CLINICAL/INSTRUCTIONAL FACULTY PROTOCOL
Arnold School of Public Health
July 8, 2005
Clinical/Instructional Faculty play a central role in the development and operation of the Arnold
School of Public Health (SPH) and are critical to the successful pursuit of the clinical, teaching and
service goals of the School. This document describes procedures for appointment, evaluation,
retention, reappointment, promotion, and management of Clinical/Instructional Faculty.
I. Clinical/Instructional Faculty Ranks
Persons with master's or doctoral level training (i.e., Ph.D. or equivalent) may be appointed to
the faculty of the Arnold School of Public Health in Clinical/Instructional Faculty positions.
Such appointments are made when the primary role of the faculty member is to contribute to the
clinical, teaching, and community service goals of the School. These faculty also provide
professional service to their Department and/or Center, the School of Public Health and the
University and may be assigned to engage in a variety of different kinds of research activity.
The University's policy on Unclassified Academic Titles is found in policy ACAF I.06. The
official University classification is Clinical Faculty, but within the Arnold School of Public
Health, the title is expanded in Clinical/Instructional Faculty to reflect the varying
responsibilities. In the Arnold School of Public Health, Clinical/Instructional Faculty ranks are
as follows:
Clinical Instructor or Instructor - Typically a person with a Master's degree with varying
amount of experience in the clinical and/or academic/instructional/teaching setting and who has
demonstrated excellent clinical skills in a specific area;
Clinical Senior Instructor or Senior Instructor - Typically a person with a Master's degree
with substantial experience and recognized expertise in the clinical and/or academic/
instruction/clinical setting who demonstrates highly developed clinical skills and/or holds
advanced clinical certification in an area of specialization. This person is a professional
recognized as possessing exceptional clinical skills in a specific area. In compliance with
University policy, a person must hold the rank of (Clinical) Instructor at USC for a minimum of
six consecutive years before being considered for promotion to (Clinical) Senior Instructor.
Clinical/Instructional Assistant Professor - A full-time (salaried) appointment of a faculty
member, who can contribute to selected aspects of a program’s mission including instruction,
scholarship and service; typically a person with the doctoral degree and serving in his/her initial
academic and/or clinical appointment following completion of formal training;
Clinical/Instructional Associate Professor –A full-time (salaried) appointment of a faculty
member, who can contribute to selected aspects of a program’s mission including instruction,
scholarship and service; typically a person with the doctoral degree and with considerable
experience and substantial professional recognition for their academic/instructional and/or
clinical achievements;
Clinical/Instructional Professor -A full-time (salaried) appointment of a faculty member of
substantial professional caliber who can contribute to selected aspects of a program’s mission
including instruction, scholarship and service; typically a person with the doctoral degree and
with national recognition for outstanding academic and/clinical achievements.
The focus of the Clinical/Instructional Faculty member’s contribution (percentage of effort)
will be mutually determined by the faculty member, the program director and/or department
chair and delineated in the letter of appointment. Clinical/Instructional faculty will be
evaluated based upon the success with which this distribution of effort is achieved.
Appointment is on an annual basis and service under such an appointment is not considered part
of the probationary period for tenure consideration.
II APPOINTMENT PROCEDURES
A. Creation of Clinical/Instructional Faculty Positions.
The process of creating a
Clinical/Instructional Faculty position may be initiated by a Program Director, Department
Chair, Center Director, or the Dean of the Arnold School of Public Health.
A
Clinical/Instructional Faculty member must hold an appointment in one of the School's six
academic departments. In addition, a Clinical/Instructional Faculty member may be
appointed to serve in one or more of the School's clinical centers or programs. In all cases
creation of a Clinical/Instructional Faculty position must be approved by the head of the
department and by the Dean. Approved requests to create Clinical/Instructional Faculty
positions are submitted by the Dean to the Provost and the U.S.C. Division of Human
Resources.
Proposals for creation of Clinical/Instructional Faculty positions should provide a
description of the requested position including a specification of the types of activities to be
performed by faculty member. In addition, such proposals should specify the source(s) of
the funds that will support the position and the distribution of effort (as a percentage of
time) in the areas of teaching, scholarship and service.
B. Search Process. Appointment of persons to Clinical/Instructional Faculty positions must
result from an open and competitive search process that involves the participation of a
search committee. A national search is strongly encouraged. Guidelines for faculty searches
are provided in the Arnold School of Public Health Faculty Search Policies Handbook.
C. Hiring. Appointment to a Clinical/Instructional Faculty position is made by the Dean upon
recommendation of the appropriate department chair, center director and/or program
director who in turn must consider the recommendation of the search committee. The
faculty rank of an appointee is determined by the Dean with consideration of the rankspecific performance standards described in Section IV of this document. The appointment
may have contingencies such as the completion or verification of a degree or a background
check, as requested by the department or Dean.
The duration of an appointment to a Clinical/Instructional Faculty position is one year. The
University requires annual review and reappointment of all non-tenure track faculty. Annual
reappointment is based on satisfactory performance and continued availability of funds.
Clinical/Instructional faculty receive an annual letter of appointment from the Dean. This
letter specifies beginning and ending dates of the appointment and the appointed faculty
member’s distribution of effort (as a percentage of time) in the areas of teaching,
scholarship and service. The distribution of effort specified in the annual letter of
appointment is used as the basis for evaluating the faculty member’s performance
achievements.
III.
EVALUATION, RETENTION,
PROMOTION GUIDELINES
REAPPOINTMENT,
TERMINATION
AND
A. Annual Review. Each Clinical/Instructional Faculty member is required to submit an
annual report summarizing his/her accomplishments in instruction, scholarship, and service
as identified in the letter of appointment along with any other activities completed during
the previous calendar year. Typically this report is submitted to the department chair and, if
applicable, center director and/or program director by February 1. In addition, copies of the
report are submitted to the Associate Dean for Academic Affairs. This report should adhere
to the format provided. The faculty member's current curriculum vitae should be attached
to the report.
The annual report is reviewed by the administrative head(s) of the department, program
and/or center in which the faculty member's appointment is based. The Associate Dean for
Academic Affairs and the appropriate department and/or program head will provide input as
requested by the Dean. Final evaluation of the annual report will be made by the Dean who
makes decisions regarding merit salary adjustment, retention, and reappointment. The
evaluation of the faculty member's performance in relation to the standards for his/her
appointment and his/her individual goals and objectives will be provided to the
Clinical/Instructional Faculty member in the form of a written numerical rating scale with
supporting comments.
Primary responsibility for administrative evaluation of a Clinical/Instructional Faculty
member's annual report lies with the administrator (department chair, center director or
program director) who heads the unit providing the majority of the funding that supports the
faculty member's salary. If the faculty member's salary support is shared by more than one
unit, all responsible administrators review the report and provide comments to the
administrator with primary responsibility for supervision of the faculty member. Further,
while final authority for evaluation of the annual review resides with a single administrator,
it is expected that the evaluation will reflect the consensus of those who have provided
comment. Evaluation of a faculty member's report will be based on the criteria and
standards associated with his/her current rank (See section IV).
The administrator with primary responsibility for supervision of a Clinical/Instructional
Faculty member will meet with the faculty member to communicate the administrative
evaluation. During this meeting strong and weak points in a faculty member's performance
will be noted. In addition goals and objectives for the next year will be developed; the
subsequent annual review will focus on performance relative to these goals and objectives.
B. Appointment and Termination of Clinical/Instructional Faculty. Appointments/
reappointments of Clinical/Instructional faculty shall be in writing and shall specify the
beginning and ending dates of the one-year appointment. Appointments shall terminate on
the date specified and no further notice of non-reappointment is required. A decision to
reappoint a Clinical/Instructional Faculty member is made by the Dean based on
satisfactory performance, the availability of funds, and a review of the recommendation(s)
of the relevant department chair, program and/or center director.
A decision not to reappoint is based on either non-availability of funds or an unsatisfactory
annual report and evaluation by the Department chair and/or Center director, and the
Associate Dean for Academic Affairs. Such a conclusion would be made after thorough
review of the evaluations.
The appointment of a Clinical/Instructional faculty member may be terminated by the
faculty member or by the Dean upon ninety days written notice.
C. Promotion. Procedures for consideration of promotion applications are similar to those
described for the annual review. To apply for promotion, the candidate must submit the
relevant sections of the primary and secondary files as described for the Tenure and
Promotion process (http://www.sc.edu/tenure/forms.shtml) For the primary file, the
candidate should complete sections II.A (personal information), II.C (teaching history), II.E
(service and outreach activities), II.D (scholarly and professional publications) if
applicable and III (personal statement). The secondary file should include documentation
of activities listed in the primary file (e.g., full CV, quantitative student course evaluations,
publications). In general, letters from external reviewers are not required, but may be
requested on an individual basis. The application is reviewed by an ad hoc committee
appointed by the appropriate department chair, center or program director and the Associate
Dean for Academic Affairs. This ad hoc committee has a minimum of four members: the
department chair and/or center/program director, two faculty members from the candidate’s
home department, and one faculty member from a different academic department; the
Associate Dean for Academic Affairs serves as an ex officio member of the committee.
Recommendations are forwarded to the Dean for final review and decision with regard to
promotion.
The possible promotions are:
Instructor to Senior Instructor
Clinical Instructor to Clinical Senior Instructor
Clinical/Instructor Assistant Professor to Clinical/Instructor Associate Professor
Clinical/Instructor Associate Professor to Clinical/Instructor Professor
IV.
EVIDENCE OF ACCOMPLISHMENTS AND PERFORMANCE STANDARDS
A. Evidence. Clinical/Instructional faculty are evaluated primarily on the basis of
productivity. Evidence and standards for productivity, as presented in this document,
provide the platform for evaluation of Clinical/Instructional Faculty as required in
several processes. These include appointment, annual review, reappointment, and
promotion. Clinical/Instructional faculty are expected to provide professional service in
the areas of teaching, scholarship and service as outlined in their letter of appointment.
Therefore performance in some or all of these areas will be considered in the overall
evaluation of the Clinical/Instructional faculty member.
Overall satisfactory
performance is required to support a decision to appoint, retain, reappoint, and/or
promote clinical faculty.
Instructor/Senior Instructor. In documenting productivity, Clinical/Instructional
faculty designated as instructor/senior instructor should provide evidence as described
below.
Teaching (Includes training and supervision of students to provide clinical services to
clients)
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Number and nature of academic courses taught
Development of new courses/instructional materials
Submission or receipt of funding for support or development of teaching activities
Revision of old courses
Presentation on instructional issues at scholarly meetings
Receipt of honors or awards for instructional/teaching accomplishments
Attendance at seminars/meetings on instructional methods
Clinical conferences regarding clinical disorders, evaluation, and management
with students
Training of students in elements of supervision for use of support personnel
Advisement of students
Student evaluation of teaching performance
Peer review of teaching performance
Adherence to University code of ethics in provision of teaching activities
Adherence to University regulations with regard to office hours, examinations, etc.
Service
University, School, Department and Community Service
 Service on center, departmental, school, and university committees as assigned
 Service on professional boards or state agencies
 Development of specialized clinical service to meet needs of specific clinical
populations
 In-service presentations to community units related to clinical disorder
 Service as a reviewer of clinical programs
 Service as a reviewer for clinical journals
Clinical Service
 Provision of clinical services to clients to include evaluation, diagnosis, and
intervention for the clinical population
 Completion of administrative and reporting functions necessary to support clinical
services
 Effective communication recognizing the needs, values, cultural background of the
client and caregivers
 Collaboration with other professionals in case management
 Counseling clients and caregivers regarding clinical issues
 Implementation of programs to evaluate clinical outcome and program
effectiveness and efficiency
 Adherence to codes of ethics in the provision of professional services
Other Evidence: Scholarly Activity
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Involvement in clinical research activities including single case design, innovative
procedures, and support of collaborative efforts with other faculty
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Publication in refereed and edited journals
Presentation of clinical information or research at scholarly meetings
Submission or receipt of grants or other support for clinical service development or
research
Receipt of honors or awards for clinical accomplishments
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Clinical Assistant, Associate, Full Professor. In documenting productivity, clinical
faculty designated as Clinical Assistant, Associate, Full professor should provide
evidence as described below.
Teaching
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Number and nature of academic courses taught
Student evaluations of teaching performance
Peer evaluations of teaching performance
Direction of theses/dissertations/practica
Student advisement
Development/revision of new courses/instructional materials
Revision of old courses
Initiation and submission of grant or funding applications to support teaching nad/or
development of new instructional materials
Presentations on clinical/instructional issues at scholarly meetings
Receipt of honors or awards for clinical/instructional accomplishments
Advisement of and conferences with students
Clinical teaching to develop clinical expertise in applied critical thinking in
evaluation and management of clinical services
Evidence of activities to improve teaching/clinical effectiveness
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Course syllabi
Teaching awards
Assisting colleagues to improve teaching
Adherence to codes of ethics in the provision of teaching activities.
Adherence to University regulations with regard to office hours, examinations, etc.
Scholarship
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Publication in peer reviewed research or clinical publications
Publication of books, chapters, textbooks
Receipt of intramural or extramural research grants or contracts as principal
investigator or investigator
Publication of papers in proceedings
Presentation of papers at professional conferences
Submission of extramural research grant or contract applications as principal
investigator or investigator
Book editor
Service
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Service on department/School committees
Service to professional associations/societies
Presentations to community professional groups
Serving on community advisory boards, councils
Receipt of honors or awards for service accomplishments
Provision of clinical services to clients
B. Performance Ratings and Associated Criteria
Clinical Instructor/Clinical Senior Instructor. Those who are responsible for evaluating
the productivity of clinical faculty designated as Instructor/Senior Instructor will examine
performance evidence and rate the faculty member’s performance as Excellent, Good, or
Unsatisfactory. The following criteria will be applied in determining the rating:
Excellent.
The candidate’s record shows:
 A consistent rating of excellent in teaching and course management as determined
by student evaluations
 A consistent rating of excellent in teaching and course management as determined
by peer reviews
 A consistently high level of clinical caseload of client management;
 A consistently high level of student supervision and training;
 Development and implementation of program evaluation and clinical outcome to
promote effectiveness and efficiency or program development for a specialized
population; or involvement in clinical research, extensive community service, or
consulting board;
 Excellent performance as a clinical instructor and advisor;
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Excellent participation in service on committees as assigned;
Involvement in clinical research, extensive community service, and consulting
board activity;
If applicable, excellent performance as an academic instructor.
Good.
The candidate’s record shows:
 A consistently good level of clinical caseload of client management;
 A consistently good level of student supervision and training;
 Development and implementation of program evaluation and clinical outcome to
promote effectiveness and efficiency or program development for a specialized
population;
 Good performance as a clinical instructor and advisor;
 Satisfactory participation in service on committees as assigned;
 If applicable, good performance as an academic instructor.
Unsatisfactory.
The candidate’s record does not meet the criteria for a rating of Good.
Clinical/Instructional Assistant, Associate, Full Professor. Those responsible for
evaluating the productivity of clinical faculty designated as Clinical Assistant, Associate, or
Full Professor will examine performance evidence and rate the faculty member’s
performance as Excellent, Good, or Unsatisfactory. The following criteria will be applied
in determining the rating:
Excellent.
The candidate’s record shows a majority of the following:
 Above average student evaluations
 Excellent peer reviews of teaching
 Excellent performance in advising
 Consistent/regular publication of research/clinical data in high quality peer reviewed
journals
 Consistent receipt of intramural/extramural funding for research/clinical activities
 National/international recognition of clinical/research activity
 Successful fulfillment of Department/School/University responsibilities
Good.
The candidate’s record shows a majority of the following:
 Average to above average student evaluations
 Good peer reviews of teaching
 Good performance in advising
 Evidence of activity to improve teaching
 Development of new course/instructional materials
 Good commitment to/involvement in service on committees as assigned.
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Publication of articles in peer reviewed journals
Consistent submission and/or receipt of funding for research/clinical activities
Local, state, or national recognition of clinical/research activity
Successful fulfillment of Department/School/University responsibilities
Unsatisfactory.
The candidate’s record does not meet the rating of Good.
C. Standards for Appointment, Retention, Reappointment, and Promotion
Candidates for appointment to clinical faculty positions must present credentials that show a
high probability of future performance that will meet the standard for the rank at which the
appointment is sought. Likewise, clinical faculty who seek retention and/or reappoint at a
particular rank must demonstrate that their record meets the standard for their current rank.
Candidates for promotion must demonstrate that they meet the standards for the rank to
which they seek to be promoted.
Performance ratings that are minimally required for faculty at the various ranks are as
follows:
V.
Clinical Senior Instructor
Clinical Instructor
Excellent
Good
Clinical Professor
Clinical Associate Professor
Clinical Assistant Professor
Excellent
Excellent
Good
ROLES, RIGHTS, AND RESPONSIBILITIES
Clinical/Instructional faculty are considered as having similar rights and privileges as
tenure faculty with the several exceptions; these include tenure or accruing time in service
for tenure. In accepting an appointment to the Clinical/Instructional faculty of the School
of Public Health, an individual commits to continuing professional development and
assumes a responsibility for active involvement in the governance, management, and
development of the School of Public Health, the department and, if applicable, the center in
which the appointment is based. Clinical/Instructional faculty members also accept
responsibility for respecting the rights of students, other faculty, and staff.
Clinical/Instructional faculty are expected to maintain honesty and integrity in all
professional activities and to adhere to all stated policies and procedures of the School.
In addition, the following policies apply to clinical faculty:
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Clinical/Instructional faculty are expected to participate actively in the governance,
management, and development of the School, their department and, if applicable,
program or center.
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At the departmental level, voting rights are determined within and by individual
departments/units.
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At the school level, Clinical/Instructional faculty are not eligible to serve on the
Committee on Tenure and Promotion.
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Clinical/Instructional faculty with unrestricted Graduate Faculty status are eligible to
serve on the School’s Curriculum and New Course committee and may vote on such
issues at the school level.
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Clinical/Instructional faculty are eligible to act as principal investigators on
extramural research grant applications.
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Clinical/Instructional faculty are eligible for service on departmental and School
committees, with the exceptions noted above, and may serve as committee chairs.
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Clinical/Instructional faculty are not eligible for sabbatical leave.