The meaning of the word professor (Latin: professor, person who professes to be an expert in some art or science, teacher of highest rank[1]) varies. In some English-speaking countries, it refers to a senior academic who holds a departmental chair, especially as head of the department, or a personal chair awarded specifically to that individual. For example, in the United Kingdom, Ireland, South Africa, Australia, New Zealand, The Netherlands, United States, Canada, and Hong Kong it is a legal title conferred by a university denoting the highest academic rank. However, in some institutions, the term is used only for academics who are tenured or tenure-track. In some countries, e.g. Austria, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Brazil, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Croatia, Czech Republic, France, Italy, Panama, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Serbia, Slovakia, Slovenia, and Spain the term is an honorific applied also to secondary level teachers.
Professors are qualified experts, of the various levels described above, who may do the following:
- conduct lectures and seminars in their field of study (i.e., they "profess"), such as the basic fields of science, humanities, social sciences, education, literature, music or the applied fields of engineering, design, medicine, law, or business;
- perform advanced research in their fields.
- provide pro bono community service, including consulting functions (such as advising government and nonprofit organizations);
- teach campus-based or online courses with the help of instructional technology;
- train young or new academics (graduate students);
- carry out administrative or managerial functions, usually at a high level (e.g. deans, heads of department, librarians, etc.).
The balance of these six fields of professorial tasks depends heavily on the institution, place (country), and time. For example, professors at highly research-oriented universities in the U.S., and Canada, and, as a general rule, in European universities, are promoted primarily on the basis of their research achievements as well as their success in raising money from sources outside the university.
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The Journal
To what should students of a university be entitled just by virtue of their being students of a university? That is, what rights should students possess ...
BC Blue
Sun, 07 Mar 2010 17:58:30 GM
More info and connections on torture-claiming . professor. . March 7, 2010 BC Blue. Adrian McNair finds some more interesting connections and earlier torture accusations from our good friend Dr Amir Attaran (see here) who alleges that ...
