Faculty Appointments, Promotion and Tenure

Where every step forward is seen, supported, and celebrated.

Wake Forest University School of Medicine has introduced a new Appointment, Promotion, and Tenure (APT) policy, effective for all appointments and promotions after June 1, 2025. This policy brings key changes to the APT process, including updated requirements, simplified documentation, and the elimination of the former Academic and Clinical “Pathways.” Under the new policy, promotion-eligible faculty will be assigned to either the Tenure Track or Non-Tenure Track. Faculty who are not eligible for promotion—such as Faculty Instructors, Research Faculty Affiliates, WFU Joint, and Adjunct Faculty—will be designated as “No Track.”

The Office of Faculty Affairs is now utilizing Mountain Pass, a robust technology platform that helps streamline and track faculty appointment and promotions processes—enhancing efficiency, transparency, and organization across departments.

For full details, refer to the School of Medicine Promotion and Tenure Policy.

New Faculty Tracks and Appointment Types

Tenure Track

Reserved for faculty members whose main professional focus is scholarship in scientific discovery and innovation.

View the Faculty Promotion Guide for Tenure Track

Non-Tenure Track (new July 2025)

Reserved for Wake Forest University School of Medicine faculty who are involved in several aspects of a department’s mission focused on Investigation and Inquiry, Teaching and Mentoring, Clinical and Patient Care, and Service and Administration.

View the Non-tenure Track Appointments Guidelines

Faculty Instructor (new July 2025)

Reserved for faculty employed by Wake Forest University Health Sciences, Atrium, Advocate/Aurora, Navicent or Floyd. Faculty Instructors may never develop credentials beyond their singular roles that would otherwise make them eligible for the Non-tenure Track.

View the Faculty Instructor Appointment Guidelines and Process

Research Faculty Affiliate (new July 2025)

Reserved for faculty members employed by Advocate/Aurora, Navicent, or Floyd and have a need to utilize Wake Forest University School of Medicine National Center for Clinical Trials (NCCT) or Office of Sponsored Programs (OSP). Additionally, Research Faculty Affiliates are required to maintain a primary faculty appointment at an academic institution other than Wake Forest University School of Medicine for the purposes of medical education.

View the Research Faculty Affiliate Appointment Guidelines and Process

Adjunct Faculty

Reserved for professional employees of collaborating institutions, or faculty who hold a primary academic appointment at an institution other than Wake Forest University School of Medicine or WFU.

View the Adjunct Faculty Appointment Guidelines and Process

Implementation of Continuous Promotion and Tenure Reviews

The Wake Forest University School of Medicine Committee on Promotion and Tenure is now comprised of five committees: one Tenure Track committee and four Non-tenure Track committees. The Promotion and Tenure Committee will review completed applications during the first, second, and third weeks of each month to support a thorough and timely review process.

Areas of Distinction for Non-Tenure Track Promotions

The Investigation and Inquiry Area of Distinction is most appropriate for individuals who spend more than 50% of their funded effort performing research.
The Clinical and Patient Care Area of Distinction recognizes faculty members for whom patient care and other clinically related activities constitute the unifying theme for the candidate’s academic activities and achievements.

The Teaching and Mentoring Area of Distinction is most appropriate for candidates who view education of health professions trainees and/or health professionals as their primary academic focus.
The Service and Administration Area of Distinction recognizes a faculty member’s demonstration of good citizenship through professional service activities in their department, the Wake Forest University School of Medicine, WFU and outside of WFU.

View the Promotion Guide for the Non-Tenure Track

Promotion Portfolio Changes

Faculty are no longer required to submit internal evaluators with their application materials. All candidates, regardless of track, must submit an appropriate number of external evaluators as determined by the candidate’s requested rank and/or tenure status.
Non-tenure Track faculty will now declare which Areas of Distinction will be highlighted in their promotion portfolio. Promotion consideration for Non-tenure Track faculty will require: Achievement of excellence in one AoD and demonstration of significant contributions in a second AoD OR demonstration of significant contributions in three AoDs. Each candidate will use their personal narrative to demonstrate their career progression through the selected AODs towards “Excellence” or as a “Significant Contribution. For each AOD selected, the promotion candidate will write no more than a 1-page Personal Narrative that clearly describes their career progression between ranks.
The Personal Achievement Portfolio will no longer be required of any candidates, regardless of their promotional track.

New Faculty Candidates

New Faculty Candidate Appointments Who Will Receive Funding from the School of Medicine

Any department chair hiring a candidate who will receive funding from the Wake Forest University School of Medicine (e.g., salary, startup, etc.) will need to complete the steps outlined in the SOP. If the candidate is receiving School of Medicine funding and clinical support, the department chair will also need to follow the process outlined by UGP. Candidates fully funded through the clinical enterprise (i.e., no Wake Forest University School of Medicine funding) do not need to complete the process outlined below.

As part of the SOP, hiring leaders/designees will need to complete the following REDCap forms:

Faculty Recruitment Justification and Offer Package Form
Along with other information, this budget template will need to be uploaded into this REDCap form:
- If faculty candidate has a requested initial salary below the NIH cap, use this budget template.
- If faculty candidate has a requested initial salary above the NIH cap, use this budget template.

New Faculty Candidate Appointments Who Will be Fully Funded through the Clinical Enterprise

Academic departments at the Wake Forest University School of Medicine may complete and submit a completed Faculty Candidate Summary form and supporting documents to the Office of Faculty Affairs for full faculty appointment requests.

Supporting Documents

Curriculum Vitae
Letters of Reference (LOR)
- One LOR required when requesting tenure with equivalent rank at time of hire.
- Two LORs required when requesting promotion at time of hire to Associate or full Professor, with or without tenure.
A Chair letter of support is required when requesting a faculty appointment at the rank of Associate or full Professor, with or without tenure.
A Chair letter of support co-signed by the secondary academic department chair is required when requesting a secondary faculty appointment.

Mentoring Minute

Technology Transfer and Commercialization

Research Focus Areas

Translation to Care

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