FAQ

A contract instructor is an individual hired to teach a course at Carleton University. A contract instructor may be a CUPE 4600 Unit 2 member, qualified external applicant, graduate or doctoral student, postdoctoral fellow, or visiting scholar.

Academic units need to advertise contract instructor positions by May 1st (for the following fall/winter semesters) or by December 15th (for the following spring/summer semester). Advertisements must be available on the academic unit’s website and bulletin board (where available) and an electronic copy must also be sent to CUPE 4600 Unit 2.
The advertisement for a contract instructor position must include:
• Course number, title and description;
• Qualifications required for the position; and
• Deadline and procedure for application.
Graduate students, postdoctoral fellows, and visiting scholars may be appointed to contract instructor positions without advertisement or competition. Once a contract instructor position has been advertised, it cannot be offered to a graduate student, postdoctoral fellow or Visiting Scholar.

All applicants must apply directly to the Chair/Director of the academic unit in writing and complete the Contract Instructor Application Form with a current CV listing all courses taught within the CUPE 4600 Unit 2 bargaining unit at Carleton University. Offers of employment should be made at least eight weeks prior to the start of the course. Applicants shall reply in writing within seven days of receipt of an offer of employment.

In accordance with the Collective Agreement between Carleton University and the Carleton University Academic Staff Association, the number of contract instructors cannot exceed 0.404 x the number of members paying dues to CUASA. In accordance with the Collective Agreement between Carleton University and CUPE 4600 Unit 2, the number of graduate students or postdoctoral fellows hired as contract instructors must not exceed 17% of the total credits taught by contract instructors in the Faculty. For more information about these calculations, please contact the Assistant Director, Staff Relations, Human Resources.

Contract instructors have an individual workload limit of maximum two full credits Fall and Winter or maximum three full time credits Fall, Winter, Summer. Graduate students and postdoctoral fellows may not be assigned to teach more than two credits in their lifetime. To calculate a contract instructor’s workload based on CUOL courses, please refer to the CUOL Contract. For more information, please contact the Office of the Provost and Vice-President (Academic).

Contract instructors accrue seniority for every full credit equivalent they teach. For example, a 0.5 credit course = 0.5 credit seniority; a 1 credit course = 1 credit seniority. Seniority is calculated for all credits taught since September 1, 1994. Seniority ceases if the employee has not worked as a contract instructor in the last 24 months (unless the employee was on leave approved by the employer). Graduate students and postdoctoral fellows can accrue seniority; however their seniority does not apply until they win a CUPE 4600 Unit 2 competition.

To be considered an incumbent of a course, a contract instructor must have:
• Taught the course in the last 60 months; and
• Have a satisfactory record of teaching in a course (See Article 18: Student Teaching Evaluations).

If an applicant has incumbency rights, he/she shall be offered the course. If more than one applicant has incumbency rights, then the course shall be offered to the incumbent with the most seniority. If no applicant has incumbency rights, then the course shall be offered to the qualified CUPE 4600 Unit 2 member who has the most seniority. If there is no applicant with incumbency rights and no CUPE 4600 Unit 2 member with the qualifications required to teach the course, then the most qualified “non member” may be appointed.