The confirmation process can feel like one of the most daunting times of your career. However, as you prepare to submit your dossier for review by your colleagues, referees and senior academic administrators, you can be confident that the Faculty Association is there to ensure a fair and thorough process.
Start the process early
The Faculty Association recommends that you start thinking about, and planning for, your confirmation review within the first year of your appointment. You can do this by keeping an accurate and up-to-date record of your accomplishments and assigned duties, and by speaking with your Head of Unit to discuss the standards and expectations of your position. Getting an early start will help ensure that your file is as strong as possible when it is submitted.
The mandatory confirmation process begins at the end of the second year of appointment. You will meet with your Head each year to discuss your progress and plan for the review. In the weeks after the meeting, your Head will issue a letter summarizing the contents of the meeting and any advice given to you to ensure that there is a clear understanding of issues and recommendations, the nature of materials to be collected, how documents ought to be arranged and when they are to be submitted. You do not have to agree with your Head’s appraisal of your work, but you should review the letter to ensure that it accurately reflects the discussion.
Your Dossier
No later than six months prior to the expiry of your confirmation-track appointment, you and your Head will compile a dossier containing the following: the annual memorandum discussed above, a performance review of your first and, if appropriate, second year of appointment, a current CV and other relevant information you wish to submit for consideration. Your Head will also ask you for the names of 4 potential referees.
The Review Process
Once materials have been submitted, the file will be sent to the Library’s Standing Review Committee (SRC) for consideration. The SRC is composed of 5 Confirmed Librarians, 3 of whom are elected by the Librarians and 2 who are appointed by the Heads.
Should any concerns arise during deliberations on your file, you will be informed in writing and given an opportunity to respond before the Committee casts its vote. You will also be provided with redacted or summarized copies of the referee letter. If you would like assistance in drafting your response, please contact the Faculty Association.
The Department Head and the Committee have separate recommendations. Your Head will prepare a letter for the UL, summarizing the Standing Committee’s deliberations, the recommendation of the Committee and that of the Head and the reasons for each. If either of the recommendations is negative, you will be provided a summary of the reasons and be given an opportunity to respond in writing prior to the UL’s review of your file.
University Librarian and Library Appointments Committees
Your file will then proceed to the University Librarian, who may consult with the Associate Librarians as they see fit. If there are further concerns raised at this level, you will be provided with an opportunity to respond prior to the UL making a recommendation to the President. If the recommendation is negative, you will be provided an opportunity to respond.
Once the file has passed through the UL’s level, it will be forwarded to the Library Appointments Committee (a Library-level committee of confirmed librarians) who will submit their recommendation to the President. The President will then issue their decision to you in writing.
Important Considerations
In preparing a dossier it is strongly recommended that you seek the guidance of both senior colleagues in your Unit and from others who have recently been through the process.
CVs should be continuously updated throughout the process with new relevant information. Information can be added right up until the President’s decision.
Normally, the Faculty Association does not intervene formally until after the President’s decision has been made. If, however, there are any concerns about fairness or transparency in the process, or if you need help addressing concerns that have been raised in letters from the Head or the UL, please contact the Faculty Association for assistance.
