time when the candidate has satisfied the requirements. A probationary appointment must be terminated when the appointee fails to satisfy the criteria in the last year of probationary service and may be terminated earlier if it appears that the appointee is not making satisfactory progress toward meeting the criteria within that period.” 

The Department of Obstetrics, Gynecology and Women’s Health subscribes to the statement on Criteria and Standards for Tenure of Faculty at the University of Minnesota Medical School, with the following standards specific to the department. 

A. TEACHING

Teaching activities may occur in a variety of educational settings and formats, including: laboratories, advising of students, case discussions, grand rounds, hospital and clinic rounds, patient care, surgical and other procedures, continuing education. 

The following are educational activities in which competence and accomplishments in teaching can be demonstrated: 

1. Participation and competence in teaching undergraduate (pre-baccalaureate) students. 

2. Participation and competence in teaching professional students, including students in the M.D. curriculum, residents, post-residency clinical fellows or other professional educational programs. 

3. Service and distinction as a faculty adviser to post-M.D. residents (Medical Residents or Medical Fellows), post-residency clinical fellows, or advanced degree candidates in medical disciplines, interdisciplinary programs or collaborative research programs. 

4. Service as a faculty mentor or adviser to students in any of the above categories, including medical students in the clinical courses of the M.D. curriculum. 

5. Service as a faculty mentor to students in any of the aforementioned categories who engage in research activities in the department. 

B. RESEARCH/SCHOLARSHIP

Scholarly activities of a faculty member will be evaluated according to the following standards: 

1. Scientific Publications 

Scientific articles reporting quality biomedical research should be published in appropriate peer-reviewed journals related to the discipline(s) of medicine. 

Peer-reviewed journals that are recognized as outstanding and appropriate to the discipline include, but are not necessarily limited to: 

American Journal of Obstetrics and Gynecology
British Journal of Obstetrics and Gynecology
Cancer
Fertility and Sterility
International Journal of Gynecologic Cancer
Journal of the American Medical Association
Lancet
Nature
New England Journal of Medicine
Obstetrics and Gynecology Survey
Obstetrics and Gynecology
Reproductive Medicine
Science

2. External Research Funding 

A candidate is a recipient of a grant(s) or contract(s) by designation as principal investigator, a major collaborator, or other similar title, from a national/regional granting agency that customarily utilizes scientific peer review as the primary basis for awards. Examples of granting agencies include, but are not necessarily limited to: 

An Institute of the National Institute of Health, Public Health Service, or
similar federal agency
A unit or affiliate of American Heart Association
A unit or affiliate of the American Cancer Society
A unit or affiliate of the American Diabetes Association
A unit or affiliate of the March of Dimes
Epilepsy Foundation of America
Leukemia Society of America
National Kidney Foundation of the Upper Midwest

3. Publications in Monographs, Reviews and Other Books 

Publications through these modalities are part of the scholarly activities of a faculty member, but cannot be considered as the sole basis for tenure. 

4. Service as an Editor or a Member of the Editorial Board of a reputable Journal or Monograph in a Biomedical Discipline 

Examples of appropriate journals include, but are not necessarily limited to those listed in 1 above. 

5. Invited Participation in Symposia, Meetings and Seminars 

Faculty members should be invited by national and international scientific organizations to participate in symposia and meetings and should be invited to give seminars before peers in other institutions both nationally and internationally. However, this cannot be used as the sole criterion for tenure.

C. SERVICE

Service, although not a primary criterion for tenure, will be taken into consideration in making decisions on tenure. Performance of service, however exemplary, cannot substitute for the primary criteria, research and teaching. The ranks of the faculty members whose contribution to the medical school is primarily in clinical care may be governed by other rules for the Clinical Scholar Track Faculty members of the Medical School. 

IV. PROMOTION

Standards for promotion ­ Department of Obstetrics, Gynecology & Women’s Health

A. To Assistant Professor

For recommendation to the position of Assistant Professor, the candidate should have demonstrated ability in teaching and research. There should be documentation of competence and growth in the candidate’s skills of oral and written communication, including effective presentations of research and educational materials. Involvement and competence in high quality research should be substantiated by publications published or accepted for publication in peer-reviewed national journals. The candidate’s ability to conduct independent research, though not a requirement for initial recommendation to this rank, is considered meritorious. 

In addition, for recommendation to the rank of Assistant Professor as a full time clinical faculty, the candidate must satisfy the requirements to practice medicine and the subspecialty in the State of Minnesota and at the University of Minnesota affiliated hospitals. The candidate must demonstrate the ability to teach clinical skills to students and to serve as a faculty adviser to post-M.D. residents and fellows, as stated in Criteria For Tenure (see section III above). 

B. To Associate Professor

A recommendation for promotion to Associate Professor is made when an eligible candidate fulfills the general criteria applicable to tenure, as stated in Section 7.11 of the Regulations Concerning Faculty Tenure of the Medical School and the specific criteria and standards for tenure, as stated in Criteria For Tenure for in the Department of Obstetrics, Gynecology & Women’s Health (see section III above). 

C. To Professor

A recommendation for promotion to Professor is made when a candidate has fulfilled the criteria and standards for tenure, as stated by the Medical School (section 7.11 of the Regulations Concerning Faculty Tenure) and the Department (see Section III above). The minimum criteria are the ones required for Associate Professor. In addition, the candidate for Professor must show evidence of additional academic, scientific, scholarly and professional achievements since his/her previous promotion, such as: 

Establishment of a new research or training program for pre- and/or post-doctoral fellowship in a specific discipline. 

Election to prestigious scientific and/or professional organizations that require significant academic contributions. 

The candidate’s national and international reputation and recognition of leadership in his/her field. Such recognition may be substantiated by letters from prominent, senior faculty members at other Universities assessing the candidate’s qualifications for promotion to the rank of Professor. Receipt of an internationally known prize(s) given for his /her achievement in his/her field of academic interest will be considered as a strong proof. 

V. PROCEDURES

In considering proposals for tenure and/or promotion in rank, the Medical School and its Department comply with the procedures described in the document, “Procedures for Reviewing Performance of Probationary Faculty”, distributed annually by the Vice President for Academic Affairs. Sections 16.3, 7.4 and 7.61 of the Regulations Concerning Faculty Tenure, provides for these procedures. 

The Medical School issues annually to each department, for distribution and information to faculty members, a set of instructions, memoranda, and other documents, giving detailed information on the procedures to be followed in the preparation and consideration of each proposal for tenure and/or promotion in rank . Designated extended faculty members holding appropriate appointment and rank covered by Section 3.4 (4) or (7) of the Regulations Concerning Faculty Tenure at affiliated hospitals are eligible to vote on proposals for promotion in rank of candidates, in accordance with approval for this procedure granted by the University Tenure Committee and the Vice President of Academic Affairs.