I. PURPOSE
The purpose of this policy is to empower the Dean of the New York Medical College (NYMC) School of Medicine (SOM) to recommend a faculty member directly to the Tenure, Appointment, and Promotion ("TAP") Committee in circumstances where the faculty member believes the department chair has not proposed the faculty member for consideration in a reasonable and timely fashion. The committee shall be empowered to recommend to the Dean whether the faculty member’s promotion and/or tenure should be considered by the TAP Committee.
II. POLICY
It is the policy of NYMC SOM that a faculty member may utilize the Alternate Pathway to be considered for promotion and/or tenure independent of a department chair’s recommendation and/or support under specific eligibility criteria stated in this policy.
III. SCOPE
This policy shall apply to eligible SOM faculty members that hold an active faculty appointment in one or more departments of the SOM.
IV. DEFINITIONS, REFERENCES
A. Faculty Eligible to Utilize the Alternative Pathway
1. A faculty member has held the rank of Assistant Professor or Associate Professor for at least five (5) years, consecutively, to use the Alternative Pathway for promotion.
2. A faculty member has held the rank of Associate Professor or Professor for at least three (5) years, consecutively, to use the Alternative Pathway for tenure consideration.
3. The faculty member's primary department chair has refused to forward the faculty member's promotion or tenure recommendation to the Dean for transmittal to the TAP Committee.
B. NYMC SOM Faculty Bylaws (Bylaws). The Bylaws outline the rights, responsibilities, and expectations of faculty members and serve as a foundational document guiding interactions among faculty members, administration, and the institution.
C. NYMC SOM Faculty Handbook. The Faculty Handbook is a comprehensive document that outlines the policies, procedures, expectations, and guidelines for faculty members within the institution, and serves as a reference guide and resource for faculty, offering information on various aspects of academic life at the SOM.
V. PROCEDURES
A. The faculty member shall notify the chair of the Alternative Pathway Committee (APC), in writing, that they wish to be considered for promotion and/or tenure.
B. The APC will then solicit from the faculty member materials necessary for them to consider if the faculty meets the eligibility requirements for promotion. Upon review, and after consultation with the faculty member's primary (and non-primary) department chair(s), as appropriate, the APC will deliberate and decide whether the faculty member has met the eligibility criteria, guidelines, and metrics for promotion and/or tenure as utilized by the TAP Committee in such circumstances.
C. If the APC decides that the faculty member should be considered for promotion and/or tenure, the chair will forward the APC’s recommendation, in writing, to the Dean, who will then forward the faculty member's promotion and/or tenure application to the TAP Committee in lieu of the department chair.
D. The TAP Committee will then evaluate the faculty member's suitability for promotion and/or tenure according to TAP Committee policy and procedures.
E. Members of the APC may not participate in reviews of their own cases and must recuse themselves.
F. During the time the APC is considering a faculty member's petition, no punitive action may be taken against the petitioning faculty member except, with the Dean’s approval, for reasons other than the faculty member’s resort to employ the APC. An appeal to the APC may not be used as a reason for disciplinary action whether or not the APC approves the appeal.
VI. EFFECTIVE DATE
Any future revision of this policy and procedure shall be taken into consideration by the Dean of the SOM in consultation with the Executive Committee of the Faculty Senate. Such policy changes shall become effective immediately with a majority vote of the Dean’s Executive Committee and the Dean’s approval.
VII. POLICY MANAGEMENT
Executive Stakeholder: Dean of the SOM
Oversight Office: Office of Faculty and Academic Affairs
