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Graduate faculty appointments

Overview

A graduate faculty appointment is required in order to teach, supervise or co-supervise graduate students; serve on a supervisory committee; and/or serve on an examining committee. In order to obtain a graduate faculty appointment, an individual must have an academic appointment at Ontario Tech University, including: tenured, tenure-track, definite-term, continuing appointments, adjunct, post-doctoral fellows or retired tenured faculty members.

There are three categories of graduate faculty appointments: graduate faculty, associate graduate faculty and emeritus/emerita graduate faculty. The criteria for membership in each of these categories and the privileges for which the members are authorized, are defined in the Graduate Faculty Appointments Policy. 

Faculty members can be appointed to a particular program as one of the three categories. They may be appointed to a program within or outside their home faculty. They may be appointed to more than one program.

There are two ways to obtain a graduate faculty appointment; through program proposal(s) and/or nomination.

All faculty members listed in new proposal briefs for a new program or field are automatically granted an appointment to graduate faculty or associate graduate faculty based on the privileges outlined in the proposal.

It is the responsibility of the graduate program director to keep an up-to-date list of eligible faculty members who participate in a graduate program. Graduate faculty lists are no longer published in the Graduate Academic Calendar. For a current list of graduate faculty members, visit the faculty website.

Nomination process for graduate faculty appointments

Faculty members not included in the proposal brief may be nominated by the graduate program director by following the process below:

1.  Review the criteria for membership outlined in the Graduate Faculty Appointments Policy. Determine the appropriate category:

a)       graduate faculty,
b)      associate graduate faculty, or;
c)       emeritus/emerita

2.  Select and complete the appropriate nomination form in consultation with the dean(s) of the program. If the program dean(s) differs from the faculty member’s home dean, they should also be consulted.

Forms:

3.  Submit the nomination form and the CV of the nominee to the Dean of the School of Graduate and Postdoctoral Studies (SGPS).

Important notes:
  • Submissions without a CV will not be processed.
  • Adjunct faculty members may only be nominated as associate graduate faculty. A copy of the memorandum from the Provost to the faculty dean approving the adjunct appointment must be submitted with the nomination form and CV.

Process for approval of nominations

The Dean of the SGPS will report approved nominations to the Graduate Studies Committee.

The Dean of the SGPS will send a letter to the nominee to confirm their appointment. Copies of the letter will also be sent to the dean(s) and graduate program director(s) of the program(s) to which the nominee is appointed.  If the program dean(s) differ from the faculty member’s home dean, they will also be copied.

Review of graduate faculty appointments

A graduate faculty appointment is normally effective until the program is subject to an external appraisal or internal audit at which point, all faculty members are re-evaluated for graduate teaching and supervision privileges. Associate graduate faculty and emeritus/emerita graduate faculty appointments do not exceed three years and are renewable.

It is expected that faculties will continually review the standing of all individuals holding a graduate faculty appointment. A review may be initiated at various times and in consultation with the graduate program director, dean(s) of the program and the Dean of the SGPS. If the program dean differs from the faculty member’s home dean, they should also be consulted.

Graduate faculty membership may be changed, restricted or removed based on factors such as:

  • The graduate faculty member has not demonstrated adequate scholarly contributions within the last three years.
  • The graduate faculty member has been deemed not to have performed adequately and appropriately in his or her role.
  • The graduate faculty member has not taught at the graduate level or served as the primary supervisor over the past three years.
  • The graduate faculty member has departed from the university.
  • Voluntary withdrawal.

Process for changes to graduate faculty appointments

  1. The graduate program director should review the criteria as outlined in the Graduate Faculty Appointments Policy.
  2. Complete the Graduate Faculty Appointment Change form in consultation with the dean(s) of the program. If the program dean differs from the faculty member’s home dean, they should also be consulted.
  3. Submit the appointment change form to the Dean of the SGPS.