Guidelines for Establishing and Filling Positions in the Clinician Title Series
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Guidelines for Establishing and Filling Positions in the Clinician Title Series
Appointment and Promotion in the Clinician Title Series
C. Establishment of a Position
E. Academic Ranks, Titles, and Criteria
G. Promotion Criteria and Considerations for Clinical Faculty
J. Terms and Continuation of Appointment
L. Noncontinuation of Appointment
P. Change from Non Tenure Track to Tenure Track Faculty
Executive Summary
The clinician title series is a non tenure track professional series for appointment of appropriately qualified individuals who contribute to the university's academic mission by participation in activities which (1) predominantly involve clinical practice, (2) are of contractually specified duration, and (3) operate under contracts, grants, generated income, or other designated funds. The designated funds which are appropriate are defined in the body of the document. Note, however, that clinical faculty are expected to teach in the clinical setting, and when this occurs, funding for instruction may either be from income or an appropriate source for such instructional activity.
Criteria for appointment, performance review and promotion in the clinical title series are included herein. Appointment, review, and promotion in the clinical title series require demonstrated ability to initiate and maintain a program of clinical practice supported by generating clinical income. Employment as an Associate Clinical Professor and Clinical Professor requires evidence of prior or current success as a clinical practitioner. Contract, grant, income or other designated funds are expected to cover salaries and costs of benefits for the clinical titled individual, and other appropriate expenses. Appointees in the clinical title series are not eligible for tenure or de facto tenure.
All clinical title series positions are one year contracts that may be renewed annually, but not to exceed the period of funding from the anticipated income. All appointees in the clinical title series will have annual, written employment contracts.
Appointees in the clinical title series are considered to be clinicians/educators and are under the supervision of the department head/chair or unit head. They are eligible for all the benefits except tenure, de facto tenure, and professional improvement leave. The department or unit must assure that space and facilities are available for conducting clinical work as appropriate for an independent clinician. Clinical title series positions are not to be considered a substitute for resident or post doctorate positions or a means to extend resident or post doctorate appointment beyond university time limits for resident appointments.
To establish a position in the clinical title series, the initiating unit shall (1) prepare a proposal demonstrating the need for such a position and indicate the source (including any commitment of Auburn University), amount, and term of income funding, (2) prepare a job description and identify any space that is needed for the performance of the clinical practice; and (3) obtain approvals of the proposal by the chief administrative officer of the concerned unit, the dean of the college/school, and the Provost. The proposal shall be transmitted to Dean of the college/school by the department head/chair or unit head with his/her indication of faculty approval for establishment of the position. The hiring of clinical faculty will follow normal university hiring procedures, except where to do so would be impractical because of the provisions/requirements of the anticipated contract, grant or income funds. Joint appointments require the approval of all Deans involved.
Promotions in the clinical title series will be specified for each department and criteria must be approved by the Provost’s Office. Promotion decisions will be determined by the specific document, department head/chair, and the dean of the respective college or school. Promotion decisions must correspond to the annual deadlines approved by the Provost’s Office and be reported to the Provost’s Office accordingly.
Appointment and Promotion in the Clinician Title Series
In its role as a comprehensive research institution, Auburn University has a need to continuously expand its pool of scientists, engineers, clinicians, highly trained specialists, and other highly qualified personnel who are not part of the tenure-track system to meet responsibilities in clinical practice/education, especially those responsibilities related to projects which the institution operates under contracts, grants or with generated income. To fulfill these requirements more effectively and to be more competitive in attracting and retaining needed professional personnel, a clinical title series for appointments and promotions without tenure is established as hereafter defined and described.
The clinician title series is a professional series for appointment and promotion of appropriately qualified individuals who participate in the University's mission by participation in projects which (1) predominantly involve clinical practice/education, (2) are of contractually specified duration, and (3) operate under contracts, grants, generated income or other designated funds. Designated funds are defined as:
- Generated income
- Contracts or grants funds either from external or internal sources
- Cost sharing funds
- Funds from indirect cost recoveries
- Funds from the OVPR
- Endowment funds
- Gift funds
- Funds from operating budgets of individual units currently designated for non-tenure track personnel with appropriate salary increases and market value for new hires
- Discretionary funds from the Office of the President and/or Office of the Provost that are designated for clinical practice/education
- Discretionary funds under the control of deans and directors, that are designated for clinical practice/education
A faculty member on appointment in the clinician title series is primarily expected to provide clinical services and clinical practice and to a lesser extent other scholarly endeavors. Interim appointment and payment of salary from funds other than those associated with contracts, grants, generated funds and other designated funds may occur, with approval of the Provost, when there is a gap of six months or less between approved contracts, grants, or generated income. However, in such circumstances, the appointee's assignment shall be consistent with the duties which the individual had and will be expected to continue under a clinical practice program which is supported from generated income, contracts, grants or other designated funds. Classroom teaching duties may be assigned if the only salary funds available are teaching funds or research duties may be assigned if the only salary funds available are from research contracts and grants.
C. Establishment of a Position
To establish a position in the clinician title series, the initiating unit shall (1) prepare a proposal demonstrating the need for such a position and indicate the source (including any commitment of Auburn University), amount, and term of funding for the program of clinical practice, (2) prepare a job description and identify any space that is needed for the performance of clinical practice; and (3) obtain approvals of the proposal by the chief administrative officer of the concerned unit, the dean of the college/school, and the Provost. The proposal shall be transmitted to Dean of the college/school by the department head/chair or unit head with his/her indication of faculty approval for establishment of the position. The hiring of clinical faculty will follow normal university hiring procedures, except where to do so would be impractical because of the provisions of the contract, grant, generated income or other designated funds. Joint appointments require the approval of all Deans involved.
Initial appointments are made as the result of normal recruitment procedures. Departments and units have some leeway in establishing the search procedures most appropriate for their particular circumstances. The department or unit might act as a committee of the whole or smaller screening committees might be used; a recommendation by a search committee might be transmitted to the department or unit as a whole for further consideration and transmittal to the department head or unit head or it might be transmitted directly to the department head or unit head. Whatever the procedure, it should be established in advance of need by the department or unit as a whole. The department head or unit head, in consultation with his or her faculty, should decide upon the positions needed and the qualifications a successful candidate must have. Together they should develop a position description to be supplied to the candidates. The appointment of an internal candidate to fill a vacancy is a temporary solution and shall neither foreclose nor delay a national search to fill the originally vacated position. The internal candidate may subsequently compete in the national search.
The department head or unit head and the search committee shall be guided by the Provost Office and Affirmative Action Office in framing an advertisement for the position, in seeking permission to advertise, and in recommending an appointment. Guidelines from the Affirmative Action Office help ensure compliance with federal law and help ensure an open and fair search.
When making recommendations for appointments in the clinical title series except those designated as temporary, the department head or unit head shall confer with all available members of the department holding professorial ranks or, if the unit does not include professorial faculty, with those faculty holding continuing appointments. He or she shall then transmit a written summary of the reactions of these faculty members along with appointment forms through the appropriate dean and/or director, to the Provost. Where the faculty members do not concur in an initial appointment, the head may submit a recommendation for appointment with his or her justification and a report of non-concurrence of the faculty. An appointment made without the support of the faculty may jeopardize the new hire since the faculty will ultimately vote on promotion.
The doctorate is the terminal degree for most disciplines represented at Auburn University. Requests for exceptions must be presented with appropriate justification by the department head, with faculty concurrence, and the dean to the Provost. The appointment cannot be made without the approval in writing of the Provost’s Office.
Each initial appointment must be confirmed by the appropriate department head/unit head or dean in a written notice to the appointee after proper administrative approvals have been obtained. This notice should include determination of prior service at another institution to be credited toward the probationary period. This letter constitutes the faculty member's written terms of the initial employment.
Four areas of activity are important in the evaluation of individuals for appointment, performance review, and promotion in the clinician title series: (1) documented evidence of effective clinical practice; (2) national and international professional status and activity as indicated by evaluation statements from external peers; (3) ability to initiate and maintain a program of clinical practice supported by contracts, grants, or generated income, (4) collegiality, as defined for tenure track faculty in the Faculty Handbook. Guidelines relative to the first two areas of activity are described in the Faculty Handbook Chapter 3, Section 8.B. Promotion Criteria and Considerations - Research/Creative Work; guidelines for the third area of activity are well-established in that the contract, grant, generated income or other source of designated funds should cover salaries and costs of benefits for personnel.
Clinical faculty are expected to teach in the clinical setting. The contract between the clinical faculty and the university must specify the amount of teaching expected and an appropriate source of the funding to support such instructional activity.
E. Academic Ranks, Titles, and Criteria
The academic ranks and related titles in the clinician title series shall be: (1) clinical lecturer, (2) assistant clinical professor; (3) associate clinical professor and (4) clinical professor. Although it is not feasible to specify exact criteria for evaluating the credentials of an individual for appointment or promotion to any one particular rank in the clinician title series, the following statements are provided as guidelines.
1. Clinical Lecturer
Clinical Lecturer is an entry-level rank for a candidate who has completed the appropriate terminal professional degree or has the equivalent in training, ability, and experience and meets appropriate credentialing requirements for course instruction. An appointee is not required to have a minimum number of years in clinical service to be eligible for the rank of clinical lecturer. Promotion from clinical lecturer to assistant clinical professor is possible, if allowed by college/school promotion guidelines.
2. Assistant Clinical Professor
Assistant Clinical Professor is the usual entry-level rank for a candidate who has completed the appropriate terminal professional degree or has the equivalent in training, ability, and experience and meets appropriate credentialing requirements. An appointee is not required to have a minimum number of years in clinical service to be eligible for the rank of assistant clinical professor.
Appointment to the rank of assistant clinical professor shall be made when it has been determined that the individual (1) has a current independent capability of having a reliable clinical practice supported through contracts, grants, generated income or other designated funds, (2) has a potential for significant professional growth in the area of clinical practice, and (3) holds the professional degree including licensure/certification appropriate to the field.
3. Associate Clinical Professor
Associate Clinical Professor is a rank of distinction which is attained through successful performance of assigned duties. A candidate should hold the appropriate terminal professional degree or has the equivalent in training, ability, and experience and meets appropriate credentialing requirements.
Criteria for promotion to associate clinical professor are specific to each department, according to Provost approved guidelines, and must be approved by the Provost’s Office. Promotion decisions will be determined by the specific department head/chair and the dean of the respective college or school. Promotion decisions must correspond to the annual deadlines approved by the Provost’s Office and reported to the Provost’s Office accordingly.
4. Clinical Professor
Clinical Professor is a rank requiring professional peer-recognition of the individual as an authority in his/her field of specialization. A candidate must be nationally recognized by associates as a clinician. It is, therefore, expected that peers within and outside the University will attest to the candidate's high professional standing. A candidate should hold the appropriate terminal professional degree or have the equivalent in training, ability, and experience and meet appropriate credentialing requirements.
Criteria for promotion to clinical professor are specific to each department and approved by the Dean and Provost’s Office. Promotion decisions will be determined by the specific department head/chair and the dean of the respective college or school. Promotion decisions must correspond to the annual deadlines approved by the Provost’s Office and reported to the Provost’s Office accordingly.
All department heads/chairs and unit heads, such as center and institute directors, shall conduct at least one yearly review before May 31 with each clinical track faculty member to evaluate his/her performance and to discuss his/her future development. For the review, the clinical faculty member will provide a current vita and any supporting material the head/chair or unit head or the clinical faculty member deems appropriate.
In the case of clinical faculty members who have not achieved promotion to assistant clinical professor, associate clinical professor or clinical professor, particular care shall be taken by the department head/chair or unit head to relate the faculty member's job performance to the promotion criteria set forth in this document. Significant achievements or deficiencies which might enhance or impede the candidate's progress toward higher academic rank shall be noted.
The head/chair or unit head shall prepare a written report covering the major points of the conference. A copy of the report shall be provided to the clinical faculty member within a month of the conference. The clinical faculty member shall be asked to sign it as confirmation of having seen it. If the clinical faculty member does not agree with material in the report, he/she may write a response to be appended to the report. One copy of the signed report and response, if there is one, is to be retained for the clinical faculty member's departmental personnel file and copied to the Office of the Provost; another copy is to be given to the clinical faculty member. This report is to remain confidential, available only for the use of the concerned clinical faculty member and any University officials who have supervisory responsibility over the clinical faculty member.
Each department head/chair or unit head shall conduct a third year review of all its clinical lecturers and assistant clinical professors according to college/school guidelines. As with the annual review, the head/chair or unit head shall request a current vita and any supporting material the head/chair or unit head or the clinical faculty member deems appropriate prior to the third year review. The particular focus of this review is the clinical faculty member's progress toward achieving promotion. The review, therefore, must address the specific departmental/college/school criteria for promotion. The head/chair or unit head shall prepare a written report covering the findings of the review.
G. Promotion Criteria and Considerations for Clinical Faculty
A clinical faculty member is focused on clinical practice and has the obligation to contribute to his/her discipline through clinical practice and clinical teaching. To a large extent, each discipline and each department must determine how much and what quality of clinical practice is appropriate for promotion and judge its candidates accordingly.
There is no fixed requirement for years of service at a given rank before a clinical faculty member can be promoted. A clinical faculty member on leave of absence without pay need not count his/her leave time toward promotion. A clinical faculty member on leave without pay cannot be a candidate for promotion while on leave.
Promotion will be specific for each department and criteria must be approved by the Dean and Provost’s Office. Promotion decisions will be determined by the specific department, department head/chair and the dean of the respective college or school. As the Chief Academic Officer of Auburn University, the Provost retains the right to review all promotions and act appropriately.
J. Terms and Continuation of Appointment
Although it has been the custom of the University for faculty appointments to be continued by mutual commitment and understanding rather than by formal contracts, clinical faculty will be appointed with written contracts. The following principles outline the policy on continuation of the contract for clinical faculty members.
All clinical title series positions are one year contracts that may be renewed annually or, if for a lesser period of time, the period of funding from the contract, grant, or other designated funds. Renewal is contingent upon funding being available and upon performance. All appointees in the clinical title series will have annual, written employment contracts.
All department heads and unit heads shall conduct at least one yearly review with each faculty member to evaluate his or her performance and to discuss his or her future development. In order to review the faculty member fairly, the head shall request a current vita and any supporting material the head of the faculty member deems appropriate prior to the review. More frequent reviews may be conducted at the discretion of the faculty member or the department head.
The initial letter of appointment should clearly define the length of the appointment, not to exceed one year, benefits, and duties/responsibilities. The offer letter should make clear that continuation of appointment is subject to the availability of funds, the need for services, and satisfactory performance. Language that speaks to continuation beyond the initial appointment should include specific conditions. For example, the grant, contract or income from which the clinical faculty is to be paid may be for multiple years, but rarely is funding for subsequent years guaranteed. Letters containing promises not consistent with the clinical title procedures are not enforceable unless authorized in writing by the President of Auburn University.
Termination of a clinical faculty member during the contract term shall be effected by the University only for lack of funding, or adequate cause, including but not limited to lack of collegiality and unprofessional behavior. If termination during the contract term is for other than for lack of funding, then the Faculty Handbook (Chapter 3) provides that "Rights of due process shall also apply to a non-tenured faculty member dismissed before completion of his or her contractual term." Dismissal shall not be used to restrain faculty members in their exercise of academic freedom or other rights of American citizens.
L. Noncontinuation of Appointment
The contractual period for faculty in the clinical title series is 12 months and the university retains the right to continue or noncontinue a faculty member in the clinical series. If a clinical faculty member whose contract is not to be renewed so requests, he or she shall be provided with a written statement of reasons why the contract is not to be renewed. In order to insure that noncontinuation is not used to restrain faculty members in their exercise of academic freedom, an employee in the clinical non-tenure track ladder is afforded the opportunity to appeal his/her noncontinuation using the same procedure as provided in the Faculty Handbook for tenure track faculty members who are given letters of non continuation.
A faculty member on appointment in the clinical title series may be proposed, recommended, and approved for membership in the Graduate Faculty as provided in the Faculty Handbook. If an appointee in the clinical title series is approved for membership, the individual's participation as a member of the Graduate Faculty shall be limited to directing graduate theses and dissertations, teaching courses that he/she are qualified to teach according to accreditation guidelines, and to serving on committees appointed by the Dean of the Graduate School in proportion to their other assignments.
A faculty member on appointment in the clinical title series is eligible for benefits as provided in the Faculty Handbook or other applicable University policies, except tenure, de facto tenure, and professional improvement leave. University contributions toward retirement, social security, annual and sick leave, and insurance benefits for the faculty member shall be covered through the contract, grant, generated income, or other designated funds which provide support for the individual's position.
A clinical faculty member shall be eligible to vote on all faculty matters, including faculty appointment and promotion but not on tenure. A clinical faculty member may vote on and/or be elected the department's representative in the University Senate.
P. Change from Non Tenure Track to Tenure Track Faculty
If the appointment of a faculty member is changed from the clinical title series to tenure track faculty through normal, faculty approved, tenure track hiring, years of service while on appointment in the clinical title series will be treated as full-time service in a faculty rank at another institution, as described in the faculty handbook under "Prior Service" in Chapter 3.
Approved by William V. Muse, President
August 18, 1999
Approved by Tim Boosinger, Interim Provost and Vice President for Academic Affairs
Revised August 10, 2011
Last Updated: August 10, 2011