Posts from October 2013

Much has been made about the supposed Canadian “skills gap”, or the mismatch between the skills needed to fill vacant jobs and the skills actually possessed by workers. But new research by TD Economics suggests that the “gap” is largely a myth. The study, Jobs in Canada , finds that concerns about the skills gap are unsupported by […]

The St. Jerome’s University Academic Staff Association (SJUASA) reached a tentative settlement on October 21st. The agreement was ratified by the Association, with 96 per cent voting in favour, on October 24, 2013. The five-year deal includes annual ATB increases of 3% in the first two years, and for the following years, the higher of: University […]

The Confederation of Alberta Faculty Associations (CAFA) has launched a new campaign protesting recent university funding cuts in their province. The “ Alberta’s Universities Support Everything ” initiative argues that Alberta’s universities are the foundation of economic and social life, and that cuts put the province’s future in danger. The Government of Alberta recent cut university funding by seven per cent, which has resulted […]

Representatives of OCUFA’s 27 member faculty associations are on Queen’s Park today, meeting with MPPs as part of our annual lobby day. Faculty ambassadors are looking for support on several key requests, including: A made-in-Ontario solution to the challenges facing faculty pensions plans, including a one year extension of solvency relief; An impartial research project […]

You may have seen some commentary recently suggesting that Canadian professors make more than their American counterparts. But according to new data, American faculty members make considerably more than their colleagues north of the border. International comparisons always face the problem ensuring apples-to-apples comparisons. Without taking account of differences in the way in which the […]

From the Conference Board of Canada: “The Conference Board of Canada would like to invite you to attend their upcoming Skills and Post-Secondary Education Summit 2013: Developing the Talent We Need for a Competitive Nation, being held on November 6 and 7 at the Metro Toronto Convention Centre.  We are happy to extend an Exclusive Reduced […]

Like many Ontario pension plans, some Ontario university pension plans currently have a funding shortfall, brought on in part by the financial crisis and almost 5 years of historically low interest rates. Problems with faculty pension plans existed before the financial crisis, but the fallout has worsened the situation. Unions and employers in the Ontario university […]

Faculty unionization has a positive impact on students and universities, according to a new American study . The Impact of Unionization on University Performance: A Cross-Sectional Time Series Analysis, written by Mark Cassell, shows that unionization leads to a more efficient and effective institution, while promoting student success. The paper’s primary findings include: Unionized institutions show lower costs and […]

Ontario’s professors and academic librarians are happy and relieved to learn that John Greyson and Tarek Loubani have been released from an Egpytian prison. The two faculty members had been held –without charge or justification – for 50 days. On September 28, 2013, OCUFA’s Board of Directors passed a unanimous motion calling for “immediate, strong, […]

Ontario’s professors and academic librarians are calling for “immediate, strong, and decisive action” to free John Greyson and Tarek Loubani from arbitrary detention in Egpyt. Faculty association leaders made their call in a unanimous motion passed at a meeting of the Board of Directors of the Ontario Confederation of University Faculty Associations (OCUFA). “John and […]

On Sept. 18, 2013, a “confidential” proposed policy framework for the differentiation of Ontario’s universities was leaked to stakeholder groups and the media . OCUFA is concerned that the policy framework may lead to government intrusion into academic decision making, and could have damaging funding consequences for Ontario’s higher education institutions. The proposed framework suggests that Ontario’s universities should differentiate according to eight “components”: […]