Conferences

PAST CONFERENCES

Funding Our Future: Keeping Universities Public

Ontario universities have the lowest per-student funding the country. The effects of this can be felt across the sector. It doesn’t have to be this way.Publicly funded universities are vital to the economic, social, and political wellbeing of our province. Why is it important to keep our universities public? How do we ensure they continue […]

View Proceedings

2019 Worldviews Conference: Democracy at risk? Reflecting on the future of higher education and media in a “post-truth” world

June 12-14, 2019

The 2019 Worldviews on Media and Higher Education Conference brought together hundreds of academics, students, higher education leaders, communications professionals, and journalists from around the globe to explore the conference’s theme: Democracy at risk? Reflecting on the future of higher education and media in a “post-truth” world.

A series of keynote talks, panel discussions, interviews, and interactive exhibits examined democracy and the changing power relations of higher education and the media in the global north and south – specifically the concept of expertise in a “post-truth” world and the types of voices amplified by emerging technologies.

Throughout the conference, participants discussed the challenges and opportunities presented by the democratization of higher education and the media, engaged in a lively exchange of ideas both in and outside of sessions, and met new colleagues with whom that could explore innovative possibilities for future partnerships.

View Proceedings

2018 Worldviews Lecture: Free speech on campus: Challenges for minority rights and democratic values

April 5, 2018

Professor Sigal Ben-Porath Professor of education, philosophy, and political science at the University of Pennsylvania. At this year’s Worldviews Lecture, Professor Sigal Ben-Porath will address the increasingly heightened debate around free speech on campus. Her lecture will be followed by a panel discussion to further explore issues of free speech and the challenges posed to […]

View Proceedings

OCUFA Policy Exchange 2017: Developing a compelling policy vision for Ontario universities

May 11-12, 2017

The OCUFA Policy Exchange 2017 helped set the groundwork for OCUFA’s policy platform in the lead-up to the 2018 Ontario provincial election. During the interactive conference, participants identified the policy issues and priorities most important to the 17,000 university faculty and academic librarians that OCUFA represents. Attendees worked together to draft a set of policy […]

View Proceedings

2017 Worldviews Lecture: The Populist Challenge for Universities

April 5, 2017

Dr. Peter Scott Professor of Higher Education Studies at the UCL Institute of Education, London, U.K Previously Vice-Chancellor of Kingston University, London; Editor of The Times Higher Education Supplement, and editorial writer for The Times of London. On April 5, Professor Sir Peter Scott, a Professor of Higher Education Studies at the UCL Institute of […]

View Proceedings

2016 Worldviews Lecture: Beyond the competition fetish: Higher education for global wellbeing

April 13, 2016

Professor Rajani Naidoo Chair in Higher Education Management and Director International Centre for Higher Education Management, University of Bath, U.K. Universities everywhere have a competition fetish. There is a modern-day magical belief that competition will provide the solutions to all of the unsolved problems of higher education, protect against risk, and drive up quality. Drawing on […]

View Proceedings

Confronting precarious academic work

February 11-12, 2016

Held in Toronto from February 11-12, 2016, the conference examined the realities and impact of precarious academic work on our universities and considered solutions now and for the future. Speakers included researchers, activists, and policymakers from Canada, the USA, the United Kingdom, and Australia. Key themes included: Current realities of precarious academic work and the […]

View Proceedings

Faculty Associations in the 21st Century: Learning from the past – Shaping the future

October 24, 2014

OCUFA marks its 50th anniversary with a conference that looks at the history of OCUFA and considers the challenges facing faculty associations in shifting social, economic, and academic environments. The conference will also consider ideas for moving forward and ensuring that faculty associations remain a strong voice for the interests of faculty and the integrity of higher education

View Proceedings

Future U: Creating the universities we want

February 27 - 28, 2014

The Future U conference will provide an opportunity to contemplate the universities that we would like to see in the future and chart a path to achieving that vision. The key themes include:  Current trends and the possibility of alternatives in the future of higher education. Re-imagining research, teaching, community service, and governance. The real […]

View Proceedings

2013 Worldviews Conference: Global Trends in Media and Higher Education

June 19-21, 2013

About Worldviews

How do media cover higher education issues – locally and around the globe? How does coverage shape public perceptions? Does the academy look in media’s mirror to see itself? Can the academy help the press translate complex issues into accessible stories?

Let’s talk about it.

Given the crucial role of higher education and its explosive growth in some parts of the world, the stakes are high for the academy and ultimately the societies we serve.

In both higher education and media, much is in flux and many global trends are at play.

Let’s assemble thinkers – academics, editors, students, journalists, communications professionals and others – to chart where we are and forge new paths in a fast-changing landscape.

Worldviews is a very lively forum to advance mutual understanding of the relationships, challenges, and potential of the academy and media.

View Proceedings

Age of Austerity Conference

Academia in the Age of Austerity

Governments in Canada and elsewhere have embraced “austerity” as a necessary public policy to eliminate budgetary deficits and ensure future prosperity.  How has this “austerity agenda” affected faculty, students, administrators and institutions in Ontario, in Canada, and globally?  Is “austerity” inevitable, or are there alternatives?   And what might universities do now, and in the future, […]

View Proceedings

Ensuring Student Success

January 20-21, 2012

AGENDA Location What do we mean when we talk about student success? Are students, faculty, administrators and government talking about the same thing? How can we ensure that our students are getting the education they need to achieve their goals, succeed in the workforce, and be the citizens and leaders of tomorrow? The Ontario Confederation of University […]

View Proceedings

Financing Higher Education in the Current Economic Climate

January 22-23, 2010

OCUFA held a 1 ½ day conference on Friday, January 22 and Saturday, January 23, 2010 at the Sutton Place Hotel, Toronto, Ontario. Titled “Financing Higher Education in the Current Economic Climate” the conference brought together speakers from universities, research institutes, government and the private sector in Canada and the United States. The conference was designed to reflect on the current recession’s impact on universities, examine trends in higher education financing, and consider implications for the future.

View Proceedings

Accounting or Accountability in Higher Education?

January 8, 2009

In order to explore the issues regarding accountability in higher education, the Ontario Confederation of University Faculty Associations (OCUFA) held a conference on January 8, 2009. Titled “Accounting or Accountability in Higher Education”, it brought together noted experts on accountability from around the world to assess how the drive towards accountability could best be managed […]

View Proceedings

Restructuring the Academy: Current Realities and Preferred Directions

January 19, 2007

In January 2007, OCUFA hosted a conference entitled “Restructuring the Academy: Current Realities and Preferred Directions” as part of its biennial conference series. The conference was designed to reflect on the changing nature of academic work, the trends that underpin those changes, and the implications for faculty, students, and higher education in general. It brought […]

View Proceedings