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In the latest issue of  Educated Solutions  on the theme of technology in postsecondary education, OCUFA President Nigmendra Narain made the case for why faculty expertise must be integrated into university decision-making around technology and artificial intelligence, now and in the future.   “Students should expect a transformative experience in a classroom. And it’s our faculty who […]

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TORONTO, March 23, 2023 – The Ford government continued its streak of neglecting Ontario’s public universities in the provincial budget, tabled today at Queen’s Park. The government failed to meaningfully invest in universities, which university faculty warn may lead to more privatization and instability for students, faculty, and staff on campuses. “Ontario sits last in […]

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On Tuesday, November 15, faculty and academic librarians from across the province gathered at the Ontario Legislature to meet with Members of Provincial Parliament to advocate for robust funding of public post-secondary institutions, better working conditions and support for contract faculty, the need for faculty renewal at Ontario universities, and for changes to Bill 26 that […]

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The Ontario Confederation of University Faculty Associations (OCUFA) has given the Ford government a failing grade for its election budget. After four years of Ontario’s Progressive Conservative government undermining the foundations of public universities and allowing our postsecondary education system to languish behind every other province, this budget promises no improvement to university education quality, […]

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We are proud to announce the first article published as a result of the OCUFA Fellowship in Higher Education Journalism. The Fellowship is designed to support those wishing to pursue in-depth investigative reporting on higher education in Canada. With the backing of the Fellowship, respected journalist Nicholas Hune-Brown spent two years investigating the troubling world […]

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The concept of micro-credentials has gained increasing popularity in postsecondary education recently. These short-term, highly targeted certificate courses focus on developing specific skills or knowledge. However, there has been a lot of confusion about micro-credentials, how they should be recognized, and how they fit into Ontario’s postsecondary education system. In response, OCUFA has developed a comprehensive briefing note that explains what micro-credentials […]

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The 2020 Worldviews Lecture brought together over 180 academics, students, higher education leaders, communications professionals, and journalists from around the globe for a virtual discussion on the lecture’s theme: The myth of meritocracy . Jo Littler from City, University of London, opened the event with a historical and contemporary analysis of the ways by which meritocracy permeates social institutions, including the academy. […]

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In recent years there has been mounting evidence of the dubious validity and inherent bias in student questionnaires on courses and teaching (SQCTs), sometimes also known as student evaluations of teaching (SETs). In 2018, OCUFA supported a study of the implications of open-ended student comments in these questionnaires and how they might affect faculty mental […]

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A new report , published by OCUFA’s University Governance Committee, highlights the concerning results of the “University Governance during COVID-19” survey. The report is the result of a survey of 27 faculty and academic librarian associations across Ontario. Among its findings, it shows that an overwhelming 88 per cent of faculty association respondents considered their institution’s pandemic response to be top-down in nature. […]

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There is more to Academic Matters than just the print issue. New articles are being added to the Academic Matters website every week. Here are some recent articles you might find interesting: The academy’s neoliberal response to COVID-19: Why faculty should be wary and how we can push back By Honor Brabazon, St. Jerome’s University in the University of Waterloo “The emergency shift to remote teaching that universities have made in response […]

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The Occupational Health Clinics for Ontario Workers, along with researchers and trade unions including the Canadian Association of University Teachers, has developed a pan-Canadian survey on COVID-19 workplace experiences. It is important that the views of university faculty and other academic staff are reflected in this survey. The data collected will be used to develop […]

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OCUFA has set out its priorities for the 2020 Ontario Budget in a written submission to the Standing Committee on Finance and Economic Affairs. OCUFA’s 2020 budget recommendations aim to preserve the accessibility and quality of postsecondary education in Ontario through stable, consistent, and adequate funding, as well as improved working conditions for university faculty. […]

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The Ford government introduced sweeping legislation to cap public sector wage increases. The proposed legislation represents an attack on the right to free and fair collective bargaining, and is in line with the government’s broader anti-worker agenda. The legislation was introduced on June 5, and although the legislature has now risen until October 28, the bill […]