The Role of Faculty Development in a College of Medicine’s Promotion and Tenure Process

Abstract

The history and genesis of an institutionalized approach to faculty development are discussed. The paper describes the development of a new program to improve the teaching skills of junior clinical faculty, Scholars for Teaching Excellence (STE) and how it was able to help faculty as they worked toward promotion and tenure under modified promotion and tenure procedures. The paper describes the origin of STE, changes in its original design, the theoretical bases for these changes, and initial program evaluation data. Implications for any program in a higher education setting are drawn. These may provide a practical and adaptable process for institutions confronting the research versus teaching controversy in the advancement of its faculty members.