The University of North Dakota School of Medicine and Health Sciences, Office of Faculty Affairs is dedicated to serving the professional needs of the faculty by providing faculty relations and academic human resource services for all departments and academic units within the UNDSMHS. This mission is accomplished by facilitating processes related to academic and professional matters such as faculty recruitment, appointment, reappointment, promotion, tenure, leaves, and faculty development in an expeditious manner consistent with applicable rules and contractual constraints. The Faculty Affairs team is committed to excellence in customer service, creative problem solving, and innovative and efficient work processes. In addition, they are committed to creating a mutually supportive team that is known for its respectful, caring and ethical treatment of all individuals who seek its services.

The Office of Faculty Affairs has two overriding goals: First, to ensure fair and consistent treatment of faculty, according to the rules of the University and the School of Medicine and Health Sciences; and second, to assist the departments and divisions of the SMHS to recruit, develop, promote and retain outstanding clinicians, teachers and scholars.

The Office of Faculty Affairs is committed to achieving the following specific objectives:

• Maintain an "open door" and "open communication" policy;
• Assist faculty, department chairs and administrators to understand and comply with the rules of the University and the School of Medicine and Health Sciences;
• Streamline the paperwork and upgrade the data bases that are used to track appointments, promotions, tenure and other "faculty events";
• Develop a comprehensive faculty evaluation system--one that uses valid, relevant measures of faculty performance, ensures accountability, is linked to faculty self-improvement, provides reliable data for promotion and tenure decisions and reflects the missions and values of the SMHS;
• Strengthen the School's faculty development programs, especially for junior faculty who are beginning or building their careers as clinician-educators, scientists or scholars.