Climbing the Academic Ladder

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CLIMBING THE ACADEMIC LADDER

Judith K. Ockene, PhD, MEd, MABarbara Helen Smith Chair in

Preventive and Behavioral MedicineAssociate Vice Provost for Gender and Equity

Professor of MedicineJudith.Ockene@umassmed.edu

Presented at NPAM Early Career Council

March 23, 2011

Climbing the Academic Ladder

WORKING HARD IS NOT ENOUGH: THERE ARE OTHER ESSENTIALS

FOR ACADEMIC SUCCESS

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Climbing the Academic Ladder

ESSENTIALS FOR SUCCESS

• Know your institution, its promotion policies and procedures

• Have a clear vision of your goals, strengths, passions and values, to inform your activities and development

• Keep your teaching portfolio and CV up to date

• Enlist mentors

• Build effective academic networks

• Review annual goals with your chief/chair

• Recognize and use opportunities to advance

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Climbing the Academic Ladder

KNOW YOUR INSTITUTION AND ITS PROMOTION POLICIES AND

PROCEDURES

• Every academic institution has an Academic Personnel Policy: Locate yours and review it

• UMMS has its on the Office of Faculty Affairs website

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Climbing the Academic Ladder

KNOW YOUR INSTITUTION AND ITS PROMOTION POLICIES AND

PROCEDURES

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Climbing the Academic Ladder

HAVE A CLEAR VISION OF YOUR GOALS, STRENGTHS, PASSIONS AND VALUES TO

INFORM YOUR ACTIVITIES AND DEVELOPMENT

• Your career is your responsibility!

• Advancement requires a purposeful process to make good decisions

• Where do you want to be in five years? Develop a personal plan

– Content based (e.g. program development, research team leader)

– Structure based (e.g. section chief, department chair, program director)

• Reflect and plan how to get there:

– Narrative Statement/critical self-reflection

– What skills will you need? How will you build them?

– What is your focus?

– What are your strengths? Passions? How can you use them?

• Review your goals and plan at least annually 6

Climbing the Academic Ladder

PERSONAL CAREER STATEMENT

Taking into account my values, interest, passions and strengths, my personal career goal is to…….

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Climbing the Academic Ladder

KEEP YOUR TEACHING PORTFOLIO

AND CV UP TO DATE

• Keep a teaching portfolio with evaluations

• Be aware of faculty development programs

• Follow institutional template for CV

• Develop a narrative statement for promotion

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Climbing the Academic Ladder

NARRATIVE STATEMENTS•Purpose: Provide faculty the opportunity to place their work and activities in the context of their overall goals as a faculty member at UMMS•Discusses and links teaching, research/creative accomplishments, and service• Identifies themes or passions that link your activities into a coherent whole and help reviewers understand the decisions you madeExample: goal of establishing an independent research program; goal of integrating teaching, research and clinical service•Define your research agenda and what it contributes•Explain how your scholarship informs your teaching if appropriate•Statement of teaching philosophy•Scholarship supporting teaching•How you linked service to scholarly work /teaching (if appropriate)•Comment on future directions for your career and plan

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Climbing the Academic Ladder

ENLIST MENTORS: MENTORS FOR DIFFERENT ROLES

PEER ADVANCED

INTERNAL

- LABMATE- PEER IN OTHER

SPECIALTY- CO-TEACHER

- PRIMARY ON-SITE MENTOR- RESEARCHER- EDUCATOR

EXTERNAL

- SIGS-CONNECTION MADE IN DISCUSSION

- NPAM MENTOR- EXPERT CONSULTANT

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Climbing the Academic Ladder

MENTORING OBJECTIVES

• Enhance professional growth

• Foster enthusiasm, excitement, and interest

• Assist with entry into academic community

• Help mentee focus and set direction

• Assist with career planning and goals

• Provide useful information and support

• Advocate when needed

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Climbing the Academic Ladder

BUILD EFFECTIVE ACADEMIC NETWORKS

• Identify faculty in your institution with similar or complimentary interests

• Identify people in your professional society with similar or complimentary interests

• Reflect on your goals and identify disciplines that would be helpful to you

• Network

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Climbing the Academic Ladder

REVIEW ANNUAL GOALS WITH CHAIR/CHIEF

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• Meet annually to discuss goals and plans

• Chair/Chief needs to agree with yearly goals

• Include promotion as a goal

• Document goal

Climbing the Academic Ladder

RECOGNIZE AND USE OPPORTUNITIES TO ADVANCE

• Know when to say “no” or “yes” or “thank you, let me think about that and I’ll get back to you….”

• Check it out with a mentor

• Use opportunities to gain visibility and credibility for leadership

• Select service opportunities

• Allow some flexibility

• Have Fun and strive for balance

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Climbing the Academic Ladder

ESSENTIALS FOR SUCCESS

• Know your institution, its promotion policies and procedures

• Have a clear vision of your goals, strengths, passions and values, to inform your activities and development

• Keep your teaching portfolio and CV up to date

• Enlist mentors

• Build effective academic networks

• Review annual goals with your Chair/Chief

• Recognize and use opportunities to advance

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