VPFAL Monthly Action Guide: January 2026 – 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. 

Academic Searches

You may find it useful in the current context to consult the document on Best Practices for Virtual Faculty Interviews and the AAPM Recruitment Page.

Modifications to Tenure Committee Meeting Protocols

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)

Tenure Review

Review the Guidelines: Circulating Tenure Dossiers.
Prepare the Summary of Evidence and provide it to the candidate, using the template letter, at least one week prior to the first meeting of the Tenure Committee. See also the AAPM Summary of Evidence section.
Members of Tenure Committees meeting this month may wish to review resources on committee deliberations and voting procedures.
Please ensure that you share your Faculty Guidelines on the Evaluation of Teaching with all tenure committee members.
See the AAPM section on Tenure Review for more information

Continuing Status Review Records

It is critical once the work of the Continuing Status Review Committee is over and a decision on continuing status has been reached for the Chair to:

Retain a full copy of the continuing status review file as it was made available to the Continuing Status Review Committee members.
Collect and confidentially dispose of any other hard copies or delete electronic files from all keys or secure sites.

Following a Successful Interim Review, Tenure Stream Faculty

Chairs should meet with any faculty member who has had a successful interim review to support them in addressing the advice coming out of the review and schedule their term of adjusted workload (PPAA, II.9)
See the AAPM section on Interim Review for more information

Following a Successful Probationary Review, Continuing Stream, Teaching Stream Faculty

Chairs should meet with any faculty member who has had a successful probationary review to support them in addressing the advice coming out of the review and schedule their term of adjusted workload. (PPAA, VII. 30. viii)
See the AAPM section on Probationary Review for more information

Promotions in the Tenure and Teaching Streams

Electornic copies of dossiers for candidates recommended for promotion in Single Department Faculties should be submitted to VPFAL as soon as possible. Multi-Department Faculties should follow the submission instructions provided by their Dean’s Office.

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 these sessions are not recorded nor are the slides shared.

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.

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

February 2, 2026, 1-3pm

Session 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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

NCFDD Programming

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