Glossary

Faculty & Staff

Full-time faculty

Tenured, pre-tenure and limited-term faculty, including academic chairs and directors and associate deans. Excludes deans, who are included in the senior leaders' employee group.. 

Staff

Full-time career and long-term contract employees (over four months), including librarians, counsellors, postdoctoral fellows, and employees in three groups: Management and Confidential (MAC), OPSEU and CUPE 233.

Equity-deserving groups

Toronto Metropolitan University (TMU) tracks the representation, recruitment and retention of the following six equity-deserving groups: women, racialized people, Black people, First Nations, Inuit and Métis Peoples, persons with disabilities and 2SLGBTQ+ people. These are groups that have been historically and persistently under-represented, disadvantaged and discriminated against in education and work environments in specific types of fields or occupations.

Women 

Women include all employees who identify as women, including cisgender and transgender women.

Racialized people

For the purposes of the Diversity Self-ID, the term “racialized employees” includes employees who are sometimes referred to as people of colour, or visible or racial minorities, who are not White.

This terminology recognizes that, through the process of racialization, Western societies have created ideas of race as real, different and unequal, which negatively impacts individuals’ economic, political and social lives if they are not seen as White. The three largest racialized groups in Canada identified in the 2016 Census are South Asian, Chinese and Black.

The term includes Indigenous people from outside of Canada, such as Maori people in New Zealand. The Diversity Self-ID questionnaire includes a separate question to identify as First Nations, Inuit and Métis Peoples.

Black people

Black people is a racialized group that includes individuals who are sometimes referred to as African or Afro Canadian, American, Caribbean, etc., or in terms of specific countries of origin in Africa, such as Nigerian, Ghanian, etc. Different societies have applied their own criteria regarding who is classified "Black", and these socially-constructed identities have changed over time. Not all people considered "Black" have dark skin. Rather Western society has created socially-based systems of racial classification, in which the term "Black" is used to describe persons who are perceived as darker skinned and with different physical characteristics compared to other populations. Indigenous African societies do not use the term Black as a racial identity outside of influences brought by Western cultures.There are many stereotypes and biases connected with being racialized as Black, which have substantial implications for social, economic, judicial, political and educational justice. Therefore, Black people are identified as an equity deserving group, and the term “Black people” is used to help confront anti-Black racism and promote Black flourishing in employment and education at the university.

First Nations, Inuit and Métis Peoples

First Nations, Inuit and Métis Peoples, sometimes referred to Indigenous or Aboriginal Peoples in Canada, and Native/Indigenous Peoples in the United States, are the original inhabitants on the lands now called Canada and the United States. 

Aboriginal Peoples is a term established by the Canadian federal government to refer to diverse Indigenous Peoples in Canada and is in the Canadian constitution. 

At Toronto Metropolitan University, we commonly use the term Indigenous Peoples, which includes First Nations, Inuit and Métis Peoples in Canada and Native/Indigenous Peoples in the United States. 

There are over 600 First Nations in Canada including, for example, Cree, Dene, Mi’kmaq, Nisga’a and Onondaga, etc.

Persons with disabilities

For the purposes of the Diversity Self-ID, persons with disabilities include those who may experience disadvantages or barriers to employment as a result of barriers and attitudes related to long-term, chronic or episodic physical, mental/emotional, psychiatric or learning disabilities. It should also be noted that the social model of disability recognizes that disability is not created by any particular medical or physical condition, but rather by societal barriers.

2SLGBTQ+ people

2SLGBTQ+ is an acronym used at TMU to refer to people, as a group, who identify as two-spirit, lesbian, gay, bisexual, trans, queer and questioning. The plus sign acknowledges the many sexual and gender minority people who don’t see themselves in the umbrella acronym and prefer other identity terms such as pansexual, gender non-binary or intersex.

Employee Groups

This term refers to groups of employees at Toronto Metropolitan University whose terms and conditions of employment are similar. Some of these groups are represented by unions. Often the type of work is also similar. Reporting representation by employee group can help to identify barriers and disadvantages to equity groups based on the type of work and/or specific terms and conditions of employment, e.g. benefits available, recruitment processes, temporary nature of work, etc.

Senior leaders 

Includes Executives (President, Vice Presidents, Provost, etc.) as well as Associate/Assistant Vice Presidents/Vice Provosts, Deans, Chief Librarian, and Senior Directors who are heads of groups of administrative or academic support divisions, or academic schools and departments, with a variety of functional responsibilities, and any other employees who are in positions categorized as Employment Equity Occupational Group (EEOG) 1 in the HR system. Employees who are in positions identified as EEOG 2, and who are in positions classified in the E band of the Management & Confidential (MAC) job evaluation system are also included.

Senior staff leaders

Same as senior leaders, but excluding deans.

Mid-level leaders

This group typically includes employees identified as managers or directors, who report to senior leaders. Mid-level leaders include employees from any employee group whose positions are identified as EEOG 2 in the HR system, including managers, academic chairs and directors, associate deans and associate chief librarian; and excluding those in positions in the E band of the MAC job evaluation system.

Mid-level staff leaders

Same as mid-level leaders, but excluding academic chairs/directors, associate deans and other full-time faculty in academic leadership positions.

Frontline leaders  

This group typically includes employees identified as supervisors and sometimes coordinators. Frontline leaders include employees from all employee groups in positions categorized as EEOG 5 and 6 in the eHR system. 

Administrative, operational, technical and professional staff

This is the largest group of career and long-term contract staff and it typically includes non-management and unionized (OPSEU) workers who perform a wide variety of work in areas across the university, including in academic faculties and administrative and academic support divisions. MAC Confidential employees are also included in this group.

Maintenance and trades staff

This group of career and long term contract staff includes non-management and unionized (CUPE 233) workers who perform skilled or semi-skilled trades, custodial work at TMU.

Part-time and sessional lecturers

This group of unionized (CUPE 3904 Unit 1) contract lecturers teach university courses.

Continuing education lecturers

This group of unionized (CUPE 3904 Unit 2) contract lecturers teach courses and classes through the Chang School of Continuing Education. 

Teaching and graduate assistants

This group of unionized employees (CUPE 3904, Unit 3) perform duties including course assistance, teaching assistance, tutoring, demonstrations, lab monitoring, and marking or grading to support course delivery of full-time faculty and contract lecturers. They are typically graduate students, but may also be undergraduate students or non-students.

Postdoctoral fellows

Employees who, within three to five years of being awarded a PhD (or equivalent), continue to conduct research in their field of study. 

Part-time and casual employees

Contract employees who work 24 hours or less per week or work on call as needed.

Career Boost/work-study students

Toronto Metropolitan University’s re-branded work study program provides undergraduate students with on-campus paid work experience. Students work a maximum of 15 hours per week.

Full-time faculty ranks and limited-term faculty

For tenure-stream faculty members, there are three professorial ranks: Assistant Professor, Associate Professor and Full Professor. Typically faculty at the rank of Assistant Professor are pre-tenure, while those in the ranks of Associate Professor and Full Professor are tenured.Transfer from Assistant Professor to Associate Professor typically occurs when a faculty member receives tenure, or is hired from a tenured position at another institution.

Limited term faculty

Faculty members hired for defined periods of not less than one year and not more than a cumulative total of four years. Typically, their focus is on teaching.

Employment Equity Occupational Groups (EEOG) 

These groups are established by the federal government and are used to classify jobs into broad occupational categories.  Human Resources assigns EEOG codes to TMU jobs based on descriptions of the work, and the skills and knowledge required for the job. 

EEOG groups are an amalgamation of National Occupational Classifications (NOCs), for example, EEOG 3 (Professionals) includes Human Resources, Financial Services, Information Technology, etc. professions, which have specific NOC codes. Community equity group representation in specific occupations is provided by the federal government from Census data. This data helps us to compare the availability of people from equity groups in specific occupations in the community with Toronto Metropolitan University’s representation in those occupations. 

Following are descriptions of the types of work covered by the EEOG codes (from Employment and Social Development Canada definitions).

EEOG 1 - Senior managers 

Employees holding the most senior positions in an organization. They are responsible for the organization’s policy and strategic planning, and for directing and controlling the functions of the organization. At TMU, the group is referred to as senior leaders.

EEOG 2 - Middle and other managers 

These employees receive instructions from senior leaders and administer the organization’s policies and operations, often through subordinate supervisors. At TMU, the group is referred to as mid-level leaders.

EEOG 3 - Professionals 

These employees typically need either university degrees or prolonged formal training and often have to be members of a professional organization and/or adhere to professional standards. This group is used at Toronto Metropolitan University to disaggregate diversity data of staff, so that we can further understand the representation of equity groups from the administrative, operational, technical and professional employee groups at the university, who are engaged in professional work. While full-time faculty are considered professionals, TMU reports diversity data separately for that group.

EEOG 4 - Semi-professionals and technicians

In these occupations, employees have to possess knowledge equivalent to about two years of postsecondary education, offered in many technical institutions and community colleges, and often have further specialized on-the-job training. They may have highly developed technical and/or artistic skills. This group is used to disaggregate diversity data of staff, so that we can further understand the representation of equity groups from the administrative, operational, technical and professional employee group at the university, who are engaged in semi-professional and technician work. 

EEOG 5 and 6 - Supervisors

Front-line coordinators and supervisors of white-collar (EEOG 5) employees (administrative, clerical, service, etc.) or skilled trades and primary industry employees (EEOG 6). Supervisors may, but do not usually, perform any of the duties of the employees under their supervision. At TMU, these occupational groups are combined for reporting diversity data for all front-line leaders at the university.

EEOG 7 and 10 - Administrative workers

Administrative workers may carry out and/or coordinate administrative procedures and administrative services primarily in an office environment, or perform clerical work. These occupational groups are used to disaggregate diversity data of staff, so that we can further understand the representation of equity groups in the administrative, operational, technical and professional employee group at TMU. The two EEOG groups are combined for reporting diversity data at the university to include all staff involved in administrative work.

EEOG 8, 11 and 13 - Operational workers

Employees in these occupational groups are engaged wholly or primarily in selling and/or providing personal services, such as chefs, food service workers, cashiers, recreational and sports attendants, etc. These occupational groups are used to disaggregate diversity data of staff, so that we can further understand the representation of equity groups in the administrative, operational, technical and professional,  and maintenance and trades employee groups at TMU. The three EEOG groups are combined for reporting diversity data at the university to include all staff involved in operational work.

EEOG 9, 12, 14 - Manual workers

Employees who perform duties involving manual labour that can require a variety of skill levels, including experienced tradespeople who have received extensive training. These occupational groups are used to disaggregate diversity data of staff, so that we can further understand the representation of equity groups in the administrative, operational, technical and professional,  and maintenance and trades employee groups at TMU. The three EEOG groups are combined for reporting diversity data at the university to include all staff involved in manual work.

Administrative and academic support divisions

Administrative and academic support divisions are large (20 or more staff) areas of the university, excluding academic faculties that deliver full-time undergraduate and undergraduate programs,  that have specific mandates and responsibilities, e.g. Human Resources, Computing and Communication Services, Vice Provost, Students’ division (includes Registrariat, Athletics and Student Affairs), Facilities, etc. 

Information is available in the Employee Data Centre on the representation, recruitment and retention of employees in large administrative and academic support divisions.

Smaller units, with less than 20 staff, are not reported in past Employee Diversity Self-ID reports or in the Employee Data Centre.