Demystifying the Promotion Process: Promotion to Professor Maureen T. Connelly, MD, MPH Acting Dean for Faculty Affairs

Faculty Ranks at HMS Instructor: “Promise” Assistant Professor: “Demonstrated Promise” Reputation may be “within the walls” of HMS and the local community only Associate Professor: “Promise Realized” Broader reputation outside the local area (usually national) Significant accomplishments since promotion to assistant professor Professor: “Extraordinary Accomplishment” True distinction as a scientist, teacher and/or clinician National, and often international, reputation Promotion to Professor McLean 3.10.10

Number of Faculty at HMS In 2008: 10,885 8,075 In 1980: 2,810 46% increase in full time faculty since 2000 Promotion to Professor McLean 3.10.10

Fulltime Professors at HMS Promotion to Professor McLean 3.10.10

Current HMS Process Affiliated Institution HMS Dept. head proposes candidate HMS identifies ad hoc committee with input from Academic Dean HMS invites ad hoc committee Dept. Executive Committee sign off Hospital Committee (e.g., PCSA, COSA) Committee chair oriented Chair mails materials to committee CAD Chair hosts conference call Committee finalizes evaluator list Chair solicits evaluations Chair tracks responses OFA tracks responses as needed OFA schedules final meeting Promotion to Professor McLean 3.10.10 SOP

What arrives at HMS... Letter from the Department Head describing the candidate and his/her contributions Approval from the Executive Committee of the Department Approval from the institutional committee (Committee on Senior Appointments - COSA) Internal (2) and external (2) letters of reference obtained as part of the institutional process Candidate’s CV Promotion to Professor McLean 3.10.10

First steps at HMS Review by the Council of Academic Deans (CAD) Candidate is contacted by HMS to ask for copies of the “top 10” and an updated CV “Top 10” may be original articles, reviews/chapters, educational material, CDs, etc. Should be ones on which you have made a major contribution (for articles most often first or last author) Choose those with the greatest impact on the field An ad hoc committee of professors is appointed by the Dean to evaluate the candidate Promotion to Professor McLean 3.10.10

Ad hoc Evaluation Committee Committee of 6 professors appointed by the Dean 4 professors from within HMS (usually one from candidate’s department) 2 professors from outside HMS Evidence used in the evaluation Material from the initial institutional evaluation (Department head letter, letters of reference) Curriculum vitae “Top 10” articles Request additional letters of reference 4-6 internal letters evaluating local as well as broader contributions 5-7 external letters evaluating candidate’s work compared with peers Promotion to Professor McLean 3.10.10

Final meeting of the ad hoc Committee Meeting attended by: 6 committee members (external by conference call) Representative of the Dean’s Office Reviewer from the Subcommittee of Professors In depth review and discussion of candidate’s: Research contributions including a detailed review of the “top 10” National and international reputation Role in teaching and training Role in the department/institution Committee produces a report with its findings Promotion to Professor McLean 3.10.10

Meeting of the Subcommittee of Professors Report of the reviewer who attended the final meeting of the ad hoc evaluation committee Report of a secondary reviewer Comments from the chair of the ad hoc Evaluation Committee SOP considers and makes a recommendation to the Dean Promotion to Professor McLean 3.10.10

Final Steps…. The Dean forwards his recommendation for approval to the Provost and President When approval is received from the University, the Department chair is notified by the Dean’s office Letter is sent by the Dean to the new Professor Letter of Confirmation (“I beg to inform you”) is sent to the Professor by the Secretary to the University CONGRATUALTIONS! Promotion to Professor McLean 3.10.10

Members: Streamlining Promotions Task Force Barbara McNeil Head of the Department of Health Care Policy, HMS Orah Platt Academic Dean, CHB Scott Rauch Head of the Department of Psychiatry, McLean Hospital Barrett Rollins Academic Dean, DFCI Isaac Schiff Head of the Department of Obstetrics, Gynecology and Reproductive Biology, MGH Vikas Sukhatme Academic Dean, BIDMC Joseph Volpe Chair, Senior Appointments Committee, CHB Jeanine Wiener-Kronish Head of the Department of Anaesthesia and Critical Care, MGH Nancy Tarbell Dean for Academic and Clinical Affairs, HMS Maureen Connelly Acting Dean for Faculty Affairs, HMS Joel Goldstein Partner, Wellesley Partners Michael Gimbrone Head of the Department of Pathology, BWH Michael Greenberg Head of the Department of Neurobiology, HMS Douglas Hanto Acting Head of the Department of Surgery, BIDMC T. Howard Howell Dean for Dental Education, HSDM Joseph Loscalzo Head of the Department of Medicine, BWH Promotion to Professor McLean 3.10.10

Key Questions Can any of the existing steps be modified or eliminated? Can more of the administrative process be managed locally? By HMS? A combination of the two? Are all current review committees necessary? Is the evaluation committee structure optimal? How can incentive to accelerate the process be balanced by the need for objectivity? What metrics could be used to confirm fairness across departments? Adequate rigor? Evidence of improvement in the process? Promotion to Professor McLean 3.10.10

Promotion to Professor McLean 3.10.10

Promotion to Professor McLean 3.10.10

Promotion to Professor McLean 3.10.10

Promotion to Professor McLean 3.10.10

Creating a Promotion Profile

One man’s story….. John Enders (1897-1985) Joined the HMS faculty in 1930 as an instructor In 1954, he won the Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine for his discovery that polio virus could be grown in a variety of tissues, laying the groundwork for development of the polio vaccine In 1956, he was promoted to Professor at Harvard Medical School Dr. Enders was a virologist won the nobel prize in 1954 jointly with Drs. Frederick Robbins and Thomas Weller for discovering that poliomyelitis virus could be grown in culture in a variety of tissues. Dr. Enders work formed the basis for the development of the polio vaccine. This allowed production of the virus on a larger scale needed for study. Did not develop polio vaccines but did develop other vaccines Dr. John Enders joined the HMS faculty in 1930 as an instructor, was promoted to assistant professor in 1935 and to associate professor in 1942. Promotion to Professor McLean 3.10.10

Contact Us Website: www.hms.harvard.edu/fa/promotion.htm Create “customized” criteria for their rank and activities Dedicated e-mail and phone line for questions E-mail: OFA_Promotions@hms.harvard.edu Phone: 617-432-7112 Promotion to Professor McLean 3.10.10