Today, OCUFA released the results of a public opinion poll examining attitudes to precarious work in Ontario’s universities – the first of its kind in the province. This new research demonstrates a strong level of support for good working conditions in our universities. Highlights from the poll include: 94 per cent of Ontarians think universities should be model employers and support good jobs in their communities. 88 per cent […]
Faculty, staff, and students are coming together to challenge the rise of precarious work at universities and colleges across Ontario. An online day of action will unite contract faculty in their call for good academic jobs. “Thousands of talented teachers are stuck in precarious academic jobs with unfair pay, lack of access to benefits, and […]
OCUFA’s contract faculty committee is planning a day of action on Feb. 11, 2016, to call attention to the growing issue of precarious academic work in Ontario. Contract academics from across the province will be tweeting pictures of themselves on campus to call attention to the important work they do, often in the face of […]
On Feb. 1, 2016, OCUFA President Judy Bates presented OCUFA’s 2016 budget priorities to the Standing Committee on Finance and Economic Affairs. This committee is tasked with reviewing Ontario’s fiscal and economic policies, and makes recommendations to government on what should be contained within the provincial budget. OCUFA’s proposals are directed toward enhancing the quality […]
Fifty years ago, the Government of Ontario began to invest in the university sector, increasing the number of institutions and the spaces available to qualified students. This has allowed us to make huge gains in access and quality. But now, we’re on the precipice of undoing a half century of accomplishments. Ontario’s per-student funding for […]
The new issue of Academic Matters, Higher Education and Leviathan , is now live online and arriving in mailboxes across Canada. It examines the changing relationship between universities and the state, and features important commentary by an insightful group of writers. Starting here in Ontario, Sue Herbert writes about the rationale for the provincial government’s review of the university funding model , and provides some initial thoughts on what has been learned through […]
Professors and academic librarians are commending the Government of Ontario for taking action to address sexual violence and harassment in our communities, workplaces, and on university and college campuses across the province. Last week, legislation was before the Social Policy Committee at Queen’s Park that would require every university and college in Ontario to have […]
The Federal Government has waived the requirement for unions in Canada to track minute financial data introduced by the Conservatives in Bill 377. The waiver was announced on December 21, 2015, just 10 days before the new requirements came in effect. Bill 377 required unions to disclose all transactions over $5,000, and to reveal the […]
In her annual report, Ontario’s Auditor General Bonnie Lysyk has recommended that the government develop a strategy to address barriers to the commercialization of research at the province’s universities. The report, released on December 2, 2015, points out that the Ministry of Research and Innovation does not track total investments in research across ministries and […]
Registration is almost full for OCUFA’s upcoming “ Confronting Precarious Academic Work ” conference to be held February 11-12, 2016 in Toronto. Individuals interested in attending should register now to ensure they have a spot at this important gathering. The growing number of university faculty hired on a contract basis – and the insecure working conditions they face – […]
Today, the Ministry of Training, Colleges, and Universities (MTCU) released the final report of the Ontario University Funding Model Review. The full report and report summary can be downloaded here . Overall, the report is an interesting and comprehensive summary of the consultations. It includes some promising areas of policy development – such as better data […]
OCUFA is pleased to announce an exciting roster of speakers for its upcoming Confronting precarious academic work conference , to be held from February 11-12, 2016. Experts from across Canada, the United States, the United Kingdom, and Australia will meet to discuss the rise of precarious academic work and effective strategies for promoting good academic jobs. Speakers include: Karen Foster, […]
Students and faculty are mobilizing to push back against proposals that will severely limit the openness and transparency of Carleton University’s Board of Governors . Following on the Board’s controversial move to bar community members from attending Board meetings, the new policies will prevent Board members from disseminating information about Board proceedings and will ban union office holders from sitting on the Board. In response, six campus organizations have issued a series of recommendations to […]
The Nipissing University Faculty Association (NUFA) is pleased to announce that the tentative agreement reached between the Full-Time Academic Bargaining Unit (FASBU) and the Employer on November 26, 2015, has been ratified by the bargaining unit with 93 per cent voting in favour of the deal. “From the outset we knew that this was going […]
Last week, OCUFA staff members Graeme Stewart and Brynne Sinclair-Waters wrote an article for the Canadian Centre for Policy Alternatives-Ontario (CCPA-ON) on the need for more full-time faculty in Ontario’s universities. The piece is part of the CCPA-ON’s ongoing series on the provincial budget. Stewart and Sinclair-Waters argue that hiring of full-time faculty has lagged well behind increases in enrolment, with serious implications for […]