With rare exception, graduate students are not permitted to serve as graduate course instructors. Graduate students are
also not permitted to serve as members on either the advisory or examination committees of another graduate student.
Research associates and post-doctoral fellows may not be nominated as advisory committee members for students
supervised by their faculty advisor and/or supervisor.
[B] Application and Renewal Process Graduate programs nominate individuals to one of the three Graduate Faculty
categories, as outlined in Section [A] above, and make recommendations to the appropriate College Dean. Such
nominations, which must be presented on the form above, must be accompanied by an up-to-date curriculum vitae and
the approval signature of the appropriate College Dean. Nomination materials must be forwarded electronically to the
Office of Graduate Studies at ogsadmin@uoguelph.ca. If there are concerns or questions about the categories, these
should be forwarded to the Assistant Vice-President (Graduate Studies and Program Quality Assurance).
To be granted and to retain some category of Graduate Faculty Status, all Faculty Members are expected to demonstrate
and maintain a satisfactory record of sustained scholarly research and/or creative activity, and must teach at the graduate
level and/or serve as primary Graduate Advisors or Co-advisors or members of Advisory or Examination Committees.
[C] Review Process Regular Graduate Faculty: Departments must review, against established and approved
Departmental Guidelines and criteria, all tenured Regular Graduate Faculty Members’ scholarly productivity and
mentorship of graduate students on at least a biennial basis, as part of the Performance Assessment process. For
probationary Faculty Members, performance in the areas of scholarly productivity and mentorship of graduate students
must be reviewed against established and approved Departmental Guidelines and criteria on an annual basis.
In addition to the biennial review (tenured members of faculty) and annual review (probationary faculty), a review of
Regular Graduate Faculty status may be requested at any time by the Chair, Dean, Graduate Advisor, or Assistant Vice-
President (Graduate Studies and Program Quality Assurance). Such review shall be conducted by the Dean, in
consultation with the Chair and the Graduate Coordinator.
Associated Graduate Faculty: Associated Graduate Faculty Members are appointed for an initial four year term. Such
appointment is renewable pending a positive review and recommendation from the Dean or his/her designate to the
Assistant Vice-President (Graduate Studies and Program Quality Assurance), with final approval by the Board of
Graduate Studies. As part of the renewal process, and no later than six months prior to the end of the four year term, the
Associated Graduate Faculty Member will be expected to complete and submit to the Dean a report which outlines his/he
contributions to graduate training through involvement as a co-advisor of graduate students, member of graduate student
advisory committees and examinations, or in the teaching of graduate courses, during the current term. The Dean’s
review may also include consultation with the Department Chair, Graduate Program Coordinator, and considerations from
a Review Committee. The Review Committee, when convened by the Dean, shall be chaired by the Dean and shall be
comprised of at least three Faculty Members, in the same department as the Faculty Member, who hold Regular
Graduate Faculty status. The review will be based on the information provided by the Associated Graduate Faculty
Member and direct knowledge of performance of the Associated Graduate Faculty Member available from such
individuals as graduate students, graduate student co-advisors and committee members, graduate coordinators and
Chairs. Such input, to be considered as part of the review process, must be in writing and include an authenticated
signature of the author.
Special Graduate Faculty: Special Graduate Faculty are appointed for specific tasks in support of graduate programs.
The Chair and Dean will be responsible for reviewing the performance of Special Graduate Faculty in the context of the
specific task for which he/she was appointed.
[D] Unsatisfactory Performance Should the Dean believe there may be sufficient grounds to support a finding of
unsatisfactory performance of some or all aspects of the Faculty Member’s involvement in graduate education, the Dean
will conduct an investigation. For Faculty Members who are covered by the terms and conditions of the UGFA Collective
Agreement, such investigation shall be conducted in accordance with the provisions of the UGFA Collective Agreement
(Article 39). The Dean will decide whether constructive action will be taken. Such action may include a recommendation to
the Assistant Vice-President (Graduate Studies and Program Quality Assurance) (link to form) that restrictions be placed
on some aspects of the Faculty Member’s graduate education activities; or that graduate advisor status be revoked.
[E] Amendment to Non-Active Status or Placement of Restrictions or Revocation of Graduate Faculty Status
Documented complaints (e.g. from graduate students, other members of an Advisory or Examination Committee,
Graduate Students) regarding the performance of a member of the Graduate Faculty who is a member of the UGFA
should be brought to the attention of the College Dean, and investigated in accordance with the terms of the UGFA
Collective Agreement.
A Faculty Member’s Graduate Faculty status may be placed in non-active status or have restrictions placed on some
aspects of involvement in graduate education, or may be revoked for one or more of the following reasons: