Saskatchewan JobFutures

Nature of Work

University professors teach courses to undergraduate or graduate students and conduct research at universities and degree-granting colleges. Post-secondary teaching and research assistants assist university professors, community college teachers and other faculty members in teaching and research activities at university colleges.

Nature of Work

University professors teach courses to undergraduate or graduate students and conduct research at universities and degree-granting colleges. Post-secondary teaching and research assistants assist university professors, community college teachers and other faculty members in teaching and research activities at university colleges.

Duties

University professors may specialize in any number of academic fields, including biology, chemistry, anatomy, sociology, business administration and law. Consequently, one professor's duties may vary considerably to those of another. There are, however, several general duties common to most university professors. These include teaching one or more university subjects to undergraduate and graduate students, preparing and delivering lectures to students, and conducting laboratory sessions or discussion groups.

Professors are also responsible for directing research programs of graduate students; advising on research matters; and preparing, administering and grading examinations, laboratory assignments and reports. Most Canadian universities place considerable importance on faculty publications, and most professors are expected to conduct research in their own field of specialization and publish findings in scholarly journals or books. Many professors may also serve on faculty committees dealing with such matters as curriculum planning and degree requirements. They may also provide professional consultative services to government, industry and private individuals.

Like professors, post-secondary teaching and research assistants may specialize in a variety of fields or subjects. There are, however, several general duties that are common to most assistants. Most teaching assistants, for example, organize reference materials, visual aids and other materials as required by university professors or college teachers for lectures. They also conduct seminars, discussion groups and laboratory sessions to supplement lectures and assist in the preparation and administration of examinations. Some teaching assistants grade examinations, term papers and laboratory reports.

Research assistants may conduct literature reviews, surveys, laboratory experiments and other research for use in scholarly publications. They may also compile research results and assist professors in the analysis of results and the preparation of journal articles or papers.

Example Titles

University professors:

• university professor
• assistant professor, botany
• associate professor, linguistics
• professor of computer sciences
• professor of medicine
• university instructor, engineering
• chairperson, food sciences department
• department head, geography
• lecturer, university
• English professor

Post-secondary teaching and research assistants:

• college teaching assistant
• post-doctoral fellow
• research assistant, university
• graduate assistant

Training Paths

The number of professors still working without a graduate or post-graduate degree is very small; most of these are older Professors. Individuals seeking employment in academics, regardless of their discipline, must have a Doctorate degree. Depending on the focus of the institution or university, preference may be given to job candidates who have published extensively and have proven teaching ability. A variety of Bachelor's, Master's and Doctorate degree programs are available at all Saskatchewan universities. In many fields of study, however, Doctoral students must be educated outside Saskatchewan before they can become full professors. Most Doctorate programs in Canada require completion of a Master's program. Post-secondary teaching and research assistants must be enrolled in the program area/faculty in which they assist. Universities generally require assistants to be graduate students.

Trends and Outlooks

The employment prospects for this occupation are: good

The number of university professors and assistants in Saskatchewan increased significantly since the late nineties; from 3,415 in 2000 to 4,350 in 2005, according to Statistics Canada. This marks an incredible 27% increase in just 5 years. It is unlikely that this rate of new job growth will continue over the next few years. Still, this a large, aging work force, and retirement or other turnover will create numerous employment opportunities in years ahead. In 2006, nearly 40% of all university professors and assistants were 45 years of age or older. As many of these older professors retire, younger academics will need to be in place to take their places. Much depends, of course, on the faculty or subject area being taught or studied; some disciplines are more in demand than others.

There is a huge difference between the annual incomes of university professors and the annual incomes of post-secondary teaching and research assistants. The former are extremely well paid in Saskatchewan, with an average full-time income of $82,300 per year in 2005. The average for researchers and assistants, on the other hand, was a mere $31,000 per year that same year. This is well below the average 2005 provincial full-time income for all occupations ($42,300 per year). There is tremendous range between the incomes of the highest and lowest paid professionals in this occupational group. University professors earned as much as $130,200 and as little as $28,300 in 2005. Meanwhile, the highest annual income for post-secondary teaching and research assistants in 2005 was $62,300. On average, incomes for university professors and assistants are much higher in Regina and Saskatoon than elsewhere in the province.

Typically, teaching and research assistants are employed on a part-time basis. In 2005, just 33% of all assistants in the province were employed full time. Part-time employment is less common among university professors; 61% of all professors worked full time in 2005. Self-employment is extremely rare in these fields of work.

In 2006, 47% of all university professors and assistants in Saskatchewan were female, a slight drop in percentage from 2001. That same year, 94% of all academics employed in these fields worked in Saskatchewan's two largest cities; 68% in Saskatoon and 26% in Regina. Work in this field is neither seasonal nor very sensitive to overall economic conditions.

The population of university professors in Saskatchewan is aging. As more professors retire or leave work, academic positions will continue to become available. In an effort to reduce expenses, however, university departments, colleges and faculties in the province frequently replace tenured positions with term and sessional appointments. Consequently, new professors often have fewer good long-term employment opportunities than their predecessors.

Professional Associations

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