Monthly Action Guide: April 2024

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. 

Visiting Faculty

  • If you plan to invite non-Canadian academics or researchers to campus, even if those who won’t be paid, you must work with your Dean’s Office or HR office to obtain updated template letters and confirm your Faculty’s protocol submission to Faculty Immigration (faculty.immigration@utoronto.ca). Due to the volume of requests received, we triage the processing based on urgency (posted immigration processing times, citizenship, and start date). Once the urgent requests are processed, we use a “first in, first out” model.
  • Current government work permit processing times are unusually long. We suggest starting the process at least six months in advance of the start date, or discussing with your Dean’s office a start date that will accommodate the processing time.
  • Please contact Faculty Immigration (faculty.immigration@utoronto.ca) if you have questions.
  • You are encouraged to review U of T’s safeguarding research resources; and consulting the VPRI Research Security Team (RST) (researchsecurity@utoronto.ca) when considering visiting faculty appointments.  The RST can guide you through the research security implications of visiting researchers in regards to the Canadian and Ontario funding government requirement

Probationary Review (Teaching Stream)

  • Teaching stream faculty 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 (and “will not normally be required to complete the submission prior to June 30”) (PPAA, VII.30.vii).

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).

Tenure Review

Retirement Notice

Please share this information with your faculty

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 month. 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.

Register Now

April Programming for Faculty

Please share with your faculty.

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.

Register to be notified when the videos become available

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. We ask that you review the Retirement Information Pre-recorded Video Series prior to attending (register here to be notified when the videos are available) and to pre-submit your question at the registration link immediately below.

Register for the Retirement Information Q&A session

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