CMFA Charge

Approved October 7, 2003 by University Faculty

1.) The Committee on Medical Faculty Appointments (CMFA) is responsible for the review of recommendations for senior-level appointments and promotions of non-tenure track The Warren Alpert Medical School of Brown University faculty in clinical departments. CMFA has the responsibility of ensuring that senior-level appointments and promotions are in accordance with the academic standards of The Warren Alpert Medical School of Brown University.

2.) Appointment and promotion of senior faculty are reviewed by departmental promotions committees, composed of senior faculty using uniform criteria approved by the Biomedical Faculty Council. Department recommendations for the appointment and promotion of senior faculty are presented to CMFA by the Department Chair or his/her representative. CMFA will review recommendations for the appointment and promotion of associate professors and professors. After review by CMFA, the recommendations of CMFA are forwarded to the Dean of Medicine and Biological Sciences. The Dean of Medicine and Biological Sciences will recommend action to the Provost for the approval of the President and Corporation, if such is called for by the decision. The authority and responsibility of CMFA are comparable to that of the Tenure, Promotions and Appointments Committee of Brown University.

The specific actions which will require review by CMFA are:

• Initial appointments at the ranks of Associate Professor and Professor, including those whose titles are prefixed by "Clinical" or suffixed by "(Research)" or "Clinician Educator."
• Promotions to the ranks of Associate Professor and Professor, including those whose titles are prefixed by "Clinical" or suffixed by "(Research)" or "Clinician Educator."
• All negative departmental recommendations for reappointment at the faculty ranks of Associate Professor or Professor if review is requested by the Candidate or the Dean of Medicine and Biological Sciences, except that such review may be precluded if the hospital or employing entity has previously indicated its intention to terminate the employment of the Candidate.
• All negative recommendations for promotion to Associate Professor or Professor, if requested by the Department Chair or the Candidate or the Dean of Medicine and Biological Sciences.

3.) The CMFA will not ordinarily review appointments and reappointments of junior-level full-time faculty, (that is, Instructors or Assistant Professors), Visiting and Adjunct faculty (any rank), Lecturers, Research Associates, Teaching Associates, Investigators, Senior Investigators or Emeritus faculty. However, any recommendation by a Department may be reviewed by the CMFA at the request of the President, the Provost, the Dean of Medicine and Biological Sciences, the Department Chair, the Candidate, or a majority of the members of CMFA. The CMFA will not review appointments and reappointments of junior clinical faculty (Instructors or Assistant Professors).

4.) In its review the CMFA will give due weight to the statements and evidence submitted by the department putting forward the recommendation, including evidence submitted by the individual under review. The Committee is guided by uniform standards and criteria approved by the Biomedical Faculty Council. The Committee may request additional documentation from the candidate and/or the department. The Committee review shall include consideration of the procedures followed by the department, evaluation of the qualifications of the candidate, and determination of whether the Candidate meets the educational and research standards for faculty in clinical departments of The Warren Alpert Medical School of Brown University. In its advisory capacity, the Committee may either endorse the Departmental recommendation or make a recommendation of its own to the Dean of Medicine and Biological Sciences.

Membership

• There shall be eight voting members:
  • Five faculty members from clinical departments of the Medical School, elected by the Medical Faculty; one faculty member from the Program in Biology and one faculty member from the Program in Public Health, elected by the respective Faculties; one Brown University faculty member from outside the Division of Biology and Medicine, elected by the Faculty.
• All faculty members will have the rank of Professor. All faculty from clinical departments will be in the full-time tracks. Committee members shall be representative of the diversity of the Faculty. Department chairs are not eligible to serve on CMFA. Faculty members shall ordinarily be elected to serve staggered three-year terms. Faculty can be re-elected to CMFA after having been off the committee for at least one year.
• The CMFA will be chaired by the Senior Associate Dean for Academic Affairs who does not vote. In the absence of the CMFA chair, a chair pro-tem will be designated from among The Warren Alpert Medical School of Brown University faculty members.
• The Dean of Medicine and Biological Sciences attends the meetings as a non-voting member. The Deans of the Faculty and Graduate School and the Vice-President for Research or their designees are invited to attend as observers.

Organization

• The Chair shall report the recommendations of CMFA to the Dean of Medicine and Biological Sciences on behalf of the Committee with minutes that include a review of the discussion.
• The Dean of Medicine and Biological Sciences will report to the Provost with recommendations for action, taking into account the recommendations of the CMFA.
• The Provost will review and report recommendations for action to the President and the Corporation. 

CMFA Members, 2024-2025