Equity and Social Justice Committee

Mandate

A. There shall be an OCUFA Equity and Social Justice Committee, which shall be a standing committee of the OCUFA Board of Directors that reports to the Board and carries out its activities subject to the approval of the Board.

B. The Committee shall build upon the work of OCUFA’s previous Status of Women and Equity Committee and act as a centre and source of information, advocacy, and action to ensure equity, inclusion, rights, and social and economic justice for all equity-deserving academic staff members at Ontario universities, including but not limited to:

  • First Nations, Inuit, and Métis peoples
  • Women
  • Racialized persons
  • Disabled persons
  • Persons who identify as 2SLGBTQIA+ (2-spirit, lesbian, gay, bisexual, trans*, queer and / or questioning, intersex asexual, or ‘+’: people who identify as part of sexual and gender diverse communities, who use additional terminologies)
  • Francophones and all persons whose first language is not English
  • Immigrants and persons of all legal and immigration status
  • Members of equity-deserving ethnic and religious identities
  • Persons facing ageism
  • Persons disadvantaged by class and socio-economic status.
  • Persons from Caste Oppressed Backgrounds such as Dalits and Adivasis (Indigenous South Asians)

The Committee shall:

i. serve as a resource for the collection, analysis, and dissemination of information regarding issues of concern to equity-deserving academic staff members at Ontario universities;

ii. in coordination with the OCUFA Executive Director and staff, provide committee members with information and advice about provincial legislation and government policies that have implications for terms and conditions of employment for equity-deserving academic staff members;

iii. at committee meetings, serve as a forum where faculty association equity representatives or their designates can exchange information on issues and trends that have significance for equity-deserving academic staff members;

iv. through its meetings, presentations by invited guests, workshops and other means assist members with issues relevant to their role as faculty association equity representatives;

v. act as an advisory committee to local faculty association equity representatives seeking information and/or advice on issues relevant to their role within their association;

vi. initiate and, with the assistance of OCUFA professional staff, carry out such research studies as may from time to time seem desirable, on subjects directly related to issues of concern to equity-deserving academic staff members;

vii. provide the opportunity for faculty associations to work together for advocacy and action to foster equitable and inclusive working conditions for all academic staff;

viii. make recommendations to the OCUFA Board of Directors on policy matters relating to issues of particular concern to equity-deserving academic staff members;

ix. submit a report to the Board of OCUFA prior to each Board meeting, on the activities of the Committee: this report may include recommendations regarding the composition and terms of reference of the Committee.

C. The Committee shall consist of one representative from each Member in OCUFA.

The representative shall normally be the Chair of the association’s equity committee, OR the member of the association’s Executive responsible for equity concerns, OR otherwise elected officer of the association responsible for equity issues.

D. The Committee shall elect a Chair and a Vice-Chair annually, at the last meeting of the fiscal year, from among its members. Those elected will serve in that capacity at the next meeting of the Committee. The maximum number of consecutive terms that a Chair or Vice-Chair may serve in any one position is three consecutive one-year terms. The Chair of the Committee, or designate of the Chair, shall report to the Board at its regular meetings.

E. The Chair of the Committee, or designate of the Chair, shall have voice but not vote at Board. The Chair, or designate of the Chair, shall be entitled to move and/or second motions.

F. The budget of the Equity and Social Justice Committee shall be established annually by the Board of Directors.

G. An OCUFA staff member shall act as Secretary to the Committee.