Your Career at Queen’s: Merit Review and Renewal, Tenure, & Promotion New Faculty Orientation August 24, 2017 Teri Shearer Deputy Provost (Academic Operations & Inclusion) Office of the Provost & Vice-Principal Academic This afternoon I am going to talk to you about two of the most important personnel processes for academic faculty members: merit review and renewal, tenure, and promotion.

Annual/Biennial Merit Review

Purposes of the Merit Review To provide an assessment process that will: Recognize faculty contributions and achievements. Enable monitoring of professional growth, professional development and career planning (formative feedback). To determine a biennial merit rating that will establish annual salary increments to complement annual Across the Board increases.

Tenured or Continuing appointments => reviewed biennially Annual or Biennial? Tenure-track, Continuing Track, or Non-Renewable appointments => performance reviewed annually Tenured or Continuing appointments => reviewed biennially Merit review based on two annual assessments for the former, and one biennial assessment for the latter Resulting merit rating used to determine merit increments for two years or those with Special appointments that have been renewed less than two times

Annual/Biennial Report Completed on a standardized form (Paper or electronic) Based on calendar year(s) Documents activities and outcomes in each of Teaching Research/Scholarship/Creative activity Service Administrative Professional Starts with the preparation of an annual or biennial report Submission to Unit Head required by February 1st/ Learned associations, agencies or organizations or to community Due to unit head by Feb 1

Annual/Biennial Report Assistance available from: Colleagues Heads Deans Human Rights Office Centre for Teaching and Learning (CTL)

Annual/Biennial Report Mandatory It is the faculty member’s responsibility to provide sufficient detail to enable assessment. If the annual report has insufficient detail, assessment is based on information reasonably available to the Unit Head.

Merit award process Merit assessed biennially based on: Two annual reports or one biennial report Any other documents in Official File that are relevant to the assessment and evaluation of performance in teaching, research and service.

Merit award process In a non-merit year: Unit Head reviews annual report, provides a written performance appraisal. Faculty member meets with Head to review and discuss appraisal. Faculty member signs appraisal. Copies of the annual report and the appraisal are maintained in the member’s Official File and the Dean’s office.

Merit award process In a merit year: Unit Head reviews two annual or one biennial report, provides a written performance appraisal. Faculty member meets with Head to review, discuss, and sign appraisal. Dean (or Vice/Associate Dean) and Head meet to address annual reviews and assignments of merit scores in Department. Dean makes merit score recommendation to Provost. Copies of the annual report and the appraisal are maintained in the member’s Official File and the Dean’s office.

Merit award process Merit Scoring System: Point system Possible point scores: 0 through 7, 10, 12, 15 or 20 Maximum possible University – wide average is 10.9 0 – 7 score= deficiency in performance 10 is the modal score (i.e. performance at expectation) To score above 10, performance in all 3 areas must at least be satisfactory

Things to Remember Annual reports cover the previous calendar year. Include all relevant materials in your annual report, with an explanation of their significance if necessary. Remember that about 66% of your colleagues will receive a 10 and the vast majority of those are high achievers.

Tips for completing a comprehensive annual report (Ideally) at the start of the calendar year create a file folder with subfolders; one for each area and drop in materials as appropriate to track your activities e.g. student advisory committees, thesis examination committees (and role), grant reviews, abstracts published, invited presentations, papers/grants in review, USATs, professional development, … Refer back to previous annual report – look for progress, improvement and development. If in doubt about anything, seek assistance.

Renewal, Tenure, and Promotion (RTP)

Renewal, Tenure, and Promotion Use your Annual/Biennial Report to help build your Renewal, Tenure, Promotion file, year by year But Reports may not form part of the RTP file Timelines and processes clearly defined by Collective Agreement Notice of Intent by July 1 List of prospective referees by July 31 Completed application file by August 15

Renewal, Tenure, and Promotion Typically apply at the start of third year Granted, for Tenure-track faculty, when there is “clear evidence of a commitment to academic excellence, some demonstrated professional growth, and the prospect… of future development” Presumption in favour of renewal University must demonstrate that the weight of evidence is in favour of non-Renewal Prospect based on the record of accomplishments to date As reflected in: a record as a good teacher; clear evidence of high-quality scholarly or creative work

Renewal, Tenure, and Promotion Typically apply at the start of sixth year Tenure shall be granted when there is “clear evidence of demonstrated professional growth and the promise of future development” A record as a very good teacher committed to academic and pedagogical excellence A record of high quality and expert peer-assessed scholarly or creative work A record of professional, University, or community service Applicant must show that the evidence favours granting tenure and promotion Prospect based on the record of accomplishments to date As reflected in: a record as a good teacher; clear evidence of high-quality scholarly or creative work

Promotion To Professor The Faculty member must either combine: Scholarly or creative work judged to be distinguished with very good teaching; or Continuing high quality scholarly work with exceptional contributions to teaching; or Scholarly or creative work judged to be distinguished with exceptional contributions in teaching The faculty member must also have made a contribution through administrative service contributions to his/her profession are also relevant. Prospect based on the record of accomplishments to date As reflected in: a record as a good teacher; clear evidence of high-quality scholarly or creative work

Content of RTP File Up-to-date CV Separate summary of teaching experience, which may be in the form of a teaching dossier Copies of all relevant scholarly or creative work (or at least citations) and a description of any work in progress Summary of administrative service responsibilities and professional service USAT scores will be added to the RTP file from the Official File

Renewal, Tenure, and Promotion Tips for preparing your RTP file Seek advice and guidance! Department Head (or Associate Dean / Dean) Centre for Teaching and Learning Colleagues Use prior examples of successful Renewal, Tenure, Promotion file. Become familiar with timelines in Collective Agreement

Questions / Discussion