About the GFA

Mission

The mission of the GFA is to build and sustain faculty vitality in medical schools and teaching hospital. The GFA does this by supporting faculty affairs deans and administrators in their development and implementation of institutional policies and professional development activities that advance the academic missions of teaching, research, and clinical care.

Purpose

In September 2006, the AAMC Executive Council approved a proposal to establish the new Group on Faculty Affairs (GFA). The GFA supports institutional leaders in the development and enactment of policies and programs that advance the academic missions of teaching, research, and clinical care.

The GFA supports the work of faculty affairs professionals by:

• Facilitating dialogue, debate and communication on emerging issues and challenges to faculty in medical schools;
• Developing and sharing effective policies and strategies;
• Fostering professional development of faculty relevant to faculty and institutional policies and practices and career pathways;
• Encouraging research and scholarship relevant to faculty and institutional policies and practices; this includes measuring and analyzing outcomes of professional development;
• Promoting professional development of faculty affairs professionals; and
• Collaborating with other AAMC Groups, Councils, and constituencies to create synergy that contributes to faculty vitality and thriving institutions.

Membership and How to Get Involved

The dean of each member medical school and CEO of each member teaching hospital may appoint to the GFA one or more persons from the faculty and staff who have administrative roles in faculty affairs and faculty development. Examples of eligible roles include: appointment, promotion and tenure oversight, faculty rewards and recognition, leadership and career development programs, mentoring programs, faculty recruitment, retention and diversity initiatives.

Where more than one person is appointed from an institution, a primary liaison should be designated to receive and respond to formal GFA correspondence.

All GFA members shall have the privileges of the floor in all discussions and be entitled to vote.

To become a GFA member, contact Valarie Clark, M.P.A., Director, Faculty Development at 202-828-0586 or vclark@aamc.org.

GFA Leadership

The GFA Steering Committee shall be responsible for the leadership and management of the affairs of the Group and approve all committee appointments. The committee shall consist of three officers, (Chair, Chair-Elect, Immediate past Chair) and seven at-large members. In addition, liaisons may be appointed from other AAMC Groups and Councils with approval of the Steering Committee.

The Chair shall preside over all GFA and Steering Committee meetings, appoint committee chairs, and perform such duties and functions as may be necessary in order to provide appropriate leadership to the GFA. In the absence of the Chair, the Chair-Elect shall fulfill the functions of the Chair.

Subcommittees

There are three subcommittees that serve in advisory capacity to the Steering Committee:

• Membership and Nominating Committee—Led by the Immediate Past Chair, this committee shall be responsible for developing the membership and proposing a slate of officers and steering committee members to present to the general membership for election to the Steering Committee;
  

• Professional Development and Program Committee—This committee shall be responsible for developing, implementing and evaluating the programs of the GFA, to include an annual professional development conference and programming for the AAMC Annual Meeting; and

• Research and Project Development Committee—This committee shall oversee GFA collaborative projects, promote and coordinate scholarly activities with other AAMC Groups and Councils, and identify opportunities for fostering scholarship in faculty affairs.