The Special Plan is no longer operative

Article 19: Faculty Development Principles

19.1 Academic achievement is both fostered and required in a university. Policies and practices related to faculty development should be directed towards maintaining and improving the quality of the individual faculty member as a teacher, a researcher and an administrator.

19.2 It is recognized that each member of faculty has implicitly accepted a commitment to develop professionally as a university faculty member. To enhance the scope for such development, the University should make every attempt to accommodate and utilize the faculty member’s interests and abilities, which may change from time to time. Faculty members should be allowed some freedom in choosing those areas of endeavour which they wish to emphasize, both in which they would actively spend their time and for which they would be judged for career progress. Therefore, the University should accommodate a large diversity of acceptable paths for career development, limited only by the following:

1. The duties and responsibilities of a probationary faculty member are as specified in the letter of appointment.
2. The responsibilities of an individual faculty member must be in accord with the collective obligations of her/his academic unit.
3. Career paths may give particular emphasis to discipline-based research, education, extension or similar activities. A faculty member not holding an academic administrative appointment normally cannot make administrative activities the largest component of her/his responsibilities and every faculty member must have a teaching/ education component of responsibility.
4. A faculty member whose career path gives emphasis to teaching is expected to engage in scholarly activity which may be related to education. Such activity should have impact and influence beyond the University of Guelph. That is, classroom instruction by itself only partially fulfills the responsibilities of a faculty member whose career path emphasizes teaching/education.

A faculty member may enter into an agreement to follow a particular career path for a specified time. The discussion of such an agreement might be initiated by either the Department Chair or the faculty member. The arrangement must be agreed to by the faculty member and by the Department Committee; and will be on a trial basis for one year after which, upon joint agreement by both parties, it will be binding for the duration of the term agreed to by both parties. The agreement can be renewed or changed by further negotiation.

Each career path must leave open the possibility of promotion to the highest academic ranks and no path is to be deemed as inferior to any other.

19.3 An environment that best stimulates and supports the interrelated activities of faculty development and student learning is only achieved through the common efforts of the entire university community. The maintenance of an environment appropriate to faculty development is a shared responsibility of the Association and the University.