Introduction

The information on this page applies to Continuing Appointment and Promotion decisions of librarians who hold Continuing or Continuing-track Appointments and to Promotion and Renewal decisions for Contractually Limited librarians. It is a brief summary and should be read in conjunction with Article 28: Continuing Appointment, Review, and Review of Librarian Members.

In the event of a discrepancy between this page and the Collective Agreement, the Collective Agreement shall be considered the final authority.

Continuing Appointment and Promotion to Associate Librarian

Promotion and the conferring of a Continuing Appointment are very important steps in the relationship between the University and a librarian and they should be decided upon only after careful consideration and attention to due process. The University will promote librarians and grant Continuing Appointment to Librarian Members only in accord with the provisions of Article 29.  Promotion to Associate Librarian and the granting of Continuing Appointment to a librarian recognizes professional and academic competence and maturity, as exemplified by the librarian's contribution to the academic functions of the University and by related activity within and outside of the University. The conferral of Continuing Appointment obliges the University to support the career of the librarian and it obliges the librarian to continue to perform in a manner deserving of that support. 

Consideration for the conferring of Continuing Appointment and Promotion to Associate Librarian will be given to the librarian's life-time contribution in the areas defined in Article 25: Rights and Responsibilities of Librarians. Each candidate for Promotion and/or the granting of Continuing Appointment is expected to establish a record of performance in each of Professional Practice, Scholarship, and Service.

Contractually Limited librarians are eligible for consideration for promotion in rank as per the provisions of Article 29. Contractually Limited librarians are not eligible for consideration of Continuing Appointment and therefore granting of Promotion for Contractually Limited librarians does not confer Continuing Appointment.

Probationary Period

The maximum duration of a Continuing Appointment-track Appointment is six (6) consecutive years of full-time employment from the date of the Continuing Appointment-track Appointment, not counting periods of unpaid leave, exclusive of extensions granted for other reasons, such as Maternity/Parental 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-Continuing Appointment Meetings

The University Librarian will meet with each librarian during the librarian's first semester of appointment and will discuss the approved criteria for the granting of Continuing Appointment and Promotion to Associate Librarian. The University Librarian will notify the librarian, on an annual basis that both the University Librarian and the Associate University Librarians are available to mentor them. In addition, the University Librarian shall meet with each Continuing Appointment-track librarian before the end of April to discuss the their progress towards and the possibility of application for Continuing Appointment and Promotion. A record of this discussion, signed by both the University Librarian and the Continuing Appointment-track librarian, shall be placed in the Continuing Appointment-track librarian's Official File. In signing the document, the University Librarian and the librarian 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 Librarian

Promotion to Librarian recognizes long-term, established, and outstanding performance in Professional Practice, Scholarship, and Service.  It is granted in recognition of academic competence, maturity, and an established and widely acknowledged reputation for achievement and expertise in the Librarian Member’s field. Consideration for Promotion to Librarian will be given to the librarian's life-time contribution in the areas defined in Article 25: Rights and Responsibilities of Librarians. Each candidate for Promotion and/or the granting of Continuing Appointment is expected to establish a record of performance in each of Professional Practice, Scholarship, and Service.

Guidelines

Librarians have the right to know explicitly what criteria are used for Continuing Appointment and Promotion, and Review purposes, as well as reasons for the decisions. The process must be transparent, fair, and equitable. Approved Continuing Appointment and Promotion Guideline documents shall be posted on the Library website. 

The exact nature of information considered relevant in the consideration of librarians for Continuing Appointment and Promotion, or for Review of librarians, is to be decided upon by the librarians 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 Continuing Appointment, 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 librarians, and also by the Library Continuing Appointment and Promotion Committee and the Provost.

All librarians are to be informed in writing by the University Librarian of any amendments to these criteria. All librarians, at the time of initial appointment, are to be given a copy of the approved Guidelines Document stipulating the criteria that will be used for Continuing Appointment, Promotion, and Review.

Professional Practice Review by Manager

Each librarian shall have a review of her/his performance in the area of Professional Practice written by the person to whom the librarian reports (e.g. her/his Manager).  The report shall form part of the librarian's Assessment File.