Following the introduction of government legislation to implement select recommendations from the Changing Workplaces Review, Minister of Advanced Education and Skills Development Deb Matthews distributed a letter to stakeholders in Ontario’s postsecondary education sector reaffirming the government’s commitment to fair employment and supporting universities and colleges during the transition to new labour and employment laws.
This letter to postsecondary education stakeholders also signaled that the Minister intends to initiate a conversation about faculty renewal. While the timelines, process, and scope of this conversation have not yet been announced, the Minister’s interest in this issue is an important opportunity to make headway on some of OCUFA’s key priorities. OCUFA looks forward to participating in this conversation as a major stakeholder, well positioned to communicate faculty perspectives and demonstrate the value of faculty renewal for supporting universities’ core mission of teaching, research, and community engagement.