Appointments committee

The appointments committee is usually designated by the faculty. The numbers of members varies from one institution to another, as does its composition (number of members from outside the university / faculty, representation of intermediary academic staff, etc.). The committee may also include people who are not familiar with the domain in question.

The mandate of the appointments committee is to examine applications that meet the formal criteria defined for the position, interview a small number of applicants and propose a short list, generally consisting of between one and three candidates in order of preference, to the faculty council. This work is recorded in a report justifying the selection and order of preference of the proposed or rejected candidates.

In an effort to ensure the quality of the procedure and guarantee that the principles of equal opportunities for men and women are taken into account, some universities arrange the participation of an equal opportunities delegate in the work of the committee (member of the equal opportunities office or professor). Even today however candidates sometimes find themselves before a committee composed entirely of men.