For Faculty
Introduction to Promotion and Tenure
712 Statements
Veterinary Diagnostic Laboratory
Guidelines for Departmental Statements Required by Section 7.12 of Regulations Concerning Faculty Tenure
May 21, 1987: 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. For a complete perspective, the reader is advised to review Section 7 in its entirety.
II. Departmental Mission
Primary responsibilities:
1. Help reduce loss from disease in Minnesota s livestock, poultry, wildlife and companion animals and help protect the public health by providing accurate and timely discipline-related animal health diagnostic services through the Minnesota Veterinary Diagnostic Laboratories, and by providing official laboratory services for the Minnesota Board of Animal Health and the Minnesota Racing Commission.
2. Teach veterinary students the principles of diagnostic medicine and prepare them to utilize the Diagnostic Laboratory as a resource for diagnostic assistance and continuing education throughout their professional careers.
3. Advance knowledge in veterinary medicine by conducting animal health research and communicating the results through publications in scientific journals and presentations at scientific meetings.
4. Provide continuing education for veterinary practitioners and ani-mal owners by consultation, diagnostic investigation, and participation in continuing education programs of professional organizations and the College of Veterinary Medicine.
5. Prepare students for a career in diagnostic medicine through residency and graduate training programs.
Secondary responsibilities:
1. Support other programs of the University by providing various labora-tory services for the Veterinary Teaching Hospital, research projects, and other University departments.
2. Serve the veterinary profession by participating in local, state, national, and international professional organizations and by providing consultation to local, state and federal governments.
3. Serve the University community through committees and other activities.
III. Criteria for Tenure
The basis for awarding indefinite tenure is the determination that the achievements of an individual have demonstrated the individual's potential to continue to contribute significantly to the mission of the University and to its programs of teaching, research, and service over the course of the faculty member's career. To be awarded indefinite tenure, a faculty member will be expected to have demonstrated effectiveness in teaching, productivity in research and distinguished achievement in discipline-related service. Because there is diversity within the Department in the distribution of responsibilities among these three areas, the emphasis on each endeavor may vary, but accomplishment in all three areas must be demonstrated by each faculty member. The main sources of departmental funding are directed to diagnostic investigation, therefore mission-oriented professional service must be a major effort of probationary faculty who are supported primarily by service programs.
A. Discipline-Related Professional Service
To be granted indefinite tenure the candidate must make major contributions to the provision of timely and accurate diagnostic service. The quantity of the contribution will be documented in the annual report of the Department. The quality of achievement will be measured by peer evaluation in accordance with established University policy regarding promotion and tenure. Supplemental evidence of achievement may include evaluation by veterinary practitioners, research collaborators, animal owners, and other users of departmental services. Special awards or citations for professional achievement are additional indicators of distinguished contribution to professional service programs.
B. Teaching
A faculty member must demonstrate competence in teaching, achieving a level at which it can be expected with confidence that the person will continue to be an effective educator throughout an academic career. Areas of instruction include the professional and graduate curricula, the supervision or advising of professional and graduate students or diagnostic medical residents, and continuing education/extension for veterinarians and others concerned with animal health. All faculty are expected to contribute in a competent manner to one or more of these areas of instruction. The development of unique teaching resources from diagnostic case materials is encouraged.
Effectiveness of teaching is based on:
1) Review of courses taught, directed or developed by the candidate at the professional or graduate level.
2) Evaluation by students.
3) Evaluation by peers: classroom visitations, review of material covered, syllabi, and examinations.
4) Advising of graduate degree candidates for some, but not all probationary faculty positions.
C. Research and Scholarly Activity
Faculty are expected to demonstrate research capacity and productivity. The creative use of case material submitted for diagnostic assistance provides a unique opportunity for faculty to make important contributions to animal health research. In addition, investigation of these materials serves to identify animal health problems that are most urgently in need of structured research that is designed to test scientific hypotheses.
Documentation of research capacity and productivity may be in several forms. The production of scholarly publications is a key measure of academic ability. Publication of research findings in refereed journals provides definitive evidence of the faculty member as capacity for research. Presentations of research findings at scientific meetings is supplemental evidence of research productivity. The submission of technically sound research grant proposals provides evidence of determination to succeed in research. The preparation of review articles, books and book chapters is considered to be a meritorious scholarly achievement.
D. Service
Participation and leadership in local, state, national and inter-national professional organizations and the provision of academic guidance to state or federal government are regarded as further evidence of professional competence.
Faculty are expected to serve on committees, prepare reports and undertake other activities that are essential to the governance of the Department and the College. Although such activities are essential, they are not in themselves bases for achieving tenure.
IV. Criteria for Promotion
A. To Associate Professor
Promotion to this rank is usually associated with a tenure decision, therefore the requirements are in accordance with the standards for achieving indefinite tenure.
B. To Professor
For promotion to Professor, evidence is sought for:
1) A national-international reputation, based on the quality of contributions made by the candidate. It may include invitations to national/international symposia, election to prestigious scientific organizations and holding of offices in professional societies.
2) Letters from authorities in the candidate s field assessing the candidate's scientific contributions, particularly to determine whether or not the candidate is among the leaders in his/her field.
3) Leadership in a training program for residents or graduate students that has resulted in the placement of trainees in academic or industrial positions in their fields.
V. Procedures
The Department complies with the Procedures for Reviewing the Performance of Probationary Faculty as provided by Sections 16.3, 7.4, and 7.61 of the Regulations Concerning Faculty Tenure and distributed annually by the Vice President for Academic Affairs.
