Policy 94

Pro-Active Recruitment of Women Professors

Approved Executive Committee of the Board of Governors X94.29

PRO-ACTIVE RECRUITMENT OF WOMEN PROFESSORS

GENERAL PRINCIPLES AND PROCEDURES

  1. Since the University recognizes that women are under-represented in the professorate and since it is committed to promote a better balance between the number of men and women professors, the University has set a global recruitment objective of at least 40% for the tenure-track hiring of women professors for the period July 1, 1994 to June 30, 1997. In order to help increase the overall number of women professors in universities, the University is particularly interested in attracting women who have not yet entered an academic career or who might consider returning to an interrupted academic career. Specific recruitment goals will be set by faculties and departments in accordance with faculty plans (described in paragraph 2 of this policy) as approved by the Administrative Committee.
  2. During the spring of 1994, all faculties shall present to the Administrative Committee for its approval a three-year plan setting their recruitment goals and describing the special measures they will take to meet these goals. In drawing up such plans, deans will ensure that faculty members have been consulted.
  3. In addition, in the fall of each year, faculties shall present to the Administrative Committee a report describing the faculty's efforts and success (or lack thereof) in recruiting women professors and any new special measures they will take to meet their recruitment goals or modifications of the original special measures described in earlier reports.
  4. The Administrative Committee may require additional reports from deans in connection with specific appointments, describing the pro-active efforts made by the faculty concerning those appointments.
  5. Deans shall ensure that advertisements are distributed where potential women candidates may have reasonable access to them and that other appropriate measures are taken such as contacting chairpersons of relevant university departments in Canada, approaching persons or groups specifically representing women within the profession or discipline, and requesting the names of possible women candidates.
  6. The Administrative Committee may refuse to appoint a candidate from a faculty that has not made the necessary efforts to hire a woman professor.

PRO-ACTIVE RECRUITMENT GUIDELINES

  1. The following guidelines should be followed in pro-active recruiting.
    1. Subject to the relevant provisions of existing collective agreements, appointments committees shall have at least one woman member; subject to relevant provisions of existing collective agreements, departments having no full-time women professors shall appoint a woman professor from a related discipline.
    2. Departmental chairs shall draw this policy to the attention of members of appointments committees at the beginning of the hiring process.
    3. Each advertisement shall contain the following statements:
      1. "Equity is a University Policy" and "The University strongly encourages applications from women".
    4. The Coordinator of the Employment and Education Equity Program shall prepare a list of services available on campus, which might be of interest to women professors. The department chair shall ensure that women candidates are given a copy of this document.

SPECIAL FUND

  1. The University shall establish a discretionary fund, for the following purposes, the amount of the fund to be determined by the Administrative Committee:
    1. to help promote the hiring of women professors
    2. to provide help to women professors in the development of their career.
  2. Deans apply directly to the Administrative Committee for funds under 8 a) above.
  3. Funds under 8 b) above are awarded to individual professors by the Administrative Committee upon recommendation by an awards committee chaired by the Vice-Rector, Academic or his or her delegate and composed of the Coordinator of the Employment and Education Equity Program, and a dean and a full-time professor appointed by the Administrative Committee.

Published March 15, 1994

(Office of the Vice-President, Academic and Provost)