About OCUFA

The Ontario Confederation of University Faculty Associations is the voice of more than 18,000 university faculty, academic librarians, and academic professionals across Ontario. We seek to maintain and enhance the quality of our province’s higher education system, and to advance the professional and economic interests of our members.

Member support:

Founded in 1964, OCUFA represents 30 member organizations through on-campus support and public advocacy. We provide research and logistical services to support collective bargaining and grievance management at individual universities, including the provision of timely statistical and research information for faculty contract negotiation.

To assist member organizations in furthering the professional and academic interests of their members, OCUFA:

  • facilitates the exchange of information among member organizations;
  • sponsors and supports the work of its various committees;
  • organizes workshops on important and relevant issues;
  • compiles and publishes data on economic benefits and university funding;
  • publishes research papers on trends in higher education;
  • compiles and provides information on local, provincial, and national access and equity initiatives;
  • hosts annual conferences on topical higher education concerns;
  • liaises with other provincial member organizations in Canada on issues of mutual concern; and
  • works with the Canadian Association of University Teachers to ensure that services provided by the two organizations are complementary.
 

Public advocacy:

OCUFA is the provincial advocate for university faculty in Ontario. We take the needs and concerns of our members directly to Government, other higher education stakeholders, the media, and the citizens of Ontario. We do this through public campaigns, publications, and direct meetings with politicians and policymakers.

To accomplish its objectives, OCUFA regularly meets with the Ministry of Colleges and Universities (MCU), Cabinet Ministers and MPP’s, postsecondary education critics and members of opposition parties, senior civil servants, the Council of Ontario Universities (COU), the Canadian Federation of Students-Ontario (CFS-Ontario), the Ontario Undergraduate Student Alliance (OUSA), and other organizations representing university employees.

Effective advocacy is supported by strong research and OCUFA produces a wide variety of data and analysis, from government briefs to stand-alone research papers. Read more about OCUFA’s research.

 

Awards:

OCUFA also recognizes the achievements of our members and other members of the academic community. Through the Teaching and Academic Librarianship Awards, the Equity and Social Justice Committee Award, the Service Award, the Lorimer Collective Bargaining Award, the Grievance/Arbitration Award, the Henry Mandelbaum Graduate Fellowship, and the Mark Rosenfeld Fellowship in Higher Education Journalism, OCUFA honours those who have made exceptional contributions to university education in Ontario. Read more about OCUFA’s awards.

 

Communications:

OCUFA promotes faculty interests through internal and external communications, including strategic media and public relations. We currently produce two publications of interest to the higher education community:

Academic Matters: Our flagship publication, Academic Matters is a forum for thoughtful and thought-provoking, original and engaging discussion of current trends in postsecondary education and consideration of academe’s future direction.

OCUFA Report: This weekly email newsletter keeps our members and interested citizens updated with the latest news about postsecondary education, collective bargaining, and OCUFA’s activities.

 

If you are an OCUFA member and would like more information on the services we provide, please visit our member’s area here.