Executive Committees are composed of appointing department heads from across the hospitals and research institutes. Some ECs have additional voting members to enhance representation and/or serve school or departmental interests. These committees play an essential role in the appointment and promotion process in addition to addressing issues relevant to their specialty across HMS and the wider community.
For the purpose of advancing faculty candidates, each Executive Committee formalizes a decision based on input from its voting members. The Executive Committee should retain a record of the votes, and when the outcome is positive, make a formal recommendation in writing to the Dean of the Faculty of Medicine supporting the candidate’s appointment or promotion. If there is dissent or abstention, the letter provides the rationale for each viewpoint.
The dean endorses or appoints all Executive Committee voting members. In addition to appointing department heads, whom the dean endorses at the time of their HMS administrative leadership appointments, other prospective voting members may be nominated as at-large members by the Executive Committee or by representatives of the Council of Academic Deans (CAD).
Executive Committees may also invite other qualified HMS faculty participants to join their meetings as non-voting members as determined by departmental interests and to support diversity, equity, and inclusion.
Nominating materials:
The selection of qualified at-large nominees for voting membership of an Executive Committee should be systematic and rigorous as well as consistent with the School’s and affiliates’ interest in promoting equitable access to leadership positions. Nomination materials must include a letter and the candidate’s Harvard Faculty of Medicine CV. The letter should describe the rationale for the nomination, steps taken to identify qualified candidates, and the selected nominee’s relevant credentials.
Nomination process:
- Appointing department heads: Endorsed by the dean as part of their search and appointment; voting membership requires no further action.
- At-large members nominated by an Executive Committee
- The Executive Committee Chair submits nominating materials for each candidate to the HMS OFA for review by CAD, including:
- Templated nominating letter detailing qualifications to serve in this capacity, co-signed by the appointing department head and chair of the corresponding Executive Committee
- Candidate’s current CV
- CAD reviews the nominating materials and advises the dean
- dean makes a decision regarding appointment for a 2-year term
- The Executive Committee Chair submits nominating materials for each candidate to the HMS OFA for review by CAD, including:
- At-large members nominated by a CAD representative:
- CAD reviews the nomination and makes a recommendation whether or not to proceed; if approved, the process continues as outlined above for At-large member nominations by Executive Committees
Last updated November 2024