Faculty Appointments to Administrative Positions

Date: January 9, 2025
Policy ID: 1.141
Status: Final

Contact Office:
Director of Faculty Affairs
PO Box 800793
phone: 434-243-4078

Oversight Executive:
Senior Associate Dean for Faculty Development and Faculty Affairs
PO Box 800793
phone: 434-924-9030

Applies to:
Any School of Medicine faculty member who holds an administrative appointment in addition to his or her regular academic and/or clinical faculty appointment responsibilities.

Reason for Policy
Provide the terms and conditions governing the appointment or reappointment of a current or newly recruited academic faculty member to a full- or part-time administrative position.

Definition of Terms

Administrative Position: Senior-level positions that require the performance of work directly related to the management of the educational and general activities of the school or a department in the school. These positions are within three reporting levels of the president (such as vice presidents, deans, and positions reporting to a dean, such as department chairs and senior associate deans) and usually require at least 50% effort dedicated to the administrative position. Administrative positions are discretionary appointments; all administrative service is at the will of the appointing authority.

Administrative Appointment: An appointment with leadership and/or administrative responsibilities that are in addition to the duties and responsibilities associated with a faculty member’s academic and/or clinical responsibilities.

Policy Statement

This policy applies to current or newly recruited faculty regardless of track who are appointed to administrative positions. To ensure the flexible and effective administration of the School of Medicine, all administrative positions governed under this policy are discretionary appointments.

Members of the academic faculty are appointed to administrative positions for a limited term and retain their status as a faculty member in an academic department. No administrative position term may exceed five years or the remainder of a faculty member’s academic appointment term, whichever is less.

Administrative academic leadership positions reporting to the dean will generally be filled via a competitive national search involving faculty input. When the dean believes that the business needs of the School of Medicine justify an exemption from the search requirement, they must first consult with the provost, the EVP Health Affairs, the CEO of the Medical Center Senior (for clinical administrative appointments), and the Senior Associate Dean for Faculty Affairs and Faculty Development. A search is not necessary, nor is consultation required, when appointing a faculty member to an interim position lasting one year or less.

A faculty member serving in an administrative role may be reappointed to that role after an administrative review.

Revision history:
Implemented 5/11/06; administrative update 1/26/15; administrative update 7/28/20; 11/5/20; 1/9/25