Monthly Action Guide: March 2024 – Office of the Vice-Provost, Faculty & Academic Life

This email 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. 

Progress Through the Ranks (PTR) for July 1, 2024

Units should begin the annual performance evaluation process for faculty by sending a request for Annual Activity Reports and Paid Activity Reports to all faculty members and librarians. These should be submitted to unit heads at the end of April (following Divisional norms).

Research & Study Leaves

This month, the Office of the Vice-Provost, Faculty & Academic Life will send approvals for upcoming Research & Study Leaves in your unit or division that were submitted by the deadline of December 31, 2023. More details about Research & Study Leaves are available in the AAPM.

Recruitment

As recruitment efforts continue, be sure to factor in visitor visa processing times for those who need it. Currently, the visitor visa processing time for people coming from the US is 16 days. The average processing time is 108 days.
If you plan to invite international contributors to campus, you should work with the Dean’s office or HR office to confirm the current protocols and obtain updated template letters. Please also consider attending the “Hosting International Collaborators” session on March 20 (information below).

Save the Date: Retreat for New Academic Administrators

The Retreat for New Academic Administrators will take place on June 24-26 at the Faculty Club (41 Wilcocks Street)
Newly appointed Chairs; Directors; Deans; and Vice and Associate Deans with portfolios related to faculty, academics, and graduate education will receive an invitation in the coming months.
Any continuing academic administrator who wishes to attend the Retreat is welcome to do so and should contact vpfal.prof.dev@utoronto.ca for registration information

Save the Date: New Faculty & Librarian Orientation

The New Faculty & Librarian Orientation will take place on August 12 & 13 at the Faculty Club (41 Wilcocks Street)
Faculty members who are appointed to the tenured/tenure stream and continuing stream teaching stream, and librarians will be sent an invitation in July

April Programming for Academic Administrators

Highlighted below are the sessions occurring in the next two months. To see the complete list of scheduled workshops, please visit the VPFAL programming page.

Administering Subsequent CUPE 3902 Unit 1 Appointments for AAAs and Staff (Online)

April 11, 2024, 1-3pm

This session was originally scheduled for March 7 and has now been rescheduled for April 11.

Session leader: Labour Relations

Note: CUPE 3902 Unit 1 include PhD and Masters students performing work, primarily as TAs. There are instances where the performance of Course Instructorships, will be considered.

This session, run by Labour Relations, will provide Chairs, Directors, Associate Chairs, TA Coordinators, and Administrative Staff responsible for the administration of CUPE 3902 Unit 1 appointments with the necessary information to manage and administer subsequent appointments within a Department.

This session will not be recorded and the slides will not be shared.

March & April Programming for Faculty

Please share with your faculty.

Promotion in the Tenure Stream – For Faculty (Online)

March 5, 2024, 2-3pm

This session is for tenured faculty only.

The University expects that most tenure-stream faculty will achieve the rank of Professor during their career at this institution. This session is intended for Associate Professors in the Tenure Stream who are preparing for promotion to Professor. We will discuss the process and timelines, how candidates may be identified, and how they can develop a professional development plan in preparation for promotion in the tenure stream.

This session will not be recorded and the slides will not be shared.

Promotion in the Teaching Stream – For Faculty (Online)

March 21, 2024, 2-3pm

This session is only for teaching stream faculty who have already completed their continuing status review and have been promoted to the rank of Associate Professor, Teaching Stream.

The University anticipates that many teaching- stream faculty will achieve the rank of Professor, Teaching Stream. This session is intended to help associate rank teaching stream faculty prepare for promotion. We will discuss the process and timelines, how candidates may be identified, and how they can develop a professional development plan in preparation for promotion to Professor, Teaching Stream.

This session will not be recorded and the slides will not be shared.

Retirement Information Pre-Recorded Video Series (Asynchronous, Online)

The retirement information pre-recorded video series is for faculty enrolled in the University Pension Plan, ages of 54-72 who are thinking about retirement, who have entered phased retirement, and who have submitted their Notice of Intention to retire.

These videos, available on-demand from mid-April until end of June 2024, are an opportunity to learn more about the financial elements relevant to this next stage in your career. We will cover information on the University Pension Plan (UPP), the University’s Phased Retirement Program, and retiree benefits. Access is limited – you must register here to be notified when the videos become available.

Additionally, we will offer a live Retirement Information Q&A Session on April 30, 2024, 1-3pm via Teams. This will be a question & answer session only, most helpful to those who have reviewed the videos prior to attending. In order to receive the Teams link for the Q&A session, please register separately on the Retirement Information Q&A Session page.

Retirement Information Q&A Session (Live, Online)

April 30, 1-3pm

The Retirement Information Q&A session is for faculty and librarians enrolled in the University Pension Plan, ages 54-72, who are thinking about retirement, who have entered phased retirement, or who have submitted their Notice of Intention to retire.

This a question & answer session only, most helpful to those who have reviewed the Retirement Information Pre-recorded Video Series prior to attending (register here to be notified when the videos are available).

Webinars from NCFDD

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”

Activate your NCFDD membership to access webinars

March Programming for Academic Administrators, Faculty, and Staff

Hosting International Collaborators for Academic Administrators, Faculty, Principal Investigators, and Staff Across All Faculties (Online)

March 20, 2024, 1:00-2:30pm

Hosting international colleagues, researchers, expert knowledge holders, students or visitors to your department, lab, or office requires advance planning and must include immigration considerations. There can be a variety of negative repercussions if there are errors or omissions in the process. This session will guide participants on where to seek assistance. We will provide an overview of the Canadian immigration system, offer information on ways to invite and host international collaborators, and answer general questions about immigration processes and options.

This session will not be recorded and the slides will not be shared.