Honorary Appointments

Approved by: Senate / Issued by: Office of the Dean of Arts and Science / Date: February 2006

The following are categories of honorary association with the University, outside the framework of the Collective Agreement or other paid employment.

  1. Honorary Professor

The title of 'Honorary Professor' is conferred by Senate upon recommendation by COAP. This title is intended for distinguished faculty members who have permanently retired from other universities but who wish to maintain a special relationship with Trent. They may or may not be attached to a specific academic program or department. The names of those so honoured would be gazetted, and listed in the Calendar. Those honoured would hold the title for life. Nominations for the Honorary Professor title should be made directly to COAP.

  1. Adjunct Faculty *

This title is intended for persons who are academically qualified to participate in the work of the University but who are not permanent employees of TrentUniversity. Normally, they will hold professorial status at Trent in conjunction with external employment. Appointees to this title may perform at either the undergraduate or graduate level. It is expected that such individuals will contribute in a substantive way to the department or program to which they are appointed. Nominations for appointments and renewals at the undergraduate level will be made to COAP by the relevant undergraduate department or program, by the procedure outlined in Appendix A. Nominations for appointments and renewals at the graduate level will be made to COAP by the procedure outlined in Appendix B.

Appointments will normally be for a period of up to 5 years, renewable. They will be gazetted and listed in the Calendar under the relevant program. Appointments are made by the President or designate upon recommendation by the Dean of Arts and Science, following consultation with COAP.

* formerly Conjunct Professor

  1. Research Associates

This status is intended for independent scholars such as those holding post-doctoral fellowships or other awards from external agencies, who wish to maintain a temporary association with the University.

Research Associate status will be tenable for up to two years, renewable. Appointments will be made by the Dean of Arts and Science, acting on the advice of COAP and on the recommendation from the department or program with which the individual is to be associated. Nominations for appointments and renewals at the undergraduate level will be made to COAP by the appropriate undergraduate department or program, by the procedure outlined in Appendix A. Nominations for appointments and renewals at the graduate level will be made to COAP by the procedure outlined in Appendix B.

Research Associate appointments will be gazetted in the Trent Focus but names will not be listed in the University Calendar or in the departmental graduate or undergraduate faculty lists. Research Associates will not hold academic rank.

  1. Honorary Associates

This status is intended for individuals outside Trent in non-academic professions making a significant long-term contribution to the University's academic program, through, e.g. consultancy, occasional guest lectures or seminars, supervision of theses at undergraduate or graduate level, or co-operation on research projects.

Appointments to Honorary Associate status will be made by the Dean of Arts and Science on the advice of COAP acting upon the recommendation of the relevant department or program, for terms of 3-5 years, renewable. Nominations for appointments and renewals at the undergraduate level will be made to COAP by the appropriate undergraduate department or program, by the procedure outlined in Appendix A. Nominations for appointments and renewals at the graduate level will be made to COAP by the procedure outlined in Appendix B.

Appointments will be gazetted in the Trent Report. Names will not be included in the University Calendar or in graduate or undergraduate faculty lists. No academic rank will be held by Honorary Associates.

General Provisions

  1. No honorary appointment carries any remuneration. As long as appointments remain purely honorary, no teaching, research, or administrative duties will be required of individuals, and services will be rendered on a voluntary basis. Honorary appointments will not, however, preclude occasional employment on a part-time basis on the usual terms extended to paid part-time members of the faculty.
  2. Holders of honorary appointments will be given library privileges, but will not be guaranteed office accommodation, research facilities (apart from library privileges) or secretarial services. These will be negotiated on an ad hoc basis in light of resources available at the time of appointment.
  3. All holders of honorary appointments will qualify for senior common room membership, and social interaction with regular faculty through the Colleges will be encouraged.

Note: A faculty member who is affiliated with another institution, does not hold an honorary appointment at Trent, and is residing or visiting in the Peterborough area, may receive the general provisions noted above upon recommendation from a Trent academic department/program to the Dean.

Appendix A

Appointment of Adjunct Professors, Research Associates and Honorary Associates to Undergraduate Departments and Programs

Procedures

  1. One or more faculty members in an undergraduate department or program may recommend, to the appropriate personnel committee, scholars whom they consider worthy of new or renewed honorary association status in their department or program. They will provide reasonable documentary evidence of the person's qualifications including a current curriculum vitae, as well as supporting arguments to demonstrate the future benefits anticipated from the person's association with Trent. Applications for renewal should include a report on past contributions to the department or program of their last appointment and an updated curriculum vitae.
  2. The departmental or program personnel committee will consider the application, and make recommendations to the department or program Chair.
  3. The department or program Chair will forward the recommendation, with appropriate documentation, to the Dean of Arts and Science for review with COAP and for transmission, if approved, to the President.
  4. The Dean of Arts and Science will write to applicants to inform them of COAP’s decision or recommendation. The secretary of COAP will inform the Communications Department of the names of persons for whom positive recommendations for honorary appointments have been approved, for the purposes of informing the Trent community.

Appendix B

Appointment of Adjunct Professors, Research Associates and Honorary Associates to Graduate Programs

Procedures

  1. One or more approved faculty members in a graduate program may recommend to the appropriate executive committee of the graduate program, scholars whom they consider worthy of new or renewed honorary association status in their program. If the program brings forward the nomination, it will provide reasonable documentary evidence of the person's qualifications including a current curriculum vitae, and a cover letter including supporting arguments to demonstrate the future benefits anticipated from the person's association with Trent. Applications for renewal should include a report on past contributions to the graduate program of their last appointment and an updated curriculum vitae.
  2. The Advisory Committee on Graduate Appointments will review the application and make a recommendation to the Dean of Graduate Studies, who may, in turn, submit a recommendation, with appropriate documentation, to the Dean of Arts and Science for review by COAP.
  3. COAP will review the material submitted by the Committee on Graduate Studies for the purposes of ratification of the recommendation and for transmission, if approved, to the President.
  4. The Dean of Arts and Science will write to applicants to inform them of COAP’s decision or recommendation. The secretary of COAP will inform the Communications Department of the names of persons for whom positive recommendations for honorary appointments have been approved, for the purposes of informing the Trent community.

Approved by Senate, 14 February 2006

Revised by COAP revision, January 10, 2006

Revised by COAP, November, 1994

Approved by Senate, 10 February, 1987

(Revision of May, 1984 Senate document)