Tenure and Promotion

Academic Staff (TUCFA)

Tenure and Promotion is an annual process for academic staff members at the University of ��о��. Each year, eligible applicants participate in this process. The provisions relating to Tenure and Promotion process are outlined in Article 28 of the Collective Agreement and apply to applications for: a) Tenure b) Promotion c) Transfer between Teaching and Research and Teaching-Focused streams and d) Renewal of Tenure-track appointments.

Academic Staff Members should review Article 28: Tenure and Promotion of the Collective Agreement as it outlines both the eligibility and important process information. The steps below reflect the high-level process — please refer to the Faculty Guidelines, GFC Handbooks and Tenure and Promotion Timeline for more details.

By June 15

Eligible academic staff members will receive an email from Academic Portfolio (AP) on May 15. Applicants must log in to AP and complete their Candidate Declaration form by June 15.

Academic staff members applying for promotion or transfer between streams must submit their Intent to Apply by email to their Dean and hracadem@ucalgary.ca by June 15. People and Culture will then initiate an application in Academic Portfolio.

Academic staff applying for tenure (excluding renewal), promotion, or transfer of stream above the Assistant rank must also submit a list of possible referees to the Dean and Faculty Contact by June 15. A brief statement of any personal or professional relationship existing with the suggested referees must be included with the list. &�Բ��;

By September 1

Applicants must upload all required documents and submit their complete application package in Academic Portfolio by September 1.

Step-by-step guides to support Academic Portfolio submissions are available in the Resources section of this page.

* Dates are adjusted to the Tenure and Promotion timelines every year due to weekends and stat holidays.

For more information, view the GFC handbooks

Resources for Academic Staff

Resources for Academic Leaders (Heads, Deans)

Process Guides
- Heads User Guide – Academic Portfolio for T&P
- The Head's Resource Guide for Tenure & Promotion is available in and may be accessed once cases reach the Head review step.
References

Academic Staff Member

When do I apply?

As outlined in the Collective Agreement, the normal time to apply for Renewal of Tenure Track and Appointment with Tenure is during the penultimate year of the tenure track appointment.

Eligible academic staff members will receive an email from Academic Portfolio (AP) by May 15.  Applicants must log in to AP and complete their Candidate Declaration form by June 15. &�Բ��;

Academic staff members interested in applying for promotion or transfer between streams must submit their Intent to Apply by email to their Dean and hracadem@ucalgary.ca by June 15. People and Culture will then initiate an application in Academic Portfolio.  

What documents am I required to submit for my application?

Appendix A in Article 28 in the Collective Agreement outlines the documents required for your application, and additional documents at your discretion that may be included.

When is my application due?

Applicants must upload all required documents and submit their complete application package in Academic Portfolio by September 1. Step-by-step guides to support Academic Portfolio submissions are available in the Resources section of this page.

Can I get an extension to the application due date for my application?

It is important to adhere to the timelines and deadlines outlined in the Collective Agreement. If you are unable to submit your application by September 1, please email hracadem@ucalgary.ca with details of your circumstances.

You may also contact The University of ��о�� Faculty Association (TUCFA) at  faculty.association@tucfa.com at any time for assistance. &�Բ��;

What do I include in my Intent to Apply?

Step 1: Submit Your Declaration of Intent

Renewal of tenure-track appointment, tenure, or tenure with promotion - Eligible academic staff will receive an email from Academic Portfolio (AP). By June 15, applicants must complete the Candidate Declaration form in AP to confirm that they are proceeding with their application or to request a change to a different application type.
Promotion or transfer between streams - Academic staff must email their Intent to Apply, including what they intent to apply for, to their Dean and hracadem@ucalgary.ca by June 15. People and Culture will then initiate an application in Academic Portfolio.

Step 2: Submit Your List of Possible Referees

Academic staff applying for tenure (excluding renewal), promotion, or transfer of stream above the Assistant rank must submit a list of possible referees by June 15. The list should be emailed to the Dean, with the Faculty Contact copied. A brief statement of any personal or professional relationship existing with the suggested referees must be included with the list. &�Բ��;

What are External Referees?

External referees are individuals who know about your work, are knowledgeable about your field and are in a position to provide a detailed commentary.

Names and contact information for external referees are required for applications for Tenure with Promotion, Promotions and Transfers of streams at the ranks of Associate Professor, Associate Professor (Teaching), Professor, Professor (Teaching), Associate Librarian, Associate Archivist, Associate Curator, Education Development Consultant (for Tenure only), Senior Counsellor (Instructor) or Senior Counsellor (Professorial).

For applicants in the Teaching and Research stream: referees shall include at least three academics from outside the University who shall be invited to assess the quality and progress of the applicant’s research and scholarly work and service to the profession/discipline.

For applicants in the Teaching Focused stream: referees shall include at least three academics internal (but external to the Department or Faculty in non-departmentalized faculties) or external to the University who shall be invited to assess the quality and progress of the applicant’s teaching and pedagogical activities.

For applicants in the librarian, archivist, curator, and counsellor ranks, or other academic ranks: referees shall include at least three academics or professionals, as appropriate for the nature of the position, to assess the quality and progress of the applicant’s professional activity, scholarly work and service to the profession/discipline or equivalent.

Do not contact the external referees in advance, the selection of individuals who may be invited to participate as an external referee is the decision of the Dean and the Dean contacts the individuals.

What documents do the External Referees receive?

For applications in the Teaching Focused stream, the applicant’s cover letter; curriculum vitae; the applicant’s teaching dossier; and selected works (if appropriate).

For applications in the Research & Teaching Focused stream, the external referees are provided with the applicant’s cover letter, curriculum vitae, and selected works.

For applications within librarian, archivist, curator, counsellor streams and other ranks, the external referees are provided with the applicants’ cover letter, curriculum vitae, and selected works (if appropriate).

I need to renew my tenure track appointment (renewal), what do I need to do?

Eligible academic staff members will receive an email from Academic Portfolio (AP) on May 15. Applicants must log in to AP and complete their Candidate Declaration form by June 15. &�Բ��;

Applicants must upload all required documents and submit their complete application package in Academic Portfolio by September 1. &�Բ��;

Step-by-step guides to support Academic Portfolio submissions are available in the Resources section of this page. &�Բ��;

I am required to apply for Tenure/Tenure with Promotion this year, what do I do?

Eligible academic staff members will receive an email from Academic Portfolio (AP) on May 15. Applicants must log in to AP and complete their Candidate Declaration form by June 15. &�Բ��;

Applicants must upload all required documents and submit their complete application package in Academic Portfolio by September 1. &�Բ��;

Step-by-step guides to support Academic Portfolio submissions are available in the Resources section of this page. &�Բ��;

I would like to apply for promotion this year, what do I need to do?

Academic staff must email their Intent to Apply, including what they intent to apply for, to their Dean and hracadem@ucalgary.ca by June 15. People and Culture will then initiate an application in Academic Portfolio.

Academic staff applying for tenure (excluding renewal), promotion, or transfer of stream above the Assistant rank must submit a list of possible referees by June 15. The list should be emailed to the Dean, with the Faculty Contact copied. A brief statement of any personal or professional relationship existing with the suggested referees must be included with the list. &�Բ��;

Step-by-step guides to support Academic Portfolio submissions are available in the Resources section of this page. &�Բ��;

What is a deferral and how do I get a deferral?

An academic staff member who is due to be considered for a Renewal of Tenure Track or an Appointment with Tenure may be granted the following types of deferrals. In all types of deferrals, the end date for the Renewal of Tenure Track or an Appointment with Tenure appointment shall be extended for one year beyond the existing end date. Refer to the Collective Agreement, 28.6.3

Personal Deferral

At any time on or before November 25, an academic staff member may defer consideration of their application for an appointment with tenure or for renewal of tenure track. The deferral is for a period of one year, and my only be taken once, either at the time of renewal or at the time of tenure.

To use the Personal Deferral the academic staff member will notify the Dean in writing, copying hracadem@ucalgary.ca.

Dean’s Deferral

A Dean may approve a one year deferral for compassionate reasons, or when appropriate to deal with circumstances beyond the control of the applicant or for any other reasons the Dean considers appropriate. There is potential for more than one Dean’s deferral, with Provost’s approval.

To request a Dean’s deferral, you will need to contact the Dean to discuss your circumstances for a Dean’s deferral. The Dean will submit, in writing, the approval of a Dean’s deferral and send to hracadem@ucalgary.ca, with a copy of the applicant.

Parental Deferral

Parental leaves shall result in an automatic one year deferral for Renewal of Tenure Track or an Appointment with Tenure. You do not need to contact Human Resources to obtain this deferral, a letter is automatically issued with the new end date. However, if you have not received a Parental Deferral, please contact hracadem@ucalgary.ca.

Note that this automatic deferral does not preclude you from applying this year for Renewal of Tenure Track or an Appointment with Tenure or using your Personal Deferral or being eligible for a Dean’s or Provost deferral in the future.

Provost Deferral

In exceptional circumstances the Provost may grant a deferral.

What can I do if I get a negative recommendation from the Head or Equivalent?

If you get a negative recommendation from the Head or equivalent you will have the opportunity to meet with the Head and discuss the recommendation when they provide the initial assessment by November 3, 2025. If the final recommendation is negative you can respond in writing to the recommendation by November 25, 2025. This response is provided to the Dean, as Chair, and FTPC. Refer to Collective Agreement Article 28.10.3.

Individuals can also contact the Faculty Association at any time for assistance at faculty.association@tucfa.com]

What can I do if the FTPC pauses on my case?

If half or less of the voting members of FTPC are not in favour of the recommendation that is being sought by the applicant the Dean shall declare a pause in the proceedings and inform the applicant, in writing, of the specific concerns identified by the FTPC, including the substance of adverse comments made by the referees and invite the applicant and the Head to a second meeting of the FTPC. The FTPC may request further information not already in evidence from the applicant or the Head.

You will have a minimum of five (5) work days to respond in writing to the FTPC. However, if additional documentation is requested from the Head, the applicant must be provided at least five (5) work days from the date of receiving the documentation from the Head to review and respond the before the second meeting of FTPC.

You will be invited to attend the FTPC meeting, and you may bring an Advisor, if the applicant so chooses. The Head/Head Equivalent will also be in attendance. The FTPC may ask questions of either or both the applicant and the Head/Head Equivalent. If the applicant requests that the FTPC proceed without the attendance of the applicant or Advisor, the FTPC shall proceed; however, the Head shall not be permitted to attend the meeting. The Head/Head Equivalent cannot attend the FTPC meeting if the applicant is not present.

For the role of an Advisor, refer to the Collective Agreement, Article 28.3 b

At the conclusion of this meeting, the Chair will proceed with a vote, you will be provided with the recommendation from the Dean. The applicant, Head and Advisor are not present during any of the deliberations of the FTPC.

Refer to Collective Agreement, Article 28.11.2.8

What can I do if I get a negative recommendation from the Dean?

If the recommendation is less than what the applicant applied for, the Dean shall send a separate letter to the applicant noting the process and deadline for appealing the recommendation. The applicant shall have an opportunity to submit a written appeal of a Dean’s recommendation to the Provost or the Provost as Chair of the Promotion Review Committee, depending on the type of application. Individuals can also contact the Faculty Association at any time for assistance at faculty.association@tucfa.com.

Department Head or Equivalent

What is the role of a Head or Equivalent?

The role of the Department Head is described in the Collective Agreement (CA) Articles 28.9 and 28.10.3.

The Head or Equivalent is not a member of the FTPC and will only appear before the Committee should the meeting be paused and additional information sought by the FTPC (CA 28.11.2.7). The Head/Head Equivalent cannot attend the FTPC meeting if the applicant is not present.

The Head or Equivalent shall review all the documents received from the applicant as outlined in the Collective Agreement, Appendix 28. The Head or Equivalent shall prepare an evaluation indicating whether the applicant meets the criteria for tenure and/or promotion, renewal or transfer, and will include a recommendation on the application, including a detailed summary of all input received. (Collective Agreement, Article28.10.3 a)

The written review shall include commentary on all assigned duties (for example Scholarly Work, Teaching, Service, Clinical duties, etc.) as applicable for the rank and stream of the applicant, referring to the criteria outlined in the GFC Handbooks and the Faculty Guidelines, as chosen by the applicant.

The Head’s Resource Guide for Tenure and Promotion, along with recommendation letter templates, are available in and can be accessed once cases reach the Head review step.

The Heads User Guide – Academic Portfolio for T&P is available in the Resources section of this page and provides step-by-step instructions for completing the Head review step.

What should I be including in the Recommendation Letters?

The Department Head shall “review all the materials received as indicated in Appendix 28 A and shall prepare an evaluation of whether the applicant meets the criteria for tenure and/or promotion, including a recommendation on the application, providing detailed summary of all input received.” (CA 28.10.3 a)

The written review shall include commentary on all three areas of work (Research, Teaching and Service) as applicable for the rank and stream of the applicant, referring to the GFC Handbook and the Faculty Guidelines, as chosen by the applicant. The choice of GFC Handbook and Faculty Guidelines chosen can be obtained in Academic Portfolio under References or can be accessed through GFC Handbook Selection and Faculty Guidelines Selection.

When writing the recommendation letters, the following should be considered:

Recommendation letters should be written so that they can be understood without reference to other application materials beyond that which is outlined in Appendix 28 A and provided by the applicant.
When the applicant is a member of a multi-disciplinary program, joint appointments or secondments, the Head or Equivalent from the home department should seek written input from the leader of the program and the Dean/Head of the Faculty/Department and should make note of these comments within the recommendation. The Head/Head Equivalent cannot supply information from the applicant’s file to those providing commentary as set out under Article 30.
Be evaluative, objective and evidence-based, using the criteria outlined in the Faculty Guidelines and GFC Handbook as chosen by the applicant.
Explain any weighting of teaching (strong/weak) vs. research (strong/weak) vs. service in the recommendation.
The faculty criteria for the rank/stream to which the candidate is applying.
Leaves may be mentioned as “approved leave” with no details about the nature of the leave. Research and Scholarship Leaves and Administrative Leaves can be included.
Facts and examples to support the recommendation should be available if you are called to attend a FTPC recall meeting.

The recommendation letters should include a reference to the external referees, including comments, or a quote, from one or more of the referees’ letters. The names of the external referees are kept confidential from the applicants, therefore do not include their names in your recommendation letters.

The Internal Consultation’s comments can be included in the Head’s evaluation and recommendation. As noted in Article 28.10.3 a), the head will include “a recommendation on the application; providing detailed summary of all input received.” This input includes the comments received via internal consultation.

The Head’s recommendation is to FTPC and becomes part of the consideration of each case. This recommendation should mirror the options brought forward by the Chair FTPC at the conclusion of the meeting (CA 28.11.2.9).

The Head’s Resource Guide for Tenure and Promotion, along with recommendation letter templates, are available in and can be accessed once cases reach the Head review step.

The Heads User Guide – Academic Portfolio for T&P is available in the Resources section of this page and provides step-by-step instructions for completing the Head review step.

What is the role of an External Referee?

An academic staff member who intends to apply for one of the following ranks, must provide a minimum of three names of possible referees (Article 28.6.5 and 28.7.3) who may be contacted (renewal of tenure track appointments are not forwarded to external referees):

Appointment with Tenure with Promotion
Tenure only (mid-level and above academics who do not have Tenure)
Promotion only (Tenured academics, all streams)
Promotion only (Limited and Contingent Term appointments)
Transfer between Streams (only for applications above the entry level ranks)

The Dean may request, at their discretion, a list of potential external referees from the Head.

External referees are asked to assess the following for each application stream:

Research & Teaching focused - assess the quality and progress of the applicant’s research and scholarly work and service to the profession and/or discipline.
Teaching Focused - assess the quality and progress of the applicant’s teaching and pedagogical activities and scholarly work as appropriate.
Administrative - assess the quality and progress of the applicant’s professional activity, scholarly work and service to the profession/discipline or equivalent.

What is Internal Consultation?

Internal Consultation (Article 28.10.2) is designed to provide feedback from the academic staff above the introductory ranks within the faculty/department. These comments are only provided to the Head and Dean and are not provided to other reviewers, including the FTPC Committee.

All academic staff above the introductory ranks in the faculty/department and, when appropriate, from individuals beyond the faculty/department and when the applicant holds a joint appointment and/or secondment should be included in the internal consultation.

No review mechanisms (i.e. Departmental Review Committees) are to be used within the faculty other than those outlined in the Collective Agreement, Article 28.

What about Administrators applying for Promotion or Tenure?

The modified process to handle Administrators will need to be agreed upon by both the University and the Faculty Association. If you have administrators applying for Tenure and/or Promotion, please contact hracadem@ucalgary.ca for assistance (Article 28.3 a).

What should I include if writing a negative recommendation?

When writing a negative recommendation the following things should be considered:

Letter should always be respectful and professional.
Convey clear and concise messaging as to why the applicant does not meet the criteria, including reference to any adverse comments made by referees or through the internal consultation process while keeping the respondent’s identity confidential.
Comments should be factual.
Information on providing a written response, appealing and deadlines etc. needs to be included.

The Head’s Resource Guide for Tenure and Promotion, along with recommendation letter templates, are available in and can be accessed once cases reach the Head review step.

The Heads User Guide – Academic Portfolio for T&P is available in the Resources section of this page and provides step-by-step instructions for completing the Head review step.

Committee Members

Who sits on a Faculty Tenure & Promotion Committee (FTPC)?

Five academic staff members (plus an alternate) are nominated and elected by the academic staff within the Faculty.  At least two of the elected members shall hold the rank of Professor or Professor (Teaching) full Librarian, full Curators, full Archivists, or Senior Counsellors – voting members.  In Faculties of fewer of 60 Continuing, Contingent or Limited Term Members, they may elect no less than three (3) members. &�Բ��;

In Faculties where the number of Continuing, Contingent Term and Limited Term members exceed 350, they may elect an additional staff member. &�Բ��;

In those Faculties with members in the Teaching-Focused stream, at least one academic staff member shall be from the Teaching- Focused stream. If only one elected academic staff member on the FTPC is from the Teaching-Focused stream, an additional alternate may be elected from the Teaching-Focused stream – voting members. &�Բ��;

One academic staff member external to the Faculty, appointed by the Provost – voting member

One to two academic staff members appointed by the Dean to ensure gender and disciplinary representation, when necessary – voting members.  In Faculties where the number of Continuing, Contingent Term and Limited Term member exceeds 350, the Dean may appoint an additional member.

One student appointed by the Students’ Union – non-voting

One student appointed by the Graduate Student Association – non-voting

One academic staff member appointed by TUCFA – non-voting, required for quorum

Refer to Collective Agreement, Article 28.11.1

What is the role and responsibilities of FTPC?

The role of FTPC is to review the applications, meet to discuss the applications and provide a recommendation to the Dean, as Chair.

FTPC is provided with the documents uploaded by the academic staff member, the Head/Head Equivalent’s recommendation, and external referees.

Refer to Collective Agreement, Article 28.11.2.3

The Head or Equivalent is not a member of the FTPC and will only appear before the Committee should the meeting be paused and additional information sought by the FTPC (CA 28.11.2.7). The Head/Head equivalent cannot appear before the FTPC unless the applicant is present.

Dean or Equivalent

What is my role as Dean or Equivalent?

The Dean or Equivalent acts as the Chair of FTPC, voting only in the case of a tie.

Upon receipt of FTPC’s advice, the Dean or Equivalent shall prepare a recommendation to the Provost, considering only the documentation provided by the applicant, Head or Dean in accordance with Appendix 28 A, along with the oral evidence presented at the FTPC.

No later than February 9, 2026 the Dean shall write to the Provost outlining the FTPC’s recommendation, the vote results, the Dean’s recommendation, and the supporting rationale for the recommendation. This letter shall be copied to the applicant, the Faculty Association and Human Resources.

Refer to the Collective Agreement, Article 28.12

Salary Adjustment following Promotion

When will I receive my Salary Adjustment following Promotion?

Academic staff members who have a successful application for promotion shall receive the following increases in base salary on the July 1 following their approval:

Promotion to Associate Professor, Associate Professor (Teaching), Librarian, Archivist, Curator, Senior Counsellor (Professorial), Academic Category A2, Academic Category B2 shall receive an increase of $2,400.

Promotion to Professor, Professor (Teaching), Academic Category A3 shall receive an increase of $2,700.

Promotion to Associate Librarian, Associate Archivist, Associate Curator, Senior Counsellor (Instructor) shall receive an increase of $1,900.

Technical Support

I need to change my application, but it is locked. What should I do?

Please send an email to hracadem@ucalgary.ca.

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In the meantime, please review the reference documents, guidelines, timeline and job aids for further details. We recommend viewing the training video available on our website in the resources section above, that demonstrates how to submit through Academic Portfolio, to further familiarize yourself.

My case hasn't been created yet, what should I do?

Contact hracadem@ucalgary.ca and begin preparing any relevant documentation related to your submission.

Please review the reference documents, guidelines, timeline and job aids for further details. We recommend viewing the training video available on our website in the resources section above, that demonstrates how to submit through Academic Portfolio, to further familiarize yourself. Once your case is created, you can begin uploading your document(s).