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Promotions and Tenure

School of Medicine Faculty Affairs
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The procedures for appointment and promotion to Associate Professor and Professor, as well as the award of tenure, are fully outlined in the School of Medicine Rules (PDF).

Review for promotion to Associate Professor may occur whenever the faculty member meets the specified criteria (PDF), but normally the review must begin by the beginning of the seventh year of service as Assistant Professor. Faculty members who are not promoted to Associate Professor during the seventh year at the rank of Assistant Professor will be given one year’s notice of non-renewal.  Note: All Assistant Professors must undergo a Comprehensive Mid-Term Review, which should be done in the 3rd or 4th year of the Assistant Professor appointment.  More information regarding this Comprehensive Mid-Term Review can be found here.

A three-year extension to the seven-year probationary period may be granted before the candidate’s dossier is received by the SOM Faculty Promotions Committee, in accordance with current policies, which are contained in the School of Medicine Rules (PDF).  Departments should submit a completed Request for Probationary Period Extension to Cheryl Welch, Director of Faculty Affairs.

The Process for Promotion – Shared Responsibilities is a guide to the different responsibilities of the individual faculty member, the Department, and the School with regard to promotion to Associate Professor.

The deadline for submission of dossiers for appointments and promotions to Associate Professor and Professor, as well as the award of tenure, which are to be effective July 1st, are due in the Office of Faculty Affairs by December 31st.  Note that deadlines for submission of dossiers to your Departmental Advisory Committee will be earlier than this deadline.  For detailed information on preparation of dossiers, please see "Dossier Prepration" tab on this page. 

School of Medicine Promotion Criteria (PDF) in the regular faculty ranks is found in the School of Medicine Rules (PDF). The Promotion Criteria Matrix (PDF) is used to guide faculty members, department chairs, and promotion committees in assessing whether a faculty member has met these criteria.

Criteria for ranks in the Research Professor Series can be found in the Research Professor Series Criteria.

 

Dossiers must be prepared for appointments and promotions to Associate Professor and Professor, as well as tenure awards, according to the Checklist for Dossiers (PDF) and are due in the Office of Faculty Affairs by December 31st of each year.  Please note that your department will have an earlier deadline for submission of the dossier for review by your departmental advisory committee, before submission to the Office of Faculty Affairs.  Additional documents for use in the preparation of promotion and tenure dossiers include:

  1. Dossier Preparation Guide (PDF), which provides important information and examples for preparing promotion and tenure dossiers. 

  2. Step-by-Step Guide for preparing dossiers in PDF format.  (Please contact your department regarding their preferred process for preparing and submitting your dossier for review by your Departmental Advisory Committee.)

  3. Vice Chancellor’s Advisory Committee Request Cover Sheet (DOC), which must be completed as instructed and included with the dossier.

  4. CV Abstract Form (DOC)

  5. CV Format (DOC), which is a suggested format for the CV.

  6. External Reference Letter Request Template (DOC), which is a template that can be used, by department chairs and division heads, when requesting external reference letters.

Portfolio Templates

Dossiers for faculty requesting appointment or promotion to Associate Professor or Professor, as well as requests for tenure, must include a Teaching Portfolio, which is located in the Dossier Building Guide (PDF). In addition, narratives, written by the candidate, are required. These narratives should summarize and explain the candidate’s principal activities and accomplishments in teaching.

A faculty member seeking promotion on the basis of excellence in clinical service must submit a Clinician’s Portfolio, which is located in the Dossier Building Guide (PDF).  In addition, narratives, written by the faculty member, are required. These should summarize and explain the candidate’s principal activities and accomplishments in clinical practice.

Scholarship Information

All faculty are required to participate in scholarship, as broadly defined in the School of Medicine Rules (PDF). All scholarship implies creativity. The products of all scholarship must be in a format that can be evaluated, which would normally mean a written format, but could include video or computer formats. Further information regarding the types of scholarship that are recognized by the School of Medicine is found in the School of Medicine Rules (PDF).

In addition, two documents are available that provide information regarding scholarship:

  • Education Scholarship Memo (PDF): "Turning Committee Work and Course Leadership into Teaching Scholarship: A guide for educators at the University of Colorado School of Medicine.”

  • Scholarship Alternatives (PDF): “Alternative Scholarship and Faculty Success: Examples of the scholarship of application, integration and education.”

​Awards of Tenure

Faculty who are employees of the University of Colorado in the regular academic ranks of Associate Professor or Professor are eligible for consideration for an award of tenure. Consideration for promotion and an award of tenure will be separate processes, but they may occur concurrently.

The award of tenure in the School of Medicine will be reserved for those faculty members who are among the best in their field of scholarly endeavor. The faculty members will also be widely recognized as outstanding and influential teachers, and will show definitive promise of continuing, outstanding contributions to the School of Medicine. Further information regarding criteria for the award of tenure can be found in the School of Medicine Rules (PDF).

Post-Tenure Reviews

Award of Tenure Criteria

A faculty member at an affiliated institution (e.g., DHHA, NJH, VAMC) who holds the rank of Associate Professor or Professor, and who has a record of outstanding accomplishments in teaching and scholarship, is eligible for consideration for the distinction of “tenure criteria.” The distinction of “tenure criteria” is not the same as tenure and shall not involve any continuing financial obligation by the School of Medicine or the University. A tenure-criteria faculty member at an affiliated hospital who becomes a University employee does not automatically gain tenure but is eligible to apply for tenure in accordance with University and School of Medicine rules.