Expectations for Faculty Member Meetings with Primary Department Chairs:
Tenure-track/Tenure, Non-tenure, and AMS Faculty Lines:
The Chair (and/or their designee as academic advisor) shall meet with each faculty member at the rank of Assistant Professor or Associate Professor on a regular basis (which at a minimum is annually, but is expected to be more than once per year) in order to assure that each faculty member below the rank of Professor is meeting expectations for teaching, research, scholarship and engagement as set forth in this document.
Each department should work to establish a template for gathering appropriate information such that the Chair (or Chair designee) should be able to assess the accomplishments and shortfalls of each faculty member with respect to the expectations in their academic line. Templates may vary from department to department, but each department is encouraged to use a similar template and mechanism of assessment for all of its faculty members within a specific line. Chairs (or their designees) need to identify accomplishments, shortfalls and trajectory for advancement well in advance of an expected date for promotion review.
To this end, it is also the obligation of each department to designate a senior mentor or (ideally) a senior faculty mentoring committee to each faculty member below the rank of Professor to assure that they are provided ongoing and appropriate guidance to develop to the best of their ability with the goal of advancement in rank within a period of six (6) years. Promotion criteria for faculty members will differ depending on the line, track, and rank; however, advances for all academic titles shall be predicated upon common elements of excellence in scholarship, reflecting contributions of each faculty member to their academic field of endeavor and to the community that includes Dartmouth but also extends beyond its borders.
For faculty members in the Tenure-track/Tenure, Non-tenure and AMS Lines, the Chair should insure that there is an academic plan that will be consistent with promotion within the expected timeframe of six (6) years in rank (except when circumstances support either an accelerated or prolonged timeframe). Moreover, faculty members should convey to chairs at these meetings information related not only to their status with respect to their scholarship, teaching, research, engagement, and service, but also what resources are needed and, conversely, what barriers they believe exist towards maximizing their academic potential.
Recommendations to advance a candidate to the APT Committee for consideration for academic advancement are to be made following review and recommendation by a committee of active senior faculty at Geisel with expertise in the candidate’s field of endeavor to the candidate’s Chair(s) and according to protocols outlines in Appendix 5. The vote (anonymized) of the senior faculty should be conveyed to the Dean's Office at the time the portfolio is provided for APT Committee review. In some cases, inclusion of recently retired or emerit members of the faculty on the departmental promotions committee may be appropriate, but inclusion must be reviewed and approved by the Dean of Faculty Affairs since retired faculty members are by definition non-voting. This committee may be composed solely of members of the candidate’s home department or, for departments that have smaller numbers of senior faculty members, of members from the home department and other departments with appropriate expertise.
The Chair (and/or their designee as academic advisor) shall meet with Instructors, Lecturers, and those at the rank of full Professor (Tenure-track/Tenure, Nontenure-track and AMS Faculty Lines) at least annually to ascertain that they are meeting expectations for teaching, research, and service to Geisel, and to assure that they can convey to the Chair needs that they may have to meet those professional obligations.
Outside Professional Activities:
All full-time faculty members at Geisel who are employed by Dartmouth College (Tenure-track/Tenure and Non-tenure Lines) may engage in outside professional activities (e.g., consulting or teaching at summer institutes in which fees for services are paid to the individual, rather than as a contract/grant through Dartmouth College). As with policies for Dartmouth more broadly, such activities should be consistent with their professional duties and should be carried out at the equivalent of no more than one day per 7-day week. In no case should consulting or other outside activities interfere with the teaching, research, service, or other obligations and responsibilities of the faculty member to the medical school. For faculty who are employees of Dartmouth College, such arrangements should also be reviewed and approved by and the Dean of Faculty Affairs/Executive Dean of Administration & Finance in advance of making any contractual arrangements or continuing commitments, and faculty members are requested to keep their Chairs and the Geisel Dean’s Office informed of all formal or continuing arrangements to ensure that such activities comport with state, federal or Dartmouth policies.
For all faculty members, irrespective of employer, the faculty member's Chair is responsible for apprising the Dean's Office of any outside activities that may have implications for the individual's standing as a member of the Dartmouth faculty. Faculty members of Geisel School of Medicine who are employed by other entities are obligated to follow professional guidelines of those institutions with respect to participation in outside professional activities.
Expectations for Physical Presence on Campus:
All full-time faculty members have the expectation of a primary commitment to their academic responsibilities at Geisel and its primary clinical partners. It is recognized that with internet connectivity, many of the activities that are core to scholarly work may be done in a multitude of locations. Nonetheless, we also hold that interaction with the rest of the Geisel community is critical to our functions as teachers, investigators, scholars, and practitioners of academic medicine. Therefore, it is the expectation that all full-time faculty members maintain a regular residential and physical presence within the major campuses affiliated with Geisel during any quarter in which they are active (e.g., not on family leave etc.). It is recognized that faculty members will engage in activities associated with their professional responsibilities (e.g., study section, attending professional meetings, giving seminars, or teaching in invited academic programs offsite) that may take them off campus. However, outside of such normal academic obligations, prolonged periods in which they are absent must have prior approval by the chair of the department, the Dean’s Office, and all other relevant parties (vide infra, Leave of Absence/Remote Work Agreements).
Leave of Absence/Remote Work Agreements:
Faculty members employed by Dartmouth College may take a leave of absence (LOA), but retain status as an employee under Family Medical & Leave Act (FMLA). Guidelines for FMLA and leave related to birth/adoption of a child for Geisel faculty and non-faculty academics are set out in Geisel's Policy on Parental Leave. Individual faculty members and non-faculty academics who are employees of Dartmouth College should consult with both The Office of Human Resources and with the Geisel Dean's Office for information on policies/procedures regarding other types of medical leave. Specifically, the Dean of Faculty Affairs and the Executive Dean for Finance and Administration must be informed and consulted with respect to expectations for ongoing financial support during any leave period outside of those specifically covered for Geisel Faculty/NFAs under Geisel's Policy on Parental Leave.
Faculty members in the AMS or Clinical Faculty Lines may also be approved for a LOA by their employers. In such cases, the faculty member’s Chair is obligated to inform the Dean of Faculty Affairs of the LOA.
Unless there are Dartmouth College policies that are intended to apply to Geisel-appointed faculty and non-faculty academics that stipulate otherwise, it is at the discretion of the Dean as to whether a faculty member will be allowed to retain their appointment during a leave of absence. The Dean has the sole discretion to reinstate faculty status if and when employment is resumed or re-employment occurs.
As noted above (Expectations for Presence on Campus), some faculty members may also be afforded the opportunity to work remotely while maintaining their dedicated FTE during an identified remote work period. All such agreements must be reviewed and agreed upon by the faculty member’s chair, the Dean of Faculty Affairs, and, if relevant, the Executive Dean of Administration and Finance at Geisel or other key leaders of Geisel’s clinical partners (e.g., D-H/ WRJ VAMC). In addition, all such remote work agreements must meet expectations set forth by any relevant funding agencies for the scope of sponsored work and for Dartmouth’s policies. It will be the obligation of the faculty member to correspond with sponsors, as well as with and Dartmouth’s Office for Sponsored Projects (OSP), and to provide confirmation that sponsors will support such alternative/remote work arrangements.
Obligations of Faculty and Non-Faculty Members of the Dartmouth Academic Community:
Irrespective of employer, individuals who are members of the Dartmouth academic community are expected to know and comply with broader rules and policies of Dartmouth College relevant to their professional responsibilities (e.g., but not limited to sexual respect, conduct in research and/or professionalism policies and guidelines). Many of the relevant policies (or urls), may also be found at the link for the Office of Faculty Affairs. In addition, individuals who hold academic appointments may receive or become aware of confidential material, including employment information, financial data, medical information, trade secrets, and other non-public or proprietary information concerning Dartmouth College, its employees, its students, and its donors. Dartmouth College’s Confidentiality Policy prohibits the use and disclosure of this information, except as necessary to perform the requirements of one's professional duties. For individuals who carry out professional activities at D-H, the WRJ VAMC or CPMC or other clinical affiliates, they may also be held responsible for compliance related to policies governing professional responsibilities and behavior at those institutions.
Termination for Cause:
Faculty and non-faculty academic appointments and employment (Tenure-track/Tenure and Non-tenure Faculty Lines, Research Scientists, Research Associates, Research Fellows) may be terminated for cause according to policies set forth by the Office of Human Resources at Dartmouth College and, where applicable, in the document entitled Organization of the Faculty of Dartmouth College.
Faculty and academic appointments for individuals in other lines (i.e., for individuals who are not employees of Dartmouth College) may also be terminated for cause according to these policies, independent of employment.