Faculty Guide

Who evaluates me for tenure?

The Collective Agreement lays out the committee structure for the consideration of tenure.

If you are in a Departmentalized College:

The first committee to evaluate your case is the Department Renewals and Tenure Committee. This is composed of all tenured members of the Department with the Department Head as chair. Following a vote at this committee, your College Review Committee (CRC) evaluates the materials. This committee is composed of at least six tenured members of the College plus the Dean who is chair of the committee. Finally, the University Review Committee (URC), which is composed of nine tenured members of the University and is chaired by the Vice-President Academic and Provost, considers your case.

If you are in a Non-Departmentalized College:

The first committee to evaluate your case is the College Renewals and Tenure Committee, which is composed of all tenured members of the College. The Dean acts as chair for this committee. Your case is then considered by URC.

What will I be evaluated on?

Your performance since appointment is evaluated against standards that have been established for the award of tenure. Standards exist at the Department (if you are in a departmentalized College), College, and University level. The University-level standards are the minimum standards, and they pertain to all faculty and librarians. As soon as possible after hiring you should get copies of all the standards that you will be evaluated on and carefully read them. The June 28, 2012 University Standards for Promotion and Tenure as well as information about preparing your case file for the various collegial processes can be found on the website for the Provost’s Office.

The standards for individual departments vary widely in their content. Standards also differ depending on the rank you hold when you elect to be considered for tenure – for example, more is expected to get tenure at the rank of Associate Professor than at the rank of Assistant Professor. The University Standards outline the minimum evidence that you will have to provide for your Tenure Case File. Gathering the information required is a time-consuming process, and should begin well in advance of the dates outlined below. From the moment that you are hired you should start gathering documentation of your teaching roles, administrative work, collaborative efforts etc., and make it an on-going project throughout your pre-tenure period – a recently tenured faculty member commented that a three-hole punch is a key piece of equipment for tenure-track faculty.

The evidence to be provided includes:

1. An up-to-date curriculum vitae;
2. Evidence of your teaching record including:
   1. A statement of your philosophy of teaching and an explanation of its application;
   2. Student and peer evaluations;
   3. A record of the teaching roles you were assigned in undergraduate and graduate courses, in teaching and/or supervision of students performing practical work, in undertaking practica or other types of field work, and in advising and supervising graduate students.
3. Evidence pertaining to research and scholarly work including:
   1. A statement of the nature of your research and future research plans;
   2. A statement of the your contribution to joint publications and research grants;
   3. Examples of publications, performances etc. or other evidence to be used in the evaluation of research.
4. Candidates who wish to be considered under the Practice of Professional Skills, rather than under the category of Research and Scholarly Work, must provide materials including:
   1. A statement on the nature and scope of the candidate’s practice
   2. A discussion of the various leadership activities associated with the Candidate’s professional practice.
5. Examples of materials pertaining to administration, extension, and public service including:
   1. A statement of your role in service to academic and/or professional organizations;
   2. A statement of the nature and extent your contributions in these areas;
   3. Statements from individuals who have personally observed your work and/or contributions you have made in these areas.

While you will be the source of much of this information, it is the responsibility of your Dean or Department Head to collect considerable documentation on your performance. During your annual reviews you should discuss (and document) any concerns that you have – for example, peer review of courses is very important, and if these are not occurring you should request an explanation.

You are entitled to have list of the items included in the documentation submitted to the committee for consideration of your case. If there is additional information that you would like included in your case file, it is your responsibility to obtain and submit it.

The materials that are submitted are then compared to the standards that have been established under seven categories:

1. Academic and/or Professional Credentials
2. Teaching Ability and Performance
3. Knowledge of the Discipline and Field of Specialization
4. Research, Scholarly, and/or Artistic Work
5. Practice of Professional Skills
6. Contributions to the Administrative or Extension Responsibilities of the Department, College, University or Both
7. Public Service and Contributions to Academic and Professional.

Depending on the nature of your position you may be considered under either category 4 (Research, Scholarly and/or Artistic Work) or category 5 (Practice of Professional Skills). If you are in a unit where a choice between Category 4 and 5 must be made, make sure that you fully understand the difference between the two and how they pertain to your position.

The University Standards clearly state that tenure will be awarded on the basis of three primary categories:

1. Academic and/or Professional Credentials,
2. Teaching Ability and Performance,
3. and either category 4 or 5 as appropriate.

Under the University Standards adopted in 2012, part of your case file is sent to three external referees for evaluation. You have the right to see the long list of potential referees from which the three will be selected, and to have potential referees deleted from the list if you believe that they cannot provide an unbiased evaluation.

Do publications from my doctoral research count for tenure?

Yes, in part. A tenure decision is based in part on evidence for ongoing scholarly momentum. Any and all publications, published after your appointment begins, can serve that purpose, just as they do for grant applications. Candidates do need to show, however, that since the date of appointment that they have established and are leading an independent research program that will continue to result in published scholarship.

What happens if I am denied tenure?

You can appeal or you can withdraw from consideration for tenure at any point in the process up to one week after receiving the decision of your College Renewals and Tenure Committee or your College Review Committee. You may not withdraw if you are in the last year of probation.

We strongly suggest that if you are planning on appealing a denial of tenure that you contact the USFA for assistance.

The process for appealing tenure decisions differs depending where in the process the negative vote occurs. If the negative vote occurs at the Department, the candidate may make a written appeal and an oral presentation to the College Review Committee (CRC). The candidate may also be accompanied by a colleague. There is no requirement that the colleague be from the department or college in which you are appointed.

A candidate who receives a positive vote at the Department but who receives a negative vote at the College Review Committee may make a written appeal to the University Review Committee (URC). Again, the candidate is entitled to appear in person before the URC, and to be accompanied by a colleague.

A candidate from a non-departmentalized college who receives a negative vote from a College Renewals and Tenure Committee may make a written appeal to the URC. Again, the candidate is entitled to appear in person before the URC, and to be accompanied by a colleague. There is no requirement that the colleague be from the department or college in which you are appointed.

A candidate who is not recommended for tenure by the University Review Committee is entitled to appeal to a Renewals and Tenure Committee. The Renewals and Tenure Committee is composed of a chair and five members of faculty drawn from a pool of forty-eight faculty members. The workings of this committee are complex, and are covered in detail in Article 15.13 of the Collective Agreement.