From: ens@ccu.umanitoba.ca ()
Subject: Re: 'Professor' in Canada - what does it mean?
Organization: University of Manitoba, Winnipeg, Canada
Date: Tue, 29 Dec 1992 09:01:51 GMT

(Ray Dunn) writes:
>(Seth "the Lesser") writes:
>>(Graham Toal) writes:

>>>Could anyone who understands what a Brit means by 'Professor' and who
>>>knows why we sometimes have misunderstandings about visiting US academics,
>>>please tell me what 'professor' means in Canada?
>>
>>Yes, and could someone please tell those of us who don't understand this
>>difference (who, in fact, weren't aware of it) just what it is? What *is* a
>>British "professor"?

>The Canadian meaning of "professor" is exactly the same as the American
>one, 

True.

>i.e. equivalent to "lecturer" in British academic hierarchy.

Certainly not equivalent. One is perhaps a subset of the other but I'm
not sure that's even true in a strict sense. I don't know exactly
what a 'lecturer' means in England, but in N. American PhD granting
_universities_ the legitimate title of 'professor' (often modified by
'full') is the highest academic rank. Now we also have 'assistant' and
'assoc.' professors which are usually called 'professor' by students
but in my experience seldom use the title unmodified. In any of these
3 ranks, the holder is expected to spend ~ 1/2 of their time on
research, is eligible to apply for research grants, and may direct
research projects as large as they are willing to and capable of.

We also have a lecturer rank, which applies to persons hired specifically
for teaching, and are not normally involved in research, and not
normally elligible for promotion to '~ professor'. Informally
these are still referred to as 'professor' meaning 'university teacher'
but don't usually use the title formally. 

In colleges where the primary mandate is teaching, I believe the
use of the title is looser.

In any case, 'professor' clearly has a much broader range of meaning here
than in Europe, incuding in some contexts the equivalent of a European
lecturer and in others a European 'professor'.

>In Britain, "Professor" is the highest academic rank and implies the holder
>is, or has been, the head of a department.

Do you mean 'department' as we do: '..of Physics' '...of Chemistry'.
Or do you mean head of a designated research area or group; i.e. an
endowed 'chair'? In Germany and Sweden (as I understand it) a
'professor' is hired to direct such a project only when a position is
vacated. It is possible to create a new chair but that is less common.

The difference in US/Canada is that most universities are not
structured the same way. Departments (of Physics e.g.) do not normally
have a fixed number of 'chairs'. Most people hired into the tenure
stream as assistant professors are eventually promoted to full
'professor'. Some will have job descriptions, and reputations
essentially equivalent to European professors, many won't.  Head of a
department is not considered a significant academic honor, being
mainly administrative in duty.  The system is less hierarchical, but
allows academic freedom to more of the faculty.  Some universities do
have endowed chairs, however; Rockefeller University e.g. is closer to
the European structure. 

Werner
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