The most recent collective bargaining agreement between United Academics and the University of Oregon went into effect April 15, 2025. This agreement includes substantive changes to many articles in the CBA which necessitate revisions to several unit policies. What follows are highlights of areas units should be aware of and consider as they revise policies. In addition, units should carefully review Appendix 1 and 2 in the new CBA for implementation agreements, unit-policy development guidelines, and the standards and criteria for major reviews.

The Office of the Provost has provided process instructions and templates required for unit policy revisions. 

Additional Resources TEP's Teaching-Related Policy Updates page has additional resources and guidance that is updated regularly. You will find information about policy-related help sessions, examples of policy documents, and resources to facilitate unit conversation and decision-making. 

Definitions

• Criteria - the specific aspects or dimensions used to judge performance. They describe what is being evaluated.
• Standards- the expected level of performance for each criterion. They provide a benchmark or theshold to measure whether performance meets or does not meet expectations. 

TTF Review and Promotion Policy - Section highlights

• Section III - Contains the primary evaluation criteria and standards for a successful promotion to associate professor with tenure
• Section IV - Describes the different review types for tenure-track faculty
  • Sections IV.A. and IV.B. describe pre-tenure reviews. These reviews should be based on the criteria and standards in Section III. That said, units may want to add additional detail as to the standard of performance expected to demonstrate progress toward tenure. The template does not explicitly instruct units to provide additional detail about standards of performance in these sections, but units should feel free to add additional details here as appropriate. This might be especially useful in Section IV.B. to ensure it is clear to faculty what it means to make progress toward tenure by the Mid-Term Review
• Sections IV.D. and IV.E. - Describe post-tenure reviews and units are instructed to provide additional standards for each of these review types as appropriate to their unit. 

Article 19 – Career Faculty Review and Promotion

In updating unit policy for Career Faculty Review and Promotion, consider : 

• Such revisions should align unit-level policies with Article 19, remove references to contracts to reflect the expectation of continuing employment, and align classifications and categories with those in Article 15. Units that employ faculty in Limited Duration classifications should revise faculty review policies for relevant classifications and categories consistent with Appendix 2.

Section 3: Career Faculty Performance Reviews

• Supervisors of career faculty members with a position description are to keep position description updated, in consultation with the faculty member
• Reviews should consider lack of resources necessary to perfomance of professional responsibilities that were identified in previous workload discussions

Section 4 & 6: Performance Review Timing and Process

• All performance review conducted during review period of evaluation for merit will be considered
• Personal statements - max of 3 pages
• Criteria limited to "meets" or "does not meet" expectations (for all Career Faculty review types). "Exceeds" expectations no longer in use.

Section 8: Credit for Prior Service

• Career faculty hired from Pro Tem positions will be evaluated for years of credit the by OtP, after consultation with the unit head. May result in full, partial, or no credit towards promotion.
• Faculty reclassified to Career from Pro Tem (Article 15, Section 8) will receive credit when employment was at 0.5 annualized FTE or greater, and faculty met expectations during review

Section 12 and 22: Eligibility for Promotion

• Career instructional and Career research faculty members who have achieved promotion must wait at least five (formerly six) years before initiating the promotion process again. Promotion review will take place the subsequent year.

Article 20 – Tenure-Track Faculty Review and Promotion

In updating unit policy for Career Faculty Review and Promotion, consider: 

• Such revisions should align unit-level policies with Article 20. Each Department or Unit must articulate criteria within their policies that clarify the expectations for faculty activity in research and scholarship.

Section 3: Review Types

• Third-year post-tenure review (3PTR) can now take place in the third year following:
  • a tenure and/or promotion decision (used to be one or the other)
  • a previous 3PTR for associate professors (if promotion to full is not taking place in the same year)
  • following a 6PTR for full professors
• 6PTR for full professorsfollowing a promotion to full decision or following a previous 6PTR

Section 4: Early Review

• Previous "accelerated" review is now called "early" review.

Section 7: Stopping the Clock

• The clock shall be stopped for one year in the two circumstances listed.
  • birth/adoption of child
  • leave of absence or intermittent leave with a duration of 12 weeks or longer as a result of an ADA or FMLA qualifying event. No more than two extensions may be granted for this reason.

Section 9: Review Evaluations and Considerations (Brand New Section)

• Reviews should provide justifications for their conclusion based on the file, previous levels of review, and the unit-level policy. Reviews shall consider any lack of resources necessary to the performance of professional responsibilities that were identified in previous workload discussions (see Article 17, Section 3)

Section 11 & 12: Mid-term Reviews - Purpose, Outcome, Appeals, and Timing

• The outcome of the mid-term review should be either:
  • Contract until the end of P&T review year to allow for possibility of identifying concerns, providing constructive feedback, and appropriate support before the reviewArticle 19 – Career Faculty Review and Promotion
  • A one-year terminal contract in rare cases where the review determines the faculty member will be unable to meet unit-level criteria for P&T by the tenure decision date (two-year contracts are no longer issued)
• Mid-term reviews are to happen halfway between appointment and eligibility of tenure, except those appointed with a P&T date three years or less from the time of their initial appointmentack to Top