Affiliate Clinical Educator (ACE) Faculty appointment
Introduction
All attending physicians who are supervising or assessing College of Medicine (UI COM) students on required clerkships must have a UI COM faculty appointment prior to their supervisory or assessment responsibilities, as specified in the Liaison Committee for Medical Education (LCME) element 9.2. Physicians at affiliated clinical sites who supervise UI COM students and do not hold paid appointments by the University of Illinois at Chicago are eligible for one of two types of appointments:
Application Form Affiliate Clinical Educator Appointment Request
Types of appointments offered
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Traditional non-tenure track volunteer faculty appointment
- This appointment title may be titled lecturer; instructor; or assistant, associate or full professor of the clinical discipline, as described in this document.
- These unpaid appointments are eligible for promotion and require the faculty member to go through a hiring process which includes a criminal background check and completion of forms and training.
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Affiliate clinical educator (ACE) appointment
- This is a non-salaried, non-tenured appointment for supervisors and assessors.
- This appointment can be renewed every 3 years.
- This appointment is not eligible for promotion and is not formally recorded in the Banner system. Library access is not provided.
ACE appointment eligibility requirements
Supervising physicians or medical student educators may be eligible for an affiliate clinical educator appointment if they are not interested in or do not qualify for a traditional non-tenure track volunteer faculty role. To be considered, they must hold a valid medical license in the state where they practice, be board-certified or board-eligible, and receive a recommendation from the director of the relevant clerkship or clinical course. Additionally, the department head or their designee must determine that the physician has demonstrated competence in the clinical field of teaching.
Note that traditional volunteer faculty may switch into the ACE appointment category if they so desire when their appointment term expires. Conversely, individuals holding ACE appointments can apply for a traditional voulunteer faculty position at any point during their term.
Opportunities
Affiliate clinical educators are encouraged to participate in departmental conferences, including grand rounds and faculty development, and are eligible for complimentary CME credits for these activities. An ACE faculty may at any time decide to apply for a traditional volunteer faculty appointment.
Restrictions
ACE appointments are not eligible for tenure or promotion. ACE appointments are not listed within the Banner HR system, and ACE faculty are not eligible for library privileges nor iCard access.
Term of Appointments
Appointments will be issued for a three year period, renewable indefinitely provided the faculty member continues to meet eligibility requirements. The Office of Educational Affairs will inform departments when the renewal period is approaching. Appointments may be suspended or terminated by the department at any time, based on failure to adhere to the Positive Learning Environment Policy [link] or evidence of inadequate teaching or learning opportunities at the site, as determined by the clerkship or course director. If an ACE is terminated or suspended, the department must notify the Office of Educational Affairs of the change in appointment status.