Academic Affairs

Part-Time Pathways

Part-time faculty, whether based at the CUIMC campus or at affiliated institutions, have titles that include clinical modifiers. Part-time faculty whose contributions are primarily in applied healthcare or public health sciences have the “clinical” prefix title. Part-time faculty with significant investigative or educational leadership accomplishments have the “clinical” suffix title.

Criteria for advancement in rank of part-time faculty in each area of focus is qualitatively similar to that of full-time faculty. However, quantitative parameters may vary based on the amount of time dedicated to faculty activities by part-time faculty.

Prefix Pathway

Applied Healthcare and Public Health Sciences

The scholarship of application consists of the interaction between knowledge and its practical use, shifting theory to practice and practice to theory. Translation of evidence to practice is an example of the scholarship of applied health sciences and public health sciences. This emphasizes the scholarly application of knowledge in three domains:

  • Providing care
  • Developing/implementing clinical programs
  • Developing/implementing clinical programs used by others

The focus of faculty with the Prefix Pathway title should be applied clinical sciences and scholarly teaching. Teaching can occur in a variety of settings including lectures, small groups, preceptorial teaching in clinical settings, student advising and mentorship. The expectation for faculty with this area of focus is superb performance as clinicians or practitioners within their discipline. Almost always faculty will also be expected to demonstrate excellence in selected educational activity as well, with an emphasis on excellence in teaching (i.e., the first of three domains in pedagogy track).

Suffix Pathway

Investigator or Education Pedagogy and Leadership 

The scholarship of knowledge development consists of discovery and the generation of new knowledge derived from traditional inquiry methodologies. It also may include analysis, synthesis and novel applications of existing observations, as well as positioning knowledge within larger, interdisciplinary contexts.

The scholarship of education consists of promoting learning through effective application of the sciences of teaching and learning, leadership, and instructional design. This area of scholarship emphasizes the interdependence of theory, research and practice in three related domains:

  • Direct involvement in the process of promoting learning
  • Support of infrastructure needed for learning
  • Development of products used by others in learning

The expectation for faculty with an Investigator focus is a major investment of time in supported investigative work, which may include basic, translational, population based, clinical and educational research. Technology development and membership in multidisciplinary investigational teams is also appropriate. Research may be in any discipline related to health sciences, including but not limited to:

Laboratory research

Clinical and translational research

  • Population based research
  • Health services/Policy/Economics
  • Outcomes research
  • Biostatistics, Bioinformatics
  • Novel applications of existing technologies or treatments
  • Multidisciplinary research team membership with a critical, unique role
  • Pedagogical research

The expectation for faculty with an Education Pedagogy and Leadership focus is a major investment of time in teaching, mentoring, evaluation and learning assessment; course or curriculum leadership; and the development of enduring educational materials. Examples, by domain, include:

Involvement in the process of learning

  • Lecturing
  • Facilitating small groups
  • Conducting laboratory tutorials
  • Precepting students, conducting teaching rounds
  • Mentoring trainees, serving on thesis committees
  • Preparing and administering knowledge or performance assessments

Support of the Infrastructure needed for learning

  • Course development and leadership
  • Curricular development and leadership
  • Course, clerkship, program or fellowship leadership
  • Leadership on education governance committees and task forces
  • Involvement on committees that set curriculum guidelines/standards

Development of educational products used for learning 

  • Authorship (both paper and electronic) of textbooks, tutorials, problem sets, teaching cases, simulation scenarios or image libraries

Prefix Pathway: Applied Healthcare and Public Health Sciences
This document describes the Prefix Pathway in Applied Healthcare and Public Health Interventions as well as the scholarly products expected and the metrics for their evaluation.

Suffix Pathway: Investigator or Education Pedagogy and Leadership
This document describes the Suffix Pthway in Investigation or Education Scholarship and Leadership as well as the scholarly products expected and the metrics for their evaluation.

For more information, please email: Office_Acad_Affairs@cumc.columbia.edu.