University Professor

University professors are scholars recognized in the academic community for their research and teaching, and professional publications or works of art. Their duties vary, but in general, they:

• conduct research studies and publish their findings or create or perform works of art, depending on their discipline
• plan and teach university courses
• prepare, administer and mark student assignments and examinations
• advise students regarding course and academic matters
• supervise graduate students
• represent their universities as speakers, guest lecturers, consultants and resource personnel
• participate in university governance.

Professors also may have other duties such as:

• analyzing and evaluating subject information to determine course requirements
• organizing and co-ordinating curriculum and course schedules
• advising students regarding academic requirements and options
• serving on committees concerned with curriculum revision, academic planning, degree requirements and faculty matters.

Professors working with undergraduate students may have classes of over 200 students. In these very large classes, there may be very little personal interaction between the students and the professor. However, professors also may teach senior undergraduate and graduate-level courses that rarely exceed 20 students in size and usually are seminars or tutorials.

Most professors work long hours, year round. When classes are in session, classroom teaching takes approximately 9 to 12 hours a week, preparation for teaching takes up to 3 hours for every hour of instruction time, and grading and evaluating course assignments takes approximately 9 to 12 hours a week. Professors are expected to use the periods in which they are not teaching, generally the spring or summer months, to pursue research and creative activities. Many universities occasionally grant professors study leaves (sabbaticals) to assist in their studies and research.

University professors need the following characteristics:

• a desire to learn and share their knowledge with others
• critical thinking skills
• an aptitude for art or research in a particular discipline
• excellent oral and written communication skills, including the ability to present complex, in-depth materials at a student level.

They should enjoy co-ordinating information in innovative ways to prepare teaching materials, supervising and evaluating student progress, and helping others.

Below-average occupational growth is expected in Alberta for 2016 to 2020. Job openings are a result of employment turnover and newly created positions.

Becoming a professor at a university can be a long and difficult process. Doctoral program graduates often have to move several times from 1 university to another as term or temporary contract instructors until they obtain permanent employment and can begin to move up the academic ladder to a full professorship.

Assistant professors, associate professors and full professors have similar duties but are differentiated by years of experience, achievement, prestige and level of responsibility. Although 5 or 6 years usually are spent at each of the lower levels (assistant and associate) moving toward full professorship, not all assistant professors or associate professors become full professors. Usually, after 5 years of full-time work, faculty members are considered for tenure (permanent) status, which involves a rigorous review of the individual's accomplishments by academic peers.

With experience, university professors may:

• be appointed to sit on various committees or assume a chair or department head position
• work as consultants for government, industry or private businesses
• move from teaching into such senior administrative academic positions as dean, vice-president or president within a university.

In Alberta, most people employed as university professors work in the Educational Services (PDF) industry.

The employment outlook in this occupation will be influenced by a wide variety of factors including:

• trends and events affecting overall employment (especially in the Educational Services industry)
• location in Alberta
• employment turnover (work opportunities generated by people leaving existing positions)
• occupational growth (work opportunities resulting from the creation of new positions that never existed before)
• size of the occupation.

Over 5,600 Albertans are employed in the University professors occupational group. This group is expected to have a below-average annual growth of 1.4% from 2016 to 2020. As a result, 78 new positions are forecast to be created each year, in addition to job openings created by employment turnover.

Employment turnover is expected to increase as members of the baby boom generation retire over the next few years.

Association of Academic Staff University of Alberta (AASUA) website: www.aasua.ca

Canadian Association of University Teachers (CAUT) website: www.caut.ca

Confederation of Alberta Faculty Associations (CAFA) website: www.ualberta.ca/CAFA

For more information on career planning, education and jobs, visit the Alberta Learning Information Service (ALIS) website, call the Alberta Career Information Hotline toll-free at 1-800-661-3753 or 780-422-4266 in Edmonton, or visit an Alberta Works Centre near you.