Faculty & Staff Resources

RPT/Research Workshop

Date TBD

(Note: It is recommended that all pre-tenure faculty preparing for a formal review attend this workshop.)

The goal of this workshop is to help you prepare for your upcoming formal RPT reviews and to understand all components of research and the resources available to you. We will discuss the materials you are responsible for preparing, including the personal statement and CV. Faculty members are invited to share materials for feedback. Please email This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. if you have any questions or if you'd like the Zoom information for the workshop. 

Career-line Workshop

University Career-line Reappointment & Promotion Workshop

The first half of this workshop offers an overview of general campus-wide policies and procedures. In the second half of the workshop we split into groups based on the particular disciplines, needs, and interests of the attendees. Career-line faculty in the lecturer, researcher, and clinical categories are all welcome to attend.

Date of workshop: TBD - 1:30pm - 4pm 

Invitations will be sent directly to career-line faculty members. If you are up for a reappointment review this year or next and do not receive any communications about this workshop by the end of November please reach out to the office for faculty at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..

This session outlines the administrative responsibilities of the Department/School during the Retention, Promotion, and Tenure (RPT) process. All Department Chairs/School Directors, Departmental Admins, and Departmental RPT Committee Chairs are expected to attend this session.

Zoom information will be sent via Umail. 

This session outlines the administrative responsibilities of the Department/School during the Career-line, Adjunct, and Visiting faculty review process. All Department Chairs/School Directors, Departmental Admins, and Departmental FAC Chairs are expected to attend this session.

Zoom information will be sent via Umail. 

• Elements training materials can be found here.
• All questions/concerns about Elements can be sent to This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

This is the monthly enewsletter for CFA Faculty. If you would like to be added to this distribution list, email This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.. 

• CFA Absence Policy (for all faculty members in the College of Fine Arts)

The Faculty Guide to Advising contains information and resources provided by CFA Advising. 

• Guide to "Incompletes" (or "I" Grades)

The Dean's Office has created a Faculty Handbook to assist faculty in the College of Fine Arts. It is filled with faculty resources, student resources, grading policies, information about the college, and many other helpful resources to help you be successful as a faculty member at the University of Utah.

*Updated Faculty Handbook coming soon

Faculty Handbook

CFA Syllabus Template - updated July 2024

• CFA Career-line, Adjunct, and Visiting Faculty Policy - Appointment, Review, Reappointment & Promotion (approved for implementation in July 2019, changes approved in Dec. 2023, final update in March 2024)
• CFA Tenured Faculty Review Policy (approved for implementation in January 2020)
• Department of Art & Art History RPT Policy(approved for implementation in July 2014)
• Department of Art & Art History RPT Policy (approved for implementation in July 2023)
• School of Dance RPT Policy (approved for implementation in July 2017)
• Department of Film & Media Arts RPT Policy (approved for implementation in July 2017)
• School of Music RPT Policy (approved November 2008)
• School of Music RPT Policy (approved for implementation July 2022)
• Department of Theatre RPT Policy (approved for implementation in July 2018)
• Department of Theatre RPT Policy (approved for implementation July 2022)

A sabbatical is a research leave for tenure-line faculty members lasting either one or two semesters. The purpose of a sabbatical leave is to increase the scholarship and professional development of members of the faculty and thereby enhance their capacity for continued research, teaching, and service. Leave of this type from academic duties is a privilege granted to afford the faculty member the opportunity for intensive study, investigation and research.

For Sabbatical Requests:

• Please submit your request to your Chair/Director. The Chair/Director must submit requests for faculty Sabbatical leaves (including the Chair/Director letters of support and ranking) to the Dean by 9 a.m., November 6th, 2023. Please make note of any School/Departmental deadlines ahead of this date as well. In addition, the Chair/Director should consider all the grant and leave applications that their faculty are submitting each cycle/year – both inside and outside the College/University – in order to determine whether Department/School responsibilities will be adequately covered if all the applications are successful.
• Please read all information carefully on the downloadable forms. You will turn in the completed application form and all supporting documentation to your Department Chair/Director by their internal deadline. The Sabbatical Compensation Confirmation Form should be sent to the Office for Faculty once your sabbatical has been awarded, and is due to them by May 31st.

Request Forms for 2023-24 Sabbaticals here.

For more information about the rules governing sabbatical leaves please see sections 4 & 9 of University Policy 6-314. Tenured faculty members who have not previously taken a sabbatical or whose last sabbatical leave was in or prior to academic year 2017-2018 are eligible for (but not guaranteed) another sabbatical starting with the 2024-2025 academic year. Note that other leaves taken since that year may be taken into consideration in recommending individuals for sabbatical leave. Pre-tenure faculty members who are currently undergoing tenure review are eligible for (but not guaranteed) a sabbatical starting with the 2024-2025 academic year, contingent on a positive outcome of the review. Before deciding which sabbaticals to recommend, please ensure that your departments can cover their needs while faculty members on sabbatical are away. Any sabbaticals granted for 2023-2024 but deferred to 2024-2025 do not count against the allocations for this year; however, each department must have the resources needed to cover the combination of deferred and new sabbaticals.

For questions about the application process please contact the CFA Dean's Office.

This new Faculty Search Manual is intended as a resource for Department Chairs/School Directors, Admins, Search Committee Chairs, and Search Committee Members. It is an effort to provide information that will support the college in developing fair, and successful search processes aimed at recruiting and hiring excellent candidates. We hope you will find it useful as you navigate the faculty search process. 

Faculty Search Manual

• CFA Travel Summary Form
• CFA Mileage Reimbursement Request Form
• CFA P-Card Monthly Purchases Template
• Federal W-9 Form
• CFA Student Exception to Sales Tax

University of Utah Office for Faculty

University of Utah Human Resources

Associate Dean for Faculty & Academic Affairs Lien Fan Shen is available to meet with faculty and academic administrators over Zoom individually. To schedule a meeting with Lien, please contact Velma Rippstein (This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.). 

Staff Conference 2025 — Info to come early 2025. 

Absence Request Form

The College of Fine Arts is committed to creating an environment in which staff can flourish and grow. Performance reviews provide an opportunity, at least once a year, for staff members to have a personal conversation with their supervisor about their contribution in the workplace and to get feedback and coaching about their job performance.

STAFF PERFORMANCE REVIEW PROCESS--To be completed by employee and their immediate supervisor:

Phase One occurs at the start of the performance review period and consists of the staff member initiating a “Performance Plan” in UUPM. Each staff member will be asked to establish various goals that they will work on throughout the year. 

Once goals have been set and the supervisor has approved the Performance Plan in UUPM, the staff member will work towards their goals during the year. 

Phase Two is the evaluation part of the review process. The employee will provide additional information in their performance plan (such as their accomplishments for the year). Both the staff member and their supervisor will select a rating for each goal/accomplishment using a 3-point scale (Exceeds Expectations, Meets Expectations, or Does Not Meet Expectations). The supervisor will provide any additional written comments in UUPM, and the staff member and the supervisor will meet to discuss both the staff member’s performance and the supervisor’s comments.  

This will conclude the Performance Review process for the year, and a new Performance Plan will need to be created in UUPM for the next year. 

Timeline for CFA Staff Performance Reviews (2023-2024): 

• Phase One: Creation of Performance Plan in UUPM: (Fall TBD - TBD)
  • Supervisor will provide job description for Staff Member
  • Staff Member will create Performance Plan and set Goals
  • Supervisor will approve Performance Plan
  • Goals should be submitted by employee and approved by supervisor by TBD

• Work Towards Accomplishing Goals: Start of Review Period to End of Review Period

• Phase Two: Performance Review: (Spring TBD - TBD)
  • Staff Member will evaluate how they have accomplished their Goals and fill out additional information (such as their accomplishments for the year)
  • Supervisor will evaluate the Staff Member’s performance
  • Supervisor and Staff Member will meet to discuss performance

All Performance Reviews should be completed by TBD.  

Professional Development Fund

The College of Fine Arts offers limited support for staff members (.75 FTE or higher) to request funds for professional development training or relevant University courses. Designed to mirror/complement the "Dean's Travel Funds", this Professional Development Fund is a way that staff members throughout the College can be supported in their goals of receiving advanced training.

The total amount of funding available for Staff Professional Development is $5,000 and will be disbursed on a first-come basis.  The College will provide a 1-to-1 match for the Department/School contribution, up to the eligible dollar amount (Max: $500 from Department/School + $500 from CFA / 1 allowance per year) and both the Staff member and the Department Chair/Director/Supervisor need to complete the form.

Download the Staff Professional Development Request Form

Visit this page for past awardees and nomination information. 

University of Utah Staff Council

Professional Development at the U