Tenure and Promotion
Introduction
The University of Guelph Act, 1964 empowers the Board of Governors to promote and confer Tenure on Faculty Members on the recommendation of the President. The University will promote Faculty Members and grant Tenure to Faculty Members only in accord with the provisions of Article 21 of the Collective Agreement.
The information on this page applies to Tenure and Promotion decisions of Faculty Members who hold Tenured or Tenure-track Appointments and to Promotion and Renewal decisions for Contractually Limited Faculty Members. It is a brief summary and should be read in conjunction with Article 21.
In the event of a discrepancy between this page and the Collective Agreement, the Collective Agreement shall be considered the final authority.
Tenure and Promotion to Associate Professor
The conferring of Tenure and Promotion to Associate Professor is a very important step in the relationship between the University and a Faculty Member and it should be decided upon only after careful consideration and attention to due process. The granting of Tenure and Promotion to Associate Professor recognizes academic competence and maturity and significant scholarly achievement, demonstrated by contributions to the academic functions of the University and to the Member’s discipline within and outside the University. The conferring of Tenure and Promotion to Associate Professor obliges the University to support the career of the Member and it obliges the Member to continue to perform in a manner deserving of that support.
In considering a Member for Tenure and Promotion to Associate Professor, consideration will be given to the individual Member's life-time contribution in the areas defined in Article 18: Faculty Member Rights and Responsibilities. Each candidate for Tenure and Promotion to Associate Professor is expected to establish a record of performance in each of Teaching, Scholarship, and Service.
Probationary Period
The maximum duration of a Tenure-track Appointment is six (6) consecutive years of full-time employment from the date of the Tenure-track Appointment, exclusive of extensions granted for other reasons, such as Maternity/Parental Leave, and not counting periods of unpaid leave. The maximum length of the Probationary period for part-time appointments shall be seven (7) years for appointments with a workload of 75-99% of a full-time appointment and eight (8) years for appointments with a workload of 50-74% of a full-time appointment.
Pre-Tenure Meetings
The Dean will notify the Member on an annual basis that both the Dean and the Chair are available to mentor the Member. In addition, the Dean shall meet with each Tenure-track Faculty Member before the end of April of each year of the probationary period to discuss the Member’s progress towards and the possibility of application for Tenure and Promotion. A record of the discussion will be signed by both the Dean and the Tenure-track Member, shall be placed in the Tenure-track Member’s Official File. In signing the document, the Dean and the Faculty Member are agreeing that it is an accurate accounting of the discussion that occurred at the meeting, and may reflect differences in opinion and/or perspective.
Promotion to Professor
Promotion to Professor recognizes long-term, established, and outstanding Scholarship. It is granted in recognition of academic competence, maturity, and, normally, an established international reputation for achievement and expertise in the Member’s field.
In considering a Member for Promotion to Professor, consideration will be given to the individual Member's life-time contribution in the areas defined in Article 18: Faculty Member Rights and Responsibilities. Each candidate for Tenure and Promotion to Associate Professor or Promotion to Professor is expected to establish a record of performance in each of Teaching, Scholarship, and Service.
Guidelines
Faculty have the right to know explicitly what criteria are used for Tenure and Promotion purposes as well as reasons for decisions related to their Tenure and Promotion. The process must be transparent, fair, and equitable.
The exact nature of information considered relevant in the consideration of Members for Tenure and Promotion, or for Review of Members, is to be decided upon by the Members of the Department and articulated in a Guidelines document. The criteria must be consistent with the Articles of the Collective Agreement and shall be those in effect prior to the period under review. The criteria for Tenure, Promotion, and Review, including any amendments to the same, will be subject to approval, by secret ballot, by no fewer than two-thirds (2/3’s) of the Members of the Department, and also by the College Committee and the Provost.
All Members are to be informed in writing by the Department Chair of any amendments to these criteria. All Members, at the time of initial appointment, are to be given a copy of the approved Departmental criteria that will be used for Promotion, Tenure, and Review purposes. Approved Tenure and Promotion Guideline documents are posted on Departmental/School websites accessible to the faculty in that Department/School.
Tenure, Promotion and Performance Documents are available on the Guidelines, Forms and Templates webpage.