AA/PPS 04.01.22 - Clinical Faculty Appointments

POLICY STATEMENT

Texas State University is committed to recruiting and retaining fully-credentialed clinical faculty in disciplines where clinical experience has particular relevance and value.

1. BACKGROUND INFORMATION

   1. * The clinical faculty appointment provides an appointment route for individuals who are entering higher education from the clinical practice environment. This appointment is reserved for individuals with extensive full-time experience and accomplishments in clinical practice that complement and enhance the goals of an academic unit.

   2. Clinical faculty make a unique contribution to the mission of Texas State University through the integration of clinical knowledge and skills with teaching, learning, and scholarship. Clinical faculty may be drawn from a variety of professional backgrounds and disciplines, but most are associated with health professions, human services, and other fields with professional accreditation standards that require clinical teaching, clinical supervision, and clinical oversight.

   3. This policy establishes the appropriate rank and title for individuals who participate in academic programs that educate students for careers in clinical practice and value contemporary experience and applied scholarship. The primary responsibilities of an appointed clinical faculty member are to provide education and direct student experiences in the area of client or patient services, engage in scholarly efforts that enhance clinical practice, knowledge in the discipline, or education in a particular discipline, and serve internal and external constituents.

2. ACADEMIC RANKS AND TITLES

   1. The academic ranks and related titles in clinical faculty appointments shall be:

      1. clinical lecturer;

      2. clinical assistant professor;

      3. clinical associate professor; and

      4. clinical professor.

   2. This series of ranks is established so the university can recruit and retain fully credentialed and salaried faculty in the clinical disciplines. The series also provides the opportunity for clinical faculty in promotion-eligible ranks (i.e., assistant professor, associate professor, and professor) to seek advancement and promotion.

3. PROCEDURES FOR HIRING AND APPOINTMENTS

   1. Search and hiring procedures for clinical faculty appointments are required, as described in AA/PPS No. 04.01.01, Faculty Hiring.

   2. Clinical faculty may be appointed at any academic rank as long as the faculty member fulfills the requirements. All appointments will recognize the individual’s clinical background and contributions, as well as the potential to provide education, scholarly and professional engagement, and service in relevant areas of clinical practice or management.

   3. A faculty member on appointment as clinical faculty is eligible for all benefits except tenure.

   4. Clinical faculty appointments are annual appointments subject to annual performance and reappointment review and contingent upon continuity of funding and departmental need.

      1. A clinical lecturer may be appointed for a specific term, not to exceed three years or, if for a lesser period of time, the time period specified, subject to annual reappointment review.

      2. A clinical assistant professor, clinical associate professor, or clinical professor may be appointed for a term not to exceed five years or, if for a lesser period of time, the time period specified, subject to annual reappointment review.

      3. A faculty member may be reappointed in the clinical role for one or more additional terms, contingent upon satisfactory performance review, continuity of funding, and departmental need.

   5. Clinical faculty may be appointed to graduate faculty status by following the same departmental guidelines used for faculty in that particular department. Clinical faculty members typically do not direct graduate theses and dissertations but may serve on thesis and dissertation committees as appointed (see AA/PPS No. 04.01.30, Nomination and Evaluation Procedures for Graduate Faculty for guidelines and procedures for obtaining graduate faculty status).

   6. If a current clinical faculty member at Texas State pursues a tenure-track appointment at Texas State, years of service in the clinical role will not be considered in the determination of the initial rank of appointment and probationary period for tenure or promotion purposes. If a current tenure-track faculty member at Texas State pursues a clinical appointment, years of service in the tenure-track role will not be considered in the determination of the initial rank of appointment or eligibility for promotion.

4. RANKS UPON INITIAL APPOINTMENT

   1. Clinical Lecturer – Appointment to the rank of clinical lecturer may be extended to an individual with the following qualifications:

      1. meets the faculty qualifications policy of the hiring unit, including any professional credential or license required by the discipline;

      2. demonstrates current and contemporary competence in clinical practice or management; and

      3. * documents significant years (normally more than five beyond entry level) of full-time experience in clinical practice or management, and potential for significant professional growth.

   2. Clinical Assistant Professor – Appointment to the rank of clinical assistant professor is extended to an individual with the following qualifications:

      1. meets the faculty qualifications policy of the hiring unit, including any professional credential or license required by the discipline;

      2. demonstrates current and contemporary competence in clinical practice or management;

      3. * documents significant years (normally more than five beyond entry level) of full-time experience in clinical practice or management, and potential for significant professional growth;

      4. has experience in professional education at the university level;

      5. engages in scholarship through relevant professional presentations, workshops, or publications; and

      6. exhibits leadership in relevant professional organizations.

   3. Clinical Associate Professor – Appointment to the rank of clinical associate professor may be extended to an individual with the following qualifications:

      1. meets the faculty qualifications policy of the hiring unit, including any professional credential or license required by the discipline;

      2. demonstrates current and contemporary competence in clinical practice or management;

      3. * documents significant years (normally more than 10 beyond entry level) of full-time experience in clinical practice or management, and potential for significant professional growth;

      4. has more than five years of experience in professional education at the university level;

      5. engages in scholarship through relevant professional presentations, workshops, or publications; and

      6. exhibits leadership in relevant professional organizations.

   4. Clinical Professor – Appointment to the rank of clinical professor may be extended to an individual with the following qualifications:

      1. meets the faculty qualifications policy of the hiring unit, including any professional credential or license required by the discipline;

      2. demonstrates current and contemporary competence in clinical practice or management;

      3. * documents significant years (normally more than 15 beyond entry level) of full-time experience in clinical practice or management, and potential for significant professional growth;

      4. has more than 10 years of experience in professional education at the university level;

      5. engages in scholarship through relevant professional presentations, workshops, or publications;

      6. exhibits leadership in relevant professional organizations; and

      7. documents recognition by peers for professional contributions (e.g., awards).

5. PROCEDURES FOR PERFORMANCE EVALUATION

   1. Appointees as clinical faculty are subject to annual performance review, as described in AA/PPS No. 04.02.10, Performance Evaluation of Continuing Faculty and Post-Tenure Review.

   2. Clinical lecturer duties and performance reviews are restricted to teaching functions and may include limited-service activities.

   3. Three areas of activity are important in the annual performance review of clinical assistant professors, clinical associate professors, and clinical professors:

      1. Effective Teaching – classroom, laboratory, clinic, field education, or supervision of students;

      2. Scholarly and Professional Engagement – peer-reviewed contributions that enhance knowledge, skills, and practice in clinical practice, education, or relevant disciplines (e.g., reports, presentations, publications); and

      3. Service – outreach activities to external entities, committee membership, program coordination, or related activities.

   4. As applicable, each department or school will develop a policy for the annual review and reappointment of clinical faculty. The policy should specify the level of performance expected and clarify the requirements for documenting performance in teaching, scholarly and professional engagement, and service. Workload assignments for clinical faculty should align with the performance expectations.

6. PROCEDURES FOR PROMOTION REVIEW

   1. Procedures for promotion to academic ranks for clinical faculty appointments are described in AA/PPS No. 04.02.20, Tenure and Promotion Review.

   2. Three areas of activity are important in the evaluation of individuals for promotion in the clinical faculty track:

      1. Effective Teaching – classroom, laboratory, clinic, field education, or supervision of students;

      2. Scholarly and Professional Engagement – peer-reviewed and published contributions, or its equivalent, that enhance knowledge, skills, and practice in clinical practice, education, or relevant disciplines; and

      3. Service – outreach activities to external entities, committee membership, program coordination, or related activities.

   3. As applicable, each department or school will develop a policy for the promotion of clinical faculty in promotion-eligible ranks. The policy should specify the level of performance expected and clarify the requirements for documenting performance in teaching, scholarly and professional engagement, and service. Workload assignments for clinical faculty should align with the performance expectations.

   4. Typically, clinical faculty spend five years in rank before being eligible for promotion. The year in which the promotion is reviewed will count as one of the years in rank.

7. REVIEWER OF THIS PPS

   1. Reviewer of this PPS includes the following:

      Position	Date
      Associate Provost	October 1 E4Y

8. CERTIFICATION STATEMENT

   This PPS has been approved by the following individuals in their official capacities and represents Texas State Academic Affairs policy and procedure from the date of this document until superseded.

   Associate Provost; senior reviewer of this PPS

   Provost and Vice President for Academic Affairs