On June 8, 2016, OCUFA representatives met with Glenn Craney, Expert Lead of the Postsecondary Funding Renewal Team, and his staff to discuss the ongoing work to reform the university funding model in Ontario. The meeting was an opportunity to get an update on the progress of the project, learn more about key objectives and […]
On June 30, 2016, the Governor General of Canada, David Johnston , appointed 113 deserving Canadians to the Order of Canada , one of the country’s highest civilian honours. Many on this list of appointees are Ontario university professors, speaking to the immense social, scientific, political, and economic contributions made by our province’s scholars every day. Eighteen professors from Ontario universities were appointed to the […]
With Pride celebrations taking place around the world this month, it is an important opportunity to recognize the challenges faced by members of the LGBTQ2S community in the fight for equity. It is a moment to celebrate the victories that have been won and to focus on the work that remains to be done to […]
OCUFA welcomed the announcement on June 20 that Finance Ministers have reached an agreement on modest expansion to the Canada Pension Plan (CPP). University professors and academic librarians have long supported the expansion of public pensions to provide dignity and a decent standard of life in retirement. A commitment to CPP expansion means that plans for an Ontario Retirement Pension Plan […]
On Thursday, June 23, 2016, the Premier’s Highly Skilled Workforce Expert Panel released its final report . The panel was created to help Ontario’s workforce, “adapt to the demands of a technology-driven knowledge economy.” Not surprisingly, the report contains multiple recommendations with implications for the province’s universities. The report recognizes that good work is already being done […]
On June 13, 2016, the Ontario Labour Relations Board (OLRB) ruled that part-time support staff at Ontario’s 24 public community colleges will vote on whether to join the Ontario Public Service Employees Union (OPSEU). According to OPSEU, this will be the largest representation vote in Canadian history. “This is a great moment in Ontario labour […]
On Monday June 13, 2016, Premier Kathleen Wynne shuffled her cabinet and appointed Deb Matthews as the new Minister of Advanced Education and Skills. This new portfolio absorbs the Ministry of Training, Colleges, and Universities, and will play a coordinating role with skills and training programs operated within other ministries. Minister Matthews was previously the […]
The latest issue of Academic Matters – now available online – takes a critical look at university governance from the perspective of professors and academic librarians. Recent controversies at UBC, Carleton, Western, and others have shone a harsh public light on serious failings in how our universities are run. The issue features incisive examinations of these issues, including: […]
The Congress of Social Sciences and Humanities is Canada’s largest gathering of scholars, with more than 70 scholarly associations meeting under one umbrella event. Not surprisingly, it’s a place where university issues are raised, explored, and debated. As in past years, OCUFA was pleased to be able to attend the 85th Congress at the University of Calgary. Academic Matters editor and […]
The next phase of Ontario’s review of the university funding formula is beginning to take shape, and OCUFA remains engaged with all aspects of the project. On May 11, 2016, Deputy Minister of Training, Colleges, and Universities Sheldon Levy announced that Glenn Craney, formerly of the Ontario Council on Articulation and Transfer (ONCAT), has been […]
OCUFA and its partners are pleased to announce that a video of the 2016 Worldviews Lecture on Higher Education is now available online. The second annual lecture was delivered on April 13th, 2016 by Professor Rajani Naidoo, Chair in Higher Education Management and Director International Centre for Higher Education Management at the University of Bath. […]
On Monday, May 9, 2016 the members of the Association of Professors of the University of Ottawa (APUO) ratified their new collective agreement. The new deal is for two years. The deal passed with 96.7 per cent of voting members in favour. The leadership of APUO expressed their thanks to the membership “for the strong […]
On May 7, 2016 in Toronto, OCUFA held its third and final Board meeting of the year. It was an opportunity to review progress made on the organization’s key priorities – faculty pensions, contract faculty and faculty complement, and university governance. It was also an opportunity to recognize those who have made important contributions to […]
The Ontario Confederation of University Faculty Associations (OCUFA) is pleased to announce this year’s recipients OCUFA Service Award: Constance Adamson from the Queen’s University Faculty Association (QUFA), and Kate Lawson from the Faculty Association of the University of Waterloo (FAUW). “The OCUFA Service Award was established to honour individuals who have done, or continue to […]
The Ontario Confederation is pleased to announce this year’s recipients of the Henry Mandelbaum Fellowship: Chérine Stevula, from the University of Guelph, and Karen Marie Olsen Lawford from the University of Ottawa. “The Mandelbaum Fellowship recognizes graduate students who combine exceptional scholarship with deep engagement in their communities,” said Kate Lawson, Chair of the selection […]