As part of the resolution of a grievance launched by ULFA concerning the impact of COVID-19 on our members’ workloads, we are pleased to announce that a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) has been signed between ULFA and the Board of Governors. This MOU concerns how Professional Activity Reports (PARs) will be handled throughout the period of the pandemic.
If you submitted a PAR in September 2020, you have a choice to make by April 15, 2021. Read below for details.
Below is an explanation of the options presented to each member. ULFA will also hold information sessions to explain the options this MOU presents to you and answer any questions you may have. Those sessions will be held on:
Thursday, April 8 from 10:00-11:00am.
Friday, April 9 from 1:00-2:00pm.
Monday, April 12 from 3:00-4:00pm.
Please check your email for zoom details.
This MOU contains provisions to cover all of our members and provide each individual with a choice in how to handle their PARs. The MOU affords members the choice to either submit their PAR or not submit their PAR and instead use a previous score (where one exists) in lieu of having their PAR evaluated. PARs that are submitted and evaluated will take the impact of the pandemic on the nature of members’ duties into consideration. The MOU acknowledges that members may suggest atypical weightings for their duties (teaching, service, research) on submitted PARs to accurately reflect what they spent their time on during the pandemic. Such atypical weightings must be provided with an accompanying rationale and will not be unreasonably refused.
For details on how to opt out of the PAR process for (part of) the period 2018-2023, the MOU places ULFA members into five categories:
- Members on biennial review who had to submit a PAR by September 15, 2021;
- Members on biennial review who will submit a PAR by September 15, 2022;
- Members on annual review who have been previously reviewed;
- Members on annual review who have not been previously reviewed; and
- Members who have been previously reviewed and received a score of 0.0 or 0.5.
The options available to members in each of these categories will be explained in turn. For librarians, “University Librarian” should be read in place of “dean” in all cases below.
Please also note that in all cases below, it is the previous PAR score, and not the resulting merit award (if any), that can be carried over. Merit awards may change as a result of changes in the overall assessments of members and the resulting merit calculations.
- Members on biennial review who submitted a PAR by September 15, 2020 for the 2018-2020 review period:
If you currently have a PAR under review, you must decide if you wish to have that PAR reviewed normally (with consideration being given to how the pandemic impacted your duties) by April 15, 2021. Before that date, you may notify your dean in writing if you choose to opt out of the current PAR process. In place of receiving a score on the PAR you submitted, you may instead use your last awarded PAR score.
You will also have the ability to opt out of the PAR process for the 2020-2022 review period and use your previously awarded PAR score instead of submitting a PAR to be evaluated. To make this choice, you must notify your dean in writing by September 15, 2022 (the date by which your PAR would normally be due). These members will return to normal PAR evaluations for the 2022-2024 period and must submit a PAR in September 2024.
Please note that if you elect to have your current PAR reviewed and a score awarded, your choice for the 2020-2022 review period will be to submit another PAR or reuse the score from the 2018-2020 evaluation period. In all cases, members in this category can elect to use their previous PAR score, whether it was awarded in 2019 or 2021.
- Members on biennial review who would submit a PAR by September 15, 2021 for the 2019-2021 review period:
These members may choose to not submit a PAR in September 2021 and instead may inform their dean in writing by September 15, 2021 (the date by which their PAR would normally be due) that they elect to opt out of the PAR process and instead choose to use their previously awarded PAR score.
These members may also choose to opt out of submitting a PAR in September 2023 for the 2021-2023 review period and instead choose to use their previous PAR score (either the score awarded in 2022 or the score awarded in 2020 and used in 2022 if the first option above was taken). Members choosing to do this must notify their dean in writing by September 15, 2023.
These members will return to their normal PAR evaluations for the 2023-2025 review period and must submit a PAR in September 2025.
- Members on annual review who have been previously reviewed
Members on annual review who have been reviewed at least once in the past and have a previous PAR score may elect to use that score in lieu of submitting a PAR for evaluation in 2020, 2021, or 2022. If a member in this category submitted a PAR in September 2020 for review, they must notify their dean in writing by April 15, 2021 if they wish to opt out of the PAR evaluation and use their previous score. In 2021 and 2022, members must notify their dean in writing by September 15 of the given year (the date by which the PAR would normally be due) if they wish to use their previous score.
Please note that members subject to annual review, and who have two previous scores, may elect to use the average of the two previous scores or their single score from their previous evaluation. You must notify your dean of which method of calculation you choose to use. As with the other categories above, if a member in this category elects to be reviewed in 2020 or 2021, their awarded PAR score will count as their most recent previous PAR score for the purposes of opting out of the PAR process in future years (2021 and/or 2022).
Members in this category will return to normal PAR reporting in September 2023.
- Members on annual review who have not been previously reviewed
Members in this category may also choose to not submit a PAR in 2020, 2021, or 2022 in the same way as members in category 3 above, but will instead be able to use a score of 1.0 (non-evaluated normal career progress) in lieu of their previous score. Members in this category will return to normal PAR reporting in September 2023.
- Members who have been previously reviewed and received a score of 0.0 or 0.5.
Members in this category must discuss their situation with their dean and provision will be made on a case-by-case basis.
Another point to note is that other deadlines associated with PAR reviews and the award of career progress and merit are delayed by one month. This means that the date by which your dean must have reviewed your PAR, appeal dates, and the date by which you can expect to see increases to your salary are one month later than usual. Please note that you will still receive your full salary adjustment based on career progress and merit awards, but it may take longer than in other years for that adjustment to appear on your pay.
Lastly, ULFA wants to remind members on probationary appointments of the option to extend their probation (read more about that and the MOU here: https://ulfa.nickpetlock.com/signed-mou-in-response-to-covid-19-updated/). The current MOU regarding PARs is in addition to this previous MOU, so members on probationary appointments can make use of the provisions in both MOUs if they so desire.
The information sessions listed above will include some examples and further explanation of the MOU as well as allow time for questions and discussion. Please join us if you are able. If you cannot make one of the three information sessions, please email officer@ulfa.nickpetlock.com for assistance if you have any questions.