1. INTRODUCTION
Tenure-track professors and librarians progress through the academic ranks over the course of their university careers. The usual progression is from assistant professor/librarian (a tenure-track appointment) to associate professor/librarian with tenure. While many members of the academic staff remain at the rank of associate professor/librarian throughout their careers, others are considered for promotion to the rank of full professor/librarian.
Final approval for promotion to full professor/librarian is given by the Board of Governors on the recommendation of the Principal. The Statutes require that the Principal must have first consulted a "statutory selection committee".[1]The process usually begins with a recommendation from the departmental chair and/or dean of the faculty, or the Dean of Libraries, for the establishment of a statutory selection committee.
2. COMPOSITION OF STATUTORY SELECTION COMMITTEES
The relevant section of the Statutes is the following:
3.4.3. Before recommending an appointment to the rank of full professor or full librarian, the Principal must first have consulted a committee consisting of two governors selected by the chair of the Board, two vice-principals, the dean of any faculty in which the appointment is to be made, or, in the case of appointment to the rank of full librarian, the Director or Dean of Libraries, and two members selected by the Senate; and such other members as the Principal may see fit.
Most members of the Board of Governors will be called upon to serve on one or more statutory selection committees each year. McGill is unusual in including members of the Board in this process.
3. PROCEDURES
Other provisions relating to statutory selection committees are found in the:
a. Regulations Relating to the Employment of Tenure Track and Tenured Academic Staff (Section 8); and
b. Regulations Relating to the Employment of Librarian Staff (Section 4).
4. PROMOTION DOSSIERS
Guidelines for the preparation of promotion dossiers are to be found at:
a. Professorial staff: Regulations Relating to the Employment of Tenure Track and Tenured Academic Staff
b. Librarian staff: Regulations Relating to the Employment of Librarian Staff
The dossier presented to the statutory selection committee will contain:
(i) the candidate’s personal statement, covering contributions to research, teaching and other contributions to the University and scholarly communities; in the case of Librarians, position responsibilities must be included;
(ii) a curriculum vitae, including list of publications;
(iii) at least three confidential letters of reference from recognized authorities in the candidate’s field who are external to the University;
(iv) the written recommendation of the chair of the departmental promotion committee or Library promotion committee.
(v) the written recommendation of the Dean, or the chair of the faculty promotion committee, where applicable.
5. CRITERIA FOR PROMOTION
Full Professor:
A recommendation for promotion to Professor shall be based on performance of the staff member’s academic duties. Candidates must demonstrate:
(i) a record of excellence in the area of research and/or other original scholarly activities, and professional activities, as evidenced by international recognition by peers;
(ii) a record of high quality teaching;
(iii) a substantial record of other contributions to the university and scholarly communities.
Full Librarian:
A recommendation for promotion to full librarian shall be based on performance of the staff member’s academic duties. A record of excellence in the performance of position responsibilities and significant contributions in the other academic duties is expected.
[1] From time to time, academic staff members from outside McGill are hired at the rank of full professor/librarian. The process leading to these appointments involves the University Tenure Committee for Recruitment (UTCR), rather than a statutory selection committee. There are no representatives of the Board of Governors on the UTCR.