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Peers for Promotion

 

Overview

The Peers for Promotion (PFP) program is a longitudinal cohort program designed to support, motivate, and prepare faculty for the promotions process. By the end of the program, faculty will have 1) an increased understanding of the promotions process, 2) identified tasks to strengthen their promotion materials, and 3) a detailed timeline for submission of those materials.

The cohort model allows each participant to give and receive feedback on each of the elements of a promotions package (CV, narrative statement, and letters of evaluation).

2023 PFP

Participation

The 2023 program will be offered virtually and will consist of six interactive 90-minute sessions.

Peers for Promotion is designed specifically for faculty members of the UMass Chan Medical School (TH Chan School of Medicine, Morningside Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences, and Tan Chingfen Graduate School of Nursing) who are seeking academic advancement from the Assistant to Associate Professor level. Specific criteria for eligibility include 5-10 years at the rank of Assistant Professor in the non-tenure track, and support from their Chair or Division Chief. The program is most appropriate for faculty who have the potential to meet criteria for promotion pending several additional years (1-3) of achievement.

Selected participants agree to attend all sessions and complete between-session assignments. Total time commitment for program participation is approximately four hours per month. Women and faculty from underrepresented groups are encouraged to apply.

Application

A Peers for Promotion program application includes:

  • Completed application 
  • Current CV in the UMass Chan format (upload as part of application submission)
  • Signed Chair/Division Chief Support Form (download from application form, & upload as part of application submission)

All application materials must be submitted by December 1, 2022. Applicants will receive notice regarding acceptance into the program by late December.

Session Dates and Topics

All 2023 sessions will be offered virtually and take place on Tuesday afternoons, 4:30-6:00pm. Zoom links will be provided to selected applicants.

Please direct any questions about the 2023 Peers for Promotion Program to Emily Green (Emily.Green@umassmed.edu)

Previous Scholarship- Program Impact

The Peers for Promotion program was originally designed, implemented and evaluated by Dr. Judith Ockene and Dr. Joanna Cain. The OFA sponsored four annual Peers for Promotion programs between 2013–17 with a total of 61 participants. A comprehensive evaluation was conducted for the first two years of the program (2013–15; 32 participants) using a Kirkpatrick Evaluation Model. The evaluation demonstrated the success of the program at all four levels of assessment:

  • Level 1 (Reaction). Participants were highly satisfied with the program as shown by surveys and session evaluations.
  • Level 2 (Learning). Participants reported significantly increased confidence in their skills and knowledge related to all aspects of the promotion process compared to their level of confidence before the start of the program.
  • Level 3 (Behavior). Skills and knowledge were translated into behavior/practice: as of March 2017, 22 of the 29 participants who remained at UMass Chan Medical School submitted their materials for promotion and 21/29 (72%) were approved for promotion to Associate Professor.
  • Level 4 (Results). The program has had a profound impact on academic advancement at UMass Chan Medical School. The rate of promotion to Associate Professor of program participants (72%, 21/29) is more than twice that of equivalent non-participants (32%, 61/188), a statistically significant difference. Promoted participants accounted for 29% (21/73) of all promotions of non-tenure track faculty members to Associate Professor since 2014, including 33% (12/36) of all women faculty members promoted.

Peers for Promotion: Achieving Academic Advancement through Facilitated Peer Mentoring.  Ockene JK, Milner RJ, Thorndyke LE, Congdon J, Cain JM. Journal of Faculty Development 31: 5-14 (2017).