Climbing the Academic Ladder 1 CLIMBING THE ACADEMIC LADDER Judith K. Ockene, PhD, MEd, MA Barbara Helen Smith Chair in Preventive and Behavioral Medicine Associate Vice Provost for Gender and Equity Professor of Medicine Presented at NPAM Early Career Council March 23, 2011

Climbing the Academic Ladder W ORKING HARD IS NOT ENOUGH : THERE ARE OTHER E SSENTIALS FOR ACADEMIC SUCCESS 2

Climbing the Academic Ladder E SSENTIALS FOR S UCCESS Know your institution, its promotion policies and procedures Have a clear vision of your goals, strengths, passions and values, to inform your activities and development Keep your teaching portfolio and CV up to date Enlist mentors Build effective academic networks Review annual goals with your chief/chair Recognize and use opportunities to advance 3

Climbing the Academic Ladder K NOW YOUR INSTITUTION AND ITS PROMOTION POLICIES AND PROCEDURES Every academic institution has an Academic Personnel Policy: Locate yours and review it UMMS has its on the Office of Faculty Affairs website 4

Climbing the Academic Ladder K NOW YOUR INSTITUTION AND ITS P ROMOTION P OLICIES AND PROCEDURES 5

Climbing the Academic Ladder H AVE A CLEAR VISION OF YOUR GOALS, STRENGTHS, PASSIONS AND VALUES TO INFORM YOUR ACTIVITIES AND DEVELOPMENT Your career is your responsibility! Advancement requires a purposeful process to make good decisions Where do you want to be in five years? Develop a personal plan –Content based (e.g. program development, research team leader) –Structure based (e.g. section chief, department chair, program director) Reflect and plan how to get there: –Narrative Statement/critical self-reflection –What skills will you need? How will you build them? –What is your focus? –What are your strengths? Passions? How can you use them? Review your goals and plan at least annually 6

Climbing the Academic Ladder P ERSONAL C AREER S TATEMENT Taking into account my values, interest, passions and strengths, my personal career goal is to……. ____________________________________ ____________________________________ ____________________________________ ____________________________________ ________________ 7

Climbing the Academic Ladder K EEP YOUR TEACHING PORTFOLIO AND CV UP TO DATE Keep a teaching portfolio with evaluations Be aware of faculty development programs Follow institutional template for CV Develop a narrative statement for promotion 8

Climbing the Academic Ladder N ARRATIVE S TATEMENTS Purpose: Provide faculty the opportunity to place their work and activities in the context of their overall goals as a faculty member at UMMS Discusses and links teaching, research/creative accomplishments, and service Identifies themes or passions that link your activities into a coherent whole and help reviewers understand the decisions you made Example: goal of establishing an independent research program; goal of integrating teaching, research and clinical service Define your research agenda and what it contributes Explain how your scholarship informs your teaching if appropriate Statement of teaching philosophy Scholarship supporting teaching How you linked service to scholarly work /teaching (if appropriate) Comment on future directions for your career and plan 9

Climbing the Academic Ladder E NLIST MENTORS : MENTORS FOR DIFFERENT ROLES P EER A DVANCED I NTERNAL -L ABMATE -P EER IN OTHER SPECIALTY - C O -T EACHER -P RIMARY ON - SITE MENTOR - R ESEARCHER -E DUCATOR E XTERNAL -SIG S -C ONNECTION MADE IN DISCUSSION -NPAM MENTOR -E XPERT CONSULTANT 10

Climbing the Academic Ladder M ENTORING O BJECTIVES Enhance professional growth Foster enthusiasm, excitement, and interest Assist with entry into academic community Help mentee focus and set direction Assist with career planning and goals Provide useful information and support Advocate when needed 11

Climbing the Academic Ladder B UILD EFFECTIVE ACADEMIC NETWORKS Identify faculty in your institution with similar or complimentary interests Identify people in your professional society with similar or complimentary interests Reflect on your goals and identify disciplines that would be helpful to you Network 12

Climbing the Academic Ladder R EVIEW A NNUAL G OALS WITH C HAIR /C HIEF 13 Meet annually to discuss goals and plans Chair/Chief needs to agree with yearly goals Include promotion as a goal Document goal

Climbing the Academic Ladder R ECOGNIZE AND USE OPPORTUNITIES TO A DVANCE Know when to say no or yes or thank you, let me think about that and Ill get back to you…. Check it out with a mentor Use opportunities to gain visibility and credibility for leadership Select service opportunities Allow some flexibility Have Fun and strive for balance 14

Climbing the Academic Ladder E SSENTIALS FOR S UCCESS Know your institution, its promotion policies and procedures Have a clear vision of your goals, strengths, passions and values, to inform your activities and development Keep your teaching portfolio and CV up to date Enlist mentors Build effective academic networks Review annual goals with your Chair/Chief Recognize and use opportunities to advance 15