On Tuesday, June 12, OCUFA made a written submission to the Standing Committee on Finance and Economic Affairs articulating our concerns about the provisions of Schedule 28 of the budget bill, Bill 55 Strong Action for Ontario Act. Schedule 28 of Bill 55, the Government Services and Service Providers Act, is intended to allow for further privatization of Service […]
The most recent data indicate that operating funding provided to Ontario universities by the provincial government is in a holding pattern when compared to other provinces. For 2010-11, per student funding was 34 per cent lower than in the rest of Canada, the same gap as 2009-10. Ontario remains dead last in terms of public […]
On Thursday June 7, OCUFA made a written submission to the Standing Committee on Finance and Economic Affairs in support of Bill 77 , an act which introduces amendments to the existing labour relations act that enhance fairness for employees. Bill 77 is a private member’s bill that was introduced by NDP labour critic Taras Natyshak and seeks to bring about five small concrete changes to improve the labour relations climate […]
On June 3, 2012, the University of Toronto Faculty Association (UTFA) reached a tentative agreement with the administration. The three-year deal includes across-the-board increases and temporary enhancements to progress-through-the-ranks worth 7.14 per cent over the course of the agreement. It also contain improvements to health benefits and increases sabbatical pay to 90 percent for people […]
Australia’s National Tertiary Education Union (NTEU) recently released the results of a survey of “casual” academic staff who are appointed on a per-course or research contract basis, equivalent to part-time, sessional, or contract academic staff in Canada. Almost two-thirds of respondents aspire to an academic career, preferably a permanent full-time position with teaching and research responsibilities. Teaching-only positions were the least desirable of the full-time options. […]
This past week, OCUFA awarded the first Henry Mandelbaum Graduate Fellowship to Johnny El-Alam, a PhD Candidate at Carleton University. The fellowship, created in honour of retired OCUFA Executive Director Henry Mandelbaum, provides support to a student who has demonstrated academic excellence, shows exceptional academic promise, and has provided significant community service in his/her university […]
Three individuals who have provided exceptional service to OCUFA and its members were honoured in a ceremony at Toronto’s Royal York Hotel on June 2, 2012. The winners are: Prof. Brian E. Brown from the University of Windsor Faculty Association (WUFA) Prof. John Fekete, from the Trent University Faculty Association (TUFA) Prof. Atef Fahim, from […]
It is not cheap to provide a high quality university education online. At first glance, the operating expense per student appears lower at the Télé-Université du Québec (TÉLUQ) and Athabasca University than at traditional universities. Accounting for enrolment profile, the same is true for Thompson Rivers University (TRU) in BC, which has a physical campus […]
The Ontario Confederation of University Faculty Associations (OCUFA) would like to thank everyone who took the time to fill out our 2012 Faculty Survey. We received over 2,300 responses from across Ontario, from all disciplines. The Faculty Survey helps OCUFA understand the opinions and concerns of our members, and allows us to be a […]
Professors and academic librarians are warning the Government of Ontario against putting limits on the educational options available to students, based on the results of a survey released today. In a leaked discussion paper and several speeches, the Government of Ontario has floated moving to a three-year degree structure, delivering 60 per cent of a […]
Who drives innovation in Canada and Ontario? When it comes to research and development, higher education – fuelled by public dollars – leads the way. According to Statistics Canada, the number of people engaged in research and development (R&D) in Canada rose by almost 67,000 between 2000 and 2009. Ontario accounted for 27,000 of those added positions. During the same period, the […]
On May 23, 2012, OCUFA held a member mobilization workshop at the Sutton Place Hotel in Toronto. Attended by over 60 faculty association representatives from across Ontario, the goal of the workshop was to develop the skills needed to effectively communicate with and engage faculty association members. The workshop was led by Rob Fairley and […]
One of the many casualties of the recent federal budget is the University and College Academic Staff System (UCASS) . This Statistics Canada survey was an annual census of full-time faculty in Canadian universities, and an invaluable source of information for the postsecondary sector. Due to cuts, the August 2011 data will be the final UCASS release. Without detailed information on faculty […]
The University of Toronto Faculty Association (UTFA) is heading to mediation with mediator-arbitrator William Kaplan. Two days are scheduled, on June 2nd and 3rd. Brescia reports that the parties continue to meet regularly and progress toward a first collective agreement. Their next bargaining session is June 14th. At Nipissing, the parties have met […]
Professors and academic librarians are concerned about the quality of education at Ontario’s universities, according to a new survey released today. Of those surveyed, 42 per cent believed that quality had declined at their institution. “Ontario’s universities have welcomed thousands of new students over the past five years, but public funding has just not kept […]