Approved by General Faculty: 02/21/2002
In order to enrich the academic and teaching environment of the University of New Mexico School of Medicine (UNMSOM), opportunities are provided for individuals with professional qualifications to have faculty appointments via Letters of Academic Title (LAT) within Departments of the UNMSOM. The appointment and promotion guidelines for LAT faculty members are described in this section.
Titles: Titles that can be used for LAT’s include: Lecturer I, II, or III; Assistant Professor; Associate Professor; Professor; Visiting Scholar.
Appointment Criteria: LAT appointments at the professorial level require the M.D., Ph.D., or equivalent degree. Appointments by LAT at this level will be made at the rank of Assistant Professor unless the individual has met the criteria (below) for appointment at advanced rank. Appointments by LAT at the Lecturer level will require credentials similar to those of individuals holding paid Lecturer positions in the SOM. Appointment and promotion criteria for Lecturers by LAT follow the classification of Lecturer I, II, and III given in the UNM Faculty Handbook.
Appointments: The process for appointing or promoting a faculty member by LAT is initiated by the department Chair, who submits a formal application to the Dean through the Office of Academic Affairs. The department Chair, after consultation with a departmental advisory committee, will submit an application consisting of a letter, the completed application form obtained from the Office of Academic Affairs, and a complete current curriculum vitae of the individual who is requesting LAT status. Appointments by LAT are made for one-year periods with specific academic-rank designations (see Titles and Appointment Criteria) that are consistent with each individual's training, academic performance and/or clinical experience. Initial appointments at the Associate Professor or Professor level are made by the Dean upon recommendation of the Associate Dean for Academic Affairs. Reappointment is evaluated at the departmental level on an annual basis, after which the Chair sends a recommendation and supporting documentation to the Office of Academic-Affairs.
Time in Rank: In general, it is expected that a faculty member by LAT will have completed at least five full years at the rank of Assistant or Associate Professor before being considered for promotion to Associate Professor or Professor. Time in rank at a recognized peer institution will be taken as equivalent to time in rank at UNM.
Assistant Professor: To be appointed at the rank of Assistant Professor an individual should have completed all requisite training and should hold an independent professional position that is commensurate with his/her training. Prior to being considered for appointment, the individual should have come to an agreement with the chair - or the chair's designee - concerning the specific nature of the appointment and of the service to be provided. The agreement should be in writing, using the standard format approved by the Dean of the SOM.
Associate Professor: To be appointed at the rank of Associate Professor, or to be promoted to this rank, an individual should have met the time-in-rank requirements and, in addition, should have established a record of "excellence" in at least one of the mission areas covered by the SOM Tenure and Promotion Standards Guidelines. The three mission areas are: education; clinical service; and scholarly works. The area of excellence should be relevant to the services provided by the individual to the SOM. The SOM Tenure and Promotion Standards Guidelines may be used as a guide to the criteria to be used for promotion considerations. In addition, there should be evidence that the individual possesses high standards of professional ethics.
The chair should provide a letter making the case for the Associate Professor rank based on the above criteria. The chair's letter should state that the senior members of the Department or Division have been consulted and are recommending promotion (or appointment at advanced rank). The chair's letter should be accompanied by a current complete CV for the candidate, the standard forms required by the Dean of the SOM, and any supporting documentation (letters, teaching evaluations, publications, etc.). The complete documentation should be provided in duplicate to the Office of Academic Affairs by the due dates announced by that office. The recommendation will be considered by Associate Dean for Academic Affairs, who will make a recommendation to the Dean. Prior to making this recommendation, the Associate Dean may ask the chair for additional information or documentation.
Professor: To be appointed at the rank of Professor, or to be promoted to this rank, an individual should have met the time-in-rank requirements and, in addition, should have established a continuing record of "excellence" in one of the mission areas covered by the SOM Tenure and Promotion Standards Guidelines. The three mission areas are: education; clinical service; and scholarly works. The area of excellence should be relevant to the services provided by the individual to the SOM. The SOM Tenure and Promotion Standards Guidelines may be used as a guide to the criteria to be used for promotion considerations. In addition, there should be evidence that the individual possesses high standards of professional ethics. Those promoted to the rank of Professor should be held in high regard by their peers and should be role models for their junior colleagues.
The chair should provide a letter making the case for the Professor rank based on the above criteria. The chair's letter should state that the senior members of the Department or Division have been consulted and are recommending promotion (or appointment at advanced rank). The chair's letter should be accompanied by a current complete CV for the candidate, the standard forms required by the Dean of the SOM, and any supporting documentation (letters, teaching evaluations, publications, etc.). The complete documentation should be provided in duplicate to the Office of Academic Affairs by the due dates announced by that office. The recommendation will be considered by the Associate Dean for Academic Affairs, who will make a recommendation to the Dean. Prior to making this recommendation, the Associate Dean may ask the chair for additional information or documentation.
Emeritus: Members who resign from the LAT faculty will become
Emeritus Faculty Members by LAT if at least one of the following conditions has been met:
