The Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine has long been known for its excellence in education. Its birth, 150 years ago this year, was motivated by the founders’ conviction that the schools then extant in Chicago were not properly addressing the educational needs of their students. We have been at the forefront of many educational innovations over the years, and even now, as we climb in the ranks of research-intensive medical centers, we see excellence in education as the arena in which we can most readily advance our national and international reputation. We do recognize, however, the financial pressures and relative lack of recognition for educational expertise and contributions that make it difficult for many faculty to devote time to the educational mission above and beyond the basic teaching expectation. Therefore, we are launching several new initiatives to enhance the visibility and viability of the educational mission at the Feinberg School of Medicine: 1. Center for Education in Medicine
Academy of Medical Educators
The Feinberg Center for Education in Medicine will support, encourage and provide an intellectual community for faculty who conceptualize and implement innovative approaches to education. The Center will have a dual purpose: It will both enhance our institutional visibility and impact in education, and will also address our pressing intramural needs for faculty development and recognition through a new Academy of Medical Educators that will be the first major initiative of the Center. The activities of the Academy and Institute will be available to faculty in all educational programs connected with the Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine, including the undergraduate and graduate medical programs, as well as graduate student education and CME. 2. Core Teaching Faculty
For faculty who wish to devote a significant proportion of their professional time to medical student education, we will provide them with an opportunity to be supported as Core Teaching Faculty. Approximately 30 - 40 faculty will be supported for 10% to 20% of their professional effort, for a period of two years (renewable), through a self-nomination and selection process to be managed through the Academy of Medical Educators. This support will be in addition to, and distinct from, the existing salary support that comes from the dean’s office for the many leadership positions in MD pre-clerkship, clerkship, and college leadership roles. Both full-time and contributed services faculty will be eligible for the Core Teaching Faculty roles. 3. Tracking Mechanism for Basic Teaching Requirement
The faculty at large--both basic science and clinical faculty—will continue to provide the bulk of teaching for the undergraduate and graduate medical programs, as well as graduate student education and CME. To make these responsibilities--a condition of every faculty appointment--both more explicit and equitably distributed, we will formalize a basic teaching requirement per calendar year for all full-time and contributed services faculty. The dean’s office will work with departments to determine the appropriate allocation of that teaching among the faculty within the departments and track individual- and department-level contributions, and to ensure that faculty compensation plans appropriately recognize and reward educational contributions. 4. Faculty Affairs Tracks for Appointment and Promotion
Two task forces and a central steering committee have examined the current faculty affairs tracks for appointment and promotion, seeking to develop a new clear pathwayfor career development and academic promotion for clinician-teachers and educators, and better account for educational contributions in all faculty promotion decisions. | 
