Monthly Action Guide: August 2023
This post contains reminders of key deadlines and administrative tasks related to academic HR. Please share with faculty or staff who would find this information relevant.
Contact vpfal.prof.dev@utoronto.ca to be added to the distribution list or with any questions.
In case you missed it: July 2023 Action Guide
Save the Date: New Faculty and Librarian Orientation, 2023
Please share with your faculty
All newly appointed faculty in the tenure stream and continuing teaching stream with a start date after September 1, 2022 will have received an invitation to the New Faculty and Librarian Orientation, scheduled to be in-person on Monday, August 14 and Tuesday, August 15, 2023 at the Faculty Club (41 Wilcocks Street).
If any newly appointed faculty members in the tenure stream and continuing teaching stream in your unit have not received an invitation, please direct them to vpfal.prof.dev@utoronto.ca.
Recruitment: Sample Job Ads
Ask your Dean’s Office for a copy of a relevant updated sample job ad. Basing your faculty ad on an approved model will help ensure your ad conforms with immigration, institutional, and best practice requirements, increasing the speed with which your ad can be approved and posted.
Visiting Faculty & International Contributors Submissions
In recent months, there was an increase in submissions for international contributors (e.g., Visiting Professors, Research Award Recipients, Guest Lecturers, etc.) to faculty.immigration@utoronto.ca without the required documents and information. Incorrect or incomplete submissions delay the processing of these requests.
Contact your Dean’s Office or Academic HR Office for the required checklists to collect needed information and documents and to confirm your Faculty’s protocols for approving and issuing these invitations.
PTR Process for the 2023-24 Academic Year
“at the beginning of the academic year (i.e., July 1)”, unit heads “shall communicate, in writing, to each faculty member of their unit”:
- Internal policies and procedures for assessment of PTR
- The format to be used for activity reports
- The relative weight of teaching, research and service (PDAD&C #53).
“A separate weighting of teaching, pedagogical/professional development and service should be made for teaching-stream faculty. Teaching stream faculty members shall be evaluated on their pedagogical and/or discipline-based scholarship in relation to the field in which they teach and/or creative/professional activity[1] that allows the faculty member to maintain a mastery of their subject area and this evaluation will be appropriately weighted in the PTR assessment. (PDAD&C #53).
Part-Time Faculty Renewals
Part-time faculty who have been renewed for a sixth year, must be reviewed in the fall before December 31.
Interim Review (tenure stream faculty, PPAA)
Tenure stream faculty members should have their performance “reviewed no earlier than May 1 of the third year of [their] contract. … Normally no later than 30th June, the appointee should be asked to submit an account of research or creative professional activity which has been completed or undertaken since the time of initial appointment … The appointee will not normally be required to complete the submission prior to August 31” (PPAA, II.8).
Tenure Review (tenure stream faculty, PPAA)
In units with faculty members coming forward for tenure review:
- Candidate informed of membership of Tenure Committee: “This notification will normally happen in the fall.” [This correspondence and acknowledgement should be included in the tenure file.] (PPAA, Part II, 14 iii)
Resources for Faculty
U of T Libraries Support for Faculty
Please share with your faculty
Please encourage both new and current faculty members to reach out to their University of Toronto Libraries (UTL) Faculty Liaison Librarian. Each liaison librarian can provide valuable research and teaching assistance. This includes research consultations on a wide variety of topics such as research impact, research data management, digital scholarship and open access. Additionally, they can provide instructional sessions to your students that are tailored to your course content. UTL also provides a Syllabus Service to support you with the management of course readings and reserves in a manner that respects Canadian copyright law and existing U of T licensing agreements and policies. Library Staff will retrieve, scan, license, and acquire eBooks where necessary to support instruction.
U of T Bookstore Support for Faculty
Please share with your faculty
The UofT Bookstore is now accepting course material orders for Fall 2023. The Bookstore works closely with faculty members to help them source the best materials for their courses, with both print and digital options available. For those looking to assign readings from multiple sources, the UofT Bookstore works with a licensed Access Copyright copy shop and can help faculty create and distribute a custom course pack with desired materials. All Fall course material orders should be placed with the UofT Bookstore ASAP to ensure availability at the term start. Order now by completing this form or reach out to the relevant buyer for support.
National Centre for Faculty Development & Diversity (NCFDD) Programming
Please share with your faculty.
NCFDD offers on-demand access to programs and resources designed to help faculty members “achieve extraordinary writing and research productivity while maintaining a full and healthy life off campus”