Dear Sir
Most medical schools have developed specialized academic tracks for clinical and teaching faculty in recent years. The criteria for successful progress through these tracks are often poorly understood by faculty. New regulations governing faculty promotion that included tracks for excellence in education and patient care as well as research, were adopted by the University of Rochester School of Medicine and Dentistry in 2001. We studied whether the faculty fully understand these changes and whether this understanding related to being mentored.
We administered an online, anonymous survey of full time faculty with three components: demographics and background, perceptions about promotion and tenure and knowledge of promotion regulations.
Self-reported understanding of the promotion and tenure criteria was low among the 222 associate and assistant professor (AAP) respondents. Almost half had identified a mentor while 42% reported meeting annually with their chair about career and academic goals. Faculty who had met annually with their chairs for academic review or who had mentors were significantly more likely to self-report understanding the promotion system very well or well (Well/Very 40% vs. 20% Poor/Very; p < 0.05). Those faculty members were also more likely to correctly identify the track-specific requirements for promotion and tenure. Among AAPs who correctly identified the criteria for promotion, 45–52% (depending on track) self-rated their knowledge about tracks as good or very good. In contrast, among faculty who self-rated their understanding as poor or very poor, only 18–23% (depending on track) were able to answer promotion criteria questions correctly.
Overall, faculty had sub-optimal understanding of the options and requirements for promotion. Receiving guidance through a department chair or mentor was directly related to faculty self-described understanding and accurate knowledge of promotion criteria. Institutional investments in faculty development have recently begun to better prepare faculty for academic advancement. Since completion of this survey, an office of faculty development has been created. We offer workshops to help faculty understand the promotion system. Similarly, support for faculty serving as mentors is available through conferences and on-line materials. Ongoing faculty review is now included in the Dean's evaluation of department chair performance. Our survey provides a basis for future evaluations of the effectiveness of these efforts.