6.1  Definitions, Titles and Ranks, Duration of Appointments

A. Definition and Role

The Adjunct Clinical Faculty (ACF) consists of physicians and certain other health professionals appointed by the department chairs in clinical departments for the purpose of participation on a voluntary, unpaid, part-time basis in the academic programs of the departments, usually in the role of teacher.  Typically, such teaching activities are predicated on departmental programmatic need and involve Stanford students, housestaff, postdoctoral fellows and other physicians and staff at diverse locations.  Members of the Adjunct Clinical Faculty are generally expected to make a contribution to teaching or other academic activities approximately equivalent to 100 hours per year.

The knowledge, experience and perspective of the Adjunct Clinical Faculty and their allotment of time and effort are highly valued assets to the academic programs.  At the same time, through participation in these programs, the Adjunct Clinical Faculty may experience the professional stimulation, growth, and satisfaction associated with teaching.

Membership in the Adjunct Clinical Faculty is a voluntary service to the University and is a privilege.  There is no right or entitlement to an Adjunct Clinical Faculty appointment, reappointment or promotion, or to continued Adjunct Clinical Faculty membership.

The Adjunct Clinical Faculty are not members of the Professoriate, the Academic Council, the Medical Center Line, the Clinician Educator Line or the Academic Staff, nor do they accrue time toward tenure by length of service.

B. Academic Qualifications

The postdoctoral training of Adjunct Clinical Faculty members should be sufficient to qualify them as specialists or certified practitioners in the field of medicine represented by the department in which they are to hold an appointment.  Certification by a specialty or other certifying board is not required for initial appointment as Adjunct Clinical Instructor, but the background of the candidate should be such that he or she is eligible for examination by such a board.  It is normally expected that certification by a specialty or other certifying board should have been achieved before appointment or promotion to the rank of Adjunct Clinical Assistant Professor or above.

C. Licensure and Clinical Privileges

Members of the Adjunct Clinical Faculty who are physicians must have or obtain a professional license from the State of California.  They must also be approved through a formal credentialing process that results in clinical privileges applicable to their duties and maintain such credentialing during the term of their appointment.

D. Titles and Ranks

The Adjunct Clinical Faculty ranks are:

                        Adjunct Clinical Instructor
                        Adjunct Clinical Assistant Professor
                        Adjunct Clinical Associate Professor
                        Adjunct Clinical Professor
                        Adjunct Clinical Professor (Emeritus or Emerita)

The word “Adjunct” must be included as the first word in the title for those holding an Adjunct Clinical Faculty appointment.

E. Duration of Appointments

New Adjunct Clinical Faculty appointments are for a term of years.

The usual duration of an appointment (subject to relatively rare exceptions granted by the Vice Dean in his or her discretion) for each rank is:

 1. Term Appointments

Although term appointments are frequently made with the clear possibility of reappointment or promotion, there is no entitlement to such action at the end of the term, and it is not automatic.  Instead, decisions on reappointment and promotion, like decisions on initial appointment, are subject to programmatic need, as well as the exercise of professional and scholarly judgment and discretion by the School’s departmental faculty and the School’s academic leadership regarding the candidate’s performance.  Promotion is not a requirement for a continued affiliation; qualified candidates may be renewed at the same rank for an unlimited number of terms.

There is no requirement that an Adjunct Clinical Faculty member be considered for reappointment or promotion at the end of his/her term, nor is there a right or entitlement to be so considered.

Reappointment and promotion reviews are generally (but not always) initiated approximately six months in advance of the appointment end date so that a decision may be reached before the candidate’s current appointment ends.  Extension of term appointments is discouraged.  In the event that an extension is necessary, it is expected to be of short duration and supported by a reasonable explanation.

2. Secondary Appointments

a.  Definition

A secondary appointment is defined as an arrangement whereby the Adjunct Clinical Faculty member holds a primary appointment, as well as a secondary appointment, in departments within the School of Medicine.  It is permissible for an Adjunct Clinical Faculty member to hold more than one secondary appointment.  A secondary appointment is based on programmatic need and acknowledges the Adjunct Clinical Faculty member’s active contribution to the department’s academic program.

b.  Titles

Titles reflect the Adjunct Clinical Faculty member’s primary and secondary departmental roles by using, for example, the following format:  Adjunct Clinical Professor of (subject of primary affiliation) and of (subject of secondary affiliation).  Multiple secondary appointments should be listed in descending order of involvement or in alphabetical order.

c.  Terms

Secondary appointments are normally effective and coterminous with the primary appointment.  If the secondary appointment is added, the start date may postdate the start date of the primary appointment but under no circumstances may the secondary appointment extend beyond the end date of the primary appointment.

d.  Responsibilities

Departments have the discretion in determining the set of responsibilities that are associated with secondary appointments, although it is expected that a minimum threshold will be established for conferral of the title, will be applied equitably and will reflect the department’s specific programmatic need.

F. Terminations and Nonrenewal

Membership in the Adjunct Clinical Faculty is a privilege, not a right or entitlement.  Membership can be terminated at any time – whether at the end of an appointment term, during an appointment term, or during a continuing term appointment – by either the Adjunct Clinical Faculty member or by the School, without the necessity of a reason. No set period of notice is required for termination or nonrenewal of an appointment.  Notice of nonrenewal or termination should be in writing from the department chair to the Adjunct Clinical Faculty member with a copy to the Vice Dean.  There are no formal grievance or appeal processes available to a member of the Adjunct Clinical Faculty who has received a notice of nonrenewal or whose appointment has been terminated, but the individual may communicate with the department chair or with the Vice Dean (or a designate) concerning the matter.

G. Confidentiality

Because the quality of the University’s appointment, reappointment and promotion processes depend on the candor of the participants of the process, Stanford’s policy is to protect vigorously the sources of information.  Accordingly, peer evaluations from outside and inside sources, letters from students, departmental or higher-level documents regarding the review process, and documents containing statements based on personal knowledge, judgments or opinions are regarded as confidential.

H. Records Retention

Records of former Adjunct Clinical Faculty should be retained until the later of eight years following the date of termination of the appointment or, if a claim is brought (e.g., lawsuit or charge with state or federal agency), until the disposition of the claim is final.