On Thursday, March 16, members of the Windsor University Faculty Association (WUFA) gathered at Windsor’s historic Walkerville Brewery to enjoy a night of great music, refreshing drinks, and engaging conversation.
The evening brought together tenured and contract faculty from across the university. It provided an opportunity for faculty to get to know each other, develop new relationships, and strengthen existing ones. The nine-person R&B band Soul Delegation set the tone for the night with a lively set that kept the crowd’s toes tapping as faculty enjoyed the tasty food and drinks.
Welcoming attendees, WUFA President Jeff Noonan called for solidarity in a time when external pressures threaten to set back progress on university campuses across Ontario. Citing the responsibility faculty have to support and fight for each other, he called on members to stand together for the long-term good of the university. The evening also provided a chance to thank Kathryn Lafreniere for her term as Chair of WUFA’s contract faculty committee, which is currently preparing for bargaining.
WUFA Sessional Director Fran Cachon echoed Noonan’s remarks, reiterating how important it is for faculty to build stronger relationships with each other. As Chair of OCUFA’s Contract Faculty and Faculty Complement Committee, Fran highlighted the inspiration she has drawn from working with students, faculty, workers and community members across the province to raise awareness about the need for fairness for contract faculty and good jobs on university campuses. She recognized the hard work of WUFA’s members and thanked them for their support.
Similar to the event at Western University the previous week, the evening social was co-organized by WUFA and OCUFA with the goal of bringing together tenured and contract faculty to build solidarity in advance of bargaining.
This article originally appeared in OCUFA Report. To receive stories like this every week, please subscribe.