On April 25, 2016, the Association of Professors of the University of Ottawa (APUO) reached a tentative deal with their employer. The APUO released the following statement on their website : We are happy to report that we have been able to reach a deal with the employer. The agreement was reached at the end of […]
On April 19, 2016, the provincial government released a summary of the Gender Wage Gap Steering Committee’s consultations . This Steering Committee was established last spring and tasked with developing recommendations for the creation of a strategy to close the gender wage gap in Ontario. A series of province wide consultations was the first step in this process. OCUFA participated in the consultation process […]
On April 11, 2016, the Carleton University Academic Staff Association (CUASA) passed a motion of non-confidence in Carleton’s Board of Governors. The CUASA motion was joined by similar votes by grad students and administrative staff, and follows attempts by the Board to stifle discussion and criticism through restrictive new bylaws and attacks on critical members. […]
On April 13, 2016, OCUFA was very pleased to co-host the second annual Worldviews Lecture with the Ontario Institute for Studies in Education (OISE) at the University of Toronto. This year’s lecture featured Rajani Naidoo, Chair in Higher Education Management and Director International Centre for Higher Education Management at the University of Bath. Professor Naidoo […]
University professors and academic librarians are joining in a day of action for $15 & Fairness across Ontario today. Workers from a range of workplaces and sectors will be taking part – all of whom are facing common challenges such as unpredictable scheduling, job insecurity, poor access to benefits, and unfair pay. “The idea that […]
A new study published in the Journal of Education Finance suggests that public two- and four-year higher education institutions might be reducing enrolment of low-income students due to punishment-based funding (PBF) regimes , where money is tied to specific performance indicators. This paper joins the growing body of research that demonstrates the ineffectiveness of PBF in improving student outcomes. Using data on all public American institutions in the […]
On Monday, April 4, 2016, OCUFA submitted a series of recommendations to the Ministry of Training, Colleges, and Universities (MTCU) on a proposed international education strategy. The recommendations are a response to a discussion paper issued by MTCU. The impetus for a new international strategy for Ontario’s colleges and universities appears to be to increase recruitment of international students, and building the […]
Bill 132, the Sexual Violence and Harassment Action Plan Act, passed on March 8, 2016. It will require universities to have campus policies addressing sexual violence, consider student input on those policies, and share information regarding sexual harassment and violence on campus with the Ministry of Training, Colleges and Universities. Bill 132 also expands employer […]
On March 22, 2016, the members of the University of Ontario Institute of Technology Faculty Association (UOITFA) ratified their new collective agreement with the employer. Here is the UOITFA statement on the deal. Last week on the final scheduled day of mediation prior to the UOITFA strike deadline, the UOITFA and UOIT reached a tentative […]
Registration is now open for the OCUFA Status of Women Committee Workshop, designed to academic women build their leadership skills. The event will be held in Toronto on Friday, April 29, 2016. Building on the success of last year’s workshop, Shari Graydon will again be facilitating a small, interactive workshop, this time focusing on the theme of “Increasing your Persuasiveness”. The […]
Only a few spaces are left for the annual Worldviews Lecture on Media and Higher Education , featuring Rajani Naidoo, Chair in Higher Education Management and Director of the International Centre for Higher Education Management at the University of Bath. Professor Naidoo will deliver a lecture titled, “Beyond the Competition Fetish: Higher Education for Global Wellbeing.” Prof. Naidoo contends that universities everywhere have a competition fetish. There is […]
The 2016 Federal Budget was released on March 22, 2016. It contains significant new funding for Canada’s research councils and university research generally. University revenues are most affected by provincial investments and policies, but this federal budget is largely good news for Ontario institutions. Like its Ontario counterpart released earlier this year, the Trudeau government’s […]
On Thursday, March 17, 2016, the University of Ontario Institute of Technology Faculty Association (UOITFA) reached a tentative agreement with the employer . The university administration and UOITFA released this joint statement: “The University and the UOIT Faculty Association are pleased to advise that they have reached a tentative agreement. Details of the agreement will remain confidential until both parties have conducted […]
Today, OCUFA is pleased to release its full analysis of the 2016 Ontario Budget. Access to What? recognizes the important changes that were made to student financial aid, but highlights how the lack of public investment in university operating budgets is undermining the student experience. As the report notes: While improving access to postsecondary education is a welcome […]
OCUFA’s Status of Women Committee is pleased to announce its latest Workshop, intended to build the leadership skills of academic women. The event will be held in Toronto on Friday, April 29, 2016. Building on the success of last year’s workshop, Shari Graydon will again be facilitating a small, interactive workshop, this time focusing on […]