Academy of Master Educators

This major initiative recognizes and celebrates the contributions to education by health professionals. In keeping with the vision, mission, and values of the University of Tennessee Health Science Center, the main focus of the Academy is to recognize and promote distinction in all pre-clinical and clinical educational domains by fostering excellence in patient-centered care and a commitment to developing future leaders through the tenets of empathy, education, scientific rigor, professionalism, mentorship, and collaborative team work.

What can we offer excellent health providers that contribute or have contributed to the mission of the organization and their professions? They carry the legacy of knowledge and experience. How can we help them continue to contribute for many years to their vocation and legacy? By recognizing and supporting excellence in the health sciences. How can we create a culture of scholarship and promote  educator wellbeing? By providing educators with a cadre of like-minded individuals who will work towards continuous quality improvement for our curriculum.

• Identify, recognize and reward faculty that contribute to the excellence in education, clinical care and scholarship at UTHSC
• Facilitate interprofessional education (IPE)
• Provide a structure for continued contribution of these faculty through involvement in the following areas:
  -    Education
  -    Service as coaches and mentors
  -    Supporting and promoting educational scholarship
  -    Advancing education through innovation and professional development of faculty
• Create a culture of scholarship and value, promote wellbeing and help to reduce attrition among academic faculty

The Academy of Master Educators has a formal process for membership. First, a faculty member must be nominated. Once nominated, the individual must formally apply to the Academy by providing an educational portfolio. Applications will be reviewed by the Academy Membership Committee who will make recommendations for admission to the Vice Chancellor for Academic, Faculty, and Student Affairs.

Timeline

January 1: Call for nominations

March 15: Nominations due

March 30: Accepted nominations announced

May 31: Educational Portfolios due

September: Induction of new members at the annual Education Symposium

More details of this process can be found under the Nomination to the Academy and Application to the Academy

• Eligible nominees include all faculty who teach at UTHSC  who are at the rank of Associate Professor or who have at least seven (7) cumulative years of experience in education.
• A letter of nomination may be submitted by any UTHSC faculty member. A letter of nomination may also be submitted by a student or resident together with a faculty sponsor.
• Department chairs, program directors, and division chiefs are encouraged to nominate candidates.
• The letter of nomination must include:
  a.    Confirmation that the nominee is a member of the UTHSC faculty who is at the rank of Associate Professor or who has at least seven years of cumulative experience in education at this or another institution.
  b.    Documentation that the nominee is involved currently with the education of UTHSC students, residents and/or fellows, or is involved in continuing education training activities.
  c.    Substantive evidence of educational accomplishment and excellence in the teaching of education of UTHSC students, residents and/or fellows, or is involved in continuing education involving one or more of the following categories of educational activity:

• • Instructional development and curricular design
  • Advising and mentoring
  • Educational administration and leadership
  • Educational research

• Nomination letters should be addressed to the Teaching and Learning Center, Attn: Academy of Master Educators, Suite 424, 920 Madison Ave., UTHSC, Memphis, TN 38163. Nominations may also be sent electronically to the Teaching and Learning Center's AME account (ame@uthsc.edu).

1. Once nominated the faculty member will be informed and will be required to submit an application package containing the nominee’s Educational Portfolio consisting of:

• • A personal statement of their educational philosophy, including career goals and objectives, i.e., plans for teaching and other education-related activities for the next five years (limit 500 words).
  • A statement describing the nominee’s intended contributions to the Academy.
  • List of continuing professional development activities in education.
  • List of educational honors and awards.
  • List of all current direct teaching activities for one or more of the following groups: education of UTHSC students, residents and/or fellows, continuing education
  • Documented evidence of sustained educational excellence. Examples include:
    • curriculum development (e.g., course/clerkship design, case writing, instructional programs, development of innovative teaching tools or methods, leadership of curricular task forces or committees locally, regionally, nationally or internationally)
    • contributions to the scholarship of teaching and learning
    • assistance to other faculty to improve teaching and student learning
    • educational administration and leadership (e.g., course director, clerkship director, coordinator of a part of a course or clerkship, program leader, chair of local/regional/national/international education committees)
    • advising and mentoring (e.g., students, trainees, and junior colleagues)
    • educational scholarship (e.g., peer-reviewed publications in education, book chapters, grants, presentations at regional, national, international meetings)
    • teaching evaluations from students and peers with examples of both quantitative and qualitative data
    • awards for teaching and other education-related activities
  • Current curriculum vitae in UTHSC format

2. Applications should be submitted electronically to the Teaching and Learning Center (ame@uthsc.edu).

3. Applications will be reviewed by the Academy Membership Committee and will submit recommendations to the Vice Chancellor for Academic, Faculty, and Student Affairs, who will review the candidate's credentials and shall make the final decision regarding admission to the academy.

Membership in the Academy is for a three year term. Membership renewal will be considered based on continued excellence in education. The appointee must be involved with the education of UTHSC students, residents and/or fellows for the duration of appointment to the academy. If there is a significant change in the appointee's educational efforts, the appointee must notify in writing the Academy Membership Committee and the appointee's eligibility for academy membership will be reassessed. An appointment to the academy may be renewed, not renewed, or reinstated after a lapse in membership.

Members are expected to participate in professional development and training programs for faculty, residents, students or staff in current, state-of-the-art educational methodologies, as well as activities related to blending the art and science of the health sciences, coping with stress and maintaining resiliency and wellbeing in health care, etc. It is the expectation that individual members will create or contribute in a significant way to at least one recognized educational activity (excluding direct teaching) each year. It is expected that members will also attend at least 50% of the Academy meetings/functions per year. Members will be required to document their contributions related to these expectations and failure to meet expectations will be cause for removal from the Academy.

Members are encouraged to contribute within the following areas:

1. Participate in and develop innovative models of education and care.
2. Engage in research and scholarly activities related to education and care.
3. Participate in the development and delivery of activities sponsored by the Academy.
4. Faculty and Resident development workshop series focused on teaching.
5. Participation in activities related to the Academy (for example, serving on standing and ad hoc committees).
6. Providing outstanding delivery of care and a forum for feedback to leadership on strategies to improve the culture of clinical excellence and efficiency of practice, promote the ideal patient experience, and promote a culture of wellbeing.
7. Providing outstanding education and a forum for feedback to leadership on strategies to improve the educational models and to promote the ideal clinical and learning environment.

The Academy of Master Educators is a team of passionate individuals who believe in the power of  education. We know firsthand how crucial it is to stay up-to-date with the latest advancements and techniques in our field. That's why we founded this symposium - to provide a platform for  professionals to come together and learn from each other.

Information for Speakers

• Lecture Information
  • 45 minutes
• Workshop Information
  • 80 minutes
• Timeline
  •  March 1: Topic submission due
  • April 1: Lecture topics chosen
  • August 15: Slides due
  • September/October: Present at Symposium

Information for Poster Presenters

• Timeline
  • May 21: Call for proposals begins
  • July 15: Deadline for proposals
  • August 1: Announce accepted proposals
  • September/October: Present at the Symposium

Searchable List of Academy Members

• Valarie Fleming, PhD - Senior Associate Vice Chancellor for the Office of Academic, Faculty and Student Affairs, UTHSC
• Thomas Laughner, PhD - Director of the Teaching and Learning Center, UTHSC