Office of Faculty Affairs

Medical School

Hiring & Appointments

The Office of Faculty Affairs manages several personnel documents that support Medical School faculty throughout various stages of their academic careers. This page includes links and templates to assist faculty and staff as they submit requests for approval, including new faculty offer letters, without-salary appointment requests, annual reviews, probationary period extensions and track transfers.

To use any templates in Google Docs format, please download it as a Word document.

Paid Appointment Offer Letters

Please follow the offer letter processes for all new faculty appointments. The OFA will route offer letters for final approvals and signatures.

Additional References

Offer Letter Approval

Required Components:

  • University of Minnesota offer letter

  • Approved hiring request

  • Candidate curriculum vitae

Templates:

UMN Only - Offer Template [updated Nov. 2021]

UMN Common Paymaster - Offer Template [updated Nov. 2021]

UMP Common Paymaster - Offer Template [updated Mar. 2022] (For use with Common Paymaster faculty appointments hired to University of Minnesota Physicians)

UMP Only  - please see your UMP recruiter

Signed Dual Appointment MOU, if applicable (see Medical School dual appointment policies)

Offer Letter Submission

Instructions: Make a copy of the required components using the above templates, customize based on the candidate’s offer and upload documents to the Offer Letter Approval submission form. Note: For tenured hires, you will be asked to include a rationale to hire.

Using a service called DocuSign, signatures will be routed for approval. Documents will be delivered to the return emails automatically after final approval. Please download the fully signed copy of the documents. Do not share additional materials with the candidate.

NOTE: DocuSign will prompt you to open a free account that stores your documents after you receive your first signed document. We recommend opening a free DocuSign account associated with your UMN email to maintain all signed documents associated with your email.

After the candidate has signed the offer letter(s), please email a PDF copy to the Office of Faculty Affairs (ms-ofa@umn.edu).

ADJUNCT APPOINTMENTS

Use the templates below to issue new appointments, renewal, and nonrenewal notices. Appointments and renewals must be submitted to the Office of Faculty Affairs and approved before issuing notice to the adjunct faculty. View additional information regarding Adjunct Faculty Appointments and Procedures.

Required Components

Instructions: Make a copy of the Adjunct Appointment Memo, customize based on the candidate, add the necessary departmental signatures, and upload the document, along with the adjunct appointment letter or renewal letter and the candidate's CV, to the Adjunct Appointment Submission Form.

Signatures will be routed for approval and the documents will be delivered to the return emails automatically after final approval through a service called DocuSign. Please download the fully signed copy of the documents.

Note: DocuSign will prompt you to open a free account that stores your documents after you receive your first signed document. We recommend opening a free DocuSign account associated with your University of Minnesota email to maintain all signed documents associated with your email.

Additional Adjunct Appointment Resources

WITHOUT SALARY APPOINTMENTS

Submit all without salary appointment requests using the templates and form below. For more information on without salary appointments, please refer to the adjunct and faculty at affiliate locations appointment criteria.

Required Components

Instructions: Make a copy of the Without Salary Appointment Memo, customize it based on the candidate, add the necessary departmental signatures, and upload the required documents to the Without Salary Appointment Request Form.

Signatures will be routed for approval and the documents will be delivered to the return emails automatically after final approval through a service called DocuSign. Please download the fully signed copy of the documents.

NOTE: DocuSign will prompt you to open a free account that stores your documents after you receive your first signed document. We recommend opening a free DocuSign account associated with your University of Minnesota email to maintain all signed documents associated with your email.

COMMUNITY INSTRUCTOR APPOINTMENTS

Departments should use the templates below to issue Community Instructor Appointments. Appointments and renewal requests must be submitted to the Office of Faculty Affairs and will be reviewed and approved by the associate dean for faculty affairs. The Office of Faculty Affairs will notify the community instructor, department head, and clerkship director regarding the outcome of requests for appointment and/or renewal. View additional information regarding the Community Instructor Appointment Policy. 

Required components:

Instructions:

Please download a copy of the necessary letter of recommendation template, complete and add signatures, and upload to the Community Instructor Appointment submission form. Requests will be routed for review and approval by the associate dean for faculty affairs.

Additional Community Instructor Resources

Community Instructor Faculty Appointment Database

The Community Instructor Faculty Database is an online faculty database designed to provide easy access and public viewing of all active Community Instructor Appointments (CI). The Office of Faculty Affairs (OFA) will track and manage all appointments internally and will update the database on a weekly basis.

ANNUAL REVIEWS AND APPRAISALS

Departments must submit an annual review for every full time, paid, faculty member. The annual review should cover the calendar year.

Please note: annual reviews are not required for part-time (<67 percent effort) faculty. Although not required, departments are encouraged to collect and submit annual reviews for unpaid/without salary faculty. The deadline to submit annual appraisals for all faculty members is June 30.

Tenure-Track Faculty (Probationary Faculty)

Tenured Faculty

Non-Tenure Track Faculty

  • Note: This includes all paid and unpaid faculty on the academic track and clinician track.
  • SAFE Forms are shared with ms-ofa@umn.edu, and should follow the naming convention: "LastName.FirstName.Rank.Track.YEAROFREVIEW."

Adjunct Faculty Annual Activity Reports

  • Departments submit PDF copies of signed Adjunct Faculty Annual Activity Report in a Google Drive folder shared with ms-ofa@umn.edu. Annual Activity Reports should follow the same naming convention: "LastName.FirstName.Rank.Track.YEAROFREVIEW." Reports should be submitted to the department annually by March 15, and departments will submit to the OFA by June 30. 
  • OFA will send a request to all departments every year, asking for confirmation of adjunct faculty appointment renewals. OFA will communicate if renewals have been approved and if the department can issue a renewal letter.

Faculty Review Resources

TRACK TRANSFER

Submit all Track Transfer Requests using the templates and form below. For more information on Track Transfer Requests, please refer to the Track Transfer Policy.

Required Components

Instructions: Make a copy of the Track Transfer Memo, customize it based on the candidate, add the necessary departmental signatures, and upload documents to the Track Transfer Request Form.

Signatures will be routed for approval and the documents will be delivered to the return emails automatically after final approval through a service called DocuSign. Please download the fully signed copy of the documents.

NOTE: DocuSign will prompt you to open a free account that stores your documents after you receive your first signed document. We recommend opening a free DocuSign account associated with your University of Minnesota email to maintain all signed documents associated with your email.

MOU Approval

Per Medical School Policies and Procedures, the following Memoranda of Understanding (MOUs) should be submitted to the Office of Faculty Affairs for review and approval by the dean:

Required Components:

  • Any of the above MOUs, signed by the faculty member and department head

  • Additional required documentation, as needed

MOU Submission

Instructions: Make a copy of the required components using the above templates, customize based on the faculty member and upload documents to the MOU Approval submission form.

Using a service called DocuSign, signatures will be routed for approval. Documents will be delivered to the return emails automatically after final approval. Please download the fully signed copy of the documents.

NOTE: DocuSign will prompt you to open a free account that stores your documents after you receive your first signed document. We recommend opening a free DocuSign account associated with your UMN email to maintain all signed documents associated with your email.

LEAVES

For more information on faculty leaves, please refer to the Medical School Leaves Procedure.

For single semester leaves and sabbatical leaves, requests are due to the Office of Faculty Affairs by May 15 before the start of the academic year of the leave request. Departments should submit information through the Leave Request Form, attaching the relevant form(s) signed by the faculty member and the relevant personnel within the department. The leave will be reviewed by the associate dean for faculty affairs and routed for necessary approvals.

For other faculty development or unpaid personal leaves, refer to the following University policies:

Faculty Considerations for Reducing to Part-Time Employment

The University of Minnesota Medical School is committed to supporting and retaining faculty as we navigate the continuing COVID-19 pandemic, and the ongoing concerns around faculty fatigue, burnout, managing family, caregiving, and personal commitments and responsibilities during this long-term period of uncertainty.

The University of Minnesota and the Medical School provide many existing options to support faculty when reducing full-time appointments, including consistent appointment and promotion policies that are equitable for part-time and full-time faculty members; probationary period extensions; as well as paid and unpaid options for short term and longer term leaves.

The information and resources included in this document are meant to provide additional options for faculty to think about as they consider ways to build balance into their lives.

Emeritus Status Requests

All tenured faculty members who retire from the Medical School after at least five years of employment at the University and at an age where retirement is allowable under University policy are eligible for emeritus status. See the Board of Regents Policy: Faculty Emeriti.

Departments should submit a Request for Emeritus Status that includes a signed letter from the department head confirming that the retiring faculty member has met the requirements for emeritus status. The Associate Dean for Faculty Affairs will review the request, and send notice of emeritus/emerita title and status to the faculty member, department head, HR manager and submitter.

NOTE: DocuSign will prompt you to open a free account that stores your documents after you receive your first signed document. We recommend opening a free DocuSign account associated with your UMN email to maintain all signed documents associated with your email.

PROBATIONARY PERIOD EXTENSION REQUESTS

Probationary (tenure-track) faculty may request an extension to their probationary period due to special circumstances. Extensions may be granted for one year at a time and may not exceed more than three years total. 

Extension requests using this form should be submitted to the Office of the Vice Provost for Faculty and Academic Affairs or emailed to berg1282@umn.edu.

FAQ

Frequently Asked Questions Regarding Extensions of the Probationary Period for Tenure-track Faculty. 
Frequently Asked Questions Regarding Evaluation Processes for Faculty and Continuous Track Appointments.

Abbreviated Dossier Resources (Advanced Rank Appointments)

Abbreviated dossiers are used to confirm advance rank (associate or full professor rank), tenured, spousal and exceptional no search hires. Abbreviated dossiers must be submitted directly to the OFA depending on the faculty member's hire date:

  • 90 days before the faculty member's start date for tenured associate professors and professors.
  • 30 days before the faculty member's start date for associate professors and professors on the academic, clinician, and tenure-track (probationary faculty).

These abbreviated dossiers will be reviewed by the Medical School's promotion committees: Tenure/Academic Tracks, Clinician Track. Abbreviated dossiers are reviewed in accordance with the appropriate track statements: Tenure, Academic Track, Clinician Track.

View this diagram to see the process/review cycle of advanced rank hires.  

Tenured Hire Process and Other Resources

Tenured Hires
The Provost's Office has updated the tenured hire process. Here are the new guidelines for your reference. The most significant change is that it is no longer necessary to seek pre-approval from the provost for a tenured hire (rules regarding the hiring freeze still apply). Please note:

  • Abbreviated dossiers should have bookmarks and should be structured in the same way as a P&T dossier.
  • These guidelines apply only to faculty (internal or external) who are being hired as an associate or full professor with tenure.
  • This is an internal document so it will not be posted online. Please share it with others who may handle these hires.

Simply Voting
If the University is still working remotely at the time of your college or campus tenure and promotion meetings, those meetings should be held via video or telephone conference. Proxy, telephone, fax, and email votes are not permitted. If you aren't already doing so, it is strongly encouraged that departments use the confidential electronic voting system, Simply Voting. For access, email survey@umn.edu.

Abbreviated Dossier Template

Tenure/Academic Track Faculty:

Clinician Track Faculty:

CV Template

Medical School Curriculum Vitae - Required for all dossiers/tracks

Metrics Resources

External Review

Resources

Sample Letters for Tenure/Academic Tracks:

Sample Letter for Clinician Track:

Abbreviated Sample letter template