Faculty

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Faculty Handbook
Chapter V: Faculty Appointments and Promotions and Non-Faculty Titles

PART-TIME FACULTY

The following considerations and conditions of appointment apply to individuals with doctoral degrees1 who are employed part-time by Mount Sinai School of Medicine and its affiliated and allied institutions.

  1. Full-Time Faculty: Temporary Reduction of Full-Time Effort

    At the request of a full-time faculty member, and with the approval of the Department Chair, a temporary reduction of full-time effort at the Mount Sinai School of Medicine may be granted. The reduction may take the form of a leave of absence without pay, or a decrease in the number of hours worked with a proportionate decrease in pay. During the reduction period, the faculty member will retain his/her full-time title; tenure status will not be altered during the reduction period.

    The nature and length of the reduction in effort are at the discretion of the Chair, but will not exceed three calendar years in total. In extraordinary circumstances, upon recommendation of the Chair and with the approval of the Dean, an exception to this cap may be possible.

    The total time allowed for reduction(s) of effort is independent of the percentage of effort during a reduction period. Examples:

    • Dr. Smith reduces her effort to .6 FTE for one year, and Dr. Jones reduces his effort to .4 FTE for one year. Both will use up one of the three allowable years of reduced effort, leaving a balance of two years.
    • Dr. Smith reduces her effort to .2FTE for one year and then increases to .5FTE for a full year. She will use up two of her three allowable years, leaving a balance of one year.
    • Dr. Jones reduces his effort to .8FTE for six months. He will use up six months of his three allowable years, leaving a balance of 2.5 years.

    In all cases, the faculty member and his/her Chair should discuss the impact of any proposed reduction of effort on the faculty member's career trajectory.

    Under most circumstances a temporary reduction of effort will not alter the term of appointment. However, there are two exceptions:

    1. The "academic clock" will be adjusted for purposes of tenure consideration and of promotion to Associate Professor or Professor in the Academic Track.
    2. A full-time faculty member at any rank who receives a notice of non-reappointment before a temporary reduction of effort may have his/her term of appointment extended; a full-time faculty member at any rank who receives a notice of non-reappointment during a temporary reduction of effort will have his/her term of appointment extended.

    For either of these exceptions, the following extension schedule will apply2:

    If effort is reduced for a period equivalent to: Then the term of appointment
    may be extended as follows:
    Less than 3 months No adjustment
    3 months and up to 6 months Six-month extension
    6 months and up to 15 months One-year extension
    15 months and up to 21 months One and one-half year extension
    21 months and up to 27 months Two-year extension
    27 months and up to 33 months Two and one-half year extension
    33 months and up to 36 months Three year extension
    The effective reduction of effort will be calculated by multiplying
    the percent reduction in effort by the duration (in months) of reduced effort. Examples:
    • 50 percent effort for 1 year: 50 percent x 12 months = effective reduction of 6 months = 6 month extension
    • 75 percent effort for 2 years = 25 percent x 24 months = effective reduction of 6 months = 6 month extension
    • 80 percent effort for 1 year = 20 percent x 12 months = effective reduction of 2.4 months = no extension
    • 60 percent effort for 1.5 years = 40 percent x 18 months = effective reduction of 7.2 months = 1 year extension

    Full-time faculty at any rank who receive notice of reappointment will be reappointed for a term that begins immediately following the end date of the current term of appointment.

    In the event that a full-time faculty member is granted tenure while on a reduced schedule, the tenure will not become effective until the individual resumes his or her full-time effort.

    Full-time faculty who wish to work less than full-time for a period of more than three years may, with the approval of the Department Chair, be appointed to a part-time faculty position (see subsections b and c, below). Those with tenured full-time appointments will relinquish their tenure upon converting to a part-time faculty position.

    Faculty with clinical privileges are advised to consult the Mount Sinai Hospital Medical Staff Bylaws regarding the impact of a proposed reduction of effort or leave of absence on their clinical privileges. Whereas return from an approved leave of absence does not require reapplication for a faculty appointment, medical staff reapplication may be necessary under certain circumstances.

  2. Part-Time Faculty Appointments

    Clinicians and basic scientists may be appointed to the faculty as part-time employees3. The following provisions will apply:

    • Appointment – Appointment at the Instructor and Assistant Professor levels will be at the discretion of the Department Chair; appointment at the Associate Professor and Professor levels must be upon the recommendation of the Department Chair, with subsequent review and approval by the Committee on Appointments and Promotions. Appointment will be without term, and there is no opportunity for tenure.
    • Review – All faculty will be reviewed by their Chairs. The criteria for review will be those of the equivalent full-time rank and track. Part-time faculty at the Associate Professor and Professor levels must, upon the recommendation of the Chair, be reviewed and approved by the Committee on Appointments and Promotions on the same timetable as the equivalent full-time rank and track.
    • Promotion – Promotion to the Assistant Professor level will be at the discretion of the Chair. Promotion to the Associate Professor and Professor levels must be upon recommendation of the Chair, with subsequent review and approval by the Committee on Appointments and Promotions.

    Part-time employment may take one of two forms:

    1. Limited Appointment:

      Individuals may be employed to perform a specific, limited function for a department and/or the School. Although academic pursuits will be encouraged, the primary purpose of the employment is to fulfill a particular role.

      Clinicians will be appointed with titles that are available to voluntary faculty; basic scientists will be appointed with titles that are available to full-time faculty.

      These appointments will be coterminous with the period of employment and may be terminated by Mount Sinai School of Medicine and/or its affiliated institutions at any time. The notification requirements for non-reappointment for full-time and voluntary faculty will not apply.

      Clinicians with appointments on the voluntary faculty may on occasion be asked to provide services to Mount Sinai for which they will be paid. Such clinicians will retain their voluntary faculty appointment upon termination of their part-time employment arrangement.

    2. Career Part-Time Appointment:

      In certain circumstances, e.g., ongoing need to care for dependent children or other family members, an individual may wish to pursue an academic career without committing to full-time employment.

      Career Part-Time faculty will be expected to engage in a broad range of activities compatible with the clinical, research, teaching and service missions of the School. These activities should result in demonstrable academic output including but not limited to: publications; basic or clinical investigation leading to grant acquisition; teaching and mentoring; clinical practice with reputation for specialty expertise; development of innovative programs; invited lectures. Chairs will encourage Career Part-Time Faculty to pursue endeavors that can lead to promotion. Career Part-Time faculty will be employed a minimum of twenty (20) hours per week and a maximum of thirty-two (32) hours per week.

      Career Part-Time Faculty will be appointed with the same titles as are available to full-time faculty.

      Career Part-Time faculty will be employed exclusively by Mount Sinai. They will be subject to the same guidelines as full-time faculty regarding appointment or employment in other entities, salary and income, faculty practice participation and consulting (see Chapter IV).

      Career Part-Time faculty at the level of Instructor or Assistant Professor may convert to full-time status with the approval of the Chair; those at the level of Associate Professor or Professor may, in addition, be subject to review and approval by the Committee on Appointments and Promotions. With the approval of the Chair, Career Part-Time faculty may convert to a Limited Appointment.

      Career Part-Time faculty appointments will be coterminous with the period of employment. Career Part-Time faculty with two or more consecutive years of service on the Mount Sinai School of Medicine faculty at the rank of Instructor or higher will be entitled to written notice of termination from the Chair at least six months prior to the termination date; notification requirements will not apply for Career Part-Time faculty who have served for less two years. Career Part-Time faculty who converted from a full-time Mount Sinai faculty appointment will have the length of full-time service applied towards the two-year minimum required for termination notification.

  3. Professor (Part-Time)

    Full-time Professors in the Academic Track may elect to convert from a full-time to part-time position. Conversion to a part-time position will be made upon the request of the Professor and the concurrence of the Department Chairperson. For individuals with credentials equivalent to those of a Professor at Mount Sinai School of Medicine, appointment to the position of "Professor (part-time)" will be made upon the recommendation of the Department Chairperson and subsequent approval by the Committee on Appointments and Promotions. Appointment to the rank of "Professor (part-time)" will be made for a term of five years without limitation on the number of reappointments permitted. Reappointments to this position will be at the discretion of the Department Chairperson. Written notice of non-reappointment to position must be given a minimum of twelve months prior to completion of the term of appointment for individuals in this position.

Footnotes

1. Doctoral degrees include Doctor of Medicine, Dentistry, Podiatric Medicine, Veterinary Medicine, Osteopathy, Jurisprudence, Public Health, Science, Social Work, and Philosophy (Ph.D.). Under exceptional circumstances, the Department Chair may recommend individuals for appointment who lack doctoral degrees but otherwise fulfill the qualifications for such appointments. Any recommendation by a Department Chair of an individual without a doctoral degree for appointment to the position of Instructor or higher ranks will be subject to the approval of the Committee on Appointments and Promotions.

2. The calculation of term adjustments is dependent on both the percent reduction of effort and the duration of the reduced effort. In contrast, total allowable years of reduced effort is dependent only on the duration of the reduction.

3. Voluntary faculty paid for part-time work at Mount Sinai will be appointed, evaluated and promoted in accordance with Faculty Handbook guidelines for voluntary faculty.
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