VPFAL Monthly Action Guide: December 2025

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. 

Requests to VPFAL Office in Advance of the Holiday Closure

  • As we approach the University’s period of holiday closure, we ask that you submit any academic HR requests (e.g., search requests, ads, appointment files, immigration-related matters) that require approval prior to the holidays to our Office as soon as possible, and by end of day Wednesday, December 3, 2025, at the latest. We will work to ensure that time-sensitive requests received by that date are processed prior to the holidays. We cannot guarantee approvals of requests submitted after this date before the break.
  • For requests submitted before the December 3, 2025, deadline, please indicate if the request requires approval prior to the holiday closure. This will allow us to manage and appropriately triage the high volume of requests that we typically receive leading up to the break.
  • Please note that your Dean’s Office may have set an earlier deadline for submission to them to allow them to meet VPFAL’s December 3 deadline.

Tenure Committee Meeting Protocols: Modifications for 2025-26 Academic Year

  • Tenure Committee meetings for the 2025-26, 2026-27, and 2027-28 academic years may continue to convene either virtually or in-person, subject to the following conditions: 
    • Tenure Committee meetings have the option to be virtual. These committees may convene either in person or virtually, but not in a hybrid format.
    • The decision about whether to hold a Tenure Committee meeting in person or virtually is a decision that should be made by the Tenure Committee Chair in consultation with Committee members. The Tenure Committee Chair shall make the decision, weighing relevant factors including, but not limited to, preferences of the tenure committee members, procedural fairness for the candidate (e.g., if a meeting is planned to be in person, but a candidate wishes to address the committee as part of their response to the Summary of Evidence, and they are out of the country), and the need to accommodate individuals on the basis of protected grounds. 
  • For best practices and details on conducting a Tenure Committee meeting virtually, please see following memo: Modification to Tenure Committee Meeting Protocols for Academic Year 2023-2024 (PDAD&C #15) 

Contractually Limited Term Appointment (CLTA) Renewals

  • “Notice of termination must be given by December 31 of the final appointment year.” (PPAA, VI.29.vi)
  • “Where circumstances justify and with the approval of the Vice-President & Provost, an extension may be granted. The option to extend may be exercised only once and then not to exceed a total maximum of five years.” (PPAA, VI.29.ii)
  • See the AAPM section on CLTAs for more information

Part-Time Faculty Review for a Continuing Appointment

Teaching Stream Probationary Review

  • “Notice that the contract will or will not be renewed on the following July 1 must be given in writing no later than December 31.” (PPAA, VII.30.vii)
  • See the AAPM section on Probationary Review for more information

Continuing Status Review

Retirement

  • Please remind faculty and librarians who might wish to retire on January 1, 2027 of the January 1, 2026 deadline to provide notice of their intention to retire.
  • See the AAPM section on Retirement for details.

Recruitment and Immigration

  • Dean’s Offices will receive communications outlining updates to the Employment Standards Act, 2000 and related regulations effective January 1, 2025. For multi-departmental Faculties, please ensure this information is ahead with the appropriate Principals, Chairs, and Directors.
  • Reminder to be mindful of Policy on Sensitive Technology Research and Affiliations of Concern (STRAC)
    • Divisions/Units in relevant disciples are encouraged to carefully examine the CV’s of applicants and International Collaborators (ICs) for associations with organizations of concern by comparing their education, employment, academic collaborations, funding sources, etc. against the Named Research Organization (NRO) list. If you have questions or wish to have an in-depth immigration assessment, please reach out to Faculty Immigration with the candidate’s CV and talk to the Office of the Vice-President, Research & Innovation /Research Services regarding impact on funding prospects.
    • Note: all candidates should continue to be considered equally against the criteria of the job/role.
  • As postings for faculty positions continue to close and your units prepare to arrange interviews, remember it is an important principle that interview methods should be applied uniformly to all candidates in a search.
  • Search Committees should thoroughly examine CVs and application packages to ensure they reflect accurate and comprehensive information about each candidate’s academic qualifications, work experience, affiliations, and more.
    • Any unanswered question(s) related to a short-listed candidate’s application should be addressed prior to or at the campus visit.
  • If you plan to invite international candidates or contributors to campus, you should work with the Dean’s Office or Academic HR Office to confirm the current protocols and obtain updated template letters.
  • If you plan to have in-person interviews, be sure to factor in visa processing times for those who need a visa to enter Canada.
    • Applicants can find out if tey need an eTA or a visa to visit Canada by using this link: Visa or eTA
    • Applicants can check the outside Canada visitor visa processing time (for the county they are currently located or will apply from) by using this link: Visa Processing Time
      • As at Nov. 19, the visitor visa processing time for people coming from the US is 35 days.
      • the visitor visa processing time for people coming from the UK is 52 days.
    • Please contact Faculty Immigration if you or your applicants have immigration-related questions.

Hosting International Collaborators

Now more than ever, it is vitally important that international visitors, speakers and collaborators receive the correct guidance and documentation for entering Canada.

January & February Programming for Academic Administrators

Highlighted below are the sessions occurring in the next two months. To see the complete list of scheduled workshops for academic administrators, please visit the VPFAL programming page. Please note that sessions are not recorded and slides are not shared for any of our programs.

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

January 15, 2026, 1-3pm

Session leader: Labour Relations

This session 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.

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

Register  

Hiring Teaching Assistants, Course Instructors, and Sessional Lecturers – for AAAs and Staff (Online)

February 2, 2026, 1-3pmSession leader: Labour Relations

This session, offered by Labour Relations, will provide Chairs, Directors, Associate Chairs, TA Coordinators, and Administrative Staff responsible for the administration of CUPE 3902 appointments with the tools and information necessary for posting, hiring, and filling positions under the CUPE 3902 Unit 1 and Unit 3 Collective Agreements. Topics will include: subsequent appointment assignments, job security commitments, timelines, job postings, and navigating the hiring criteria.

Register

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

February 26, 2026, 1-3pm

Session leader: Labour Relations

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 with 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

Hosting International Collaborators for Academic Administrators, Faculty, Principal Investigators, and Staff from Mult-Department Faculties (Online)

January 19, 2026, 1-2:30pm

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.

Register

January & February Programming for Faculty

Please share with your faculty.

Probationary and Continuing Status Review – For Faculty (Online)

January 29, 2026, 1-3pm

This session is only for teaching stream faculty in continuing appointments who are prior to their continuing status review.

Achieving continuing status is an important milestone in the life cycle of teaching-stream faculty. Understanding expectations and knowing what constitutes a complete and thorough file is critical. This session, intended for pre-continuing status faculty who are preparing for their probationary or continuing status reviews, will cover the process and associated timelines for each review.

Register

Interim and Tenure Review – For Faculty (Online)

February 3, 2026, 1-3pm

This session is for tenure stream faculty only.

Achieving tenure is an important milestone in the life cycle of tenure-stream faculty. Understanding expectations and knowing what constitutes a complete and thorough file is critical. This session, intended for pre-tenure faculty who are preparing for their interim or tenure reviews, will cover the process and associated timelines for each review.

Register

Promotion in the Teaching Stream – For Faculty (Online)

February 6, 2026, 10-11am

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.

Register

Promotion in the Tenure Stream – For Faculty (Online)

February 25, 2026, 1-2pm

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.

Register

NCFDD Programming (Online)

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