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Faculty Assembly

The purpose of the Faculty Assembly is to enable the faculty to participate in the shared governance of the School of Medicine (SOM) in an advisory capacity to the dean as specified in the faculty manual and the SOM constitution and bylaws. Its goal is to work collaboratively with institutional leaders to strengthen the mission of the SOM.

The Faculty Assembly carries out its obligations through the Executive Committee of the Faculty Assembly (ECFA), a seven-member faculty committee elected by the SOM faculty body and through the standing committees of the SOM populated by faculty members.

The ECFA’s responsibility is to determine the "sense of the faculty" on issues regarding the policies of the SOM and communicate thereof to the SOM Dean and Executive Committee, and to the Faculty Senate, the Vice president of Academic Affairs and the President of Saint Louis University, whenever appropriate.

The ECFA conducts its business through monthly meetings, email and via a website.

The entire Faculty Assembly, consisting of all full-time faculty within the SOM may be convened by the ECFA:

  1. As deemed necessary by majority of the ECFA
  2. On request to the Chair of the ECFA/President of the SOM Faculty Assembly by the Dean of the SOM
  3. On written petition signed by 15 members of the SOM Faculty Assembly

Agenda items for discussion at the monthly ECFA meetings should be submitted via email to T. Scott Isbell, Ph.D., the Chair of the ECFA, at scott.isbell@health.slu.edu.

Agenda items for the General Faculty Meeting should be submitted to Heidi Sallee, M.D., the SOM Faculty Secretary, at heidi.sallee@health.slu.edu .

Submit Concerns, Agenda Items Through the Faculty Assembly Contact Form

Committee Members

T. Scott Isbell, Ph.D.
Faculty Assembly President/Chair of ECFA 
Associate Professor, Department of Pathology, Division of Clinical Pathology
scott.isbell@health.slu.edu 
Term Ends: 2023

Ramona Behshad, M.D.
Assistant Professor, Department of Dermatology
ramona.behshad@health.slu.edu  
Term Ends: 2023

Erik C. Madsen, M.D.
Assistant Professor, Department of Pediatrics
erik.madsen@health.slu.edu 
Term Ends: 2023

Matthew Smeds, M.D.
Associate Professor, Department of Surgery
matt.smeds@health.slu.edu 
Term Ends: 2022

Ryan Teague, Ph.D.
Associate Professor, Department of Molecular Microbiology and Immunology
ryan.teague@health.slu.edu 
Term Ends: 2022

Gabriela Espinoza, M.D.
Associate Professor, Department of Ophthalmology
gabriela.espinoza@health.slu.edu 
Term Ends: 2021

Mark M. Knuepfer, Ph.D.
Professor, Department of Pharmacology and Physiology
mark.knuepfer@health.slu.edu 
Term Ends: 2021

Jane McHowat, Ph.D.
Associate Dean of Faculty Affairs and Professional Development
jane.mchowat@health.slu.edu   
Ex-officio member

Heidi Sallee, M.D.
SOM Faculty Secretary
Associate Professor, Department of Pediatrics
heidi.sallee@health.slu.edu   
Ex-officio member

Nandini Calamur, M.D.
Chair, Faculty Affairs Committee
Associate Professor, Department of Pediatrics
nandini.calamur@health.slu.edu   
Ex-officio member

For more information, see the Faculty Assembly Google site.