Reappointment, Tenure & Promotion Procedures

Faculty RelationsUBC VancouverOctober 2008

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Our Objective

To give you the tools to conduct smooth, fair and equitable

reappointment, tenure and promotion processes for our faculty members

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Reappointment, Tenure & Promotion

Tenure Streams Criteria Tenure & Tenure Clocks Promotion Reviews Schedules Procedures For Assistance…

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The Tenure Streams

The Professor Stream

Assistant Professor Associate Professor Professor

Instructor II

The Instructor Stream

Instructor I Senior Instructor

(See the Tenure Stream Faculty Ranks at a Glance handout)

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The Criteria

The Professor Stream The Instructor Stream

Service Service

TeachingTeachingResearch

(See the Professor and Instructor Path Criteria handouts)

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Tenure

Tenured appointments are full-time appointments (unless agreed to be part-time) that cannot be terminated before normal retirement age except for cause, financial exigency or redundancy.

Grant tenured appointments are tenured appointments that are subject to non-University funding availability.

The criteria are the same!

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The Tenure Clock

The tenure clock for faculty always begins on July 1 of the calendar year in which they were hired

Extensions are granted for maternity & parental leaves (automatic) and sick leaves (on a case by case basis)

There is only one shot at tenure in that stream An Assistant Professor is the only rank that

cannot be reviewed early for tenure unless linked to a promotion review

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The Tenure Clock

Rank Tenure Year

Assistant Professor Year 7

Associate and Full Professor

Year 5* (*Normally Year 3)

Instructor 1 Year 5

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Promotion Reviews

Review Scheduled? Obligation to Initiate?

Who can stop the

process?

Appeal of negative

decision?

Periodic Yes University Candidate only Yes

Non-Periodic No

Candidate or the

University

Head, Dean or

Candidate

Yes, if President made the decision

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Periodic Review for Promotion

Rank Periodic Review Year

Assistant Professor

Year 5

then every 2 years

Associate Professor

Year 5

then every 3 years

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Senior Instructors & Promotion

A Senior Instructor can request a periodic review for promotion to the professoriate in the 5th year and then every 3 years.

If promoted to Assistant Professor, the appointment is tenure track, with tenure retained as Senior Instructor

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The ARPT Schedules(See the Sample RPT Schedule for a tenure track Assistant Professor

hired in 2008 handout)

We have templates on our website to help you identify the review dates for: Assistant Professor (tenure track)Instructor II (tenure track)Instructor I (tenure track)Associate Professor (tenure track)

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The Procedures

The reappointment, tenure & promotionprocedures are set out in Articles 5 & 9 of

the Agreement on Conditions of Appointment for Faculty, and are

supplemented by the Guide to Reappointment, Tenure and Promotion

Procedures at UBC

(See the Summary of the Tenure and Promotion Process and theTenure and Promotion Checklist for Heads/Directors handouts)

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Reappointment Reviews

The process for reappointment reviews is exactly like the process for tenure & promotion reviews EXCEPT:

1. External letters are only required where the Head or Department are considering a negative recommendation

2. The President doesn’t consult with SAC

(See the Reappointment Checklist for Heads/Directors handout)

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Head’s Meeting

The Head must meet with all tenure track faculty at least annually.

For tenured faculty, we encourage annual meetings or, at minimum, at least in the 2 years prior to a promotion review.

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Head’s Meeting

It’s an opportunity to clearly note the strengths and opportunities for improvement.

It is also important to provide advice re the CV & other relevant material required for the next RPT review.

The Head & candidate must agree in writing on matters discussed.

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Eligibility to be Consulted

The Head must consult with eligible members of the

departmental standing committee on all reappointment, tenure and

promotion cases.

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Departmental Consultation Procedures

Each Academic Unit is required to have documented procedures regarding

consultation with the departmental standing committee for all reappointment, tenure and

promotion cases.

Please ensure that this includes information about joint appointments, whether as the

home or non-home department.

(See the 2 Sample ARPT Department Procedures handout)

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Letters of Reference

The Head must consult with the departmental standing committee

on choosing referees.

See the Sample Letter of Request for Reference in the Guide

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Letters of Reference

All tenure and promotion cases require 4 arm’s length letters of

reference

Note that Senior Instructor cases do not require arm’s length letters but

still need 4 letters.

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Tenure & Promotion Reviews

Department Standing Committee meets after obtaining letters of reference

Department Standing Committee votes & recommends to Head

Serious concerns?

Yes

No

Invited to respond in writing to serious concerns

We can help!

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Tenure & Promotion Reviews

Head recommends to Dean*

Head notifies candidate of decision

Negative?

Yes

Invited to respond in writing to Dean

*See the Suggested

Formatfor the

Head’s LetterIn the Guide

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Tenure & Promotion Reviews

Dean recommends to President*

Dean notifies candidate of decision

Invited to respond in writing to President

Negative?

Yes

Dean seeks Faculty Committee vote

*See the SAC Checklist

in the Guide

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Supplementing the File

The University and the candidate have the right to supplement the file with new, unsolicited info or a response to particular concerns that emerge, up to the stage of

the President’s decision

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For Assistance…

The Collective Agreement, in particular Articles 2-5 & 9 of the Agreement on Conditions of Appointment for Faculty

Guide to Reappointment, Tenure and Promotion Procedures at UBC for 2008/09 (coming very, very soon…promise!!)

Our website: www.hr.ubc.ca/faculty_relations/tenure/

Call us!