Link: University of Iowa

Frequently Asked Questions

Faculty members:

  1. I am invited to an orientation. Didn't I just attend that?
  2. Who is the Carver College of Medicine faculty HR representative?
  3. What are the deadlines for promotion?
  4. How do I sign up for phased retirement?
  5. I need a letter from the Dean for my medical license renewal application. Do I send my renewal application packet directly to the Dean's Office?

Departmental Offices:

  1. How do I know what is required for offer letters?
  2. What is needed for an Executive Committee packet?
  3. What documentation is required to reappoint an adjunct or adjunct clinical faculty member?
  4. Do I really need to wait for approval of the Recruitment Summary before I can make an offer?
  5. Why do I need to request a letter from Lois Geist for an International Scholar who will have elements of patient care?
  6. Do I need to send Dr. Lois Geist additional documentation for an International Scholar other than the DS-2019 form?
  7. My request for a waiver of the formal search process has been approved. What do I do next?
  8. What documentation is needed for a visiting appointment?
  9. What documentation is needed for a secondary appointment?

Faculty Members:

I am invited to an orientation. Didn't I just attend that?

There are three orientations that faculty new to the College/University are strongly encouraged to attend. One is the University orientation for benefits. Notification comes directly from the University Benefits Office. Another is the Collegiate Orientation held twice a year that will introduce the new faculty member to various roles of the college and how they will affect the faculty. The third is held by the Provost of the University, typically just before the start of the academic year. This is a welcome from the Provost and an introduction to the University of Iowa faculty life.

Who is the Carver College of Medicine faculty HR representative?

Marge Pottorff, Director of Faculty Affairs and Development for the College of Medicine is the faculty HR rep.

Collegiate Faculty HR Contacts are persons who are knowledgeable about key Faculty HR processes in order to provide ongoing advice and guidance on such processes/policies as:

The Faculty HR Contacts serve as the primary contact for the respective college, provide leadership through participation on Provost Faculty HR committee, and serve as an active communication liaison between Faculty, the Office of the Provost and members of the department.

What are the deadlines for promotion?

Proscribed deadlines are listed below. Because earlier deadlines may be set by each department, faculty members should contact the departmental administrative office to confirm these dates.

How do I sign up for phased retirement?

Complete the form "Request to Participate in the Phased Retirement Program" located on the University Benefits Web site.

I need a letter from the Dean for my medical license renewal application. Do I send my renewal application packet directly to the Dean's Office?

No, please notify your departmental administrator about your medical license expiration and he/she will submit the request for a Dean letter to Sonya Housholder in the Office of Faculty Affairs and Development. It is important that the renewal application packet be submitted to the Iowa Board of Medical Examiners AFTER the Dean's letter has been signed and mailed. Recent conversations with the IBME office has revealed that renewal applications are returned unapproved if the Dean letter is not either already on file or submitted with the application packet.

Departmental Offices:

How do I know what is required for offer letters?

Current templates of all offer letters are found on the Faculty Affairs website under Forms/Templates.

What is needed for an Executive Committee packet?

  1. A letter of recommendation from DEO to Dean.
  2. CV in CCOM format.
  3. At least three letters of reference are required.*

* For all tenure track appointments and for clinical track appointments for persons who have not trained at the UI, at least two letters must be from an external (to institution) source. For clinical track candidates who are completing residency or fellowship at the UI, all letters may be internal to the institution.

Additional information on the recruiting process can be found on the Step-by-Step Guide to the Recruitment Process website.

What documentation is required to reappoint an adjunct or adjunct clinical faculty member?

A Faculty Status Change in Status workflow form with a new end-date and an attached reappointment letter. We request that a current CV (adjunct CV format) be attached, but it is not required.

Do I really need to wait for approval of the Recruitment Summary before I can make an offer?

Yes. The College of Medicine requires that the Executive Committee of the College review all appointments at the rank of Assistant Professor and above prior to giving final approval to the hire. Following that, approval is needed by the Office of the Provost and by the Office of Equal Opportunity and Diversity. This process can take from seven to eleven working days.

Why do I need to request a letter from Lois Geist for an International Scholar who will have elements of patient care?

If an International Scholar has graduated from a foreign medical school, the Office of International Students and Scholars will require the department to submit the DS-2019 form to Dr. Lois Geist for the purpose of determining the nature of the patient care duties of the scholar. If the duties are within the scope of the University's J-1 program (see the five limitations listed on the form), federal regulations require a letter from the Dean or his designee, Lois Geist, certifying that the individual and his/her sponsor will follow those limitations of care. If the scholar will have more than incidental patient contact, then the Office of International Students and Scholars will assist in pursuing J-1 status through the Educational Commission for Foreign Medical Graduates (ECFMG).

Activities that go beyond incidental patient contact include: making a diagnosis and entering it in a patient chart, prescribing treatment or medication administered by the physician or other health care professionals, or performing surgery. Activities that may be acceptable include: performing a diagnostic exam in the presence of a senior physician who repeats the exam or ensures at every step that it is done correctly and the proper diagnostic information is obtained; being present during therapies and treatment with opportunities for hands-on experience in ways that do not compromise the care of the patient; being present in the operating room and having direct patient contact, but not performing procedures.

Do I need to send Dr. Lois Geist additional documentation for an International Scholar other than the required DS-2019 and FMG Supplement?

Yes. In addition to the DS-2019 form, please send a copy of the scholar's curriculum vita and any correspondence between the sponsor and the scholar that outlines expectations and duties while the scholar is at the Carver College of Medicine.

My request for a waiver of the formal search process has been approved. What do I do next?

Please send a Recruitment Summary for the individual you wish to hire on the waiver. Include the following documentation:

  1. a signed offer letter
  2. CV in CCOM format
  3. DEO to Dean letter that contains a faculty vote
  4. DEO waiver request letter
  5. Letters of reference (not required for an Associate position)

An Applicant Worksheet is not required in a waiver's recruitment summary.

What documentation is needed for a visiting appointment?

For a visiting appointment, the following documentation should be submitted with the workflow appointment form:

  1. curriculum vita
  2. correspondence regarding why the person is here and what he/she will be doing (usually the DEO to Dean letter)
  3. letter to the faculty member outlining expectations and responsibilities
  4. Letters of reference are not required for a visiting appointment.

We would prefer to review the offer letter prior to sending it to the faculty member, but this is not required unless there are financial obligations or benefits that would normally be attached to a regular appointment.

What documentation is needed for a secondary appointment?

For a secondary appointment, the following documentation should be submitted with the workflow appointment form:

  1. curriculum vita
  2. DEO to Dean letter (template)
  3. Secondary Appointment Agreement form with all signatures (template)
  4. Letters of reference only if the primary department is not within the College of Medicine