CM-31 - The Relationship of Centers of Excellence to Departments, Schools, and Units of Louisiana State University Health Sciences Center

November 12, 2007

Introduction

A Center of Excellence is interdisciplinary in nature; it crosses traditional boundaries for schools, colleges, and departments. Centers conduct research, education, and/or patient care within the role, scope, and mission of the LSU Health Sciences Center in New Orleans. Centers do not have departmental status. Each Center is headed by a Director reporting to the relevant School Dean(s).

The Center Director prepares and presents an annual report to the Dean(s) and the Chancellor on the role, scope, mission, and activities of the Center. The report should include the following information: an overview of the Center’s activities, members, committees, and advisory groups.

Centers of Excellence

LSU Health Sciences Center - New Orleans

As of this date, the Health Sciences Center has eleven Centers of Excellence, which are listed below with the year each was approved by the Louisiana Board of Regents

1. Neurosciences Center, 1988
2. Alcohol and Drug Abuse Center, 1991
3. Cardiovascular Center, 1991
4. Center for Molecular and Human Genetics, 1991
5. Stanley S. Scott Cancer Center, 1991
6. Center for Oral and Craniofacial Biology, 1994
7. Ernest N. Morial Asthma, Allergy, and Respiratory Disease Center, 1996
8. Eye Center, 1999
9. The Gene Therapy Program, 2000
10. Epilepsy Center, 2002
11. The Research Institute for Children, 2005

Departments, established within each school of the Health Sciences Center, represent the disciplines that constitute the traditional divisions of professional education and form the academic cores of each school. Each Department comprises individuals trained in a specific discipline under the direction of a Department Head. It is the responsibility of the Department Head to supervise the Department with regard to administration, fiscal affairs, teaching, research, and, if appropriate, clinical care. The responsibility for development of the Department resides with the Department Head. The Department Heads from the basic science and clinical departments form Administrative Councils that report to and advise their respective Deans.

Governance

Faculty Appointments

Faculty appointments, rank, and tenure are the responsibility of the Department Heads. Any faculty member associated with a Center must have his/her primary appointment in an appropriate academic department. Joint appointments in more than one department are possible. In such cases, each Department Head must be involved in the approval process.

When a faculty member joins a Center, a written agreement must be executed between the Center of Excellence and the Department to delineate clearly the individual faculty member's responsibilities and to outline the allocation of institutional resources supporting the faculty member. The agreement clarifies allocation of time commitments. The appointment of an individual to a Center must be acceptable to both the Center Director and to the Department Head in which the faculty member holds his/her primary appointment. This agreement must be signed by all parties and approved by the Chancellor or designee. A template agreement is attached to this CM. The agreement is in addition to the School’s letter of offer and is an internal document that guides the commitment of resources by both the Department and Center in the recruitment of new faculty members or the reallocation of effort of existing faculty members.

Promotion and Tenure

Recommendations for promotion and tenure originate with the Department Head in which the faculty member has his/her primary appointment. For individuals with more than a 30% effort in a Center, the Center Director should be a co-sponsor and both administrators should participate and make recommendations for the orderly progression of the individual through the promotion and tenure process as outlined in the agreement letter.

Teaching, Clinical Service, and Research

Appointment in a Center, even if greater than 50% effort, does not absolve the individual faculty member from participating in the teaching objectives and service responsibilities of the Department in which the faculty member holds his/her primary academic faculty appointment. Departmental teaching activities are integrated into the overall teaching plans of that Department including review and approval by the appropriate Department Head.

Clinical responsibilities are negotiated between the Center Director and the appropriate Department Head. Professional income is distributed in accordance with each Department Practice Plan. Space, equipment, and research support must also be negotiated between the Center Director and the Department Head.

Finances

The faculty member's salary is finally determined by the Department Head with input from the Center Director. Negotiations are encouraged between the Department Head and the Center Director to ensure that the Center is allowed to pay the individual for the percentage of effort spent on Center work as outlined in the agreement letter. Salaries should conform to AAMC averages for the respective rank and department and should not inherently result in equity disparities for that department. The Department Head and the Center Director should perform independent performance evaluations with regard to the faculty member’s contribution to each unit. However, merit increases should be agreed upon by both the Department Head and Center Director prior to recommendation to the Dean’s office and will be reviewed using the standard raise policies and processes established by the School.

Monies brought into the institution through the efforts of the individual faculty member should be distributed to the Center, Department, individual, and to the School in a process negotiated among the Center Director, the Department Head and the administration. These written negotiations should be reviewed and endorsed by the respective Dean(s). This applies to all sources of funding, whether grants, contracts, or monies generated from clinical care directly related to the Center.

Indirect cost and salary recovery will be allocated in a manner agreed upon by the Department Head and the Center Director. Each school will develop guidelines for division of these funds, which will be reflected in the agreement letter. Space that is provided through a Center is allocated by the Center Director in a manner consistent with the needs of the faculty member and his/her involvement in the Center functions. Space allocated within the Department is under the jurisdiction of the Department Head. Space allocation must conform to school space policies.

Use this fillable PDF file when writing the memo relating to division of cost for faculty members.

Signed: Larry H. Hollier, MD, Chancellor