CAUT Policy Statement

All teaching at post-secondary institutions is employment. Students who are teaching should be considered members of the relevant bargaining unit and have the protection of a collective agreement.

1
Graduate student enrolment should not be determined by undergraduate teaching needs.

2
Graduate student funding envelopes should not be used to fill ongoing teaching requirements.

3
The teaching of any credit course on contract should be considered a per-course academic appointment, for which the instructor of record should be paid a pro-rated salary and should receive seniority credits according to the appropriate collective agreement.

4
Students who obtain a per-course academic appointment should not have their funding reduced by any portion of their salary.

5
The student employee's status as a member of a bargaining unit should be determined by workplace duties rather than the source of funding, title, or nominal supervision.

6
Appointments should be subject to the employment equity provisions in the collective agreement.

7
Student teaching should be assigned in accordance with the seniority provisions of the collective agreement. Members should be entitled to exercise their right of first refusal for courses prior to the allocation of teaching of all or part of a course to students.

8
Course hiring qualification requirements should not be tailored to any one specific candidate.

9
Where courses are reserved for student instructors, teaching assignments should be fairly and consistently distributed.

Approved by the CAUT Council, November 2001;
No changes, September 2006;
Editorial Revisions, February 2011;
Editorial Revisions, February 2012;
Editorial Revisions, November 2016;
Approved by the CAUT Council, November 2018;
Approved by the CAUT Council, November 2023.