Historical change approved for non-tenure-track, ranked, academic faculty
The Faculty of Medicine has, for some time, been engaged in a process to address certain anomalies in terms of how our non-tenure-track, ranked, academic faculty members are appointed, mentored, promoted and recognized in the University. A GFTH (Geographical Full-time Hospital) Task Force was convened by the Dean in the fall of 2008 to address these issues, and a “Report to the Senate on Non-Tenure-Track MD Faculty (GFTH) within the Faculty of Medicine” was submitted to the Provost in May of 2009. The recommendations of this report were incorporated into a subsequent document submitted to the University Senate in 2010, proposing new regulations regarding non-tenure-track faculty at the University. This new set of University regulations, “Regulations Relating to the Employment of Contract Academic Staff,” became effective as of September 1, 2010.
The Faculty of Medicine has now developed a new appointment and promotions policy that pertains to its own non-tenure-track, ranked, academic faculty members, and that incorporates the regulations instituted by the University, as above. Our policy has recently received Provostial approval. (Policies relating to tenure-stream faculty members remain unchanged.) The Faculty’s policy addresses categories of appointment including those faculty members formerly known as GFTHs and, we believe, represents a sea change in terms of how the non-tenure-stream, ranked faculty members are recognized by the University.
1. Those faculty members considered “full-time” by the Faculty of Medicine are now considered “full-time” by the University.
2. Non-tenure-stream, ranked, academic faculty are termed “Contract Academic Staff.” Academic ranks include Lecturer, Assistant Professor, Associate Professor and Full Professor.
3. Specific non-tenure-track, academic streams within the Faculty of Medicine have been developed. Appointments are defined by descriptors, which include: clinical, research and professional.
• The clinical suffix applies to the group formerly termed GFTH. (It also applies to MD clinicians who are part-time, and who are defined as such.);
• The research suffix applies to those faculty members pursuing research careers (generally PhDs); and
• The professional suffix applies to those academics involved in the advancement of, or teaching directed at, a specific profession (e.g., School of Nursing).
3. Promotion criteria that reflect the particular activities and responsibilities of a given stream of academic have been adopted.
The new regulations can be found at the Faculty of Medicine website ►
The Faculty of Medicine is very excited about instituting these new policies. We believe they afford the opportunity to appropriately recognize and promote the very deserving faculty members who work so diligently to advance the teaching, clinical and research missions of the Faculty of Medicine.
Vice-Principal (Health Affairs)
Dean of the Faculty of Medicine
Associate Dean, Faculty Affairs