On February 25, 2016, the York University Faculty Association (YUFA) ratified a new collective collective agreement with their employer. The three-year deal contains important enhancements to equity, particularly for transgender and Aboriginal faculty members. The deal establishes a new Transgender Health Fund, worth $30,000 a year. This provision provides support to transgender faculty members by […]
Registration is now open 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.” Universities everywhere have a […]
On March 8, 2016, over 20 representatives of Ontario’s faculty associations met with MPPs and Cabinet Ministers as part of OCUFA’s annual Advocacy Day at Queen’s Park. In all, 30 meetings were held, each a chance to discuss OCUFA’s priorities for 2016: faculty hiring and good academic jobs; better data on Ontario’s higher education sector; […]
Presentation slides and complete audio recordings of every session from OCUFA’s “Challenging precarious academic work” conference are now available online . People who missed out on the conference the first time around can access and download the complete conference proceedings. The conference was a unique meeting of activists, researchers, and policymakers all interested in ending precarious work in our […]
From February 20-21, 2016, OCUFA held the 148th meeting of its Board of Directors in Toronto. While the meeting was an opportunity to review progress on OCUFA’s priority areas –university governance and funding; options for university pension plans; and contract faculty and faculty complement – the meeting provided an excellent opportunity to discuss growing concerns […]
The new up-front grant program for Ontario students is grabbing headlines, but what else does the 2016 Ontario Budget do for universities? When it comes to operating funding, the picture continues to darken. Just as it has for the past four years, the level of operating grants to universities will barely change. And in the […]
Professors and academic librarians across Ontario are welcoming changes to the Ontario Student Assistance Program (OSAP) to make higher education more accessible to low-income students, announced in today’s Budget. At the same time, they are reminding the government that new investment in universities is urgently needed to ensure that that every student has access to […]
Every year, OCUFA recognizes outstanding teachers and academic librarians in Ontario universities through its Teaching and Academic Librarianship Awards. We are pleased to announce that nominations for the 2015-16 awards are now open . Up to seven awards are presented annually. Teaching, in the context of the OCUFA awards, embraces virtually all levels of instruction – graduate […]
Michelle Dion, a professor at McMaster University has won the 2015 Status of Women Award of Distinction, presented by the Ontario Confederation of University Faculty Associations (OCUFA). The award, sponsored by OCUFA’s Status of Women Committee, recognizes women who have improved the lives and working conditions of academic women and, by extension, their colleagues, families, […]
The Ontario Confederation of University Faculty Associations (OCUFA) is pleased to announce the 2015 winner of its prestigious Lorimer Award. This honour recognizes individuals who have worked to protect and promote the interests of Ontario’s academic staff through collective bargaining. This year’s winner is Bill Salatka, from Wilfrid Laurier University. “Bill’s ability to make the […]
On Friday, February 12th representatives from four OCUFA member associations met with the provincial government’s Gender Wage Gap Steering Committee to discuss measures that have been taken in the university sector to address the gender wage gap. This meeting built on the written brief that OCUFA submitted to the committee on January 15th. The Gender Wage Gap […]
On February 11, 2016, OCUFA launched an online pledge where faculty, students, and members of the community can show their support for fairness for contract faculty. The pledge is the latest version of OCUFA’s We Teach Ontario campaign, which has been drawing public attention to the issue of precarious academic work. In less than 24 hours after its […]
On February 12, 2016, Laurentian University announced it was closing its campus in Barrie , part of the University Partnership Centre at Georgian College. The Laurentian University Faculty Association (LUFA) released this statement on the closure: The Laurentian University Faculty Association (LUFA) is concerned by the decision to close the Barrie campus and its impact on faculty members and students in Simcoe County. […]
Today in Toronto, students, faculty, journalists and policymakers will gather at the “Challenging precarious academic work” conference, organized by OCUFA. This two-day event features international speakers and provides a forum for sharing experiences and developing solutions to the alarming rise of part-time, insecure work at universities. Speakers include: Karen Foster, Canada Research Chair in Sustainable […]
Today, OCUFA is launching an online Pledge , where students, faculty, and citizens can demonstrate their commitment to fairness for contract faculty. Part of the We Teach Ontario initiative, the pledge is open to individuals and organizations who believe in fair pay, benefits, predictable scheduling, and job security for contract faculty members. The pledge reads: Professors are at the […]