Full-time teaching staff at Canadian universities, 2017/2018

Release date: December 14, 2018
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Full-time teaching staff at Canadian universities, 2017/2018
Full-time teaching staff at Canadian universities, 2017/2018

Full-time teaching staff at Canadian universities, 2017/2018

In 2017/2018, full-time faculty at Canada's public universities were older and included a greater number of high-ranked professors and more women in their ranks.

From 1970/1971 to 2017/2018, there was an increase in the share of senior ranked academic teaching staff, while the share of assistant professors shrank.

Proportion of full-time academic teaching staff, by rank, 1970/1971 and 2017/2018
Professorial rank 1970/1971 (%) 2017/2018 (%)
Full 20 36
Associate 26 35
Assistant 36 19
Levels below assistant 18 10

In 1970, 4% of professors were 60 years or older. By 2017, this share increased to 24%. Since the end of mandatory retirement legislation in the mid-2000s, the number of professors over the age of 65 has increased sixfold (from 623 in 2005 to 3980 in 2017).

Proportion of full-time academic teaching staff by age groups, 1970/1971 and 2017/2018
Age group 1970/1971 (%) 2017/2018 (%)
Under 30 16 0
30 to 39 43 15
40 to 49 26 30
50 to 59 11 31
60 to 65 3 15
66 + 1 9

In 1957, almost 90% of full-time academic staff were men. By 2017 women occupied 40% of these positions.

Proportion of full-time academic teaching staff by sex, 1957/1958 to 2017/2018
  Men (%) Women (%)
1957/1958 89 11
1967/1968 87 13
1977/1978 86 14
1987/1988 83 17
1997/1998 75 25
2007/2008 66 34
2017/2018 60 40

In 2017, ¾ of professors over the age of 65 were men.

Although men outnumber women at the full professor level, there is equal representation at the lower ranks.

Proportion of female full-time academic teaching staff by rank, 1970/1971 and 2017/2018
Professorial rank 1970/1971 (%) 2017/2018 (%)
Full 3 28
Associate 8 43
Assistant 14 49
Levels below assistant 30 55

Source: Full-time Teaching Staff - University and College Academic Staff System (FT-UCASS).

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Copyright

Published by authority of the Minister responsible for Statistics Canada.

© Her Majesty the Queen in Right of Canada as represented by the Minister of Industry, 2018

All rights reserved. Use of this publication is governed by the Statistics Canada Open Licence Agreement.

Catalogue no. 11-627-M

Frequency: Occasional

Ottawa

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