CON Faculty Member Position Description

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Faculty Policies

UNIVERSITY OF NEBRASKA MEDICAL CENTER COLLEGE OF NURSING
Faculty Member Position Description	Subsection: 4.4.10
Section 4.0 - Faculty Policies/Guidelines	Originating Date: March 2022
Responsible Reviewing/Approving Agency: Executive Council Faculty Coordinating Council
Related Documents: TBD

Purpose

The purpose of this position description is to provide a broad overview of the roles of faculty members in the College of Nursing. It is aligned with College of Nursing Promotion and Tenure criteria (Appendices A.1, A.2, and B.1, and with faculty evaluation policy. It can be used in faculty orientations and for discussions of various aspects of faculty work.

Faculty members in the College of Nursing are vital to achieving the mission and vision of the College of Nursing. Faculty have the pivotal responsibilities for developing nurse clinicians, scientists, leaders, and educators for the future, while producing or using the science that guides health improvements and ensures health equity (broadly defined by the American Association of Colleges of Nursing (AACN). They have rights and responsibilities for the College’s tripartite mission within the context of the College’s strategic plan. Faculty rights and responsibilities in the University of Nebraska system are described in Sections 4.1 and 4.2 of the University of Nebraska Board of Regents Bylaws and the code of conduct is described in the University of Nebraska Medical Center Faculty Handbook.

While faculty members’ distribution of responsibilities varies based on their education and experience, all have some level of responsibility and accountability for education of students, incorporation of research-based evidence into nursing education and practice, and provision of professional service within the College of Nursing, university, and/or community and professional organizations. Faculty members differentiate their roles to focus most on two of the three areas in the tripartite mission in collaboration with their assistant deans, taking into account the needs of the College and the individual faculty member (see Appendix B-1). Faculty in the College of Nursing exhibit the UNMC ITEACH values of innovation, teamwork, excellence, accountability, courage, and healing.

Teaching and Curriculum

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Research and Scholarship

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Practice and Service

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Faculty

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Staff

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Students

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Resources and Information

The College of Nursing has a variety of resources available to support faculty work. Faculty members with a need for support of their work should work with their division assistant deans or the relevant associate dean to determine if College resources are available to meet a specific need, or if alternate resources might be available through the university or philanthropic funds. For example, faculty members requesting funds to help support professional travel would discuss their needs with their division assistant dean. Faculty members prepare annual reports as requested or as specified by policy. For example, faculty members should contribute to annual course reports which are prepared by course coordinators. Faculty members with endowed positions are expected to write annual letters to donors of their endowed positions.

Information about policies is located in the College of Nursing Wiki, and orientation information about resources is located at https://wiki.unmc.edu/index.php/CON_Employee_Orientation

Evaluation

The purpose of faculty evaluation is to promote ongoing growth, development, and learning. Evaluations come from a variety of sources, including student evaluations of instruction, annual self-evaluations and annual evaluations by supervisors, evaluations of courses through curriculum committees, comments from student exit surveys, and voluntary peer evaluations. These processes are consistent with the UNMC ITEACH values of excellence and accountability and help ensure that faculty expertise is optimized and that resources are used to support faculty work to the extent possible. Faculty members are expected to participate in the annual written evaluation process with supervisors and to set measurable goals for ongoing development and effectiveness. Evaluations also form the basis for merit raises in salary.

Appointment Requirements

Faculty members must hold a graduate degree in nursing or a related field as appropriate for their responsibilities. In addition, they should have experience and demonstrate skill in clinical nursing practice, teaching and curriculum development, or research; be skilled in interpersonal relations and communications, and have demonstrated the potential for scholarly activity. Faculty members who are nurses must hold an unencumbered license as a registered nurse to practice nursing in Nebraska or a compact state and must follow the policies of the Nebraska Board of Nursing with respect to licensure. Faculty member should demonstrate at least beginning professional leadership activity in professional organizations. Those who are advanced practice registered nurses (APRN) and practicing as APRNs must hold a Nebraska license as an APRN. Terms of employment are in keeping with current University of Nebraska policies