Visiting Scholars

The department welcomes the contributions of visiting scholars to our academic and social life.

Visiting faculty appointments are offered to individuals who hold continuing appointments or have emeritus status at another academic institution to which they expect to return (UBC Policy #42, 2.2.5.). Usually, only those who have an academic position elsewhere as an Assistant Professor, Associate Professor, Professor, Instructor, Senior Instructor, Lecturer, Senior Lecturer, or an equivalent rank (for instance, someone who holds a Readership in an institution in the UK) qualify to be a “visiting faculty member”. These individuals will be offered a visiting faculty appointment at the equivalent rank to UBC preceded by the word “Visiting”.

Visiting scholars must be established scholars who wish to collaborate with a particular LLED faculty member on a topic of mutual interest. Visiting scholars are expected to have a Ph.D., have prior research experience in that area, and a publication record (with at least one publication in a major national or, ideally, an international journal). Visiting Scholars are generally expected to give one public presentation during their time in the Department.

We receive many applications of interest from prospective visiting scholars each year, but the Department can admit only 2 visiting scholars per academic year, normally for the fall, winter or summer semester (3 months in length). A small number may also come for shorter periods.


Application Process

Please submit the Visiting Scholar Application Form to Assistant to the Department Head. The applications of eligible candidates (i.e., those with a Ph.D. and significant publications) will be forwarded to one of the program coordinators (Literacy Education or TESL/Modern Languages Education). The program coordinators will then contact individual faculty members who, if they agree, will sign in support of the application. The Head and Head’s Advisory Committee will review all applications and we will notify successful applicants. Generally this process will take approximately two weeks.

Applicants are asked to not contact individual faculty members for sponsorship until the initial application has been examined for eligibility.

Once applications are approved and processed, the department will provide Internet network and library access. There may be opportunities to audit some classes on a not-for-credit basis. Shared office space will be available on a case by case basis.

Recent changes have been made to CIC’s International Mobility Program. For full details on the International Mobility Program refer to the CIC website .


As of February 2015, Employers are now required to pay an employer fee of $230.

  • If the foreign national is recruited to work exclusively on research for which Tri-Agency grant funds are provided the full cost of the employer fee of $230 will be eligible for reimbursement from the grant holder’s grant funds as an eligible recruitment cost per the Tri-Agency Financial Administration Guide.
  • If the foreign national is recruited for a variety of purposes one of which includes working on research for which Tri-Agency grant funds are provided the administering institution may apportion the cost of the employer fee to the grant holder’s grant funds based on the anticipated percentage of time the foreign national will spend working on the funded research of the grant holder.
  • If the foreign national is recruited for purposes unrelated to Tri-Agency funded research the employer fee is not eligible for reimbursement from grant holders’ grant funds.