title: Streamlining Appointment, Promotion, and Tenure Procedures to Promote Early-Career Faculty Success.
abstract: A critical component of the progression of a successful academic career is being promoted in rank. Early-career faculty are required to have an understanding of appointment, promotion, and tenure (APT) guidelines, but many factors often impede this understanding, thwarting a smooth and planned promotion pathway for professional advancement. This article outlines the steps taken by an APT committee to improve the promotion process from instructor to assistant professor. Six sigma's DMAIC improvement model was selected as the guiding operational framework to remove variation in the promotion process. After faculty handbook revisions were made, several checklists developed, and a process review rubric was implemented; recently promoted faculty were surveyed on satisfaction with the process. Faculty opinions captured in the survey suggest increased transparency in the process and perceived support offered by the APT committee. Positive outcomes include a strengthened faculty support framework, streamlined promotion processes, and improved faculty satisfaction. Changes to the APT processes resulted in an unambiguous and standardized pathway for successful promotion.
authors.affiliation: Assistant Professor, Medical University of South Carolina, College of Nursing and Associate Faculty, University of Phoenix, SC.. Electronic address: smithsh@musc.edu.
authors.forename: Shannon B
authors.initials: SB
authors.lastname: Smith
authors.affiliation: Associate Professor, Medical University of South Carolina, College of Nursing, SC.
authors.forename: Ann
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Hollerbach
authors.affiliation: Associate Professor, Medical University of South Carolina, College of Nursing, SC.
authors.forename: Annemarie Sipkes
authors.initials: AS
authors.lastname: Donato
authors.affiliation: Professor, Medical University of South Carolina, College of Nursing, SC.
authors.forename: Barbara J
authors.initials: BJ
authors.lastname: Edlund
authors.affiliation: Assistant Professor, Assistant Director of Health Care Simulation SC, Medical University of South Carolina, College of Nursing, SC.
authors.forename: Teresa
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Atz
authors.affiliation: Professor, Medical University of South Carolina, College of Nursing, SC.
authors.forename: Teresa J
authors.initials: TJ
authors.lastname: Kelechi
mesh_terms: D000046:Academic Medical Centers; D002322:Career Mobility; D005181:Faculty, Nursing; D006801:Humans; D012579:Schools, Nursing / Q000458:organization & administration*; D013192:Staff Development
keywords: APT procedures; Appointment; Early-career faculty success; Process improvement in academia; Promotion; Tenure