Posts from July 2021

Laurentian University insolvency reflects a structural crisis in Ontario’s neoliberal university system By David Leadbeater “On February 1 the Laurentian University president and board got what they wanted from Ontario Chief Justice Geoffrey Morawetz: “This Court orders and declares that the Applicant [Laurentian] is insolvent and is a company to which the CCAA applies.” The CCAA—Companies’ Creditors Arrangement…” When the Government comes for you, you better have academic freedom By Marc Spooner, University of Regina “Every so often, […]

Congratulations to the Brescia Faculty Association (BFA) for ratifying a new collective agreement. The BFA made a number of notable gains in the areas of faculty hiring, workload, contract faculty security, and professional expense reimbursements. New language will place a greater emphasis on internal hiring, making it easier for contract faculty or faculty in limited […]

The Ontario Universities and Colleges Coalition (OUCC), of which OCUFA is a member, has put out a statement strongly opposing the new provincial election spending rules outlined and enforced by Bill 307, Protecting Elections and Defending Democracy Act. With the use of the Notwithstanding Clause, the government has imposed Bill 307 despite a court decision […]

OCUFA President Sue Wurtele has written to Ontario’s Minister of Colleges and Universities and Minister of Labour to express concern with the government’s plan for universities to fully reopen this fall. The plan was developed without consulting sector stakeholders, including faculty. As a result, it does not address some of the main concerns of those […]

TORONTO, July 21, 2021 — The Ontario Confederation of University Faculty Associations (OCUFA) is pleased to announce the appointment of its 34th president, Sue Wurtele. An Associate Professor of Geography at Trent University in Peterborough, Ontario, Wurtele officially began her two-year term on July 1, 2021. “OCUFA plays a vital role advocating for high-quality public […]