Annual Report 2006-2007 - Osgoode Hall Law School - York ...

Associate Professor
Carys Craig
On matters of student non-academic
conduct, the relevant policies at Osgoode
have changed as a result of the
University’s approval of a new Student
Code of Conduct to replace Presidential
Regulations 1, 2 and 3. The Associate
Dean at Osgoode will act as Local
Adjudicator under the Code of Conduct,
which sets offences, penalties and
procedures for resolution of disputes
involving student non-academic conduct.
Under the new procedures as under the
old, the office of the Associate Dean retains principal
responsibility at Osgoode for dealing with matters of both
academic and non-academic conduct. Six matters involving
academic dishonesty were investigated during this academic
year. In three matters in which student error or lack of intent
was clearly demonstrated, informal remedial assignments
were used and there was no reference to a discipline panel.
Two additional matters of student misconduct were
investigated by the Associate Dean, but no offence was
found. One matter is still being investigated. Finally, a
Discipline Panel dealing with a serious matter from the 2005-
06 academic year held its hearings and made a
determination on the offence, but the matter was resolved
by agreement with the student.
On matters of grade appeals and other petitions from
students, the Academic Standing Committee continued to
have principal responsibility at Osgoode. Three appeals were
initiated from the Academic Standing Committee to the
Senate Appeals Committee (SAC), one was considered and
refused by SAC, one was withdrawn, and one was resolved by
a re-hearing at the Osgoode Academic Standing Committee.
One long-standing and complex appeal remains ongoing.
Tenure and Promotions
2006-07 was an active year for Tenure and Promotions, a
process for which principal administrative responsibility at
Osgoode rests with the Associate Dean’s office. Under the
new York Senate Tenure and Promotions procedures initiated
in 2003, adjudication of applications is done by a local Tenure
and Promotions Adjudicating Committee comprised of six
faculty members and two students (and chaired by the
Associate Dean), rather than a committee of the whole
faculty. The file together with the recommendation of the
Committee is then passed to the Dean, to the Senate Tenure
& Promotions Committee, and then to the President’s office.
This year’s Adjudicating Committee completed the drafting of
local standards intended to complement the new Senate
Tenure and Promotions procedures. Based on the experience
of the first Osgoode files adjudicated, a draft set of local
standards was prepared by the 2005-06 Committee, was
circulated to faculty members and sent to the Osgoode Hall
Faculty Association for comments. The draft standards were
submitted to the Senate Tenure & Promotions Committee in
the fall of 2006, and we are waiting for any comments from
the Senate Committee. In addition, minor revisions to the
Senate policies were passed this spring, and Osgoode will
need to attend to these changes. In particular, Osgoode’s
process will need to be adjusted to reflect the University
approach to the advancement of tenure-track faculty from
“Pre-Candidacy” status to “Candidacy” status.
Under the new policies, one Promotion to Full Professor file
was processed and completed in 2004-05. In 2005-06, three
files for Tenure and Promotion to the rank of Associate
Professor, and two files for Promotion to Full Professor were
processed and completed. In 2006-07, Professors Carys Craig
and Stephanie Ben-Ishai were tenured and promoted to
Associate Professor effective July 1, 2007. In addition,
Professor Janet Walker was promoted to Full Professor
effective January 1, 2007. The Associate Dean’s office
continues to adjust to the administrative pressures associated
with the new process and the number of candidates,
particularly in managing the files and meeting the various
deadlines. To allow faculty colleagues to focus on the
accomplishments of colleagues going through the process,
the Dean hosts a celebratory lunch for the newly tenured or
promoted faculty. The event to celebrate Professors Walker,
Craig, and Ben-Ishai will occur early in the coming fall term.
Tenure and Promotions will remain a busy area in 2007-08.
It is anticipated that at least one file for Promotion to Full
Professor and three files of candidates for Tenure and
Promotion to the rank of Associate Professor will be prepared
and adjudicated. With continuing new faculty appointments,
tenure and promotions will require active management from
the Associate Dean’s office.
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OSGOODE HALL LAW SCHOOL