Since 1951, CAUT presidents have played instrumental roles in advocating for academic freedom and fostering collaboration among academic staff associations.
Current president
- 2025-Present Robin Whitaker (Memorial)
- 2022-2025 Peter McInnis (St. Francis Xavier)
2010s
- 2019-2022 Brenda Austin-Smith (Manitoba)
- 2016-2019 James Compton (Western Ontario)
- 2014-2016 Robin Vose (St. Thomas)
- 2011-2014 Wayne Peters (Prince Edward Island)
2000s
- 2008-2011 Penni Stewart (York)
- 2006-2008 Greg Allain (Moncton)
- 2004-2006 Loretta Czernis (Bishop’s)
- 2002-2004 Victor M. Catano (Saint Mary’s)
- 2000-2002 Thomas Booth (Manitoba)
1990s
- 1998-2000 William Graham (Toronto)
- 1996-1998 William Bruneau (British Columbia)
- 1994-1996 Joyce Lorimer (Wilfrid Laurier)
- 1992-1994 Alan Andrews (Dalhousie)
- 1991-1992 Fred Wilson (Toronto)
- 1990-1991 Robert W. Kerr (Windsor)
1980s
- 1989-1990 Pamela Smith (Regina)
- 1988-1989 Peter King (Manitoba)
- 1987-1988 John Evans (Memorial)
- 1986-1987 Allan Sharp (New Brunswick)
- 1985-1986 Ed Anderson (Manitoba)
- 1983-1985 Sarah Shorten (Western)
- 1982-1983 Ken McGovern (Regina)
- 1981-1982 Jim Foulks (British Columbia)
- 1980-1981 Israel Unger (New Brunswick)
1970s
- 1979-1980 Roland Penner (Manitoba)
- 1978-1979 Ronald Bercov (Alberta)
- 1977-1978 Gordon Jones (Memorial)
- 1976-1977 Jill Vickers (Carleton)
- 1975-1976 David Braybrooke (Dalhousie)
- 1974-1975 Richard Spencer (British Columbia)
- 1973-1974 Evelyn Moore (Calgary)
- 1972-1973 Charles C. Bigelow (Western)
- 1971-1972 Robert Bertrand (Montreal)
- 1970-1971 Gordin Kaplan (Ottawa)
1960s
- 1969-1970 Willard Allen (Alberta)
- 1968-1969 C. Brough Macpherson (Toronto)
- 1967-1968 Howard McCurdy (Windsor)
- 1966-1967 Gideon Rosenbluth (British Columbia)
- 1965-1966 Jacques St-Pierre (Montreal)
- 1964-1965 Bora Laskin (Toronto)
- 1963-1964 R.W. Torrens (Western)
- 1962-1963 Emile Gosselin (Laval)
- 1961-1962 A. Carrothers (British Columbia)
- 1960-1961 J.H. Aitchison (Dalhousie)
1950s
- 1959-1960 Harold Good (Queen's)
- 1958-1959 Clarence L. Barber (Manitoba)
- 1956-1958 H.W. McCready (McMaster)
- 1954-1956 V.C. Fowke (Saskatchewan)
- 1952-1954 F.S. Howes (McGill)
- 1951-1952 F.A. Knox (Queen's)
