Contributed Services Faculty

Historically, FSM granted contributed services faculty appointments, but no longer grants new appointments of this type. However, those who were initially appointed as contributed services faculty retain those appointments and are eligible for promotion. Contributed services faculty members are appointed to the Clinician-Educator track. They are clinical practitioners who typically are in the private practice of medicine and practice within the McGaw Medical Center. Contributed services faculty members contribute to the academic mission of the medical school without compensation by teaching medical students, residents, and fellows and performing other activities. Departments provide expectations for contributions to the academic mission by contributed services faculty.

Contributed Services Faculty Ranks

Clinical Instructor
Clinical Assistant Professor
Clinical Associate Professor
Clinical Professor

New Appointment

The Feinberg School of Medicine no longer grants new contributed services faculty appointments.
Health System Clinician appointments replace contributed services faculty appointments.

Reappointment

Appointment terms for contributed services faculty always end on August 31 of a given year, with reappointments taking effect on September 1. Faculty whose appointment terms end on August 31 are reappointed together as part of an annual batch process. View our Annual Reappointment Process page for details.

Promotion

Contributed services faculty are eligible for promotion as part of the annual promotion and tenure process.

Change Appointment Basis

The basis for contributed services faculty appointments is always unpaid. A change in basis is not possible without also changing the category of the faculty appointment.

Change Appointment Category

If proposing a change to an existing faculty member's category of appointment, please do the following:

Navigate to the webpage describing the intended faculty appointment category
Follow the New Appointment process/checklist

Apply for Tuition Benefit

Contributed services faculty may receive reduced undergraduate tuition for their dependents (children and spouse) if they attend Northwestern University. To be eligible for this benefit, a contributed services faculty member must have taught for at least 78 hours per year for at least the last 5 consecutive years at the time of applying for the benefit. The teaching should be for the Feinberg School of Medicine and not on the private patients of the faculty member.

The tuition benefit cannot be transferred to cover tuition at other universities, and the contributed services faculty member is not eligible for reduced tuition for his/her own education at Northwestern University.

To apply for this benefit, contributed services faculty must submit the most current Dependent Reduced Tuition Plan Application and the Tuition Rebate Form signed by the Department Chair. To obtain these forms and for questions about this benefit, please contact:

Faculty Affairs Office
fao@northwestern.edu

Request Approval for an Outside Appointment

Faculty must obtain approval from their Department Chair and the Dean’s Office before accepting an appointment at an another institution.

Request approval to obtain an outside appointment.

Termination or Appointment Non-renewal
Involuntary departure initiated by the department

Phase 1: Provide Written Notice of Appointment Non-Renewal

Faculty must receive advance written notice from the Department Chair that the appointment will not be renewed; the amount of notice is dependent on the length of the faculty member's current appointment term. If you wish to discuss the case before providing the notification, contact fao@northwestern.edu

Exception: Most faculty who practice clinically are required to remain in good standing at their clinical employer in order to retain their faculty appointment. If the clinical employer terminates their employment, the faculty appointment can be terminated the same day as the clinical employment, without the same advance notice requirements. If this situation arises, please contact fao@northwestern.edu to discuss the case.

Prepare the letter (template available below) and send to the faculty member:
- Faculty in one-year appointment terms must receive 4 months' advance notice
  Intent not to reappoint- appointment ending this year (letter template)
- Faculty in three-year appointment terms must receive 1 year's advance notice
  Intent not to reappoint- appointment ending in 1 year (letter template)
Submit a copy of the letter to FAO via the online Faculty Appointment Non-renewal form

Phase 2: Submit Termination Transaction Via OnBase

To process a termination after providing advance notice to the faculty member, submit via the OnBase submission form (for help, view this OnBase page). Combine the following documents into a single PDF file and upload to the Position / Appointment Form button. When combining documents, use this order:

Position Data/Appointment Forms
- Download ALL active records (e.g., secondary appointments) and update as needed. If the faculty member has appointments in other departments, notify the other departments of the termination. The position/appointment forms to end all appointments should be submitted by the primary department through its OnBase submission. (If a secondary department wishes to retain an appointment for the faculty member, it would submit an additional OnBase transaction separately to propose an appointment change.)
- Appointment form action/reason codes: depends on termination reason, so consult action/reason code matrix
- Position form action/reason code: POS/INA
Copy of written notification provided to faculty member

Resignation
Voluntary departure initiated by faculty member

Complete the OnBase submission form (for help, view this OnBase page) and attach these documents:

Upload the faculty member's resignation letter (if available) separately to its respective button
Combine the following documents into a single PDF file and upload to the Position / Appointment Form button. When combining documents, use this order:
1. Position Data/Appointment Forms
  - Download ALL active records (e.g., secondary appointments) and update as needed. If the faculty member has appointments in other departments, notify the other departments of the resignation. The position/appointment forms to end all appointments should be submitted by the primary department through its OnBase submission. (If a secondary department wishes to retain an appointment for the faculty member, it would submit an additional OnBase transaction separately to propose an appointment change.)
  - Common appointment form action/reason codes:
    TER/OTP (resignation for another position)
    TER/PER (resignation for personal reasons)
  - Position form action/reason code: POS/INA

Retirement, retaining netID, Wildcard, and email address
Eligible at 55 years of age

Complete the OnBase submission form (for help, view this OnBase page) and attach these documents:

Combine the following documents into a single PDF file and upload to the Position / Appointment Form button. When combining documents, use this order:
1. Position Data/Appointment Forms
  - Download ALL active records (e.g., secondary appointments) and update as needed. If the faculty member has appointments in other departments, notify the other departments of the retirement. The position/appointment forms to end all appointments should be submitted by the primary department through its OnBase submission.
  - Add this note in the comments: "Retain WildCard and email"
  - Appointment form action/reason code: TER/RTT
2. Retiree Privileges Form
3. Faculty member's letter of retirement (optional)

Retirement, relinquishing netID, Wildcard, and email address
Eligible at 55 years of age

Complete the OnBase submission form (for help, view this OnBase page) and attach these documents:

Combine the following documents into a single PDF file and upload to the Position / Appointment Form button. When combining documents, use this order:
1. Position Data / Appointment Forms
  - Download ALL active records (e.g., secondary appointments) and update as needed. If the faculty member has appointments in other departments, notify the other departments of the retirement. The position/appointment forms to end all appointments should be submitted by the primary department through its OnBase submission.
  - Appointment form action/reason code: TER/RTT
2. Faculty member's letter of retirement (optional)

Death

Complete the OnBase submission form (for help, view this OnBase page) and attach these documents:

Combine the following documents into a single PDF file and upload to the Position / Appointment Form button. When combining documents, use this order:
1. Position Data/Appointment Forms
  - Download ALL active records (e.g., secondary appointments) and update as needed. If the faculty member has appointments in other departments, notify the other departments of the death. The position/appointment forms to end all appointments should be submitted by the primary department through its OnBase submission.
  - Appointment form action/reason code: TER/DEA
  - Position form action/reason code: POS/INA
2. Obituary (if available)

Contributed Services Faculty