Faculty Performance

An overall weighted performance assessment (from 0.0 to 2.0) is calculated per Note (d), below.

The results of the above deliberation are forwarded to the Dean who, in discussion with the Department Chairs, will make the final recommendations on its assessments. A faculty member on paid or unpaid leave where it is not possible to assess performance in all three categories during the evaluation year(s) shall receive a rating equal to the average ratings of the three previous years in which the faculty member was not on leave (Article 13.5.4(b) of the MOA).

2. Communication with the faculty member

The Chair shall inform the faculty member in writing of her/his final individual and overall ratings and shall provide an opportunity for the faculty member to discuss her/his performance evaluation. The Dean shall evaluate the performance of Department Chairs/School Directors and Associate Deans, and shall forward proposed performance ratings in the three categories and overall to the Vice President Academic and Provost (VPA&P) for approval. The VPA&P shall inform the Dean and the Chair/Director or the Associate Dean in writing with reasons of any changes in the recommended ratings.

A faculty member who disagrees with her/his performance evaluation should proceed first to the Department Chair, and then, if not resolved, to the Dean of the Faculty for disposition. A Department Chair or Associate Dean who disagrees with her/his performance evaluation should proceed first to the Dean and then, if not resolved, to the VPA&P for disposition. Performance evaluations and selective salary increases are not normally grievable except under Article 9.2.2 or 9.2.3 of the MOA.

In keeping with Article 13.5.1(c) of the MOA, the following notes contain the evaluation criteria set out in Policy 77, Section 2. Performance Standards.

The University expects all faculty members to maintain high standards in all aspects of their university work. To this end, the University exercises judgments on performance in the basic areas of a faculty member's academic responsibilities. Such judgments must be made with the greatest possible care and fairness as they are reflected in decisions regarding salary, reappointment, tenure/permanence, and promotion.

It is the responsibility of department chairs/school directors to assess the performance of each probationary or definite-term regular faculty member annually and each tenured or permanent faculty member every two years, to provide a written performance review, and to be available to discuss it upon request. Performance reviews are especially important in helping new faculty members gauge their progress towards meeting the standards for reappointment and tenure/permanence. Annual/Biennial merit scores form part of the evidence in tenure/permanence and promotion considerations, together with reports from referees and more extensive career reviews carried out by the Department Tenure, Permanence and Promotion Committee (DTPPC) or School Tenure, Permanence and Promotion Committee (STPPC).

University teaching is informed and enriched by the research, scholarship and service of its faculty. The University expects its regular faculty members to keep academic programs and courses current with developments in their fields and, where appropriate, to communicate both their discoveries and their commitment to scholarship and research.

The purpose of teaching is to facilitate learning. Thus, effective teaching draws the strands of a field together in a way that provides coherence and meaning, places what is known in context, lays the groundwork for future learning, and opens the way for connections between the known and the unknown. Effective teaching is an important goal of the University and consists of much more than what happens in the classroom. As detailed in the University’s Framework for Teaching Effectiveness, and its Addendum.

Faculty are encouraged to incorporate high-impact learning activities and innovative active learning strategies in their teaching. These approaches are particularly valuable for engaging students with complex, real-world problem spaces that transcend traditional disciplinary boundaries. Active learning, such as case-based learning, team-based projects, design challenges and community-engaged coursework encourages students to draw from multiple fields of knowledge and modes of inquiry. These strategies support critical, creative, and holistic thinking and help students make connections across technological, social, environmental, and ethical domains.

University teaching encompasses a wide range of activities. It takes many different forms (e.g., undergraduate and graduate courses, graduate seminars, online education, project and thesis supervision), has many different components (e.g., synchronous lectures and tutorials, asynchronous learning elements, experiential learning, setting and grading of assignments and examinations, interaction with students outside the classroom, curriculum development), and can occur in many different environments (e.g., large lecture theatres, small seminar rooms, off-campus short courses and workshops, clinics, laboratories, the field, one-on-one supervision, virtual platforms).

All faculty members are expected to contribute to undergraduate teaching and project supervision. Where feasible, tenure-stream faculty are expected to contribute to graduate teaching and to participate in thesis supervision. Where feasible and depending on the needs of their unit, teaching stream faculty are also eligible to contribute to graduate teaching and to participate in thesis supervision.

For purposes of assessing teaching, it is useful to single out particular sorts of contributions to the quality of teaching and learning that extend beyond course instruction and supervision. Some such activities are those that improve an individual instructor’s performance, the quality of the classes they teach or the supervision they provide, while others (referred to as educational leadership activities) have a substantial positive impact on the quality of teaching and learning beyond the individual faculty member’s courses, the programs in which they teach, or the students they supervise.

In all of their teaching activities, faculty members are expected to be fair in the evaluation of student work and constructive in their comments. They are expected to be available to students for interviews and consultations outside the classroom at reasonable times. They must always respect the integrity of their students and carefully avoid any exploitation of them for private advantage. They must maintain strict confidentiality with regard to students' personal lives and political and religious views. They must comment on academic progress and provide judgments on character only to appropriate persons and in appropriate circumstances, and must always be as fair and as objective as possible when making assessments and providing letters of reference.”

NOTE: Teaching performance will be assessed on the evidence from the year(s) under evaluation (Article 13.5.2(b) of MOA). However, faculty members will provide data for the last performance assessment period (annual or biennial, as appropriate) calendar years to provide context to the assessed evidence.

The University expects Tenure Stream faculty members to be active participants in the evolution of their disciplines and professions. Where feasible, faculty members are expected to seek external funding to support their scholarly work.

Scholarship may take several equally valuable forms. One is the discovery of new knowledge, which may differ from discipline to discipline, and includes the generation of new concepts, ideas, principles and theories. A second form involves the innovative coordination, synthesis or integration of knowledge. This type of scholarship seeks and promotes understanding in a broader context by organizing knowledge in a new and useful way, by illustrating new relationships between the parts and the whole, by relating the past in a new way to the present and future, or by demonstrating new and significant patterns of meaning. Scholarship may also be observed in new and useful applications. Indeed, significant new applications of knowledge to the problems of society represent important scholarly contributions. Novel applications may take many forms, such as creative writing, design, fine and performing arts, innovative clinical or professional practice, and the discovery, development and transfer of technology for societal benefit. Peer-reviewed research with respect to pedagogy and peer-reviewed research with respect to innovative teaching also constitute scholarly activity.

Interdisciplinary and collaborative approaches that connect academic inquiry to real-world challenges and opportunities are highly valued and actively supported. Meaningful contributions may include the design and implementation of new technologies, processes, policies, or practices that serve the public good whether locally, nationally, or globally. Research communication, knowledge mobilization, and advocacy that drive positive societal change are also recognized as important forms of scholarly impact.

Although any of these scholarly activities may be carried out on a confidential basis, the expectation of the University is for communicated scholarship. In general, only work that is accessible for peer review or professional adjudication can be considered in assessing scholarship for performance reviews, tenure or promotion. Regardless of the discipline and type of scholarship, the key ingredients are the originality, quality and impact of the scholarly work.

Faculty members are expected to meet the ethical standards for scholarship in their particular fields of endeavour; to observe the University's guidelines and policies with respect to ethical conduct in research; and more generally, to act with integrity, truthfulness and honesty in the conduct and communication of their scholarly work.

Note: Research performance (scholarship in your discipline) will be assessed on the evidence from a window of two years (Article 13.5.2(b) of MOA). Faculty of Engineering faculty members will provide data for the last performance assessment period (annual or biennial, as appropriate) calendar years to provide context to the assessed evidence.

In addition to their primary duties of teaching and scholarship, regular faculty members have a responsibility to participate in the effective functioning of the University through service on committees, student advising, coordination of activities and in administrative positions. It is expected that faculty members regularly be present on campus and participate in the milestones of our academic calendar including: being engaged in student recruitment events, capstone symposia and attending our convocation ceremonies. It is important that all faculty members be willing to assist with administrative duties when their help is needed. Many faculty members also provide valuable service to groups outside the University, such as disciplinary or professional organizations, conferences, journals and granting councils. Community service related to a faculty member's scholarly activities is normally considered as service to the University.

Faculty members are expected to demonstrate “Departmental/School engaged citizenship” which includes, but is not limited to, mentoring new faculty members, regularly attending and actively participating in your department/school activities, being regularly present on campus, being willing to take on hard-to-cover courses, and being available to students both inside and outside the classroom.

For those faculty members who are eligible, it is expected that they pursue and maintain registration as a professional engineer (or limited license holder) in good standing, including participating in the ongoing requirements to maintain licensure such as continuing professional development

Note: Service performance will be assessed on the evidence from the year(s) under evaluation (Article 13.5.2(b) of MOA). However, faculty members will provide data for the last performance assessment period (annual or biennial, as appropriate) calendar years to provide context to the assessed evidence.

A regular faculty appointment involves three main responsibilities: to communicate effectively the knowledge and nature of one's discipline via teaching, to advance the state of one's discipline via scholarship and research, and to contribute to the administrative and leadership functions which support these goals through effective service. The overall rating for each faculty member shall be computed as the weighted average of the individual ratings in teaching, scholarship, and service, with the weights as arranged under “assignment of duties.”

A satisfactory performance in all three areas is expected of a faculty member.

Approved by Engineering Faculty Council on September 23^rd, 2025