Faculty appointments at Wake Forest School of Medicine are managed by the department of Faculty Affairs. Faculty appointments provide recognition of individuals who meet specific academic and/or clinical requirements that strengthen the Medical Center’s academic mission. Faculty may be appointed and promoted on the tenure-eligible track or one of four non-tenure eligible tracks: Clinician Scholar, Clinician Expert, Educator Scholar and Research Scholar.
A review of appointments occurs annually for all non-tenured primary appointments and all secondary, joint, adjunct and clinical adjunct appointments. All new requests and appointment renewals are recommended by the department chair based on academic contributions and approved by the Senior Associate Dean of Faculty Affairs. Upon approval, a review and final approval is required by the WFUHS Board of Trustees.
Primary Appointments
Primary faculty appointments recognize a distinct phenotype of providers, educator and researchers that have a commitment to significant contributions with the academic mission. All faculty, full or adjunct, are appointed to a primary (home) department. Appointments are commonly appointed for one year with an annual renewal process that extends them to an additional year.
Review and approval by the Promotion and Tenure Committee is required for requests of appointments at rank of Associate Professor or Professor.
Academic advancement, including promotion on the eligible academic faculty pathway or clinical faculty pathway requires clear demonstration of scholarly activities related to a candidate's professional activities as stated in the Appointment, Promotion & Tenure policy. Promotion and tenure are reviewed by the Promotion and Tenure Committee to make a recommendation to the Dean of the School of Medicine. Upon approval by the Dean, a review and final approval is required by the WFUHS Board of Trustees..
Secondary Appointments
Current faculty members with primary appointments in the School of Medicine, may request a secondary appointment(s) in departments they collaborate with closely.
All secondary appointments are proposed by the chairs of the primary and proposed secondary departments. All appointments are limited to one year terms regardless of tenure status.
Joint Appointments
Faculty members at Wake Forest University (college and other schools) are eligible for joint appointments in the School of Medicine. Similarly, School of Medicine faculty members may be jointly appointed in the Wake Forest College or other Schools of the University in which they do not retain a primary appointment. Tenure (if granted by the primary school) does not extend to the secondary portion of the joint appointment.
Joint appointments are proposed by the chairs/leader of both the School of Medicine department and Wake Forest University College or School. All appointments are limited to one year terms regardless of tenure.
Adjunct Appointments
Professional employees of Wake Forest Baptist Medical Center, its affiliates or collaborating institutions may have adjunct appointments at the School of Medicine to facilitate research, teaching/assessment and other scholarly activities. Adjunct appointments are not eligible for promotion or tenure. New adjunct faculty with prior academic experience are eligible for appointment at a rank equal to their most recent academic rank (e.g., Adjunct Associate Professor).
Clinical Adjunct Appointments
Appointments as Adjunct Clinical Faculty members are either for clinical providers not employed by Wake Forest Baptist Medical Center (WFBMC) or are employed primarily as a provider within the Wake Forest Health Network. Adjunct Clinical Faculty appointments do not hold specific ranks, are not eligible for promotion or tenure, do not accrue time in rank towards future promotion and are not accompanied by academic faculty compensation or benefit plans from the Medical Center. Adjunct Clinical Faculty members are expected to participate in the teaching or research missions of the medical center.
Visiting Faculty, and Locums
Faculty members who hold an academic appointment at another institution are eligible for a temporary appointment as part of an approved faculty visitation, typically one year or less in duration. Such appointments are not tenure eligible, are not eligible for promotion and do not accrue time in rank towards future promotion. Appointments are approved by the dean at the faculty member's current rank from their home institution with the title modifier "visiting" (e.g., visiting associate professor).
Emeritus Faculty
In recognition of distinguished service to the School of Medicine, retiring faculty at the rank of full Professor or Associate Professor may be granted emeritus status within their primary academic department. Emeritus faculty are encouraged to continue to provide distinguished and productive service to the School of Medicine. Emeritus faculty appointments are governed by the Emeritus Academy policy.
Center Memberships
Center Directors can invite faculty members and students who are involved in their Center to become members of an institutionally supported Center or other types of research centers. External memberships can be offered to faculty members and students at other Universities or other schools of Wake Forest University. Center memberships are announced to the FEC.
Veterans Affairs
Individuals primarily employed by the Veteran Affairs may seek a Clinical Adjunct Faculty appointment based on their scholarly work. A request from Dr. Robin Hurley, ACOS, Research & Education, Research Service at the US Department of Veterans Affairs and Professor of Psychiatry & Behavioral Medicine, Wake Forest School of Medicine.