Lateral Appointments

Lateral Appointment Decision Guide

Lateral Appointments

A lateral appointment is the appointment of an external faculty member to the same academic rank and a substantially equivalent faculty track held at the candidate's prior institution. This process utilizes a streamlined review pathway that recognizes and validates the faculty member's previously attained academic rank, scholarly accomplishments, professional achievements, and the comparability of the prior institution. An external candidate proposed for appointment at a higher academic rank than the their current academic rank is still a new faculty appointment, and it does not qualify for the lateral appointment pathway.

The lateral appointment process may be used for appointments at the rank of Associate Professor or Professor across all faculty tracks and all schools at UTMB.

Faculty members being recruited to serve as Department Chairs may also be appointed through the lateral appointment process. However, because of the leadership responsibilities associated with chair appointments, additional review considerations and procedural requirements may apply.*

Lateral Appointment checklist

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Guiding Principles

Required Documentation

Lateral appointments utilize a simplified documentation package that generally includes:

  • Department Chair letter
  • Joint Department Chair letter (if applicable)
  • Departmental/Program APT Committee recommendation
  • Curriculum Vitae (UTMB format)
  • Prior institution APT policy or comparable documentation, when available
  • Post-tenure review documentation, when applicable, for candidates being appointed with tenure

All lateral appointments remain subject to School APT review and Dean approval, consistent with other senior faculty appointments. The completed packet needs to be submitted for Provost and Presidential approval once assembled. 

*For Department Chairs being appointed to faculty ranks, the lateral appointment process may be utilized. However, the Dean must prepare the initial appointment letter for inclusion in the package, and an ad hoc review committee must be convened in place of the departmental APT committee due to the conflict of interest presented by the Chair position. The department may assist in gathering the remaining required documentation.

When Additional Review May Be Warranted

Further assessment should be considered when:

  • The candidate's qualifications are not clearly supported by the submitted materials.
  • The Chair letter does not sufficiently establish rank or track equivalency.
  • The prior institution's review standards or appointment process cannot be adequately assessed.
  • Conflicting information exists regarding the candidate's prior appointment history.
  • Additional documentation is necessary to validate the appropriateness of the lateral review pathway.

Additional materials, clarification, or external review may be requested as appropriate.

When a Lateral Appointment Is Not Appropriate

A full APT review should be conducted when:

  • A higher rank than currently held is requested.
  • A change in academic track is requested (e.g., non-tenure to tenure track). The candidate is an existing UTMB faculty member.
  • The submitted record does not sufficiently support the requested rank.
  • The prior institution's standards are not reasonably comparable to UTMB or cannot be assessed.
  • The Departmental/Program APT Committee does not support recognition of the existing rank.