Reappointment, Tenure & Promotion Procedures

1. Reappointment, Tenure & Promotion Procedures Faculty Relations UBC Vancouver June 2010

2. Agenda • Guide to Reappointment, Tenure & Promotion – Tammy Brimner • Senior Appointments Committee – Susan Boyd • Top Insights – Fran Watters

3. Our Objective To give you the tools to conduct smooth, fair and equitable reappointment, tenure and promotion processes for our faculty members

4. Reappointment, Tenure & Promotion • Tenure Streams • Criteria • Tenure & Tenure Clocks • Promotion Reviews • Schedules • Procedures • For Assistance…

5. 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 online)

6. The Criteria (See the Professor and Instructor Path Criteria online) The Professor Stream The Instructor Stream Service Service Teaching Research Teaching

7. Tenure • Tenured appointments are full-time appointments (unless agreed to be part-time) that cannot be terminated 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!

8. 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

9. The Tenure Clock

10. Promotion Reviews

11. Periodic Review for Promotion

12. 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

13. The ARPT Schedules (See the Sample RPT Schedule for a tenure track Assistant Professor hired in 2010 online) • 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)

14. The Procedures The reappointment, tenure & promotion procedures 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 the Tenure and Promotion Checklist for Heads/Directors online)

15. Reappointment Reviews The process for reappointment reviews is exactly like the process for tenure & promotion reviews EXCEPT: • External letters are only required where the Head or Department are considering a negative recommendation • The President doesn’t consult with SAC (See the Reappointment Checklist for Heads/Directors online)

16. 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.

17. 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.

18. Eligibility to be Consulted The Head must consult with eligible members of the departmental standing committee on all reappointment, tenure and promotion cases. (See the Eligibility to be Consulted Chart online)

19. 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 online)

20. Letters of Reference All tenure and promotion cases require 4 arm’s length letters of reference EXCEPT for new hires where only 2 of the 4 letters must be arm’s length. Note that Senior Instructor cases do not require arm’s length letters but still need 4 letters (not including peer evals).

21. Letters of Reference • The candidate provides 4 names, of which 2 must be solicited. • The Head then consults with the departmental standing committee on choosing the final list of referees.

22. Letters of Reference • What does arm’s length mean? • Persons whose impartiality cannot be doubted. They are not normally expected to include such categories as relatives, close personal friends, clients, current or former colleagues, former thesis advisers, research supervisors, grant co-holders or co-authors.

23. Letters of Reference The Head writes the letter of request for reference, unless the Head is a co-author with the candidate. See the Sample Letter of Request for Reference in the Guide

24. Letters of Reference The letter of request should only be accompanied by the candidate’s CV and selected materials relevant for the assessment of scholarly achievements. Teaching dossiers should only be included for Senior Instructor cases.

25. Tenure & Promotion Reviews Serious concerns? No We can help! Yes

26. Tenure & Promotion Reviews *See the Suggested Format for the Head’s Letter In the Guide Negative? Yes

27. Tenure & Promotion Reviews *See the SAC Checklist in the Guide Negative? Yes

28. 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

29. 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 2009/10 • Our website: www.hr.ubc.ca/faculty_relations/tenure/ • Call us!

30. Senior Appointments Committee Professor Susan Boyd, SAC Chair

31. Terms of Reference • Advise the President on individual cases with respect to promotion, tenure, and senior appointments according to • Concepts of procedural fairness • UBC policy, SAC guidelines, the Collective Agreement • Appropriate standards across and within disciplines

32. Terms of Reference • Consider the merits of each specific case • Assure that all deliberations on the case are consistent with UBC policy, the Collective Agreement and concepts of procedural fairness

33. SAC Process: Subcommittee Review • File reviewed in detail by one of two subcommittees (meetings twice a month) • If satisfactory, case ranked “A” and forwarded to full SAC for approval (meets twice a month)

34. SAC Process: Subcommittee Review • Ranking may be deferred for a set amount of time pending • Receipt of additional information or clarification from Dean • Resolution of procedural concern by Faculty Relations

35. SAC Process: Subcommittee Review • Cases ranked “B” referred to full SAC for discussion with Dean • About 1/4 of all cases • Cases with a negative recommendation • Conflicting recommendations from Head and Dean • SAC members raise concern

36. SAC Process: Full Committee Review • “A” cases generally approved without discussion • Entire SAC process can be completed in about a month

37. SAC Process: Full Committee Review • Questions regarding “B” cases sent to Dean with invitation to attend full SAC meeting • Dean must be present for all discussion of a case by SAC • Vote taken in Dean’s absence • Dean informed of result

38. SAC Process • Chair informs President of SAC recommendation and vote on each case • Chair also provides President notes on SAC concerns and discussion regarding “B” cases

39. SAC Process • SAC recommendation and vote confidential – should not be given to candidate • Why?President sometimes recommends against SAC • Provost and President review case and recommend action to Board

40. Frequent SAC Issues • External referee letters • Professional contributions • Scholarship of teaching • Teaching documentation • Curricula vitae

41. External Referee Letters • At least 4 arms-length referees for promotions and tenure • At least 2 arms-length referees for new appointments • Senior Instructor letters need not be external but avoid conflict of interest (preferably outside candidate’s unit)

42. External Referee Letters:Problem Spots • Head is a co-author; solicits the Letters; avoid appearance of conflict • Case not clearly characterized • If Professional or Scholarship of Teaching or blended, so indicate & include relevant parts of Agreement • If ‘blended’, use a variety of referees who can assess each type

43. External Referee Letters:Tips • Choose well-qualified referees with stature similar to or higher than UBC • If a mandatory review for tenure, Head’s letter should say so and ask for separate recommendations • Include information on referees in file • Address any negative references in Head/Dean letter • Use templates in SAC Guide

44. Scholarly Contributions • Explain publishing norms in field in Head’s/Dean’s letters • refereed journals? Conference proceedings? • Quantity? Quality? • Are there accepted top tier venues? • Is a monograph required? • Is co-authorship expected; with grad students? • Are grants expected?

45. Professional Contributions • May constitute a portion or all of scholarly activity • Must be “work of distinction” • Creative, standard-setting, changes practice of profession • Not routinely available from professionals in field • Not a consolation prize

46. Professional Contributions • Explicitly recognize and consider from outset and at all levels of review • Referee’s assessment of professional contributions and significance is critical • Explicitly request • Provide UBC evaluation criteria

47. Scholarship of Teaching • May constitute a portion or all of scholarly activity • Broad contributions to the improvement of teaching and learning • Beyond excellence in teaching • Original, innovative, impact and change field, substantial and sustained use by others

48. Scholarship of Teaching • Explicitly recognize and consider from outset and at all levels of review • Referee’s assessment of contributions, impact and stature is critical • Explicitly request • Provide UBC evaluation criteria

49. Teaching Documentation • Required in all cases • Effectivenessprimary criterion • At all levels • Graduate supervision important • Forms may vary, but all substantial contributions must be documented and evaluated

50. Teaching Documentation • Full teaching dossier not useful for SAC (except Senior Instructor) • Identify norms in unit • Quantitative and qualitative summary and assessment of • All teaching responsibilities • Student and peer evaluations • Graduate student supervision • Other teaching contributions, accomplishments, awards, etc.