Part-Time (Non-Tenure Stream) Faculty and Promotion

Uploaded: September 10, 2021

Contents

1 Definition of Part-Time
2 Relevant Policy
3 Applicability of Policy and Procedures Governing Promotion
4 Ranks
5 Eligibility for Promotion through the Ranks
6 Relevant Dates
7 Criteria for Promotion from Assistant Professor to Associate Professor (non-tenure stream faculty)
8 Criteria for Promotion from Associate Professor to Professor (non-tenure stream faculty)
8.1 Attributes of Scholarship (PPP, 1980, 11a)
8.2 Attributes of Good Teaching (PPP, 1980, 12a)
8.3 Attributes of Service (PPP, 1980, 13a)
9 Process
9.1 Annual Consideration for Promotion
9.2 First Level of Review
9.3 Second Level of Review
10 Elements of the Promotion File Prepared by the Candidate
10.1 CV
10.2 Dossiers
11 Elements of the Promotion File Gathered by the Chair
11.1 Assessment of Scholarship
11.1.1 External Referees
11.1.2 Internal Assessments
11.2 Assessment of Teaching
11.3 Assessment of Service
12 Summary of Evidence (SOE)
13 Chair’s Report
14 Informing Candidates
15 Appeal Procedures

The information in this manual provides guidance on implementing policy but in all instances, the policies are binding and take precedence over the information provided in this manual.

1 Definition of Part-Time

“A part-time appointment is one that does not exceed 75 per cent of full-time employment and is not less than 20 per cent of full-time employment.” (PtP, preamble)

This page relates to part-time faculty who have a workload comparable to that of tenure stream faculty, prorated to their FTE. There is a separate section that relates to the promotion of part-time faculty in the teaching stream.

2 Relevant Policy

On a go-forward basis, part-time faculty are appointed under:

• Policy and Procedures on Employment Conditions of Part-time Faculty, January 2021 (PtP)

Non-tenure stream part-time faculty are eligible for promotion under the following policies

• Policy and Procedures Governing Promotions, 1980 (PPP)

See also:

• Your Faculty’s Teaching Evaluation Guidelines
• “Working Group on Creative Professional Activity,” May 1984 report [commonly known as the “Hollenberg Report”]

3 Applicability of Policy and Procedures Governing Promotion

• “This policy applies to both full and part-time teaching staff” (PPP, 1980, 6)

NOTE: Starting with section 8 this document is identical to all advice given relative to the promotion of tenure stream faculty. The content is identical to that in the primer on “Promotion from Associate Professor to Professor in the Tenure Stream: Primer for Chairs” (March 2021)

4 Ranks

• “Appointments may be made to any academic rank on a part-time basis.” (PtP, 2a)

5 Eligibility for Promotion through the Ranks

• “The criteria and procedures for promotion through the ranks shall be the same as for full-time faculty members with an appropriately reduced expectation as to the quantity of work.” (PtP, 11)
• Includes promotion between all ranks including:
  • Assistant Professor to Associate Professor
  • Associate Professor to Professor
• Part-time faculty in the non-tenure stream are eligible for promotion under the and Procedures Governing Promotions, 1980 (PPP)

6 Relevant Dates

The policy sets out two dates both of which apply to relevant part-time faculty  

• “Associate Professors [and Assistant Professors] may request that they be considered for promotion…on or before October 15” (PPP, 1980, 21)
• Promotion is effective July 1. (PPP, 1980, 27)

This information is also presented visually in the following diagram.

7 Criteria for Promotion from Assistant Professor to Associate Professor (non-tenure stream faculty)

• “The same criteria apply to the promotion from Assistant Professor to Associate Professor, with a lesser level of accomplishment to be expected [see below section 8]… For promotion to Associate Professor not linked with a tenure decision (ie., early promotions and promotions in clinical departments), the procedures followed should be those outlined below for promotion to Professor in order to ensure an equivalent level of assessment of a candidate’s abilities.” (PPP, Section 8 – emphasis added)

8 Criteria for Promotion from Associate Professor to Professor (non-tenure stream faculty)

• “The successful candidate for promotion will be expected to have established
  • (1) a wide reputation in his or her field of interest
  • (2) to be deeply engaged in scholarly work, and
  • (3) to have shown himself or herself to be an effective teacher.” (PPP, 1980, 7 – formatting and numbers added)
• “These are the main criteria. However, either excellent teaching alone or excellent scholarship alone, sustained over many years, could also in itself justify eventual promotion to the rank of Professor. Administrative or other service to the University and related activities will be taken into account in assessing candidates for promotion, but given less weight than the main criteria: promotion will not be based primarily on such service. Promotion to Professor is not automatic, but it is expected that the majority of full-time tenured faculty at this University will continue to attain this rank.” (PPP, 1980, 7)

8.1 Attributes of Scholarship (PPP, 1980, 11a)

• “Scholarly activities to be considered in promotion decisions include research work and certain kinds of professional or artistic activity. Successful research leads to the advancement of knowledge through contributions of an original nature. It is expected that it will be communicated through the publication of books, articles, papers, reviews and other scholarly works. Creative work in professional and artistic fields may be expressed in other ways: these may include, for example, original architectural or engineering design, important artistic contributions, and original techniques in clinical or professional areas. In every case, evidence of originality and importance to the field is sought.”

8.2 Attributes of Good Teaching (PPP, 1980, 12a)

• “Teaching includes lecturing, activity in seminars and tutorials, individual and group discussion, laboratory teaching, and any other means by which students derive educational benefit. Teaching effectiveness is demonstrated by the degree to which the candidate for promotion is able to stimulate and challenge the intellectual ability of students, to communicate academic material effectively, and to maintain a mastery of his or her subject areas. It also involves maintaining accessibility to students, and the ability to influence the intellectual and scholarly development of students.”

8.3 Attributes of Service (PPP, 1980, 13a)

• “Service to the University means primarily administrative or committee work within the University. Consideration will also be given to activities outside the University which further the scholarly and educational goals of the University. Such activities might include service to professional societies directly related to the candidate’s discipline, continuing-education activities, work with professional, technical or scholarly organizations or scholarly publications, and membership on or service to governmental committees and commissions. Outside activities are not meant to include general service to the community unrelated to the candidate’s scholarly or teaching activities however praiseworthy such service may be.”

9 Process

9.1 Annual Consideration for Promotion

• “Each year the Department Chairman will place before the Promotions Committee for preliminary consideration the names of all Associate Professors in the Department, together with their curricula vitae. The Committee will advise the Chairman as to which staff members should receive more detailed consideration for promotion.” (PPP, 1980 20)
• This annual consideration should also include part-time faculty at the rank of Assistant Professor.

9.2 First Level of Review

• “There will be no fewer than 5 members of the academic staff on Departmental Promotions Committees. Normally the Chairman of the Promotions Committee will be the Chairman of the department or his or her designate.” (PPP, 1980, 19)
• “A committee member who is being considered for promotion will withdraw from that part of any meeting in which he or she is being discussed.” (PPP, 1980, 19)
• “The membership of the Promotions Committee will be made known to the academic staff of the Department and where possible should change in membership over the years.” (PPP, 1980, 19)
• “In non-departmental divisions the Promotions Committee will be augmented by the appointment of a non-voting assessor appointed by the Vice-President and Provost.” (PPP, 1980, 19)

9.3 Second Level of Review

• In Multi-Department Faculties, files of faculty who are recommended for promotion proceed to a Decanal-level/Tri-Campus Decanal Committee.
• In Single-Department Faculties, files of faculty who are recommended for promotion proceed to the Vice-Provost, Faculty & Academic Life.

10 Elements of the Promotion File Prepared by the Candidate

10.1 CV

• See (PPP, 1980, 16)

10.2 Dossiers

• 11b; 12b and Faculty Guidelines on the Evaluation of Teaching; 13b

11 Elements of the Promotion File Gathered by the Chair

•  “The responsibility for assembling the documents will be taken by the Chairman of the department in multidepartment divisions, otherwise by the dean of the Faculty.” (PPP, 1980, 15)

11.1 Assessment of Scholarship

11.1.1 External Referees

• A minimum of 3 external referees (one from the candidate, the rest from the committee). More is recommended. See your Faculty’s guidelines, which may require 5 or 6.
  • “The Dean or Chairman will solicit letters from at least three external referees and where possible these should include at least one referee suggested by the candidate and one referee suggested by the Promotions Committee” (PPP, 1980, 11b)
• “Confidential written assessments of the candidate’s work should be obtained from specialists in the candidate’s field from outside the University and whenever possible from inside the University” (PPP, 1980, 11b)

11.1.2 Internal Assessments

• “Confidential written assessments of the candidate’s work should be obtained from specialists in the candidate’s field from outside the University and whenever possible from inside the University” (PPP, 1980, 11b)

11.2 Assessment of Teaching

• “Written assessments of the candidate’s teaching effectiveness will be prepared, in accordance with guidelines approved for the relevant department or division, and presented to the Promotions Committee.” (PPP, 1980, 12b)
• See your Faculty Guidelines on the Evaluation of Teaching

11.3 Assessment of Service

• “When appropriate, written assessments of the candidate’s service to the University and to learned societies or professional associations which relate to the candidate’s academic discipline and scholarly or professional activities will be prepared and presented to the Promotions Committee. When a candidate for promotion is or has been cross-appointed, assessments will be sought from all of the divisions in which the candidate has served and should be taken fully into account by the Promotions Committee.” (PPP, 1980, 13b)

12 Summary of Evidence (SOE)

• There is no Summary of Evidence in the case of a promotion file.

13 Chairs’ Report

• The report of the Chair of the promotion committee should provide a full and detailed summary of work of the committee that:
  • fairly reflects the evidence considered by the committee
  • includes both adverse and positive statements appearing in the documentation
  • reports on the committee’s discussion and the grounds for its recommendation
• Where the dean of a single-department faculty is also the chair of the promotion committee, the dean’s report or covering letter should provide a full and detailed summary of the work of the committee.

14 Informing Candidates

• “Each candidate who was given detailed consideration by the Departmental Promotions Committee will be informed by the Chairman of the Department of the recommendation in his or her case. Candidates who received detailed consideration and who were not recommended for promotion will be given the reasons. If the Chairman did not accept a positive recommendation from the Promotions Committee, the candidate shall be informed of this fact.” (PPP, 1980, 24)

15 Appeal Procedures

• See PPP, 1980, 28 and 29