The Office of the Dean invites new and continuing Arts & Science chairs, academic directors & principals to attend the Academic Leadership Sessions. These sessions focus on Arts & Science-specific practices and policies and provide relevant information at key points throughout the year.
The 2023–24 session descriptions are below.
Please register for any and all sessions you find of interest using the links below.
- 2023–24 Academic Leadership Fall Sessions
- 2023–24 Academic Leadership Winter/Spring Sessions
- Academic Leaders Breakfasts
- Additional Programming of Interest
For more information, please contact the A&S Faculty Development team: facultydev.artsci@utoronto.ca.
2023–24 Academic Leadership Fall Sessions
All sessions will take place in person in the Dean’s Conference Room, Sidney Smith Hall, Room 214.
Continuing Status Review
Friday, November 10, 2023, 10–11:30 am
This session will review all parts of the Continuing Status Review (CSR) process.
Facilitator
- Mikael Swayze, Director, Academic Human Resources
- Tamara Trojanowska, Vice-Dean, Faculty & Academic Life
The Faculty Appointments Committee
Friday, November 24, 2023, 10–11:30 am (Note: this session will also be offered in January)
This session will provide an overview of the role of the Faculty Appointments Committee (FAC), including a review of factors considered by the FAC in evaluating requests for new appointments and the Tableau data that inform the process.
Facilitators
- Mikael Swayze, Director, Academic Human Resources
- Mubin Merchant, Director, Planning, Data & Analysis
The Promotion Process
Friday, December 8, 2023, 10–11:30 am
This session will review the promotion process, as well as the chair and directors role in reviewing and communicating readiness for promotion to faculty members.
Facilitator
- Mikael Swayze, Director, Academic Human Resources
- Tamara Trojanowska, Vice-Dean, Faculty & Academic Life
2023–24 Academic Leadership Winter/Spring Sessions
All sessions will take place in person in the Dean’s Conference Room, Sidney Smith Hall, Room 214.
Register for winter/spring sessions
The Faculty Appointments Committee
Friday, January 12, 2024, 10–11:30 am (Note: this session was also offered in November)
This session will provide an overview of the role of the Faculty Appointments Committee (FAC), including a review of factors considered by the FAC in evaluating requests for new appointments and the Tableau data that inform the process.
Facilitators
- Mikael Swayze, Director, Academic Human Resources
- Mubin Merchant, Director, Planning, Data & Analysis
Supporting Research in A&S
Friday, January 26, 2024, 10–11:30 am
This session will focus on the role of the Vice-Dean, Research and Infrastructure in supporting chair and directors with the achievement of academic unit research goals (i.e., related to recruitment, retention, and research spaces and infrastructure), as well as outline the research resources & supports provided to A&S faculty members through the research portfolio (i.e., A&S research funding programs, and grant application/awards development services available within the A&S Office of Research Services).
Facilitators
- Vince Tropepe, Vice-Dean, Research and Infrastructure
- Lisa Rumiel, Director of Research Services
The PTR Process
Friday, March 1, 2024, 10–11:30 am
This session provides an overview of the PTR process, including the role of the chair/director, the support provided by the Academic HR office, the handling of leaves, timelines, and information about central PTR and the Dean’s Excellence merit pools.
Facilitator
- Mikael Swayze, Director, Academic Human Resources
- Tamara Trojanowska, Vice-Dean, Faculty & Academic Life
Interim & Probationary Reviews
Friday, March 8, 2024, 10–11:30 am
This session will provide an overview of the interim and probationary review processes. It will also discuss the chair/directors role in communicating the outcome to the candidate and providing feedback relevant for their professional development.
Facilitators
- Mikael Swayze, Director, Academic Human Resources
- Tamara Trojanowska, Vice-Dean, Faculty & Academic Life
Tenure Review: Committee Composition and External Assessors
Friday, May 10, 2024, 10–11:30 am
This session will focus on the early aspects of the tenure review process, including composing the committee and securing external assessors.
Facilitators
- Mikael Swayze, Director, Academic Human Resources
- Tamara Trojanowska, Vice-Dean, Faculty & Academic Life
Academic Leaders Breakfasts
All sessions will take place at the Faculty Club (41 Willcocks Street).
Hosted by Caroline Rabbat (Director, High Risk, Faculty Support & Mental Health), Academic Leaders Breakfasts are informal gatherings for discussing approaches to navigating challenging situations encountered by academic leaders including needing to have difficult conversations, addressing interpersonal conflict and responding to complaints and concerns. Each breakfast provides a unique opportunity to explore current challenges, strategize around concrete examples and benefit from the experience of fellow academic leaders. Breakfasts are intentionally being limited to a small group to allow for more meaningful discussion. Chairs, academic directors, and principals are invited to register for 1-2 breakfasts.
- Wednesday, December 13th, 8:30 am–9:45 am
- Wednesday, January 10th, 8:30 am–9:45 am
- Wednesday, February 7th, 8:30 am–9:45 am
- Wednesday, March 13th, 8:30 am–9:45 am
- Wednesday, April 3rd, 8:30 am–9:45 am
- Wednesday, May 1st, 8:30 am–9:45 am
Register for Academic Leaders Breakfasts
Additional Programming of Interest:
National Centre for Faculty Development & Diversity (NCFDD)
The University of Toronto continues to maintain an institutional membership with the National Centre for Faculty Development and Diversity (NCFDD), a leading provider of professional development in higher education. Activate your membership in order to access on demand and live, webinars and resources.
Office of the Vice-Provost, Faculty & Academic Life
Members may also be interested in programming for chair’s and directors that is offered through VPFAL.
The Toronto Initiative for Diversity and Excellence (TIDE)
Please take advantage of the many resources offered by TIDE (The Toronto Initiative for Diversity and Excellence). TIDE is a grassroots service group consisting of University of Toronto faculty members from across disciplines, with a focus on advancing equity, diversity, and inclusion at U of T.
- Unconscious Bias Education Modules
- TIDE’s Recorded Talks, including the Inclusive Practices in Recruitment workshop