CAUT Policy Statement

1
Maintenance of the complement of full-time academic staff is necessary for post-secondary institutions to meet their academic missions. Renewal of the academic staff complement through replacement of academic staff who leave ensures that a post-secondary educational institution is well placed to serve its students and meet its wider mandate to the public good. Renewal of the academic staff complement through expansion and replacement of academic staff who leave reinvigorates the institution, provides the means to sustain its academic mandate, and enables effective shared governance.

2
Renewal should be part of a long-term process based on sound academic planning that includes full involvement of academic staff and is proactive about achieving and maintaining equity goals.

3
Renewal is an ongoing process that requires that a complement of regular academic staff sufficient to the scholarly, educational, and academic administrative needs of the unit, faculty and institution is maintained through replacement of those who leave, by regular academic staff whose duties and responsibilities include a combination of teaching, research, and service.

4
Renewal requires protection of seniority rights for Contract Academic Staff and procedures for converting contract academic staff positions into continuing appointments.

5
Any reduction or reorganization in the academic staff complement of an academic unit, faculty, or institution should require a review of academic needs with full academic staff involvement. The review should be open and transparent, respect due process and natural justice, be free of discrimination, and respect and promote equity and academic freedom. It should not be directed by outside agencies, whether those of government or the private sector.

Approved by the CAUT Council, November 2020.