Medicinal Chemistry

For Faculty
Introduction to Promotion and Tenure
712 Statements
Medicinal Chemistry

Guidelines for Departmental Statements Required by Section 7.12 of Regulations Concerning Faculty Tenure

July 1, 1999: Approved

I. Introductory Statement
This document describes with more specificity the indices 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.

II. Criteria for Granting of Indefinite Tenure

A. Teaching
The requisites for effectiveness of a teacher include intellectual competence, integrity, independence, enthusiasm, a spirit of scholarly inquiry, a continuous increase in knowledge of the subject taught, an ability to effectively transmit knowledge to students, to arouse curiosity in beginning students and to stimulate advanced students to creative work.

Evaluation of effectiveness of teaching will include classroom performance, effectiveness in course management, curriculum materials, and educational development activities.  The evaluation of teaching will be based on:

1. The candidate's performance in teaching and advising of graduate students and postdoctorals.
2. The candidate's overall teaching ability as perceived by students and documented by their responses on periodic student opinion surveys in a course in which the candidate is the major instructor.
3. The candidate's teaching competence as determined by teaching evaluation by peers and/or comments of other instructors of higher rank, in team taught courses.
4. The candidate's contributions to education as demonstrated by any of the following:

a. Developing a new course or revising an existing course.
b. Receiving an educational development grant or directing an experimental educational program.
c. Publishing a review article of technical nature in a professional journal.
d. Authoring or co-authoring a chapter in a textbook.
e. Participating as an invited contributor in a national symposium or workshop on some aspect of education.
f. Publishing an article on subjects relating to education.
g. Developing and presenting a continuing education program(s).
h. Receiving a teaching award.

Any of the candidate's contributions listed above must be judged by peer review as scholarly and of high quality and significance.

B. Research
The purpose of this evaluation is to determine whether or not the candidate is an independent researcher who is capable of conducting research of high quality.  The candidate will be evaluated to determine if she/he has achieved the following standards.

1. Publications
The candidate is the primary author of original research published in peer-reviewed journals.  Primary authorship is defined as the author that is primarily responsible for initiating, conducting and reporting the research.  Research publications in which the candidate is an author but not the primary author and other publications such as review articles published in peer-reviewed journals will be considered but will not be the basis for awarding tenure.  Publications resulting from work as a student or a post-doctoral fellow and Letters to the Editor will not normally be considred in evaluating the candidate's research productivity, unless they meet the criteria for primary authorship as defined above.  In multi-authored articles, the contribution of the candidate should be specifically described and evaluated.

2. Research Funding
The candidate has secured funding from sources outside the University to support his/her independent research efforts.  The candidate should also demonstrate the ability to obtain research funding from federal agencies, foundations, or private sources by competition at a national level.

3. Peer Recognition
The candidate has demonstrated that she/he is recognized by peers as making significant contributions to the field.  Examples of such evidence include invited presentations in national scientific and professional meetings, receiving recognition awards (e.g., career development, young investigator), serving on national review committees and editorial boards and election to prestigious national organizations that recognize excellence in the discipline.

4. Quality of Work and Potential for Advancement
A review of the candidate's publications and other research efforts by the tenured members of the department faculty who outrank the candidate and at least three academic peers with expertise in the same area at other universities must conclude that the work is scholarly, creative, original, and of high quality and significance.

C. Service
Service, while compensating for reduced contributions in teaching and research, should in no way replace either, or be required in itself for the award of indefinite tenure.  However, a strong record of service will strengthen the recommendation for tenure.

Recognition should be given to faculty who make significant service contributions to the Department, the College of Pharmacy, student organizations, the University, government agencies, and scientific and professional organizations.

III. Critera for Promotion
Exellence in teaching, research , and service are meaningful parameters for academic promotion.  Although a balance among these functions is obviously desirable, it is recognized that the best use of professional talent may often dictate that a faculty member's contribution in one area will predominate.  Service, while compensating for reduced contributions in teaching and research, should not be a primary criterion for promotion considerations.

A. Assessment of Academic Activities

1. Teaching
The requisites for effectiveness of a teacher include intellectual competence, integrity, independence, enthusiasm, a spirit of scholarly inquiry, a continuous increase in knowledge of the subject taught, an ability to effectively transmit knowledge to students, to arouse curiosity in beginning students and to stimulate advanced students to creative work.  Evaluation of the professional, graduate, and continuing education teaching skills should include appraisals by the members of the Department and critical evaluation of student impressions of the candidate's performance as a teacher.  Review articles, contributions to textbooks, and investigation of teaching techniques should be given consideration in evaluating teaching ability.

2. Research
The requisites for evaluating the quality of a candidate's research should include the following:

a. A critical review of three scientific publications that reflect the candidate's most significant accomplishments by the department faculty who outrank the candidate.
b. A critical review by the faculty who outrank the candidate.
c. An appraisal of the candidate's research potential by academic peers with expertise in the same areas at other universities.
d. Other evidence of acceptance by peers.

3. Service
Recognition should be given to faculty who make significant service contributions to the Department, the College, the University, government agencies, the state, community and scientific and professional organizations.

B. Specific Standards for Various Ranks

1. Assistant Professor
Promotion to Assistant Professor requires that a candidate has demonstrated a capacity for teaching and independent research.  This rank may also be accorded a person who has completed only the educational program characteristic of this discipline when that person has given evidence of superior potential for professional growth and productivity.  The candidate should have the ability to participate in the training of research investigators.

2. Associate Professor
Promotion to the rank of Associate Professor requires clear and demonstrable evidence that the candidate, by independent effort, has developed a program of original research, teaching, and service.  The candidate should have demonstrated the ability to supervise the training of research investigators.

3. Professor
Promotion to the rank of Professor implies advanced academic maturity and requires evidence that the candidate has achieved recognition as a national authority in his/her discipline through the development of an original program of research, teaching, and service.  If research is the major aspect of the candidate's activities, he/she should have demonstrated accomplishments and ongoing potential.  If teaching is the primary criterion for promotion, the candidate should be clearly superior in the activity and there should be evidence of excellent performance by students whom he/she has prepared for careers in teaching, scholarship and service.  If professional service or university and public service represent a significant aspect of the candidate's activities, he/she should have obtained national recognition for his/her papers and activities in professional organizations and in public service.