Bylaws

Last Updated September 1, 2023

I. NAME:

The name of this organization shall be The University of Texas Health San Antonio Long School of Medicine (LSOM) Academy of Educational Scholars, known herein as the ‘AES’ or the ‘Academy’.

II. MISSION:

To serve the LSOM and its faculty members through honoring, fostering and advancing biomedical teaching and excellence in educational scholarship.

III. GOALS:

A. To demonstrate the LSOM commitment to excellence across the academic biomedical education continuum through:

i. Fostering medical educators to create and sustain outstanding curriculum, teaching, continuous quality improvement, educational research and scholarship.
ii. Providing the school and its departments with a mechanism to support, reward and honor the career development of medical educators.
iii. Building the academic recognition and prominence of LSOM medical educators who make a career commitment to education as a scholarship strength, including through means of the promotion and tenure system, honors and awards.
iv. Achieving and sustaining educational excellence through which the LSOM will become a nationally recognized and respected leader in fostering educational expertise, innovations, delivery, outcomes and research.

B. To facilitate and incentivize LSOM educators to join and build the Academy into a thriving participatory community of experts that provides mentoring and role-modeling to others, and measurably contributes through scholarly educational achievement to the institution, the profession, and the academic career advancement of self and others.

IV. ORGANIZATIONAL STRUCTURE

A. OVERVIEW

The AES is a formal membership organization founded and supported by the LSOM Dean in conjunction with the LSOM Office for Faculty and the LSOM Department of Medical Education. The Academy shall conduct its operations under said purview to be accountable to the LSOM Dean. AES membership shall be comprised of outstanding LSOM scholars and leaders in medical education. An annual peer-review process shall be conducted to select new AES Members. AES leadership shall be elected and appointed from among the AES membership.

B. LSOM DEAN’S SUPPORT

i. Finance AES operations, including:

1. 1. Support and reimbursement of Member Benefits, as listed. (See V. MEMBERSHIP, C. MEMBER BENEFITS.)
   2. Administrative staffing to provide operations’ support, including secretarial role to prepare minutes from each AES business meeting, route for leadership approval, and distribute to the Academy membership. Schedule and arrange administrative and logistical details of AES events and meetings. Together with the Communications and Web Committee, compile relevant AES archival material and keep the Academy Website materials and information current.
   3. AES Website creation and maintenance.

ii. Promote AES activities and events, including:

1. 1. Announcing to LSOM leadership the annual Open Call for Membership applications before the broadcast LSOM announcement.
   2. Host the annual new Member induction celebration.

V. MEMBERSHIP

A. OVERVIEW

i. The Academy shall seek, select, induct and support a diverse membership that strives for broad representation of excellence in medical education across the LSOM.

ii. Academy membership shall embody an inherent and enduring commitment to active participation in mission-aligned Academy business and goal-directed activities.

iii. The Academy shall identify new Members annually through formal processes of candidate solicitation, application, peer-review and selection.

B. MEMBERSHIP DEFINITION

i. Directorship Members – The Directorship is comprised of the LSOM Vice Dean for Faculty, the Chair of the LSOM Department of Medical Education, and the AES Executive Director, appointed by the LSOM Dean. The Directorship members shall be recognized as Members and comprise the inaugural leadership oversight team to guide AES creation in conjunction with the Founding Members. The Directorship through the Executive Director will serve as the financial and administrative business liaison body with the LSOM Dean, who provides the AES financial and administrative support.

ii. Members – Individuals with a primary LSOM appointment who are selected to membership as outlined in these Bylaws. (See V. MEMBERSHIP, A. OVERVIEW; VIII. STANDING COMMITTEES, C. COMMITTEE CHARGE AND OPERATIONS, i. New Member Selection Committee.) Members shall demonstrate continued active engagement in both the scholarly and the administrative activities vital to Academy success.

iii. Special Membership Categories

1. 1. 1. Honorific Members – Individuals with a primary LSOM appointment who are otherwise ineligible to be selected as an AES member, yet deserving of the honor of membership by having made valuable educational contributions to the LSOM or Academy. Honorific members are ex officio Members without voting privileges, yet may participate in AES activities. Examples include LSOM-appointed Adjunct or Adjoint faculty; the LSOM Dean.
      2. Founding Members – These individuals comprise the inaugural faculty members who accepted nomination from their respective academic home department Chairs. Founding Members served in an advisory capacity in the foundation of the AES structure and its Bylaws. Founding Members shall define the new Member selection criteria and operations, and comprise the inaugural New Member Selection Committee. At AES inauguration, Founding Members shall become Members to engage actively in AES service, including serving on at least one Standing Committee. The inaugural Chair of each Committee shall be selected by the Founding Members comprising that Committee. All Founding Members shall comprise the inaugural New Member Selection Committee. [See VII. STANDING COMMITTEES, C. COMMITTEE CHARGE AND OPERATIONS, i. New Member Selection Committee (NMSC)]
      3. Legacy Members – LSOM-appointed individuals who were previously members of the UTHSCSA Academy of Master Teachers, and who commit to becoming AES Members, as defined, to demonstrate continuing active AES service, including serving on at least one Standing Committee.

C. MEMBER BENEFITS

i. Only competitively selected New Members are eligible for New Member benefits (ii. Below). All other membership categories (defined in V. MEMBERSHIP, B. MEMBERSHIP DEFINITION) are only eligible for ‘All Member’ benefits.

ii. New Members selected shall receive:

1. 1. 1. Recognition at an AES celebratory event, a certificate of induction, and an emblematic medal or honor cord to wear with such as graduation regalia or other education-celebratory events.
      2. Up to $2,000.00 toward the cost of attending one education-focused conference of choice with approval by the Operations’ Committee.
      3. AES request for the UTHealth SA President to confer the honorific title, Distinguished Teaching [Assistant, Associate] Professor, in accordance with The UT System Board of Regents’ Rule 31001, VI(b).
      4. 4. All Member benefits.

iii. All Members shall receive:

1. 1. 1. Esteemed recognition as an AES member.
      2. Upon Operations Committee approval:
         1. Reimbursement of the costs of one publication annually when first/last or corresponding author and the publication is specific to medical education.
         2. Reimbursement of a standard cost (to include registration, ground transportation, up to one day’s meal stipend rate and conference hotel) to attend the UT System Shine Academy’s Annual Innovations in Medical Education Conference when a proposal is submitted/accepted for a poster, showcase or workshop presentation; or when attending the conference to be inaugurated as a new Shine Academy member.

VI. GOVERNANCE

A. EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE (EC)

The Executive Committee shall be comprised of the Directorship Members, and led by the Executive Director. The EC shall schedule at least quarterly meetings with the LSOM Dean, to discuss AES administrative and financial business, report membership accomplishments, and engage in strategic planning.

B. OPERATIONS COMMITTEE (OC)

The Executive Committee together with the Committee Chairs shall comprise the AES Operations Committee (AES-OC) to serve as the overarching AES leadership body for all Academy business operations. The AES-OC shall function under the direction of the AES Executive Director. The AES-OC shall convene no less than quarterly, and as needed, by request from the LSOM Dean and/or the AES-OC membership. The AES-OC will report to the AES membership and to the LSOM Dean.

VII. STANDING COMMITTEES

A. GENERAL COMMITTEE STRUCTURE AND OPERATIONS

i. All Committees shall be comprised of Academy Members, and responsible and responsive to the Academy mission and membership.

ii. Each Academy Member shall participate as a member of at least one Committee each year. There is no term limit to Committee service, except in the role of Chair. Each Member shall prioritize their committee service preferences so that the Directorship members can accordingly maximize a match between the desired and the assigned committee service.

iii. Each Committee shall establish a strategic plan of priorities that shall inform the Academy membership activities and candidate member project proposals.

iv. Each Committee shall meet regularly and no less than quarterly to establish measurable annual goals, and report progress toward meeting the strategic plan of those prioritized goals. Sufficient member commitment shall be used to determine how many priorities can be simultaneously undertaken.

B. COMMITTEE LEADERSHIP

i. Each Committee shall operate under the leadership of a Chair with up to one Associate Chair, if an Associate Chair is determined by that committee to be needed.

ii. The Committee membership shall determine a process for equitable selection of the Chair who may serve up to a 2-year term of service, and with committee membership majority approval, may continue to serve up to the limit of four of any six consecutive years.

iii. Each Committee Chair shall serve as a member of the Operations Committee.

C. COMMITTEE CHARGE AND OPERATIONS

Each Committee will develop and institute specific activities to meet the charge given by the Operations Committee.

i. New Member Selection Committee (NMSC): To conduct all processes for membership application and new Member selection. To oversee all aspects of AES membership along the membership continuum in concert with the AES- EC. (See V. MEMBERSHIP: A.-D.)

a. Committee Composition:
i. The Inaugural NMSC shall be comprised of the Founding Members.

ii. The NMSC thereafter shall be comprised of a combination of experienced NMSC members and individuals from the prior year’s new Member class.

iii. A NMSC member must recuse themselves from reviewing and rating applications from candidates with whom there is a possible or actual conflict of interest, including but not exclusive of being in the same department, co-investigator on any grants or clinical trials, or having a defined mentoring relationship. Having a co-publication is acceptable.

b. Term of Service: NMSC members shall serve a 2-year term of service and may continue to serve up to the limit of four of any six consecutive years.

c. Operations:

1. Founding Members shall devise and apply an equitable application process, including an application evaluation and scoring system to:

a. Select the first class of new Academy Members, and shall codify the application and review processes for standardized NMSC selection of New Members annually.

b. Select Honorific Members, and shall codify the application and review processes for standardized selection of no more than 5 Honorific Members annually.

c. Confirm Legacy Members, and shall codify the application and review processes for standardized handling of this special category of legacy applicants.

2. Applications for AES membership shall be solicited annually through the LSOM Dean first informing all LSOM department Chairs and other LSOM leadership before broadcast email announcement to the LSOM faculty; thus, serving as a reminder that the application process includes both self-nomination and a letter of endorsement from the respective academic home department.

3. New Member selection shall occur through a competitive peer- review process conducted by the NMSC and holistically assessing the strength of applicants’ education-related expertise, biomedical educational experience and achievements, proposed AES project, and commitment to ongoing contribution to AES success.

4. As part of the selection process, each NMSC member shall assess as high a number of candidates as is reasonable (about 7-9) so that each candidate’s packet shall undergo an odd number of reviews (3 or 5) with sufficient reviewer assignment overlap to limit the possibility of tie results in rank ordering candidates for final selection.

5. The maximum number of qualified AES applicants formally selected each year as new Members shall be 12.

d. Membership Eligibility and Applications:

i. To be eligible to apply for membership, applicants shall have been appointed >50% FTE at the LSOM for at least 5 years, and shall have an established scholarship strength and career record of outstanding accomplishments in two or more particular aspect(s) of health science teaching/medical education, including educational research. Should a faculty member join the LSOM from another institution where they achieved a scholarly career in education that meets the above stated applicant requirement, that faculty member may apply for AES membership after a minimum of three full years as an LSOM faculty member appointed >50% FTE.

ii. Submitted applications must align with AES goals and annually enumerated priorities.

iii. The Application packet shall be comprised of the following:

1. Applicant CV – Highlighting the quantity, frequency and quality of educational expertise and achievements, such as but not limited to course and curriculum development, teaching methods and accomplishments, and education-focused research, mentoring, honors and awards.

2. One-page maximum (11 font Arial, 1” margins) applicant description of how AES membership would impact the applicant’s scholarship strength and career growth in education, and how the applicant through serving as an AES member plans to add value to the Long School of Medicine.

3. Two-page maximum (11 font Arial, 1” margins) applicant proposal of a specific scholarly educational project aligned with the mission of the AES. The proposed project shall include achievable and measurable education-related outcome(s) so that progress or completion can be demonstrated, preferably within two years, such as: education-focused manuscript submission/acceptance; academic abstract submission/acceptance; education-focused grant submission/funding, academic meeting poster or session presentation, creating/instituting a new curriculum/curricular innovation, new educational program, educational research, educational project- related award or honor.

4. Letter of endorsement (1-page maximum) from the academic home Chair and other Chief/Supervisor, delineating how AES membership selection will be valued and supported by the academic home, and will confer value to the candidate’s career.

ii. Communications and Web Committee: To optimize AES communications, archives, media and website applications in concert with the assigned AES administrative/secretarial support, and the LSOM Webmaster.

a. Development areas proposed by Founding Members: Develop website financing and structure. A bi-annual Newsletter of awards, presentations, accomplishments and new educational techniques helpful to the LSOM faculty.

iii. Faculty Development Committee: To promote and advance faculty enrichment in biomedical education-related skills, the academic career advancement of LSOM faculty developing or further strengthening a scholarship strength in teaching and medical education, the academic value and appreciation of educational activities and accomplishments, and the development of collaborative and innovative medical educational products.

a. Development areas proposed by Founding Members: Mandatory teaching skills development course during on- boarding orientation for those with an educator role. Pathway for basic science teaching as a scholarship strength. Promote educational scholar value and visibility at our institution. Junior faculty mentoring. Educational mentor development. Define metrics for excellence in education to be used in faculty evaluations. Accountability groups or pairs in learning. Connect with Awards Committee.

iv. Awards and Grants Committee: To monitor, instigate and facilitate sufficient and appropriate LSOM Teaching/Education-related recognition and awards on any level. To work toward related AES GOALS.

a. Development areas proposed by Founding Members: Needs assessment survey each Department, Division, Institute and Center level; gap analysis regarding awards or other mechanisms for recognition. Develop communication mechanism about the gamut of extant awards on any level for educational scholars. Create new LSOM awards and recognition to meet needs identified. Address educational grant-related needs.

v. Educational Program Committee: To plan and orchestrate all aspects of Academy educational programming.

a. Development areas proposed by Founding Members: Establish AES as LSOM resource to support pilot projects; Assist educational research study design; Workshops on scholarship in education. Annual celebration with an Educational Poster and Workshop Day. Project on e- learning, technology uses. Develop needs assessment; Establish a Speakers’ Bureau. Learner responsibility. UME focus. GME focus. CME focus.

vi. Ad hoc and New Committees. When the need for an ad hoc Committee or a new Committee is identified, the AES-OC shall put the rationale forward to the membership, and upon a majority vote for approval, formulate the charge of the new committee, open it to membership and designate an inaugural Chair with appropriate expertise.

a. A Bylaws Committee shall be appointed and convened on an ad hoc basis.

VIII. ACADEMY GENERAL MEMBERSHIP BUSINESS MEETINGS

A. OPERATIONS: See VI. GOVERNANCE, B. OPERATIONS COMMITTEE.

i. The AES General Membership meeting shall be convened no less than annually by the Executive Director or ED/OC to report AES accomplishments, vote to confirm member selection, and discuss new business and proposals.

ii. All AES Membership meetings shall be scheduled and convened through consideration and application of the timing, logistics and other mechanisms (including technology) that maximize Academy member participation. Business meetings are open to the entire Academy membership and all members are encouraged to attend.

iii. The ED with the OC shall oversee the AES Business Meeting agenda. Standard items of business include a progress report from the Chair of each Standing Committee with a review and discussion of each Committee’s Strategic Plan and priorities. Annual Committee reporting will also confirm member contributions as substantive or lapsed. New business proposed to the ED in advance of the meeting will be addressed.

IX. CONFLICT OF INTEREST

So that all AES policies are created and implemented, and all funds are managed and distributed equitably and responsibly relative to the Academy and its mission, all AES Executive Committee members shall on an annual basis disclose and sign standard conflict of interest/commitment documentation.

X. AMENDMENTS

A. The AES-EC shall be responsible for maintaining the Bylaws and for determining when to activate an ad hoc Bylaws Committee to advise the Academy about any updates needed.

B. A Bylaws amendment can be proposed by any AES Member.

C. A Bylaws amendment shall be proposed in writing to the AES-EC for OC consideration and majority vote approval to move the proposal to full AES membership vote. If approved, AES membership vote shall be held within two months of the written proposal submission.

D. Proposed Bylaws modifications shall be approved when two-thirds or more of the votes cast during a prescribed voting period from a quorum of at least half the AES membership are in favor of adoption.

E. All amendments will become effective immediately upon approval.