Graduate Faculty Memberships (GFM) at RSI

At U of T, members of teaching staff do not automatically have supervisory privileges in graduate programs. Authority to teach or supervise graduate students is a separate layer of responsibility with specific criteria. Responsibility for directing all elements of graduate teaching and supervision rests with members of the graduate faculty.

GFM Types at RSI:

  1. Full
  2. Associate
  3. Associate with Restricted Duties
  4. Emeritus

Please visit the SGS website for information on the types of GFMs offered at SGS.

Who needs an RSI GFM?

  • Those who wish to serve as a primary supervisor to RSI grad students (co-supervisors do not necessarily have to have an RSI membership, but must have SGS membership)
  • Those serving as voting members of the student supervisory committees or exams, unless they have an SGS membership with another department or institute at UofT

Please check the Supervisory and Comprehensive Exam Committee as well as the Final Oral Examination Committee policies for details on RSI/SGS membership requirements for specific committees. These policies can be found in the RSI Handbook 2020-21.

Criteria for RSI GFM:

The criteria for a GFM at RSI are based on academic criteria defined by SGS. These include:

  1. Commitment to support RSI’s mission
  2. Commitment to participate in mentorship and supervision
  3. Commitment to contribute to teaching and service activities of RSI 
  4. Evidence of a faculty appointment at U of T (e.g. tenured, tenure-stream, status-only, visiting, adjunct, etc.); this University appointment must be entered on the Human Resources Information System (HRIS)
  5. Academic qualifications to the level of PhD or equivalent
  6. In order to be a primary supervisor to an RSI student, candidate must have a research-track university/hospital appointment and qualify to be a primary investigator on national and international research grants
  7. Those who aim to supervise graduate students must show evidence of scholarship through peer-reviewed research, grants and publications. In the case of individuals who have recently received an academic appointment, evidence of strong potential for such scholarship is a must.

Note: Appointees to RSI may not be graduate students registered at the University of Toronto.

Application Procedure for GFM:

Those applying for a graduate faculty membership in RSI at the Associate or Full levels should provide the following documentation to rsi.admin@utoronto.ca:

  1. An up-to-date academic curriculum vitae (CV)
  2. Application letter addressing all of the RSI GFM criteria listed above, with emphasis on how the applicant intends to support RSI’s mission and what they can contribute to RSI in terms of graduate supervision, with a statement of funding to support students, teaching (e.g. required or elected courses), and administration (e.g. serving on RSI committees).
  3. Letter of support from the chair of the primary academic department in which the applicant has a faculty appointment
  4. Status only faculty members must provide a letter from a director or employer, confirming the RSI GFM criteria and supporting the applicant’s involvement in RSI-related activities (i.e., supervision, teaching and service)

Applications will be reviewed by RSI three times a year (i.e. October, February, and April), according to the standards set in the statutes of the School of Graduate Studies. All required documents must be submitted to rsi.admin@utoronto.ca by the end of September/January/or March. The internal review of the application will be followed by the review/discussion at the Academic Affairs Committee (AAC). RSI will notify the applicant of the decision in writing, following the AAC meeting. 

Those applying for a GFM with restricted duties should email rsi.admin@utoronto.ca for information pertaining to the specifics of their application. The review of these applications may be expedited on an “as needed” bases.  

Multiple GFMs:

If a faculty member is already holding a graduate membership through another graduate unit at the University, they may apply for a graduate cross-GFM in RSI. These applicants require the same documentation and are reviewed using the same criteria for new memberships as outlined above. 

A professor with an associate graduate membership at their primary GFM unit cannot be offered a full GFM at RSI. 

Graduate faculty with an emeritus GFM will hold emeritus status across all units/memberships.