Monthly Action Guide: September 2024

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. 

Recruitment: Sample Job Ads

Ask your Dean’s Office for a copy of the 2024/25 sample job ad. Basing your ad on an approved model will help ensure your ad conforms with policy, immigration requirements and HR best practices, increasing the speed with which your ad can be approved and posted. If your ad includes non-standard language (or wording that significantly deviates from the sample ads), please provide a rationale for the deviations to your Dean’s office.

Graduate Faculty Membership Data Site

In early July, the School of Graduate Studies (SGS) launched the Graduate Faculty Membership data site, which is an easily accessible data set that provides counts and details for all faculty members (appointed, clinical, and non-appointed) and limited others who hold active Graduate Faculty Membership (GFMs)

The data are presented in two views:

  • Academic Unit View: presents all faculty (and limited others) who hold an active GFM organized by the academic unit in which they hold their budgetary appointment or faculty position.
  • Graduate Unit View: presents all faculty (and limited others) who hold an active GFM organized by the graduate unit in which they hold their GFM (primary or secondary)

The GFM dashboard allows unit heads to make data informed decisions and plans. Academic Unit Deans/Chairs are able to see where their faculty are engaged in respect of graduate matters. This is helpful for the purposes of workload, PTR, service, and academic review processes.

Graduate Unit Chairs are able to see who is formally committed to supporting their graduate program. This is helpful in order to know who they can call on and with whom a graduate unit chair should be coordinating.

Access has been given to specific users. Questions may be directed to sgs.data@utoronto.ca

Part-Time Faculty Reviews for Continuing Appointment

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” (PPAA, Part II, 14 iii). This correspondence and acknowledgement should be included in the tenure file.

Promotion to Professor

  • “Each year the Department Chairman will place before the Promotions Committee for preliminary consideration the names of all Associate Professors in the Department, together with their curricula vitae. The Committee will advise the Chairman as to which staff members should receive more detailed consideration for promotion” (PPP, 20).
  • “Associate Professors may request that they be considered for promotion in any given year. Such requests are to be made in writing to the Chairman of the department on or before October 15 of the calendar year preceding the possible promotion. In this case, the Promotions Committee is obliged to give the faculty member detailed consideration along with any other candidates under consideration” (PPP, 21).

Promotion to Professor, Teaching Stream

  • “Each year the Department Chair will place before the Promotions Committee for preliminary consideration the names of all Associate Professors, Teaching Stream in the Department, together with their curricula vitae. The Committee will advise the Chair as to which faculty members should receive more detailed consideration for promotion” (PPPTS, 18).
  • “Associate Professors, Teaching Stream may request that they be considered for promotion in any given year. Such requests are to be made in writing to the Chair of the department on or before October 15 of the calendar year preceding the possible promotion. In this case, the Promotions Committee is obliged to give the faculty member detailed consideration along with any other candidates under consideration” (PPPTS, 18).

Part-Time Faculty Eligibility for Promotion

This is a reminder that part-time faculty in both streams are eligible for promotion. See the Academic Administrative Procedures Manual for more information.

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

Please encourage new faculty members to reach out to the UofT Bookstore for assistance with course materials. The Bookstore works closely with faculty members to 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 through Verba Collect or contact the relevant buyer for support. If you prefer to email your order requests or if you have any questions, please reach out to one of the Bookstore textbook buyers.

September & October Resources & 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.

Advancement Process for Sessional Lecturers for AAAs and Staff (Online)

September 19, 1-3pm

This session, offered by Labour Relations, will provide Chairs, Directors, Associate Chairs Vice/Associate Deans, and Administrative Staff responsible for the administration of CUPE 3902 Unit 3 appointments with the necessary information to manage and conduct the processes for advancement to Sessional Lecturer II, and advancement to Sessional Lecturer III.

Register Now

Managing Teaching Assistants and Sessional Lecturers for AAAs and Staff (Online)

September 24, 1-3pm

This session, offered by Labour Relations, will provide Chairs, Directors, Associate Chairs, Vice/Associate Deans, TA Coordinators, and Administrative Staff responsible for the administration of CUPE 3902 appointments the tools and information necessary for managing employees under the CUPE 3902 Unit 1 and Unit 3 Collective Agreements. Topics will include performance management, accommodation, workload, leaves, and all other relevant processes under the Collective Agreements for the duration of an employee’s contract.

Register Now

September & October Resources & Programming for Faculty

New Faculty & Librarian Orientation Resources

The “Your Academic Career at U of T: New Faculty and Librarian Orientation” was held on August 12 & 13. Tenure-stream and continuing stream teaching-stream faculty members and permanent status librarians should contact vpfal.prof.dev@utoronto.ca for access to materials if they were unable to attend.

Unconscious Bias 101: An Introduction for U of T Faculty & Librarians

October 10, 10:10-11:10am

Location: Governing Council Chamber, Simcoe Hall

Understanding unconscious bias is an important first step to making structural and personal changes that support equity and inclusion. This talk and Q&A, offered by the Toronto Initiative for Diversity & Excellence, will offer you an introduction to unconscious bias.

Learn more & register

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”

 Activate your NCFDD membership

NCFDD Faculty Success Program Spring Session (January 27-April 6, 2025)

  • The University of Toronto is participating in a one-year pilot of the Priority Registration process for NCFDD’s Faculty Success Program.
  • Please see the Provostial Funding for the NCFDD Faculty Success Program and the Post-Tenure Pathfinders Program, 2024-25 memo for details about the program, eligibility, and funding requirements.
  • Important Dates
    • The Spring 2025 Session of the Faculty Success Program will run from January 27-April 6, 2025
    • The Spring 2025 Priority Registration deadline is October 17, 2024
    • Please be aware that NCFDD has reduced the priority registration discount from $1,000USD to $755USD per seat going forward. The Provost’s Office and the Faculty will split the cost savings evenly.
  • Please use the email template sent to Dean’s Offices to communicate to eligible faculty about the upcoming session and the change in the reimbursement process.
  • Faculty should not be registering themselves for the program.