After a year of consultations, the Faculty of Medicine and Dentistry (FoMD) plans to introduce a standardized system under which all appointments, renewals and promotions for Clinical Academic Colleagues (CACs) will be determined.
The tentative goal is to roll out the changes across all 13 clinical departments - including the Department of Psychiatry - by the summer of 2020, says Dr. Jonathan Choy, the FoMD's Associate Dean, Clinical Faculty, who is spearheading the review.
"Our Clinical Faculty Committee was struck a year ago and includes representatives from every clinical department. They're providing me with advice on the issue, but the process of driving harmonization has really been on my plate. The clinical faculty outnumbers the tenure track faculty here by a ratio of four-to-one, or 2,800 to 700, so these changes will affect a lot of people," notes Dr. Choy, who also serves as a Clinical Professor in the Department of Medicine, Cardiology Division.
The range of positions for clinical faculty includes Clinical Lecturers, Assistant Clinical Professors, Associate Clinical Professors, and Clinical Professors, the highest rank.
"Up to now, every department - whether it's Psychiatry, Medicine or Surgery - has had their own way of dealing with appointments and promotions for Clinical Academic Colleagues," says Dr. Alberto Choy, Associate Chair, Academic Affairs, Department of Psychiatry, and a participant in the CAC review process.
"The CACs are not full-time university employees and they aren't paid a salary for teaching. They're basically volunteer teachers, clinicians who enjoy teaching at medical school and educating students. Jonathan's work is aimed at harmonizing the process so there is greater consistency in the way all departments identify, manage and promote their clinical colleagues."
In many departments, the Chair has traditionally exercised authority over CAC appointments and promotions. In others, a Promotions Committee has overseen the process. But beyond that, there has been little uniformity.
In some departments, CAC appointments were made every year and required a renewal every year. In others, appointments were renewed every three years or even every five years.
"So there is now a desire to harmonize the process and ensure there is a common understanding that for those who achieve the rank of Clinical Professor, for example, the standards and the rigour by which those standards are applied are consistent," Jonathan explains.
A document outlining the proposed changes to CAC appointments and promotions has undergone multiple drafts by members of the Clinical Faculty Committee over the past year. Their primary focus has now moved to the implementation phase.
One of the key proposed changes is that Clinical Lecturers will automatically be considered for advancement after three years, without having to undergo the traditional application process.
"The implications of these changes for the Clinical Chairs are also substantial. We're saying that you have to meet with all of your clinical faculty a minimum of twice in every five-year period, and if you are not used to that, you're going to have to figure out how that piece is going to work," Jonathan adds.
"These changes reflect the university's desire to recognize those who have made a major contribution to teaching and / or administrative leadership, research or clinical innovations. Those are the four pillars if you will, and
Clinical Professors will need to demonstrate consistent and continued excellence in (at least) two of these four areas."
Although clinical faculty members are not paid to teach, there are some modest perks that go with the positions.
"With the clinical faculty appointment you get a University of Alberta email address and a computing ID, which allows you access to the library and thousands of online journals, which would otherwise cost tens of thousands of dollars in subscription fees," Jonathan explains.
Additional perks include access to a Staff ONEcard, which entitles holders to free use of Edmonton's LRT system between South Campus and Royal Alexandra Hospital stations, as well as access to Google Drive storage products and the full suite of Microsoft Office products, at discounted rates.
Clinical faculty also qualify for CAUBO discount rates at Fairmont Hotels in Canada.
"There is also access to the U of A's athletic facilities, at affiliate rates, and academic discounts at the Apple store. So there are some benefits for our CACs. But what really compels most people to become involved in teaching is the concept of paying it forward. We all learned and were taught, and now it's our turn to pay it forward."
The tentative goal is to roll out the changes across all 13 clinical departments - including the Department of Psychiatry - by the summer of 2020, says Dr. Jonathan Choy, the FoMD's Associate Dean, Clinical Faculty, who is spearheading the review.
"Our Clinical Faculty Committee was struck a year ago and includes representatives from every clinical department. They're providing me with advice on the issue, but the process of driving harmonization has really been on my plate. The clinical faculty outnumbers the tenure track faculty here by a ratio of four-to-one, or 2,800 to 700, so these changes will affect a lot of people," notes Dr. Choy, who also serves as a Clinical Professor in the Department of Medicine, Cardiology Division.
The range of positions for clinical faculty includes Clinical Lecturers, Assistant Clinical Professors, Associate Clinical Professors, and Clinical Professors, the highest rank.
"Up to now, every department - whether it's Psychiatry, Medicine or Surgery - has had their own way of dealing with appointments and promotions for Clinical Academic Colleagues," says Dr. Alberto Choy, Associate Chair, Academic Affairs, Department of Psychiatry, and a participant in the CAC review process.
"The CACs are not full-time university employees and they aren't paid a salary for teaching. They're basically volunteer teachers, clinicians who enjoy teaching at medical school and educating students. Jonathan's work is aimed at harmonizing the process so there is greater consistency in the way all departments identify, manage and promote their clinical colleagues."
In many departments, the Chair has traditionally exercised authority over CAC appointments and promotions. In others, a Promotions Committee has overseen the process. But beyond that, there has been little uniformity.
In some departments, CAC appointments were made every year and required a renewal every year. In others, appointments were renewed every three years or even every five years.
"So there is now a desire to harmonize the process and ensure there is a common understanding that for those who achieve the rank of Clinical Professor, for example, the standards and the rigour by which those standards are applied are consistent," Jonathan explains.
A document outlining the proposed changes to CAC appointments and promotions has undergone multiple drafts by members of the Clinical Faculty Committee over the past year. Their primary focus has now moved to the implementation phase.
One of the key proposed changes is that Clinical Lecturers will automatically be considered for advancement after three years, without having to undergo the traditional application process.
"The implications of these changes for the Clinical Chairs are also substantial. We're saying that you have to meet with all of your clinical faculty a minimum of twice in every five-year period, and if you are not used to that, you're going to have to figure out how that piece is going to work," Jonathan adds.
"These changes reflect the university's desire to recognize those who have made a major contribution to teaching and / or administrative leadership, research or clinical innovations. Those are the four pillars if you will, and
Clinical Professors will need to demonstrate consistent and continued excellence in (at least) two of these four areas."
Although clinical faculty members are not paid to teach, there are some modest perks that go with the positions.
"With the clinical faculty appointment you get a University of Alberta email address and a computing ID, which allows you access to the library and thousands of online journals, which would otherwise cost tens of thousands of dollars in subscription fees," Jonathan explains.
Additional perks include access to a Staff ONEcard, which entitles holders to free use of Edmonton's LRT system between South Campus and Royal Alexandra Hospital stations, as well as access to Google Drive storage products and the full suite of Microsoft Office products, at discounted rates.
Clinical faculty also qualify for CAUBO discount rates at Fairmont Hotels in Canada.
"There is also access to the U of A's athletic facilities, at affiliate rates, and academic discounts at the Apple store. So there are some benefits for our CACs. But what really compels most people to become involved in teaching is the concept of paying it forward. We all learned and were taught, and now it's our turn to pay it forward."