Pharmacy Practice
October, 2003
Guidelines for Appointment and Promotion of Non-Tenure Track
School-Funded (50% or more) Faculty
Table Of Contents
Introduction To The Guidelines
Discrimination
Appointment And Promotion
Perspectives On Contributions To The Area Of Performance
Contributions To Teaching
Contributions To Pharmacy Practice/Patient Care
Contributions To Academic Service
Administrative Service For Faculty With
Formal Administrative Assignments
Contributions To Research And Other Creative Scholarly Activities
Introduction to the Guidelines
Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center (TTUHSC) is responsible for promoting the advancement of knowledge and the general welfare of people in Texas. Faculty members play a central role in the Health Sciences Center. An outstanding faculty makes it easier to attract other distinguished faculty members and superior students to the Health Sciences Center. TTUHSC must have a faculty that performs at the highest levels of teaching, inquiry, patient care, and service to the people, the Health Sciences Center, and the scholarly disciplines.
The process for appointment and promotion must be fair and appropriate if TTUHSC is to encourage and recognize faculty excellence. The TTUHSC promotion policy must be followed to insure protection of faculty rights and protection of TTUHSC. The primary responsibilities of tenure track faculty of Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center fall into four areas: (1) scholarly pursuits (including teaching and research activity), (2) patient care (3) administrative services, and (4) public service (Regents' Rules Chapter 04.03). The criteria for appointment, promotion, and tenure follow from those four areas of primary faculty responsibilities. Non-tenure track faculty usually have their major responsibilities in fewer than all four of these areas and typically do not establish the record of creative scholarly activity that tenured faculty achieve. These Guidelines describe the promotion criteria as applied to faculty with primary appointments in the Department of Pharmacy Practice within the School of Pharmacy who are on the non-tenure track. Appointment and promotion of faculty must fit the missions for both the School of Pharmacy and Pharmacy Practice Department; as well as the Pharmacy Practice Department's specific application of the School of Pharmacy criteria.
The TTUHSC Professional Liability Plan covers "any and all job related activities of employees" of the Board of Regents of Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center. The plan does not cover intentional torts, actions taken in bad faith, damage arising out of malfeasance in office, or willful or wanton neglect of duty. Accordingly, faculty who participate in making professional recommendations concerning appointment and promotion will be covered by the Professional Liability Plan, so long as the recommendation is based upon the criteria set out in these Guidelines, or criteria which are otherwise approved by the institution, and the faculty member is not acting in bad faith or outside the scope of employment.
TTUHSC and the School of Pharmacy must apply these Guidelines with fairness. Fairness means that the procedures for recommending a faculty appointment or promotion must include safeguards against error. The faculty member and TTUHSC both gain from procedural safeguards. To this end, these Guidelines codify the steps to provide advice and evaluation, to make recommendations, and to review faculty for appointment and promotion, as well as the steps that faculty must follow to appeal decisions within the process.
Discrimination see Section Regents' Rules 04.03.7e
Appointment and Promotion
TTUHSC is a complex educational and health care organization. Satisfying its mission effectively requires the collegial and conscientious participation of the faculty in many ways: scholarship in teaching, research and other creative activities, patient care, and service; departmental and institutional governance; professional society contributions and governance; and academic policy and procedure development. This participation can and should be recognized in a variety of ways, including: departmental, institutional, and disciplinary honors; merit pay; designated professorships; assignments; career development options; and other means. While this broad participation may also contribute to an evaluation, the key criteria for appointment and promotion of non-tenure faculty follow from the explicit missions of TTUHSC, the School of Pharmacy and the Pharmacy Practice Department. Every faculty member with significant responsibilities within an area must demonstrate competence in those designated areas. Each faculty member must demonstrate a high quality of performance and scholarship in the area assigned.Several non-tenure track appointment series are available in the Department of Pharmacy Practice as described in Regents' Rules 04.03.4.
Criteria for appointment and promotion of non-tenure faculty in the Pharmacy Practice Department follow from the missions of TTUHSC and the School of Pharmacy. Faculty must meet a designated number of the primary responsibilities: teaching (didactic and experiential), patient care, creative scholarly activity, administrative service, and public service. University governance and activities within one's discipline are supplemental responsibilities.
Policies and Procedures governing the promotion and tenure process shall include in order of highest authority first:
- Regents' Rules 04.03
(http://www.depts.ttu.edu/oppol/chapter04.pdf) , - School of Pharmacy Bylaws
(http://www.ttuhsc.edu/sop/Administration/DeansOffice/FacultyHandbook/bylawsIIWeb5-17-99.aspx ), - and Department of Pharmacy Practice Guidelines
(http://www.ttuhsc.edu/sop/PharmPrac/Tenure.htm)
Perspectives on Contributions to the Area of Performance
For Promotion
The missions of TTUHSC, the School of Pharmacy, and the Department of Pharmacy Practice obligate Pharmacy Practice Department Faculty to provide instruction and practice pharmacy (pharmacy practice of either a clinical or managerial nature) in addition to conducting scholarly activity. The role of the non-tenure track Pharmacy Practice faculty is primarily in the areas of instruction (didactic and experiential) and the practice of pharmacy. Therefore, non-tenure track faculty will carry more assigned responsibilities in both teaching and patient care activities. Both the teaching and patient care activities must first fulfill the needs and the School and Department first, and secondly the individual needs or desires of a specific non-tenure faculty member. Therefore, the assignment of teaching and patient care duties are the responsibility of the Chair for the Department of Pharmacy Practice. While non-tenure faculty may contribute to scholarly activity, the scholarly activity is highly likely to be collaborative in nature and in the role of a co-investigator or secondary author.
Non-tenure faculty seeking promotion within the Pharmacy Practice Department may hold responsibility in all four areas set forth in Regents' Rules Chapter 04. However, promotion on the non-tenure track within the Department is contingent upon demonstrated and documented performance in the major areas of: teaching (didactic and experiential), pharmacy practice (patient care either of a clinical or managerial nature), or administrative service (for faculty with formal administrative duties). Creative scholarly activity is a potential area of excellence, however, non-tenure track faculty often have other teaching, practice, or administrative responsibilities which compete with time and resources to conduct creative scholarly activity. Administrative service may be a primary performance area and therefore may serve as a designated area of excellence. Public service and academic service are areas of relevance to Pharmacy Practice Department faculty, although promotion for non-tenure faculty is not awarded based on academic or public service alone.
For purposes of this document and the processes it governs, proficiency is defined as: well advanced, possessing a thorough competence derived from training and practice. Excellence, a higher order of achievement, is defined as: extraordinary proficiency characterized by superior competence derived from training, practice, and an extraordinary knowledge base.
Faculty on the non-tenure track, seeking advancement and promotion, are expected to demonstrate excellence in at least one of the three areas of: teaching, pharmacy practice, or administrative service; and proficiency in the other assigned performance areas (public service and academic service). Faculty seeking promotion as research associate professor or research professor must demonstrate excellence in creative scholarly activity. Non-tenure track faculty will be evaluated for advancement in rank based on achievements in a specialized area of expertise. Proficiency must be demonstrated in other assigned areas of responsibility. Advancement to the ranks of associate professor, professor, academic associate professor, academic professor, research associate professor, research professor, associate professor of clinical pharmacy practice, and professor of clinical pharmacy practice are contingent upon an earned state or regional reputation for associate professorships with potential for a national reputation and an earned national reputation for professorships. State, regional, and national reputations must be documented by external peer review. It is expected that in order to earn a national reputation, non-tenure track Pharmacy Practice faculty will have made a meaningful and measurable contribution to the professional or scientific literature.
Contributions to Teaching
The Standard
Teaching (classroom, tutorial, laboratory, and experiential) helps the Doctor of Pharmacy (Pharm.D.) candidates develop the competencies needed to enter the pharmacy profession and contribute to the profession's growth over their professional lifetime. Teaching instills in the Pharm.D. candidates the desire and skills necessary to continue the quest for knowledge, and trains them to enter into an ever changing health care system. Teaching is a central mission of Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center, the School of Pharmacy, and the Department of Pharmacy Practice. By nature of their health sciences practice and background, pharmacy practice faculty will instruct a variety of "students"; including but not limited to: pharmacy students, medical students, nursing students, pharmacy residents, medical residents, pharmacy fellows, medical fellows, pharmacists, physicians, nurses, and health system administrators. All of these teaching endeavors contribute to the overall teaching mission of the Department and therefore are considered during the promotion process.
Our accountability to those who choose to study with us and to those who support us requires that we encourage and reward excellence in teaching. The Department of Pharmacy Practice distinguishes between routine teaching performance and teaching contributions that draw upon the faculty member's depth and breadth of knowledge, skills, and experience. Faculty with teaching responsibilities must fulfill them at a level reflecting that scholarship. Furthermore, teaching excellence must be clearly documented with respect to quality, impact, and outcomes of the Pharm.D. candidates and other students.
Documentation
A faculty member's teaching excellence is reflected by Pharm.D. candidates' and other students' achievements: in the classroom, the laboratory, in annual assessment exercises, and in the clinical arena. Furthermore teaching excellence is documented by recognition and feedback of former students and residents and critical, objective peer evaluation. Improvements in the learning environment and curriculum may support a faculty member's record of teaching excellence. Achievement of teaching excellence usually demands that the faculty member has earned a reputation as an "excellent" teacher from those outside the TTUHSC. This external reputation, as an excellent teacher, should be reflected in a state, regional, or national perspective commensurate with academic rank. Under no circumstances, will a non-tenure track faculty member be promoted strictly for the quantity of teaching. Rather, teaching excellence demands documentation of quality and impact.
Evidence of teaching excellence may include, but is not limited to, some combination of the sources listed below. In joint endeavors, the evidence should specify the extent of each person's contributions.
- Honors or special recognitions for teaching accomplishments.
- Honorary lectureships.
- Guest lectureships at national and regional meetings.
- Teaching awards from professional and educational associations.
- External funding of scholarships, residencies, fellowships, and traineeships.
- Consultantships to other universities and health care organizations.
- Awards/honors earned by Pharm.D. candidates and residents directly mentored/tutored.
- Visiting professorships.
- Serving as an editor for practice or teaching columns, chapters, books or software.
- Development of courses, curriculum, and instructional methods.
- Development of innovative courses, preparation of innovative teaching materials or instructional techniques.
- Creative contributions to an instructional program, including development or significant revision of curriculum or course of study.
- Leadership within the faculty for curriculum development.
- Consultation with other TTUHSC units and faculty regarding courses, curriculum, and instruction.
- Consultation with faculty and practitioners outside the TTUHSC for content or instructional methodology.
- Replication of courses by other faculty.
- Effectiveness shown by Pharm.D. candidate evaluations and accomplishments.
- Information from candidate questionnaires designed to reflect teaching effectiveness and creativity, rather than popularity. In such cases, complete information for all courses taught in the last three years that have been evaluated should be included unless a faculty member seeks early promotion to associate professor, in which case information for two years is sufficient. Where possible, report the mean and median scores on those items that provide summary evaluations of the course and instructor.
- Representative Pharm.D. candidate, resident or other student comments that attest to a teacher's abilities to arouse interest and to stimulate work and achievement. Comments should be reported in chronological order for each course taught that has been evaluated during the last three years, unless a candidate seeks early promotion to associate professor, in which case information for two years is sufficient. Where written comments are provided in candidate questionnaires, include a verbatim accounting of all comments pertaining to the faculty member and the faculty member's respective courses. The comments should neither be edited nor altered and all comments should be included in a manner which protects the confidentiality of the Pharm.D. candidate, resident, or other student.
- Evaluation by Pharm.D. candidates, residents, or other students being trained in laboratory or experiential (field setting or any health care setting such as a clinic, hospital, nursing home) courses.
- Letters of evaluation from former Pharm.D. candidates, residents or other students attesting to the faculty member's instructional excellence both within the traditional classroom setting and beyond it.
- Performance of Pharm.D. candidates on uniform examinations, yearly assessments, or in standardized testing. The faculty member's contributions to teaching specific competencies must be clearly shown.
- Accomplishments of the faculty member's present and former Pharm.D. candidates, residents, and other students: including information to show the faculty member's success both in learning the subject matter of the discipline and in pursuing it to a point of intellectual significance and practice significance.
- Residents, students, and fellows coming from other institutions specifically to study with the faculty member.
- Successful direction of individual Pharm.D. candidate work such as independent studies, special student projects, and formal or informal student seminars.
- Excellence shown by peer evaluation of expertise in instruction.
- Peer evaluations of colleagues/supervisors who are familiar with the faculty member's teaching, have team taught with the faculty member or have taught the faculty member's students in subsequent courses.
- Selection for special teaching activities outside of the University, including international assignments, e.g., special lectureships, panel presentations, seminar participation, and international study and development projects.
- Membership on special bodies concerned with teaching such as accreditation teams and special commissions.
- Special invitations to testify before governmental or professional groups concerned with educational programs.
- Receipt of joint appointments in other academic units.
- Publication activities related to teaching.
- Textbooks, software, published lecture notes, or articles that reflect a faculty member's teaching contributions and scholarship.
- Adoption of a faculty member's textbooks, especially repeated adoption, by institutions.
- Publication of peer reviewed articles related to investigation of teaching methods.
- Presentation of papers (platforms, posters, abstracts) on teaching before learned societies.
- Publication of articles, chapters, books in the faculty member's field of teaching expertise.
- Grants related to instruction.
- Receipt of competitive grants/contracts to fund innovative teaching activities or to fund stipends for Pharm.D. candidates, residents or other students. The faculty member should clearly demonstrate the competitive nature of the award and as best able, document the level of competition.
- Memberships on panels to judge proposals for teaching grants/contracts programs.
- Election to offices, committee activities and other important service to professional associations and learned societies including editorial work and peer reviewing as related to teaching.
- Education of pharmacy residents and other health care students.
- Information from resident and student questionnaires designed to reflect teaching effectiveness and creativity, rather than popularity.
- Representative resident comments that attest to a teacher's abilities to arouse interest and to stimulate work and achievement.
- Evaluation by residents or other students being trained in laboratory or experiential (field setting or any health care setting such as a clinic, hospital, nursing home) courses.
- Letters of evaluation from former residents and other students attesting to the faculty member's instructional excellence both within the traditional classroom setting and beyond it.
- Performance of residents on uniform examinations or in standardized testing. The faculty member's contributions to teaching specific competencies must be clearly shown.
- Accomplishments of the faculty member's present and former residents and other students: including information to show the faculty member's success both in learning the subject matter of the discipline and in pursuing it to a point of intellectual significance and practice significance.
- Residents coming from other institutions specifically to study with the faculty member.
- Successful direction of individual resident work such as independent studies, special student projects, and formal or informal student seminars
- Stimulation of other residency programs; expansion of residency programs in current settings.
- Excellence in education of Pharm.D. candidates, residents, fellows, and graduate students in pharmacy practice related research.
- Acceptance of resident/fellow/graduate students projects in peer reviewed presentations including: posters, papers, and podium presentations.
- Receipt of research awards by residents/fellows/graduate students.
- Competitive funding of resident/fellow/graduate student scholarships or education support.
- Incorporation of high school students, pre-pharmacy students, and undergraduates into research programs.
- Placement record of residents/fellows/graduate students in the marketplace.
- Co-authorship of scholarly articles with residents/fellows/graduate students.
- Service as grant reviewer for resident/fellow/graduate student research grants.
Contributions to Pharmacy Practice/Patient Care
The Standard
TTUHSC policies and procedures state that "patient" care is one of four areas in which faculty may demonstrate performance excellence as the basis for promotion. For faculty within the School of Pharmacy, patient care is equated with pharmacy practice. The chief purpose of the discipline of pharmacy practice is the provision of pharmaceutical care to individual patients and larger patient populations. While direct patient care is the focus of all pharmacy practice; pharmacy practice by definition includes both direct patient-centered interactions (e.g. primary care, patient counseling etc.) and practice management/administration. Faculty with primary appointments in the Pharmacy Practice Department share a common commitment to and involvement with either the patient-centered or practice management aspects of pharmacy practice. Pharmacy Practice faculty carry a unique responsibility to provide and stimulate excellence in the practice of pharmacy through their own direct involvement in health care. Excellence in pharmacy practice provides the environment necessary for pharmaceutical education. Excellence in pharmacy practice and teaching are inseparably coupled. Therefore, School of Pharmacy Practice faculty should promote excellence in pharmacy practice as one of the highest possible callings.
Objective evaluation of pharmacy practice is difficult, but nonetheless essential. In some respects, the quality of pharmacy practice is difficult to define because the pharmacist - patient relationship is central to pharmacy practice. This relationship is ongoing and the process of evaluating that relationship can create a significant strain on the relationship itself. Evaluation of contemporary pharmacy practice by other health care providers may provide insight into the quality of patient care. However, physicians and nurses, while providing useful commentary and critique, may not be as aware of the unique requirements for pharmacy practice excellence as they are for nursing or medical practice excellence. Pharmacy practice skills may be assessed outside the realities of the practice setting using any number of surrogate measures. While individually these surrogate measures (e.g. board certification, patient case load, practice income generation, accreditation reports) do not by themselves document the quality of pharmacy practice, they do contribute to the portfolio documenting excellence in practice. Furthermore, both direct patient care providers and practice managers are increasingly creating documentation methods which demonstrate the value of the pharmacist and the pharmaceutical care system. Additionally, clinicians today carry a significant practice management responsibility and, likewise, managers today are increasingly reinserting themselves into direct patient care roles. Therefore, evaluation of all Pharmacy Practice faculty is likely to use a combination of "clinical" measures and "managerial" measures.
Pharmacy Practice faculty should develop portfolios of practice accomplishments. The portfolio will be useful to internal and external reviewers and should include, but not be limited to: records of patient care and management interventions, results of those interventions (summary form and case examples), practice related evaluations from accrediting bodies and quality committees, yearly management and administrative reports, budget impact statements, a chronological list of practice responsibilities, criteria for practice assessment, records of innovative programs and practice model development, practice model implementation results, practice assessments both fiscal and clinical in nature, practice-related certificates, awards, honors, statements from fellow practitioners, Pharmacy Practice Income (PIP) documentation, patient satisfaction surveys, etc. It is the key responsibility of the faculty member to assemble the portfolio on an ongoing-basis, recognizing, that promotion within the Pharmacy Practice Department requires documentation of an earned external reputation. Therefore, faculty seeking promotion based on excellence in pharmacy practice must have a portfolio which supports the claim of an earned state, regional or national reputation (commensurate with academic rank) as an excellent practitioner within their area of the pharmacy practice discipline.
Documentation
Evidence of pharmacy practice excellence may include, but is not limited to, some combination of the sources listed below. In joint endeavors, the evidence should specify the extent of each person's contributions.
- Direct assessment of patient care by patients and their care givers.
- Patient satisfaction surveys.
- Patient thank you letters.
- Direct assessment of practice management by systems administrators and managers.
- Written observations by responsible administrators and managers.
- Written reports documenting practice leadership from a systems/managerial perspective.
- Adoption of pharmacist directed drug therapy protocols by institutional/clinic committees.
- Income generation through contracts and billings.
- Creation of co-funded staff or residency positions.
- Transfer of practice models to other sites or systems.
- Assigned responsibility for broader patient care or system administration.
- Ratings of patient care performance by other health professionals.
- Written reports, observations, letters etc. from nurses or physicians, documenting specific practice initiatives and outcomes.
- Ratings of practice management performance by other mangers and business officers.
- Expansion of practice responsibilities to new patient populations.
- Ratings of practice performance by other pharmacy practice faculty directly collaborating in patient care or practice management.
- General recognition of practice performance by faculty not in direct collaboration.
- Consultations, lectureships, seminars, visiting professorships, invited writings.
- Recognition as a problem-solver within the practice arena.
- Recognition as an expert through writings, lectureships, project leadership etc.
- Opinions of referring pharmacists, physicians, and nurses.
- Written observations, reports.
- Certification and recertification by specialty boards.
- Completion of practice development programs (e.g. traineeships).
- Completion of certificate programs (e.g. certified diabetes educator).
- Completion of additional academic course work (e.g. non-traditional Pharm.D., MBA etc.)
- Designation as a fellow or other similar practice achievement recognition.
- Objective evaluation of practice effectiveness and quality through outcomes documentation and analysis.
- Morbidity and/or mortality data, general and disease/patient population specific.
- Hospitalization data.
- Adverse reaction, adverse event avoidance data.
- Cost-effectiveness and similar pharmacoeconomics data.
- Patient compliance data.
- Pharmacy parameters within health system "report cards".
- Demonstration of scholarly activity to practice.
- Peer reviewed journal articles, chapters, books or other practice support literature.
- Service as an editor to professional publications.
- Peer reviewed poster presentations related to practice initiatives.
- Podium presentations at state, regional, and national conferences.
- Grants or contracts to support practice expansion or enrichment.
- Practice consultant to non-pharmacy organizations.
- Chronological record of experiential teaching (clerkship) as summarized from annual reports.
- Election to offices, committee activities and other important service to professional associations and learned societies including editorial work and peer reviewing as related to pharmacy practice.
Contributions to Academic Service
The Standard
Academic service is oriented to the needs of the Pharmacy Practice Department, the School of Pharmacy, and TTUHSC. All faculty, regardless of rank and academic appointment, have general academic service responsibilities.
Documentation
Evidence of academic service effectiveness may include, but is not limited to, some combination of the sources listed below. Faculty members should document participation and contribution to academic service using a portfolio approach including, but not limited to: committee assignments, contributions, leadership positions, attendance records, and observations of colleagues. In joint endeavors, the evidence should specify the extent of each person's contributions:
- Effective and diligent advisement of Pharm.D. candidates and others in pursuing their chosen academic programs.
- Effective, consistent, and reliable participation in Departmental committees and ad hoc advisory groups.
- Voluntary leadership in Department committee activity.
- Participation in the Department mentoring program.
- Demonstrated willingness to volunteer for unexpected teaching, practice, or services activities.
- Timely, consistent, and thoughtful input into Department planning retreats and activities.
- Proactive problem identification and problem solving on behalf of the Department and School.
- Active, visible, and measurable participation and leadership in School-wide committees.
- Voluntary advising to candidate organizations or residency groups.
- Organization of Department or School-wide professional service initiatives.
- Active, consistent, and reliable attendance at Department and School seminar series.
- Active, consistent, and reliable attendance at faculty applicant interview seminars and participation in the professional and "social" activities of faculty and resident recruitment.
- Active participation in Departmental and School sponsored receptions and outings.
- Reliable representation of the School and Department at local, regional, and state professional association meetings.
- A reputation, in the School and Department, as a "good citizen, team player, and volunteer leader."
- Reliable representation of the Department and School at community events.
- Reliable representation of the Department and School at School of Medicine sponsored meetings, seminars, and continuing education programs.
- Active participation in TTUHSC committees.
- Active participation in Departmental and School sponsored continuing education programs.
- Active participation in orientation programs for pre-pharmacy students.
Administrative Service for Faculty with Formal Administrative Assignments
The Standard
Some faculty selected by the Dean of the School of Pharmacy carry formal administrative responsibilities as School administrators such as: Associate or Assistant Dean, Department Chair, or Service Chief. Definition of these formal administrative responsibilities and evaluation of administrative performance is clearly guided by position descriptions for each of these positions. The Dean of the School of Pharmacy is responsible for all administrators' performance; therefore, the Dean will evaluate their performance based upon the Dean's stated expectations. For those Pharmacy Practice non-tenure track faculty with formal administrative assignments, excellence in administrative service may serve as the required single area of excellence. Non-tenure track Pharmacy Practice Department faculty, who do not carry formal administrative duties, may not earn promotion based only on administrative service. Documentation methods specific to each position will be developed jointly by the Dean and the faculty member/administrator relying heavily upon the Dean's annual performance evaluation.
Contributions to Research and Other Creative Scholarly Activities
The Standard
Creative scholarly activity includes both original research resulting from investigative work or other peer reviewed contributions to the professional and scientific literature. Pharmacy Practice Department faculty may conduct either original research or other scholarly activity such as authoring peer reviewed: articles, chapters, books, primers, series of case studies, critical review articles, abstracts, etc. The hallmark of creative scholarly activity lies in the peer reviewed "written" word. By having their contributions published, faculty can make a lasting contribution to the body of professional and scientific literature. Written work which is not peer reviewed may support a faculty member's dossier, but by itself is insufficient evidence of excellence in scholarly activity. Similarly, oral presentations may support a faculty member's dossier, but are insufficient evidence of proficiency or excellence in scholarly activity.
Original research is studious inquiry or examination, especially critical and exhaustive investigation or experimentation that has as its aim revision of accepted conclusions, interpretations, theories, or laws in the light of newly discovered facts, or the practical applications of such new or revised conclusions, interpretations, theories, or laws. Pharmacy Practice original research is often of an applied nature; therefore it has potentially immediate usefulness to the profession and health sciences. Pharmacy Practice research may also be theoretical in nature; both applied and theoretical research are encouraged. The nature of Pharmacy Practice research disciplines may range widely reflecting the diverse nature of pharmacy practice itself. Faculty research programs may be based in the disciplines of: clinical therapeutics, pharmacoeconomics, health systems research, pharmacokinetic and pharmacodynamics, geriatric or pediatric health care, drug use policy management, preventative health care, drug interactions, outcomes research, health care economics and many more areas.
Creative scholarly activity also includes innovative work in the health sciences, for example, the production of a documented (in writing and peer reviewed) new patient care technique, practice model, documentation system, or information management system. The central requirement for objective, external, peer review for creative scholarly activity remains steadfast.
Pharmacy Practice faculty who conduct research or other creative scholarly activity should clearly demonstrate high quality in these endeavors. The Department distinguishes between the routine and the outstanding as judged by the faculty member's peers at TTUHSC and elsewhere. The principle standard should always be quality, rather than quantity.
Documentation
Evidence of original research or other creative scholarly activities include, but is not limited to, the sources listed below. In joint endeavors, the evidence should specify the extent of each person's contribution.
- Honors and awards for research or other creative activities.
- Publication of peer reviewed research results and applications.
- Books, reviews, monographs, bulletins, articles, abstracts, and other scholarly works published by reputable journals, scholarly presses, or publishing houses that accept works only after rigorous review and approval by peers in the discipline.
- Scholarly reviews of publications by the faculty member.
- Quality and quantity of citations and reprints of the faculty member's research publications.
- Publication of research papers before professional and scientific societies.
- Development of, or obtaining patents for, processes or instruments useful in solving important problems.
- Generation of creative scholarly products.
- Peer acceptance of innovative new patient care technique as evidenced by acceptance in other healthcare systems; evidence of peer review is essential.
- Diffusion of new practice models (patient care and managerial) into multiple healthcare systems); evidence of peer review is essential.
- If not marketed, publication or dissemination of peer reviewed software for patient care or pharmacy practice.
- Membership on editorial boards, study section review panels, or grant selection committees.
- Acknowledgment of research and creative activities.
- Membership on important professional expeditions or membership on healthcare teams through involvement in development projects; evidence of competitive selection processes is advantageous.
- Special fellowships for research or healthcare creative scholarly activities or selection for tours of duty at special institutes for advanced learning; evidence of a competitive selection process is advantageous.
- Invitations to testify before governmental groups concerned with research or creative scholarly activities; evidence of impact is advantageous.
- Appointments as consultants to state, national, and international groups engaged in creative scholarly activity endeavors; evidence of competitive selection is advantageous.
- Selection for membership on the Graduate Faculty or service as a Graduate student instructor/mentor/coach/collaborator.
- Assessment of quality by recognized leaders in the discipline.
- Obtaining grants related to research and creative scholarly activities.
- Competitive external grants and contracts to finance the development of ideas, when these grants and contracts are subject to rigorous peer review and approval.
- Membership on panels reviewing grants and contracts.
- Competitive internal grants or contracts.
- Election to offices, committee activities, and important service to professional associations and learned societies, including editorial work and peer reviewing as related to research and other creative scholarly activities.
Contributions to Public Service
The Standard
Service activities are basically oriented to the public and professional policy needs of society. Pharmacy Practice faculty who provide service not only have continuing, direct contact with citizens and organizations in their practice and research arenas; but also are deeply involved with local, state, national, and international leaders by providing for educational needs assessment, program development, training, consultation, and technical assistance. Through instruction, faculty furnish leaders and groups with objective research results, clinical and other resource information for decision making. They design and conduct feasibility studies, field test basic and applied knowledge, develop procedural and technical manuals, and provide group instruction on and off campus. All of this activity requires a high level of scholarship, development of creative and focused methodologies, strong information organization and media use, and written and oral presentations exhibiting clarity and directness of expression. Many service activities have only an indirect relation to research and the health professions in the pure sense, but may lend themselves to publication in applied journals or other suitable research/ creative publications.
Both TTUHSC and the School of Pharmacy are charged with the responsibility of developing and carrying out a high quality educational program. A crucial element of that responsibility is a service program responsive to the larger society that sustains the Health Sciences Center and the School. The TTUHSC and the School of Pharmacy distinguish between routine performance and service that draws upon the breadth and depth of professional expertise and scholarship. Faculty with responsibility in service must deliver it at a quality reflecting that scholarship.
Documentation
Evidence of the effectiveness of public service contributions include, but is not limited to, the sources listed below. In joint endeavors, the degree each person contributes should be identified.
- Honors, awards, and special recognition for service activities.
- Program and project development, and other creative activities.
- Quality of programs and projects developed as documented by client and peer evaluation.
- Impacts or outcomes of programs and projects as reported by statements of clients, evidence of successful changes and improvement, and contributions to knowledge and understanding, including any significant writing in terms of program outlines, prospectuses, proposals, project reports, and the like.
- Publication of program or project results in applied journals or other suitable research/ creative publications and presentations at professional associations.
- Assessment of quality by recognized leaders in the discipline.
- Effective instruction.
- Quality of educational presentations and instructional materials as measured by clientele and peer evaluation.
- Evidence of knowledge transfer and behavior modification of clientele.
- Consultation and technical assistance.
- Quality of work as evaluated by clientele and peer groups. Concise needs assessments, demographic data, and educational methodology should support quality assessments.
- Impact or outcomes of the consultation or technical assistance work, including development or use of written materials, integrated knowledge bases, tests, techniques, and solutions.
- Applied research.
- Quality and impact of written documents produced, including knowledge integration, creative solution, or other outcomes of applied research as evaluated by clientele and peers.
- Scholarly publication in professional or applied journals or other suitable publication and associated presentations.
- Other service activities.
- Selection for special activities outside of the state or nation.
- Program and project coordination activities.
- Report of grants and contracts to finance development and delivery of service innovations, when such grants and contracts are competitive and subject to rigorous peer review and approval.
- Individuals from outside the state or nation seeking to study the faculty member's work and innovations.
- Election to offices, committee activities and important service to professional associations and learned societies.
REQUIREMENTS FOR NON-TENURE RANKS
Each rank has suggested requirements in terms of terminal degree and levels for the criteria. Terminal degree refers to the highest degree awarded in a discipline; the doctorate is the usual terminal degree; although post pharmacy M.S. and MBA degrees may also be considered terminal degrees. Strong justification should be provided in support of any recommendation for promotion to the rank of associate professor or professor for faculty members who have not earned the appropriate terminal degree; generally a Doctor of Pharmacy, Doctor of Public Health or Doctor of Philosophy degree. Additionally, Pharmacy Practice faculty appointed at the rank of Assistant Professor or higher will normally have completed a post Pharm.D. residency or fellowship or have clearly documented relevant experience.
Extraordinary exceptions to the requirement of the terminal degree for appointments to professional ranks may be made for individuals whose experience and accomplishments compensate for, or make irrelevant, the lack of a terminal degree. A request for an exception may be approved by the Dean upon receipt of supporting documentation and the recommendation of the Departmental Chair.
Instructor
The instructorship is an entry level position for TTUHSC and the Department.
Requirements include the following:
Degree: Individuals usually do not have terminal degrees appropriate for their disciplines.
Years in Rank: Individuals do not need a minimum number of years in a lower rank.
Levels for the Criteria: Individuals should show promise of moving toward excellence in the criteria appropriate to their work assignments.
Assistant Professor
The assistant professorship is the primary entry level position for the advanced trained practitioner faculty within the Department provided individuals meet the degree requirements.
Several requirements follow:
Degree: Individuals usually have the terminal degree appropriate for the discipline.
Years in Rank: Individuals do not need a minimum number of years in a lower rank unless the initial appointment was at the instructor level at TTUHSC.
Levels for the Criteria: Individuals should show promise of moving toward excellence in the criteria appropriate to their work assignments.
Associate Professor
The associate professorship is the middle rank at TTUHSC and the Department.
Degree: Individuals usually have the terminal degrees appropriate for their disciplines.
Years in Rank: Under usual circumstances, faculty members must serve at least five years as assistant professor, including the year when the promotion will be considered before they are eligible for promotion to associate professor. A minimum of 5 years must be served as assistant professor, including the year when the promotion will be considered before they are eligible for promotion to associate professor.
Levels for the Criteria: Individuals must show clear and convincing evidence of stature as a state or regional authority. They will not have achieved the stature required of professors in the criteria appropriate to their work assignments, but they should have achieved sufficiently to offer convincing evidence that they have demonstrated the requisite potential. One critical sign of this potential is the demonstration by the faculty member of a sense of consistency and growth in their work and a likelihood of continuing excellence. Promotion to associate professor demands demonstration of excellence in one of the performance areas: teaching, pharmacy practice or formal administrative service. Promotion to research associate professor requires excellence in creative scholarly activity.
Professor
The professorship is the top rank at TTUHSC and the Department. Degree: Individuals usually have the terminal degrees appropriate for their disciplines. Years in Rank: Under usual circumstances, individuals must serve at least five years as associate professor, including the year when the promotion will be considered, before they are eligible for promotion to professor. Levels for the Criteria: Individuals must show clear and convincing evidence of high levels of attainment in the criteria appropriate to their work assignments and the missions of the Department and the School. Individuals should demonstrate national recognition in their field of pharmacy and the likelihood of maintaining that stature. Furthermore, the full professor should exhibit significant leadership abilities within the Department and the School along with exemplary citizenship.
PROCEDURES FOR APPOINTMENTS
When filling a full-time non-tenure track Pharmacy Practice Department faculty position, the Department Chair shall: prepare a position description, prepare an advertisement, place the advertisement in regional or national media including placement services at professional meetings, and appoint a search and screening committee. Members of the search and screening committee shall perform their duties according to Equal Employment Opportunities and Affirmative Action policies of Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center. In summary, the search and screening committee shall:
- consult with the Chair to create a mutual understanding of the Department and the School's staffing needs,
- screen applicants for the position; conduct on-site interviews at major national meetings,
- identify a pool of applicants who are considered qualified for the position,
- recommend to the Chair , individuals who should be invited to interview. The Chair will extend official interview offers including, when possible, the Chairs of other departments and appropriate Pharmacy Practice and Medical School faculty.
- attend all applicants' school-wide seminar.
- recommend a ranked list of qualified applicants for the Chair's consideration. The Chair may alter the rank order of the applicants, accept, or reject the applicant list.
The Department Peer Review Promotion Committee should evaluate the applicant's dossier when the applicant is being considered for a rank higher than assistant professor. The Department Peer Review Committee's recommendation should be forwarded to the Dean by the Chair.
The Dean reviews the dossier and recommendations, determines the top applicant, and prepares a letter offering employment in the School of Pharmacy. All offers of employment are subject to the approval of the President. If the President approves the appointment, the recommendation will be forwarded to the Chancellor. The Chancellor, as a routine information item, forwards the appointment information to the Regents.
PROMOTION UNIT
The promotion/tenure unit (and appointment unit) is one of the departments in the School of Pharmacy. It is the primary responsibility of the Department to evaluate a faculty member's dossier rigorously, following the criteria in these Guidelines.
DEPARTMENT OF PHARMACY PRACTICE PROCEDURES FOR PROMOTION
The Department of Pharmacy Practice Department promotion procedures extend over three activities: (1) advising faculty on promotion, (2) initiating the promotion process, (3) evaluating and making recommendations from the Department and external reviews and then forwarding the complete dossier to the Faculty Affairs Committee. Except at the discretion of the Department Chair, following consultation with the appropriate faculty, faculty who have been informed in writing that their contracts will not be renewed following a specified year will not be reviewed for promotion. Generally, activities should occur in a way appropriate for faculty to complete the process and for the Dean to receive the promotion recommendations by November 15th. It is important for the faculty member and the School that the dossiers be well prepared and that review committees evaluate each recommendation for promotion on the merits of the case presented following these Guidelines.
Advisement About Promotion
When a new faculty member is employed, the Department Chair will give the faculty member The Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center School of Pharmacy Bylaws (http://www.ttuhsc.edu/sop/faculty/facultyHandbook/bylawsIIWeb5-17-99.aspx ) and the Guidelines for Appointment and Promotion of Non-Tenure Track School-Funded (50% or more) Faculty in the Pharmacy Practice Department (http://www.ttuhsc.edu/sop/PharmPrac/Nontenure.aspx). The Department Chair will meet with the new faculty member to discuss these Guidelines and the Bylaws and specifically advise the new faculty member on the explicit criteria for promotion. However, it is ultimately the responsibility of the individual faculty member to be aware of the criteria in the Guidelines and the Bylaws and overarching Regents' Rules. (http://www.depts.ttu.edu/oppol/chapter04.pdf)
Every assistant professor and associate professor will receive in writing an annual review conducted according to the defined policies of the Department. As stated in the School of Pharmacy Bylaws, the Faculty Affairs Committee of the School of Pharmacy is charged with promotion reviews. For all assistant professors in their third year, the Department Chair shall appoint a committee to review thoroughly the individual's achievements and performance in their designated performance areas. That committee shall report its findings to the Department Chair. The Department Chair shall provide the faculty member under review with a written report telling him or her of progress toward promotion. The faculty member is encouraged to reply in writing to the report and any reply becomes part of the report.
Non-tenure to Tenure and Tenure to Non-tenure Switches
Article IV, Section A, Part 2 of the School of Pharmacy Bylaws describes the School and Department of Pharmacy Practice policies for appointment. On or before the initial term of appointment, a full-time faculty member in the Department of Pharmacy Practice shall be notified of the option for either a tenure or non-tenure track position. Usually the faculty member will make this decision at the time of employment offer from the School of Pharmacy. A faculty member who is offered an initial appointment in a tenure track position may choose a non-tenure track appointment. On or before July 1 of each year prior to the third anniversary of the initial appointment, the faculty member may petition to be re-appointed in a tenure track position by sending a letter to the Department Chair. If the Department of Pharmacy Practice has a vacant tenure track position, the faculty member may be recommended by the Chair of the Department for re-appointment to a tenure track appointment. If the Dean, President, and Chancellor concur, the faculty member will receive an appointment in the tenure track. A re-appointment can occur only once in a faculty member's term of service with the University. Faculty shall consult with the Chair and other tenured faculty on the advisability of re-appointments and the length of probationary time. Non-tenure track faculty are encouraged to review the Guidelines for Appointment and Promotion of Tenure Track Faculty in the Pharmacy Practice Department.
Promotion Schedule and Conditions of Non-tenure Appointments – refer to Regents' Rules 04.03.4
Faculty appointments in the non-tenure track series shall be reviewed annually by the Department Chair and the Dean. A notice of non-reappointment will be issued to full-time faculty, excluding visiting and adjunct faculty, no less than four months prior to August 31 of each year. After a period of five years of service in the full-time non-tenure track at the Assistant Professor, Associate Professor, or Professor level, a notice of reappointment or non-reappointment will be issued no less than one year prior to August 31 of each year. After a period of five years of service in the non-tenure track at the Assistant Professor level or three years at the Associate or Professor level, extended appointment not to exceed five years may be offered upon recommendation of the Department Chair and approval of the Dean.
Although a reason for a decision on non-reappointment is not required, a decision not to re-appoint cannot be caused by considerations violative of academic freedom or a constitutionally impermissible reason. Each faculty member is entitled to see all of his or her personnel files and to obtain copies at his or her expense.
There are no maximum probationary periods and defined promotion schedules for non-tenure track faculty. Progression through the non-tenured ranks of instructor, assistant professor, associate professor, and professor is predicated upon performance. All non-tenure track appointments are term appointments written for a specified time period, usually one year. Term appointments may be renewed; however, reappointment shall not create the right to a subsequent term appointment.
Procedures for Promotion
Initial Consideration and Petition for Review
In order to receive initial consideration for promotion an eligible faculty member must petition that he/she be considered and such a request suffices to receive initial consideration. The petition shall be in writing and be presented to the Dean of the School of Pharmacy, the Chair of the Department of Pharmacy Practice, and the Chair of the Faculty Affairs Committee no later than June 1st of any academic year the faculty member desires to undergo review. The petition shall request peer review for promotion. All non-tenure track faculty members not yet promoted by their seventh year in a given rank must be notified to seek peer review in writing by the Dean on or before September 1.
Immediately upon receipt of a written petition, the Chair of the Faculty Affairs Committee shall institute the normal procedure to conduct a peer review of the faculty member's performance for subsequent review by the Faculty Affairs Committee.
Faculty Member Preparation of Dossier for Promotion Evaluation
Appendix A summarizes the steps in the Promotion Process. The first key step in preparation for review is the responsibility of the faculty member. A dossier of the faculty member's accomplishments must be prepared for evaluation by the Pharmacy Practice Department Peer Review Committee and the Faculty Affairs Committee. Verification of the contents of the dossier is a cooperative endeavor between the Department Chair and the faculty member. The dossier shall subscribe to the format established by the Department of Pharmacy Practice.. The faculty member may include any affidavits or information that the faculty member so chooses to document the faculty member's performance in assigned duties. The complete dossier must be presented to the Department of Pharmacy Practice Chair no later than Mid July in the academic year the faculty member desires to be considered for peer review.
Pharmacy Practice Department Peer Review Committee
Once the Chair of the Pharmacy Practice Department has received the faculty member's complete dossier and any supporting affidavits or information, the Chair shall call a meeting of all faculty members at a higher academic rank (non-tenured and tenured) than the petitioner for promotion review. This group of Department faculty will serve as the Pharmacy Practice Department Peer Review Committee. The Pharmacy Practice Department Peer Review Committee will review the petitioner's performance according to these Guidelines which are current at the time of the review.
At least two thirds of those faculty eligible to vote must be present to consider and vote upon the petitioner's qualifications. Members who abstain are not considered eligible voters. Other faculty unable to attend may vote by written absentee ballot if the ballot is received by the Department Chair before the vote and counted at the same time as all other votes of the faculty. All eligible faculty are expected to participate in the Department peer review process and to vote except those who are required to abstain. The eligible faculty within the Department will vote by secret ballot. The total number of ayes, nays, and abstentions must be recorded along with a written justification for each vote. A majority of eligible faculty must vote aye (positive) to recommend the petitioner for promotion. A tie vote is interpreted as a negative vote. All absentee and regular ballots must be counted by two eligible faculty members with the results presented to the eligible faculty before adjournment. Neither the Chair of the Department nor the Dean of the School of Pharmacy shall participate in the Department Peer Review Committee deliberations and vote. Only those votes that contain a justification for the vote shall be recorded. The tally of votes, and the justification for the vote shall be transcribed to maintain confidentiality and appended to the petitioner's dossier by the Department Chair. The Departmental review shall be completed by August 15th.
Department Chair's Recommendation and External Review
When the results of the Department Peer Review Committee deliberations are transmitted to the Department Chair, the Chair shall solicit external (arm's length) reviews (state, regional or national commensurate with desired academic rank) and then write a recommendation for promotion with justification and forward the dossier to the Chair of the Faculty Affairs Committee. A key responsibility of the Department Chair is to obtain objective and impersonal external reviews of the quality of the petitioner's contributions from persons highly qualified to provide an assessment. Four or more such reviews would ideally be obtained, but in any event the Department Chair's evaluation cannot be conducted with fewer than three external reviews available, at least two, must not be sought from terminal degree advisors, postdoctoral advisors, and personal friends (arm's length review). The petitioner should construct a list of up to six potential external reviewers and their qualification as reviewers. The Department Chair must select and include in the dossier, letters of evaluation from any two of the petitioner's designated external reviewers. The petitioner may also construct a list of no more than three individuals who cannot be contacted as external reviewers (non-reviewers list). There should be no contact at all with individuals on the petitioner's non-reviewers list during any stage of the promotion process. All review letters shall be included in the dossier. Prior to forwarding the Department Chair's recommendation to the Faculty Affairs Committee and the Dean, the Department Chair shall share the external reviews with the Pharmacy Practice Department Peer Review Committee and seek the Peer Review Committee's assessment of the level of support for promotion offered by external reviewers. The Department Chair shall take into account the Department Peer Review Committee's assessment in the Chair's recommendation.
If the Department Chair is an Associate Professor, then the Dean, following consultation with the Faculty Affairs Committee, will appoint a tenured professor to chair the committee to review the petitioner for promotion to the rank of Professor. If the Department Chair is untenured, then the Dean following consultation with the Department tenured faculty and the Faculty Affairs Committee, will appoint a tenured Professor to chair the committee to review the petitioner for tenure.
The Department Chair's recommendation along with all external peer reviews and the petitioner's dossier and all affidavits and information given by the petitioner shall be presented to the Chair of the Faculty Affairs Committee no later than the first Monday following October 1st of the academic year the faculty member petitions for review.
Nothing may be added to the dossier once the petitioner has submitted the dossier.
SCHOOL OF PHARMACY FACULTY AFFAIRS COMMITTEE REVIEW
Once the Chair of the Faculty Affairs Committee has received the petitioner's dossier, supporting affidavits and information, and the Department Chair's recommendation, including external peer reviewer's comments, the Chair of the Faculty Affairs Committee, shall call a meeting of the Faculty Affairs Committee including candidate (student) members, to review the dossier and all additional information according to these Guidelines for Appointment, Promotion and Tenure of the Pharmacy Practice Department. The Committee may, at its discretion, solicit external peer reviews of the faculty member's dossier and all appended affidavits and information, excluding the Department Chair's recommendations and departmental vote to assist in its deliberations. The Committee shall append a written recommendation with justification to the dossier and present the complete dossier along with all appended affidavits and information to the Dean of the School of Pharmacy no later than November 15th in the academic year the faculty member petitions for peer review.
The Faculty Affairs Committee serves as the standing peer faculty evaluation body and conducts all faculty evaluations requested by the Dean for purposes of recommending academic promotion, and in special circumstance for the continuance of non-tenure track appointments (non-tenure competency reviews when required). The Committee adopts its own policies, procedures and instruments in the evaluation of faculty for promotion.
DEAN'S REVIEW
The Dean is responsible for all promotion recommendations emanating from the School of Pharmacy.
The Dean shall review the dossier and all appended affidavits, information, and recommendations according to the standards and guidelines for promotion current at the time of the petitioner's peer review. The Dean may, at his/her discretion, solicit external peer reviews of the faculty member's dossier, including affidavits and information appended by the petitioner, but shall not include any recommendations given at prior stages of the review. The Dean shall append a written recommendation with justification to the dossier and present the complete dossier along with all appended affidavits, information, recommendations, and external reviews to the President according to the University prescribed time-table. The Dean shall present a verbal summation of prior recommendations and the Dean's recommendation to the petitioner, maintaining confidentiality of the identity of any person's recommendation. The identity of all internal and external reviewers shall be held confidential. The petitioner shall have access to the content of the reviews with all information that could identify the reviewer obliterated.
TTUHSC OFFICER REVIEW AND BOARD OF REGENTS ACTION
President
The Dean of the School of Pharmacy presents promotion recommendations along with accompanying documentation and the dossier to the President who then forwards his/her recommendations along with the dossier to the board.
Board of Regents
A faculty member may be granted promotion only by formal action of the Board of Regents.
NON-REAPPOINTMENT OF FACULTY ON NON-TENURE TRACK
Grounds for Dismissal of Non-Tenured Faculty During Their Appointment
Termination – refer to Regent's Rules Chapter 04.03.9
Procedures in dismissal cases refer to Regent's Rules Chapter 04.03.10
Appendix A: Outline – Non-tenure Track Promotion Process
Primary responsibility for peer evaluation of the academic qualifications of faculty members for promotion rests with the faculty; with the final recommendation responsibility in the School of Pharmacy residing with the Dean. TTUHSC officers forward their recommendations to the Board of Regents who grant all promotion awards. The steps include:
- Faculty member petitions the Dean of the School of Pharmacy for promotion by June 1st.
- Faculty member prepares dossier and submits dossier to the Dean, Department Chair, and Chair of the Faculty Affairs Committee by Mid July.
- Pharmacy Practice Department Peer Review Committee is completed by August 15th.
- The Pharmacy Practice Department Chair solicits external reviews.
- The Pharmacy Practice Department Chair forwards her/his recommendation along with the complete dossier including external reviews to the Chair of the Faculty Affairs Committee by the first Monday following October 1st.
- The Chair of the Faculty Affairs Committee forwards its recommendation along with the complete dossier and all affidavits to the Dean of the School of Pharmacy by November 15th.
- The Dean of the School of Pharmacy forwards a written recommendation with justification and the complete dossier to the President according to the University time-table. The Dean presents a verbal summation of the Dean's recommendation to the petitioning faculty member.
- The President forwards his/her recommendation to the board.
- The Board of Regents grants or denies promotion.
Non-tenure promotion guidelines – 8/97.
Updated 10/03