July 2026: VPFAL Action Guide

This post highlights upcoming academic HR deadlines and important administrative tasks for the month ahead. Please feel free to share it with faculty or staff who may find it helpful.

To be added to the distribution list or if you have any questions, feel free to contact vpfal.prof.dev@utoronto.ca.

Interim Review (Tenure Stream)

  • 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, emphasis added).
  • See the AAPM Section on Interim Review.

Tenure Review

  • In units with faculty members coming forward for tenure review, “Each division head or chair of the department in the multi-departmental divisions shall have the responsibility … to notify the candidate, normally no later than June 30th, that he or she will be considered for tenure in the following spring and when the process of review, including assembling of documentation, is about to begin and when it will be completed. Candidates should normally be provided with a period of at least 6 weeks in which to assemble and prepare the documentation required from them as set out below and will not normally be asked to submit their research dossier prior to July 1” (PPAA, III.14.ii, emphasis added).
  • See the AAPM Section on Tenure Review.

Probationary Review (Continuing Stream Teaching Stream)

  • Continuing stream teaching stream faculty members coming forward for their probationary review should be notified of their upcoming review “normally no later than May 1” and given a deadline for submission of their dossier (they “will not normally be required to complete the submission prior to June 30”) (PPAA, VII.30.vii).
  • See the AAPM Section on Probationary Review.

Continuing Status Review

  • In units with faculty members coming forward for continuing status review, “The division head or chair shall … notify the candidate of the final composition of the continuing status committee and when the process of review, including assembling of documentation, is about to begin and when it will be completed. The candidate, with appropriate assistance and advice from the division or department head, will prepare a dossier in accordance with Divisional Guidelines for submission to the continuing status committee by June 30th” (PPAA, VII.30.x.b, emphasis added).
  • See the AAPM Section on Continuing Status Review.

Unit Workload Policies

  • All units should review the date of their most recent unit Workload Policy. The University’s Workload Policy and Procedures states that “Unit Workload Policies shall be reviewed at least every three years by the unit.” (WLPP, 2.16)
  • If your unit workload policy was last reviewed three or more years ago, it is time to review it again to ensure it continues to serve the unit well. Workload policies require approval: in a Multi-Department Faculty, please reach out to your Dean’s Office; Single Department Faculties should contact VPFAL.
  • The process of considering your unit workload policy is meant to be a collegial one: your workload policy committee “should be reasonably reflective of the membership of the Unit, including reflecting the types of appointments that faculty members in the unit hold.” (WLPP, 2.2)
    • Reminder: Workload letters and the Unit Workload Document should have been provided/made accessible to each member of the unit and to UTFA no later than June 30.  

Salary Increases: ATB & PTR & New Salary Minimum

PTR Process for the 2026-27 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).

Resources from 2026 Retreat for Academic Administrators

  • Newly- and recently-appointed academic administrators who could not attend the 2026 Retreat for Academic Administrators in June can contact vpfal.prof.dev@utoronto.ca for Retreat resources.

Save the Date: 2026 New Faculty & Librarian Orientation

  • The New Faculty & Librarian Orientation takes place on August 10 & 11, 2026, at the Faculty Club on St George campus.
  • Faculty members who are appointed to the tenure stream, faculty members appointed to the continuing stream teaching stream, and librarians, with start dates between September 2, 2025 and September 1, 2026 will be sent an invitation in July.

Resources for Faculty

➡️ Please share with your faculty. 

  • As you prepare for the upcoming academic term, we encourage all new faculty members to connect with the University of Toronto Bookstore for support with sourcing course materials. The Bookstore works closely with instructors to identify the most suitable resources for each course, offering both print and digital formats to meet diverse teaching needs.
  • For courses that draw on multiple sources, the Bookstore collaborates with a licensed Access Copyright copy shop to help you create and distribute custom course packs tailored to your syllabus.
  • To ensure materials are available for students at the start of the Fall term, we kindly ask that all course material orders be submitted as soon as possible. Orders can be placed through Verba Collect, or by contacting your designated textbook buyer directly for assistance.
  • If you prefer to email your order or have any questions, please don’t hesitate to reach out to one of our knowledgeable Bookstore buyers. You can find contact information on the UofT Bookstore website.

NCFDD Programming (online)

➡️ 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”

Provostial Funding for 2026-27 NCFDD Faculty Success Program and Post-Tenure Pathfinders Program 

Fall 2026 NCFDD Faculty Success Program: Upcoming Application Deadline