Yesterday, news broke that the University of Saskatchewan had fired Robert Buckingham, Dean of Public Health, for publicly criticizing the administration’s “TransformUS” plan . TransformUS is the result of a controversial program prioritization process at the university, similar to processes underway at several Ontario institutions. Today, OCUFA President Kate Lawson wrote a letter to University of Saskatchewan condemning the firing as a grievous violation of academic freedom. The text […]
The Ontario Confederation of University Faculty Associations (OCUFA) is raising the alarm about the PC party’s election platform with major concerns about the party’s proposal to cut a huge number of education jobs and raise tuition for students and their families. “The PC proposals will devastate essential public services that Ontarians care about,” said Kate […]
This week, Tim Hudak released details of his plan to drastically cut public sector jobs in Ontario. A study conducted by the Canadian Centre for Policy Alternatives suggests that of the 1,331,000 public sector employees in Ontario, approximately 650,000 would be eligible for cuts according to the PC plan, most of whom are employed in the education and health sectors. This includes the public […]
Time is running out to register for the “Feminist Transformative Leadership in the Academy” workshop, hosted by OCUFA’s Status of Women Committee (SWC). The workshop will be held on May 23 at the Westin Harbour Castle in Toronto. The workshop will feature a panel of female academic leaders who will facilitate break-out tables of participants […]
This week marked the first official week of the 2014 Ontario election. The party leaders were out on the road, making their pitch to voters in the GTA. Early on, job creation seems to be a major focus of all three parties. So why are they saying so little about universities? Ontario’s universities train students […]
While now consigned to the dustbin of history, the 2014 Ontario Budget was a puzzling document. Although it explicitly sought to “strengthen our competitive advantage, create jobs, and provide vital public services” and “foster a fair society,” it nevertheless overlooked the worrying funding trend at the province’s universities. “Ontario’s universities have the capacity to achieve […]
Today, Premier Kathleen Wynne dissolved the Legislative Assembly of Ontario and set June 12, 2014 as the date for the next provincial election. Wynne called an election after it became clear that neither the Ontario New Democratic Party and the Progressive Conservative Party of Ontario would allow the 2014 Ontario Budget to pass. Like every […]
TORONTO – Professors and academic librarians across Ontario are puzzled that today’s provincial budget did not make significant new investments in higher education. In a budget that seeks to “strengthen our competitive advantage, create jobs, and provide vital public services” it is surprising that universities were overlooked. “Ontario’s universities have the capacity to achieve all […]
OCUFA estimates reveal that the number of courses taught by precarious, part-time faculty in Ontario has jumped by 87 per cent. This is a worrying trend for both professors and the students they teach. As reported in last week’s Data Check , the evidence is clear that the increase in the number of precarious part-time faculty in the United […]
On April 24, 2014, the Ontario Public Sector Employee Union (OPSEU) released a report outlining challenges facing college faculty . Our colleagues in the college system face many of the same challenges that we do in the university sector- from grappling with commercialization to precarious academic work to the government’s “differentiation agenda.” The report was released at a special launch event featuring comments […]
The American Association of University Professors (AAUP) recently released a report on The Employment Status of Instructional Staff Members in Higher Education . The report reveals that the growth in contingent faculty is much greater than the growth in tenured faculty, a story all-too-familiar to Canadian professors and academic librarians. Between 1989 and 2011, the total number of faculty grew by 81 per cent, but […]
This week, Minister of Finance Charles Sousa confirmed May 1, 2014 as the date for the next Ontario budget. It will be a crucial budget for the minority Liberal government; if the NDP does not support it, a spring election will be triggered. Beyond the election stakes, every Ontario budget is important in terms of […]
Academic Matters – OCUFA’s flagship journal of higher education – has added exciting new web content over the past few months. New exclusives include commentary and analysis of program prioritization, predatory academic publishing, and a problematic new report on faculty workloads. New content includes: The University of Windsor’s Vice-President and Provost Leo Groarke on why program prioritization is a divisive process that doesn’t work for faculty or administrators . UOIT’s Gary […]
There are still spaces available for the “Feminist Transformative Leadership in the Academy” workshop, hosted by OCUFA’s Status of Women Committee (SWC). The workshop will be held on May 23 at the Westin Harbour Castle in Toronto. The workshop will feature a panel of female academic leaders who will facilitate break-out tables of participants over […]