1. Academic Promotion at UCSF: Not a black box
Lynn Pulliam Ph.D.
Professor in Residence
Ann Bolger M.D.
Professor of Clinical Medicine
Former CAP members

2. CAP: Committee on Academic Personnel
Reviews faculty in all series at major academic thresholds
Appointments
Appraisals – Assistant to Associate
Promotion to Associate or Full Professor
Change in series
Accelerations (>1 yr)/Decelerations
Merit advancement to Professor step VI and above scale
Steps within each levels are done without CAP approval
Major steps in promotion are evaluated by CAP

3. Who is on CAP?
Appointed by the Academic Senate’s “Committee on Committees” for 3 years
Full Professors from Senate, and Adjunct/Health Sciences Clinical Series
9 members from different academic series and up to 2 members from either Adjunct or HSC
Members from each school, department and discipline; representation from different sites
Meets every week for about 3 hours (with at least 2 hours prep time to read packets), 11 months/year
Members from each school
Members from each series
Male and female
Members from each site

4. Committee on Academic Promotion
While on CAP, members:
Cannot vote on Departmental promotions
Should not write letters for promotion (UCSF)
Cannot discuss proceedings of meetings
Represent CAP (1 member) on reviews of Department Chairs and Heads of Divisions
Represent UCSF CAP (1 member) on University-wide CAP
Are the faculty member’s advocate!

5. Academic Series at UCSF
Professor of Clinical X
Health Sciences Clinical Professor
Adjunct
Professor in Residence
Series not in any order of hierarchymay be dropped from CAP review) Stagger these that they are “antihierarchical”
Professor (Ladder Rank)
Professional Research

6. Academic Series at UCSF
Ladder rank
Receive a portion of their salary from CA
Eligible for sabbatical
Have tenure
In Residence
Have a year-to-year ending date
Supported by non-state funds
May qualify for 1 year salary from Department
Ladder Rank or Tenure track - salary paid by CA (UCSF)
Eligible for 1 year paid sabbatical
Salaries are not addressed by CAP (they are at other UC schools)
Teaching, research and administrative
In Residence – not paid by state
Have same responsibilities as Ladder rank

7. Academic Series at UCSF
Clinical X
Clinician scholars
Supported by non-state funds/medical center
Predominantly engaged in teaching and clinical work, also creative activity
HS Clinical
Predominantly engaged in teaching and clinical work
Clinical X is ex. Professor of Clinical Medicine
Also not paid by CA money
Supported by med center – ex Moffitt, SFGH or VA
Predominently engaged in clinical work, teaching but must have some creative activity
HS Clinical – ex Health Science Clincal Professor of Medicine
Mainly clinical work and teaching
Supported by hospital

8. Academic Series at UCSF
Adjunct
Primarily research or teaching
Supported by non-state funds/grants
Professional Research
Faculty engaged in independent or collaborative research
May be a PI or a collaborator
Do not have teaching responsibilities
Usually supported by grants
Adjunct – predominantly research or other creative work and
participate in teaching
Paid by grants
Professional series
Engage in independent of collaborative research
May or may not be a PI
No teaching
Usually supported by grants
Ex. Assistant Research Biochemist

9. Academic Promotion Process
Department notifies faculty of upcoming academic actions
Faculty need to manage their CV and promotion packet in Advance to make sure it is up to date and accurate
Suggest references from people who know you or your work. They must be at or above the proposed rank - specific # of letters required
The system will include student/resident/fellow evaluations and comments for CAP to read

10. Time waits for no one….
Official notification and 2 reminders will be sent to the faculty member by 6 weeks prior to the deadline by which faculty member’s CV needs to be attached to a packet
If materials are not received by the due date, the Advance packet will be automatically withdrawn, and will not be reviewed in the current cycle
Packets submitted in the subsequent cycle will be recorded as decelerated actions due to late submission

11. Academic Promotion Process
The Department receives your updated CV in Advance and letters; the departmental APM committee reviews and gives a recommendation to the faculty
The faculty reviews the recommendations and votes – CAP sees the vote
The Chair writes a letter based on the Dept
recommendations and rates the faculty member
The promotion packet is sent to the Vice Dean, the VPAA, then CAP and back to the VPAA
All grade the candidate and give a recommendation. VPAA has final say
Chair often does not exactly write the letter but the APM committee or the Service center.
Be sure to read the letter – mediocre letters without enthusiasm are noted.

12. How your Chair, CAP, and VPAA evaluate you
Teaching and Mentoring
Research and Creative Activity
Professional Competence
University and Public Service
Reference letters

13. CAP’s Responsibility
Each packet is presented to CAP by a member of the committee
The packet includes the faculty’s timeline, CV, internal and external letters, all teaching and mentoring evaluations, the Chair’s letter, and the Dean’s score.
If the action is controversial, CAP can request more information, or seek review by an ad hoc committee
CAP provides their recommendation to the VPAA regarding approval, disapproval or a modification
CAP is not involved in salary issues

14. Criteria for Advancement: Assistant Professor
Years as an Asst Professor depends on the initial appointment
Asst step I Minimum 6-8 years
Asst step II Minimum 6 years
Asst step III Minimum 4 years
Asst step IV Minimum 2 years
The “8 year rule” –
In an Academic Senate series, cannot continue past 8 years as an Asst. Professor in an Academic Senate series
APM 220

15. Extra Tips for Assistant Professors
Ask for a mentor!
Find out if your Department has “special” requirements for promotion
Include abstracts, and highlight those selected for oral presentation or special attention
Ask Chair or respond to Academic Senate request to be on a UCSF Committee
Capture the full spectrum of your efforts in your CV
Demonstrate some national exposure

16. Criteria for Advancement: Associate Professor
Years as an Assoc Professor depends on the initial appointment:
Assoc. step I Minimum 6 years
Assoc. step II Minimum 4years
Assoc. step III Minimum 2 years
Assoc. step IV or V requires justification from the Department

17. Criteria for Advancement: Professor
Steps 1 through 9
Steps 1 – 5 3 years per step
Step 6 “Career review” Similar to a promotion step
Steps “Above scale” Reserved for the most distinguished faculty with sustained and continuing national and international performance

18. 5 Year Review
Faculty who have not had an academic review in the previous 5 years must receive a 5 year review
Applies to all faculty working > 50% time
Review outcome can be:
Advancement
No advancement - performance satisfactory
No advancement - performance unsatisfactory

19. Accelerated Promotion:
Advancement ahead of usual schedule
Can be suggested by faculty member, the Chair or any faculty member of your Department
Proposed justifications**
Prestigious and unusual award
Competitive professional service nationally or internationally
Unusual productivity
Service on CAP, CHR, CAR or admissions committee (3 years, minimum)
**UCSF expects excellence from all faculty. This is “above and beyond” those expectations. Remember, there are a lot of really smart and accomplished people at UCSF

20. CAP Pet Peeves: CV Out of date, sloppy, or incomplete CV
Misrepresenting presentations: Talks versus posters International vs national vs regional Invited talk vs abstract presentations
Padded CV: Repetitive publications
Bogus awards
Exaggerated teaching hours or mentorship list
Incomplete description of Grants
Include PI, agency, dates of funding and amount $/year

21. CAP Pet Peeves: Letters and Evaluations
Wrong letters:
Faculty below the intended rank
Not enough letters
Nonacademic:
Collaborators’ input may be relevant, but these cannot count as the core letters
Incomplete explanation or documentation of efforts
Make sure to explain important things that CAP might not readily understand, e.g. what involvement in a Professional Society effort actually entailed, if it was a huge effort.

22. Faculty Opportunities
Understand what counts for promotion, and what the University values!
Capture more of your efforts, and describe them in a meaningful way
Look for opportunities to extend scholarship outside of UCSF
Reach across School boundaries
New CV tools in Advance should help
Make a habit of regularly updating your CV

23. Faculty Opportunities
Anticipate needing internal and external letters of reference
Make sure that your work and professional relationships extend beyond UCSF
If external references are not available from people who actually know you and your work, seek input from your Chief about who might be able to write a reference after a review
Manage any negative or red-flag comments in evaluations proactively

24. Diversity
UCSF promotion processes recognize faculty contributions to issues of diversity and the education and service to underserved communities
Examples:
Efforts to advance equitable access to education Public service addressing needs of California’s diverse population
Research that highlights inequalities
Mentoring/advising students and faculty from underrepresented and underserved populations

25. Academic Personnel Manual Faculty Handbook Your Department Chair Peers
Resources
Academic Personnel Manual
Faculty Handbook
Your Department Chair
Peers