Research and development should be a partnership between business, universities, and government. The latest data on Industrial Research and Development have now been released by Statistics Canada, and it shows that business is letting down its side of the deal. Canadian business spending on research and development activities is expected to be at its lowest level in 2014 than […]
Posts from August 2014
Contract faculty at Algoma University have ratified their new collective agreement. After a difficult round of bargaining, the new deal gives senior contract faculty access to the pension plan, while introducing a new step pay system. Non-monetary gains include a new policy committees charged with clearly defining the step-by-step processes for hiring and evaluations. The […]
Professors and academic librarians are welcoming a new study that highlights their impressive teaching and research accomplishments, as well as their many contributions to the social and economic vitality of Ontario. The report, Faculty at Work , was released today by the Council of Ontario Universities (COU). “This report is the first serious attempt to examine the work […]
Bargaining continues across Ontario, with eight faculty associations currently at the table. Despite a difficult bargaining environment, important progress continues to be made. The Carleton University Academic Staff Association (CUASA) reached a tentative settlement on July 27, 2014. A ratification vote is now scheduled for August 21st, August 26th, and August 27th. Details of the […]
Professors and academic librarians at the University of Windsor have voted strongly in favour of a strike mandate. The August 14th vote, which passed with 81.4 per cent in favour, authorizes the Windsor University Faculty Association (WUFA) to call a strike if one becomes necessary. The strike vote was taken after months of provocative and […]
On Monday, August 18th, the University of Western Ontario Faculty Association (UWOFA) launched a series exploring the uncertainty and instability faced by contract faculty. Titled “Standing in the shadows of the academy,” the project uses stories and video to feature contract faculty who struggle to make ends meet, despite being exceptional teachers and researchers. “This […]
We are pleased to announce that registration is open for our upcoming conference, set to coincide with OCUFA’s 50th anniversary. The “Faculty Associations in the 21st Century” conference will examine the evolution of OCUFA and university faculty associations over the past 50 years, consider what they have accomplished, and then explore how faculty associations can […]
This week, news broke that the Ontario Labour Relations Board will investigate the McMaster administration’s conduct during its negotiations with cleaning staff. The administration threatened to outsource the jobs of the cleaning staff if they did not approve the final offer, prompting the investigation. The cleaning staff in question are the lowest paid staff at […]
Today, the Ministry of Training, Colleges and Universities (MTCU) released the Strategic Mandate Agreements (SMAs) signed with every Ontario college and university . Each SMA covers a three-year period, expiring in 2017. The agreements are intended to determine a university’s key priorities, and to align these priorities with the government’s Differentiation Policy Framework. It is expected that the SMAs will have an impact on new program approvals. It […]
The latest data from the Canadian Association of University Business Officers (CAUBO) indicates that Ontario’s per-student provincial operating funding for 2012-13 was 35 per cent less than the average in the rest of Canada. When it comes to funding levels, we are the undisputed kings of the basement. After the deep cuts imposed by Mike […]
The Windsor University Faculty Association (WUFA) has set August 14, 2014 date to seek strike authorization from its members. This move came in response to the unilateral imposition of terms and conditions by the Windsor administration, an unprecedented action for an Ontario university. The imposition of terms comes after weeks of aggressive and provocative tactics […]