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Section V. Clinician-Teacher Pathway

1. Preamble: It is essential to the teaching mission of the School of Dentistry that a number of faculty be highly skilled clinicians and teachers with recognized expertise in diverse clinical areas. However, it is well recognized that time and/or interest for research among such expert clinicians may be limited. Prior to the development of this pathway, academic regulations do not favor retention or allow promotion of valuable clinician-teachers without an accompanying record of significant research activity. Without such a research record, the only method by which these valued colleagues could maintain their University affiliation was to serve six years as an Assistant Professor and then to accept an annual appointment as Lecturer. Thus, the description and use of the
   previously available titles did not give adequate recognition to the contributions and stature of clinician-teacher faculty and did not allow for promotion in rank. Therefore, the Clinician-Teacher Pathway was established to overcome this deficiency by providing a renewable three- to five-year non-tenured appointment for retaining, recognizing and promoting faculty who have made unique,
   enduring and invaluable contributions to the School of Dentistry’s clinical dental education programs.
2. Introduction: Five main categories of appointments are proposed for faculty in the School of
   Dentistry: A) academic: tenure and without tenure due to funding (wot); B) research non-tenure;
   C) clinician-teacher non-tenure; D) affiliate instructor non-tenure; and E) lecturer non-tenure. The
   table below summarizes categories for faculty appointments in the School of Dentistry.

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3. Clinician-Teacher Appointments: Persons recruited and engaged primarily to perform teaching may be eligible for appointment to a clinician-teaching rank. Faculty in the Clinician-Teacher ranks are not eligible for the award of tenure (Handbook, Section 25-32): appointments are for specific periods of time, but do not provide tenure. Appointments and promotion criteria and procedures parallel those for research titles. Faculty appointed to a clinician-teaching rank are not voting members of the University Faculty (Handbook, Section 21-32). However, they are voting members of the School of Dentistry Faculty (Code of Organization and Procedures for the Faculty, Article I, Section 1, e).
   https://www.dental.washington.edu/intranet/Governance/CODErevised%208-03.pdf
   The distinguishing characteristic of the teaching ranks is that the appointee is to be engaged primarily for teaching with less emphasis on research. This Clinician-Teacher Pathway provides for dentists committed to clinical care and teaching an opportunity to pursue successfully a full-time (50% or more) academic career as a member of the faculty of the University of Washington School of Dentistry.
   Teaching faculty are encouraged and expected to participate in research but are not required to emphasize research activity. Thus, research, in any form (clinical, graduate student supervision, or laboratory research), is not mandatory for clinical teaching faculty, but scholarly contributions are required (page 23 of these Guidelines).
   Appointment or promotion to any of the clinician-teaching ranks requires qualifications generally corresponding to those described for academic ranks elsewhere in the Handbook and these Guidelines, except that very limited research activity is acceptable. Appointment or promotion to
   the rank of Clinical Assistant Professor or above is reviewed by the APT Committee, the Dean, and the Board of Regents.
   1. Clinical Assistant Professor: This title is the initial level of appointment for faculty entering the Clinician-Teacher track. National searches and credentials equivalent to other professorial ranks are required.
      Appointment to the rank of Clinical Assistant Professor requires a demonstration of teaching and clinical ability beyond that ordinarily required of a Lecturer:
      • Successful completion of a post-professional degree program relevant to the appointment with completion of a thesis or paper prepared for publication, or
      • Successful completion of clinical specialty training in an officially certified program; or
      • Professional experience in the area of the proposed appointment, for example, medical or dental practice, part-time teaching, postdoctoral training with documented evidence of capability within the criteria for appointment or promotion discussed in Section IX, or
      • One or more years at the rank of Lecturer with documented evidence of capability within the criteria for appointment or promotion discussed in Section IX of these Guidelines.

   Clinical Assistant Professor appointments are to follow an appointment track identical to Assistant Professors; that is, the initial appointment is normally to be for three (3) years, a thorough renewal review is to be conducted during Spring Quarter of the second year of the initial three-year appointment, and if renewal is awarded, a mandatory review for promotion or non-renewal must be made in the sixth year of appointment. Appointment at the Clinical Assistant Professor rank is for a maximum of six (6) years. Time spent as a Lecturer does not count toward that six (6) years. Normally the appointment is divided into two (2) three-year terms. A decision on re appointment at the end of the first term must be made by Spring Quarter of the second year of the appointment. The voting faculty
   members of superior rank in the department must make a recommendation to the Dean on renewal, non-renewal, or postponement. If postponement is the decision made by the Dean, then another review must occur in Spring Quarter of the third year (first term) to reach a decision on renewal or non-renewal.
   Under extenuating circumstances, it may be possible for the faculty member to seek an extension of one year prior to mandatory review for promotion. The decision to postpone a mandatory review of the candidate’s credentials until the seventh year of the appointment can only be made in the sixth year. The material presented on behalf of the candidate parallels that of a formal review without the letters of assessment. The same deadlines are in effect. Should promotion be denied in the sixth (mandatory) year, reconsideration in the seventh or terminal
   year will not be allowed.
   Please note that the academic year runs from July 1st to June 30th. Faculty appointed at any time other than July 1 face a shortened first year (it will end on the next June 30th) which may have a negative impact on the candidate’s ability to gain promotion--i.e., s/he will have less time to demonstrate clinical activities and teaching skills.
   A Clinical Assistant Professor faces a mandatory review in the sixth year of his/her appointment. Clinical Assistant Professors may request informal review of their credentials and records by the APT Committee twelve (12) months or more prior to recommendation by the Chairperson for formal consideration for promotion. The purpose of the informal review, which is entirely voluntary and can be exercised only once, is to provide guidance to the faculty member relative to perceived strengths and deficiencies in enough time that corrective action can be successfully undertaken. Requests for informal review are initiated by the individual concerned rather than by the Chairperson. Material submitted and the review process used
   parallels formal consideration for promotion with the exception that letters of recommendation are not needed. Materials for review should be submitted to the Dean’s office by May 1st.
   Informal reviews will be conducted once annually during the month of June. A written report will be provided directly and only to the faculty member reviewed to be distributed as s/he sees
   fit. Reports of informal reviews will not be made available to the APT Committee at the time of formal consideration for promotion, and the recommendations and judgments expressed in informal review reports will in no way commit the APT Committee to any future course of action upon a formal promotion request.
   A Clinical Assistant Professor may enter the regular academic track upon request to and approval of the Department Chairperson, the APT Committee, the Dean and the Board of Regents. The same credentials and supporting materials must be supplied as for any appointment as an Assistant Professor. Time in rank as a Clinical Assistant Professor at the University of Washington does not count in determining the date of mandatory review for promotion and/or tenure to Associate Professor. Entering the regular Assistant Professor track starts the clock anew under the current Faculty Code.
   Similarly, an Assistant Professor may, upon request to and approval by the APT Committee and the Dean, switch from the regular academic track to the Clinician-Teacher track. Time in rank at the Instructor and Assistant Professor level at the University of Washington counts toward determining the mandatory promotion deadline to Clinical Associate Professor.
   A switch between tracks can only occur at the ranks of Instructor, Assistant Professor, and Clinical Assistant Professor. A switch in track cannot occur after failure to be promoted in either track. Chairs should give considerable thought to choosing the appropriate track for a prospective appointment so that a faculty member has the maximum opportunity to develop appropriate portfolios for promotion.

   2. Clinical Associate Professor: Appointment to the rank of Clinical Associate Professor requires documented evidence of continued\ clinical competence and productivity as a clinician, high ranking as a teacher, substantial scholarly achievement, and regional recognition as a clinician, teacher, or dental educator. Individuals appointed to this rank shall have served at the Clinical Assistant Professor level except in very unusual circumstances, as for example when they are recruited from foreign countries, the military, private practice, or allied fields. In these latter cases, credentials must be unique and compelling.
      Appointments may be for up to five (5) years, and renewal decisions must occur in the Autumn Quarter of the last year of the appointment period.
      No definite number of years experience is required at the Clinical Assistant Professor rank for appointment as Clinical Associate Professor. It is unlikely that promotion would be considered with less than four (4) to five (5) years at the Clinical Assistant Professor level. Consideration must be made at the sixth year of appointment as a Clinical Assistant Professor. If a faculty member is considered for promotion to the rank of Clinical Associate Professor in advance of
      the sixth year and is denied the promotion, s/he is still eligible for reconsideration the next year.
   3. Clinical Professor: Appointment to the rank of Clinical Professor requires scholarship as evidenced by accomplishments in teaching and in research as evaluated in terms of national recognition and the criteria in the Handbook, Vol. II, Sections 24-34 and 24-57, and Executive Order 45—24 Footnote. National recognition can be demonstrated, for example, by letters of assessment from nationally recognized professional organizations, appointments to an office or
      a major responsibility in important organizations, appointments to committees or boards of national significance. Individuals appointed to this rank shall have served at the Clinical Associate Professor level except in unusual circumstances as noted under Clinical Associate
      Professor (number 2 above). No definite number of years’ experience is required at the Clinical Associate Professor rank.
      It is unlikely that promotion would be considered with less than five (5) years at the Clinical Associate Professor level. There shall be documentation of capabilities in the areas of criteria for promotion described in the Handbook and these Guidelines, as well as evidence of continuing development during the period of service at the rank of Clinical Associate Professor.
4. Renewal of Clinical Faculty: Should the appropriate voting faculty of a department (i.e., voting members of the faculty “superior in rank to the person under consideration, except for renewal of clinical professors, then voting faculty equal in rank consider the re appointment”) recommend re-appointment at a clinical professorial title, the term of the appointment must be specified. For Clinical Assistant Professor, the term will normally be for three (3) years. For
   Clinical Associate Professors and Clinical Professors, the term can be up to five (5) years.
   Faculty recommendations and Chair recommendations should be forwarded to the Dean in sufficient time for the Dean to decide the matter and notify the faculty member before December 31st. The letter from the Dean should specify the term of the appointment as well as
   the date for the next mandatory review.
   Some clinical faculty are on annual appointments. For those in their first year at the University of Washington, a decision on renewal must be made by March 30th. For faculty at the University of Washington for two or more years, the December 31st deadline is in force.
   The evaluation of clinical competence should be based on an assessment of clinical skills, general dental knowledge, knowledge specific to a sub-specialty area of expertise, humanistic qualities, interpersonal skills, and professional behavior and attitudes.
   The evaluation should also include an assessment of effective leadership and management of a major clinical program.
   The evaluation process should incorporate peer review and be performed at the department level in ways that are appropriate to the individual’s specialty. Board certification in a specialty field
   may be considered in the evaluation process, but is by itself not sufficient evidence of clinical competence. The department chair will evaluate clinical productivity in accordance with performance expectations agreed upon at the time of appointment to the faculty, or altered during subsequent annual review.
   The evaluation of teaching skills and role as a dental educator should be based on a review of the quality of the teaching interactions with students and practicing dentists; and an assessment of innovative teaching techniques, teaching materials, instructional resources, or educational programs developed. The evaluation should also include an assessment of effective leadership and management of a major educational program.
   The evaluation of scholarship should be based on a review of the quality of journal publications, chapters, and textbooks, contributions as a collaborator on clinical or educational research projects, and the number of invited presentations at regional or national meetings. Scholarly contributions may focus on clinical dentistry, health services or applied clinical research, dental education, or other relevant fields.

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