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The new process: steps in the tenure & promotions agreement (summary)

The new process applies to the following:

• any future tenure-track faculty appointees
• any tenure-track faculty member now in precandidacy
• any tenure-track faculty member now in candidacy prior to file preparation
• any tenure-track faculty member now in candidacy, whose file is already in process if they elect in writing to follow the new procedures from the next step onward

The new process follows these steps:

1. Initiation
2. File Preparation (includes "The File")
3. Adjudication
4. Transmittal
5. Review
6. Appeal (if necessary)
7. President’s recommendation to the Board of Governors
8. Decision of the Board of Governors

Rights of candidates

It’s important from the outset that candidates know their rights. In addition to those covered in other parts of the Collective Agreement (e.g., non-discrimination), candidates have the following explicit rights throughout the process:

• to access the entire File (names and other information that could reveal identities of letter writers are removed from the letters themselves but are available to candidates on the lists of referees).
• to add information or evidence to The File
• to request reconsideration of the adjudication at any level, within 15 days of notification
• to appear in person, with or without a representative, before any adjudicating or reviewing body, to make a statement or provide clarification about substantive or procedural matters
• to not be judged twice by the same person

Initiation

The File may be initiated by ...

• In FES, Education, SSB: Dean, candidate, or “interested party”
• In Arts, Atkinson, Pure & Applied Science, Glendon, Fine Arts: Chair of Initiating or Home Unit, candidate, or “interested party”

“Initiating” or “Home” Unit = The academic unit that appointed the candidate, or, in the case of joint appointment, the unit that the candidate chooses as a “home” unit.

File preparation

The File is prepared by a File Preparation Committee.

Committee membership: 3 members

• 1 member named by candidate;
• 2 members named by the relevant Adjudicating Committee (see below);
• all members must be probationary/tenured

What the Committee does

• ensures that The File represents as fully as possible the candidates case for tenure & promotion, assembling a file that is complete and that fairly and accurately represents the candidate’s career, including representing diverse career paths fairly and effectively
• provides no commentary other than factual information necessary to contextualise the evidence in the file, e.g. referees’ bios

The File

Professional Contribution and Standing

• Referees’ letters: Committee draws up list of potential referees and candidate can add names up to 25% of the list; at least 3 and rarely more than 6 reference letters from external assessors at “arm’s length”, chosen by the Committee; these referees are sent materials chosen by the Committee, to which the candidate can add
• Reviews: of published scholarship or creative productions, if available

Teaching

• Collegial evaluation: 3 referees, usually internal – 2 chosen by Committee and 1 by candidate; referees attend classes and are provided with course outlines, assignments, handouts, etc.; candidates may provide referees with a “teaching dossier”, which does not become part of The File; Committee may also solicit letters from TAs and other faculty with whom the candidate has taught
• Student evaluation: statistical summaries and analysis of quantitative teaching evaluations, together with any available signed comments from evaluations; letters from a random sample of students from most recently taught classes and from graduate students whom the candidate has supervised - candidates may add names up to 1/3 of the total

Service

• Referees’ letters: Committee compiles a list of referees familiar with candidate’s service to the University – candidates may add names up to ¼ of the total; Committee chooses up to 3 referees

Other candidate information

• Curriculum vitae
• Candidate’s personal statement of up to 2000 words assessing career progress and explaining any anomalies (e.g., career interruptions)
• Any information about joint and cross appointments that candidate considers appropriate

Other documents

• Copies of T&P guidelines of Initiating Unit
• List of referees indicating which are nominated by Committee and which by Candidate
• Copy of letter advising candidate of advancement or appointment to Candidacy, which shall indicate standards for the granting of tenure & promotion

Other factual information provided by the Committee as required to put the materials in the file in context, e.g., background information on external referees

Adjudication

The File is judged by an Adjudicating Committee of the Initiating Unit ...

• In FES, Education, SSB: a Committee constituted at the Faculty level
• In Arts, Atkinson, Pure & Applied Science, Glendon, Fine Arts: a Committee of the Department/School/Division
• If the Initiating Unit is too small, the Dean/Chair, in consultation with candidate, will strike an ad hoc Adjudicating Committee, unless, in a small Faculty with several small departments/divisions/schools (e.g., Glendon), the Faculty chooses to constitute the Adjudicating Committee at the Faculty level

Committee membership

• 6-8 probationary/tenured faculty, a majority with tenure;
• 2-3 students

What the Committee does

• They review The File and vote on each of the three areas of evaluation (professional contribution & standing, teaching, and service) according to the standards established by the Initiating Unit (and reviewed by Senate); possible votes in each area are: “excellence”, “high competence”, “competence”, or “competence not demonstrated”. Minimum votes for the granting of tenure and promotion:

• They decide whether to recommend the candidate for (v) tenure & promotion, (w) tenure without promotion (only in exceptional circumstances), (x) promotion (where already tenured), (y) delay (if candidate is substantially short of the required standard), or (z) rejection.
• They write a report, setting forth their votes, recommendation, and clear and detailed reasons for the recommendation. This is added to the file and mailed to the candidate.

Transmittal

The Dean of the Initiating Unit transmits The File to the Review Committee, along with a letter that either concurs with the Adjudicating Committee’s judgement or dissents from it and provides reasons.

Review

The report of the Adjudicating Committee goes to a Review Committee, which is ...

• In FES, Education, SSB, and in a small Faculty that has decided to constitute its Adjudicating Committee at the Faculty level: a panel of the Senate Committee on Tenure & Promotions.
• In Arts, Atkinson, Pure & Applied Science, Glendon, Fine Arts: the Faculty Tenure & Promotions Committee, plus 2 members of the Senate Committee on Tenure & Promotions

What the Committee does

• they evaluate the recommendation of the Adjudicating Committee to ensure that the Initiating Unit’s standards (which have been reviewed by the Senate Committee) have been applied fairly, the procedures have been followed, and the University standards (articulated in the attached document) have been met;
• if satisfied, they concur with the recommendation and forward the file to the President
• if dissatisfied because they believe the Initiating Unit’s standards have not been fairly applied or that there are procedural irregularities that they believe affect the recommendation, they send The File back to the Adjudicating Committee for reconsideration
• if dissatisfied because they believe that the Adjudicating Committee’s recommendation diverges from the University standards, they dissent from the recommendation – whether positive or negative, put their reasons in writing, and forward The File to the President

Appeal

This step takes place when a candidate, who is not recommended for tenure or who is an Associate Professor not recommended for promotion, chooses to appeal the decision of the Review Committee within 15 days of notification.

The appeal is heard by the 6 members of the Senate Tenure & Promotions Appeals Committee

What the Committee does

• they consider The File and the decisions and reasons of preceding committees
• they either concur with the judgement of the Review Committee or substitute their judgement for that of the Review Committee, in a letter to the Candidate and preceding committees
• they report their finding to the President

President’s recommendation to the Board of Governors

In making her recommendation regarding the candidate’s tenure & promotion, the President must act in conformity with the agreed standards and procedures.