Overview
Educational Value Units (EVUs) act as a formalized measurement system to assess the efforts dedicated to teaching and educational management. This effort is expressed in full-time equivalents (FTE) through a defined metric calculation. The funds associated with EVUs are allocated to support state and tuition-backed educational initiatives within clinical departments. By establishing a uniform method for measuring contributions, EVUs are crucial in the academic environment, enhancing transparency, motivating performance, and facilitating uniform evaluation among faculty members.
FAQsApplication in Clinical Departments
EVUs are predominantly utilized in clinical departments to represent the effort dedicated to educational tasks such as teaching, mentoring, curriculum development, and other instructional activities. These efforts are critical in ensuring high-quality education for students and trainees, and EVUs provide a tangible way to recognize these contributions.
Application in Basic Science Departments
While EVUs form the backbone of effort tracking in clinical departments, their direct application does not extend to basic science departments. Instead, EVU Full-Time Equivalents (FTEs) are employed within these departments for tracking purposes. Although basic science faculty may not receive salary support tied to EVUs, this tracking mechanism ensures that their academic contributions are accounted for and integrated into broader institutional assessments.
Impact of Faculty Metrics
The accumulated effort, as quantified through EVUs, serves multiple functions in the academic ecosystem:
* Faculty Bonuses: EVUs are integral to the calculation of faculty bonuses, rewarding individuals for their dedication and measurable impact on educational activities.
* Faculty Annual Evaluations: Prospective EVUs are reported to Faculty Affairs for the annual evaluation process.
* Promotion and Tenure: Contributions reflected in EVU metrics are central to promotion and tenure deliberations, providing a quantitative basis for evaluation.
* Academic Quantity Measures: EVUs offer a reliable method for tracking academic productivity and effort, facilitating comparisons and enabling equitable recognition across faculty members.
General Guidelines for Policies and Procedures
Policy
1.) EVU data (role and hour submission) must be approved by the course director.
2.) Any revisions to retrospective EVU data must be reviewed by the course director.
3.) Department chairs, budget and finance administrators are not authorized to make changes to EVU data.
4.) Any new or revised prospective roles that do not involve small groups, coaches, or preceptors must be approved by DME leadership or other official bodies like the faculty council.
5.) Direct any questions or revisions to the EVU analyst. If leadership or course directors need to be involved, the issue will eventually return to the EVU analyst for action and record keeping.
Procedure
1.) Using class schedules, roles and hours are collected from course directors and coordinators, starting at the beginning of the academic year and working through the year to completion.
2.) Once EVU data is collected it is matched to faculty rosters to gather pertinent faculty data for non-EVU compensated and EVU compensated faculty.
3.) After EVU and faculty data is compiled and organized, the EVU metrics are applied to EVU FTE calculations, and monetization where needed for clinical department budgets and clinician buy-back time.
4.) Reports are created for VP budget office and departmental resource allocation.
5.) Revisions to department EVU allocations are accomplished as follows: After the first distribution of EVU allocations to clinical departments each fiscal year, revisions can be submitted during an approximately four-month review period. The final EVU allocations are then updated and distributed for the fiscal year. Departments will only receive their revised EVU allocations once the midyear budget review process has commenced.
Educational Value Units represent more than just a metric; they embody the effort, dedication, and value that faculty bring to educational activities. While their application varies between clinical and basic science departments, EVUs remain a cornerstone in modern academic institutions, fostering accountability, incentivizing performance, and enhancing transparency in faculty evaluations. Their role in bonuses, promotions, tenure, and overall academic assessments underscores their importance in shaping and sustaining a vibrant, equitable academic environment.