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A new agreement at University of Toronto

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The University of Toronto Faculty Association (UTFA) has achieved a seven per cent pay increase, retroactive to July 1, 2022, for the third year of their 2020-2023 agreement. The seven per cent is in addition to the one per cent already awarded for each year of the agreement, resulting in a compounded total of 10.17 per cent for UTFA members over the three-year period. The increase also applies to the overload course rate.

Gains on workload were also achieved through revisions to the workload policy. The amount of technical and pedagogical support provided for teaching will now be considered as a relevant factor in considering workload. All academic departments are now required to prepare an Annual Workload Document and share it with members of the unit and UTFA by June 30 of each year. This addresses a longstanding concern of UTFA members around the lack of transparency for assigned workloads with respect to teaching, service, mode of delivery, class size, teaching assistant support, and course release.

These improvements were set out in an arbitration award issued by Eli Gedalof earlier this month. Following Justice Koehnen’s striking down of Bill 124 as unconstitutional, UTFA had requested that Arbitrator Gedalof consider proposals on further salary increases, in addition to outstanding workload proposals. This most recent award follows an earlier mediated settlement and subsequent arbitration award.

 

Why faculty expertise is essential to implementing university technology

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In the latest issue of Educated Solutions on the theme of technology in postsecondary education, OCUFA President Nigmendra Narain made the case for why faculty expertise must be integrated into university decision-making around technology and artificial intelligence, now and in the future.
 
“Students should expect a transformative experience in a classroom. And it’s our faculty who have the expertise to ensure that they do,” he wrote in the magazine, published by the Ontario Undergraduate Student Alliance (OUSA). “Ontario public universities can be equipped to tackle the technology of the future only with proper government investment in our universities for good academic jobs and student tuition fee support.”
 
Read the full article and the entire issue here.

Faculty and academic librarians say more can be done to improve campus safety

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OCUFA President Nigmendra Narain spoke to media about the issue of campus safety, following the tragic attack at University of Waterloo in June 2023. In several interviews, he offered recommendations for universities and the provincial government to improve safety for all members of the campus community.
 
Funding universities properly is an important part of this process.
 
“We have to face up to the fact that campus safety is an issue and [Colleges and Universities Minister Jill Dunlop] and the province have a place to play here because Ontario itself ranks last in Canada for per-capita university funding,” he said in an interview with CityNews Kitchener.
 
In the Waterloo Region Record, Narain pointed out that current investment in campus safety is inadequate to address the problem. Referring to the government’s $6 million Campus Safety Grant, he said: “On the surface this appears like a large investment, but when divided across the 23 public universities and 24 colleges in Ontario it only amounts to $127,659.57 per institution… This illustrates the sheer lack of meaningful investment the provincial government is making in campus safety and universities more generally.”
 
In interviews with the Canadian Press and CBC’s The National, Narain also highlighted the safety concerns of faculty and students studying social justice, gender, and race issues.
 
“These classes themselves have become a lightning rod in terms of hate and online extremism, in particular,” he said. “We need to have a better and broader conversation about campus safety overall, to protect the mission of the university which is to discuss, talk, collaborate, do research and give students a strong learning environment.”
 
Follow OCUFA to keep up to date on all our media appearances and read OCUFA’s statement on the Waterloo attack here.

New pension plan at Wilfrid Laurier

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As a separate process from bargaining, members of the Wilfrid Laurier University Faculty Association (WLUFA) and the Executive have ratified a tentative agreement that provides consent under the Pension Benefits Act to convert the Wilfrid Laurier Pension Plan to the University Pension Plan (UPP).
 
WLUFA’s primary interest in entering negotiations over conversion to the UPP was to secure greater stability and accountability for the pension plan by moving from a single employer pension plan where the employer has sole responsibility for funding the plan, to one that has shared governance and risk.
 
The tentative agreement includes provisions for a one-time offset that covers the difference in contribution rates between the Laurier Plan and the UPP. The offset will apply to all members, including contract faculty and part-time librarians, whether they are members of the Pension Plan or not. The Agreement also provides that past WLU service will count towards the UPP’s early retirement option. Administrative stipends for WLUFA members will be counted as pensionable earnings when determining benefits and contributions. The agreement also moves the Supplemental Pension Plan into the WLUFA full-time collective agreement for the first time.
 
Because Laurier has a single plan that covers all employees, other campus unions will each negotiate and vote on their own agreements regarding conversion to the UPP, a process that will likely be completed over the winter.

Ontario faculty call for transparency from government on student housing crisis consultations

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TORONTO, September 13, 2023 – Faculty and academic librarians are calling for more clarity and bold solutions from the Minister of Colleges and Universities after a recent announcement that the Ministry will host consultations on the student housing crisis this fall.

The Minister announced the start of roundtable meetings that include representatives from municipalities, private career colleges, and builders, with the aim of removing barriers to creating affordable student housing. It is unclear in the initial announcement which stakeholders in the postsecondary sector will be invited to participate in the meetings.

“It is disturbing that reporting on the government’s initial list of consultants regarding the student housing crisis does not include people who have seen its effects firsthand, including faculty and academic librarians and student groups,” said Nigmendra Narain, President of the Ontario Confederation of University Faculty Associations. “Faculty and their allies have been offering a straightforward solution to the student housing crisis, and that solution is more core funding for our postsecondary sector from the government. The government needs to listen to the real experts with real experience on this issue.”

The chronic underfunding of the postsecondary sector has forced universities to look elsewhere for revenue, including tuition fees from international students. Domestic students are also facing high student debt, and now all students are facing a housing affordability crisis.

“International students did not cause this crisis. Government neglect of our world-class public universities has caused this crisis. Reversing this trend and investing in public postsecondary education will help to solve it and help students,” said Narain.

The urgent need for sustainable, robust government funding in postsecondary education was also a key component of OCUFA’s recommendations to the government’s Blue-Ribbon Panel on postsecondary student success and financial stability earlier this year. That panel, whose report is now with the Minister, also did not include current faculty or student experts from the sector.

“If the Ford government really cares about fixing the housing crisis, it should be looking at creative solutions that require investment in our public institutions, together with faculty, staff, and students in our campus communities,” said OCUFA Executive Director Jenny Ahn. “In our Blue-Ribbon Panel submission, OCUFA warned that the Ford government’s underinvestment in our public universities would result in such a crisis. The government is walking a dangerous path, and the results will be disastrous if they continue to ignore real solutions.”

Faculty and academic librarians call on the government to fund universities adequately and sustainably, and meaningfully engage with true experts on a sustainable path forward for universities and their communities.

Founded in 1964, OCUFA represents 17,000 faculty, academic librarians, and other academic professionals in 30 member organizations across Ontario. It is committed to enhancing the quality of higher education in Ontario and recognizing the outstanding contributions of its members towards creating a world-class university system. For more information, please visit the OCUFA website at www.ocufa.on.ca.

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For more information, contact:
Manisha Aggarwal-Schifellite, Communications Lead at media@ocufa.on.ca

A Labour Day Interview with OCUFA President Nigmendra Narain

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OCUFA’s new President Nigmendra Narain, a Lecturer in Political Science at Western University, started his two-year term in July 2023. In recognition of Labour Day, he talks about the labour issues faculty and academic librarians face today, and how we can work collaboratively to improve working conditions for all workers across our campuses and our province.

What are some labour issues that faculty and academic librarians in Ontario face today?

All faculty—whether they are full-time, tenured faculty, contract faculty, academic librarians, or other academic professionals—face burnout. We are doing a lot more with way less. We’re seeing this in terms of exploding class sizes, the increase in workload from the pandemic era that has not receded, and a lack of resources from the government and universities to improve and expand teaching and research. So overall, this means that our faculty or librarians have less time for professional growth to improve teaching and devote to research output, which is necessary as a part of the university’s academic mission as well. Faculty mental and physical health has significantly suffered from this burnout, and we haven’t seen enough funding or support to assist with these issues.

Another area of concern is the situation for contract faculty. The job of a contract faculty member is precarious and non-permanent, and many are overworked and underpaid. I have been contract faculty now for over 20 years, so I’m well aware of the problems and pitfalls of trying to navigate a career as a contract faculty member, and to build a life in the face of instability.

A further concern is cuts to resources, including some recently announced ones for libraries that came through this summer. Librarians are under tremendous strain in this regard, as cuts mean there are not enough hirings of academic librarians, and still more work to do amongst those who already stretched in their librarian positions. We need librarians at our universities because they support faculty researchers, produce academic research themselves, and preparing students for the information economy of the future. The work of librarians includes research, teaching, and supporting roles, and all these roles are growing in scope.

Thus, the aforementioned are all troubling issues that we face in our workplaces, and we’re calling on the Ontario government to invest robust, sustainable funding into public universities so that we can improve these conditions and therefore enhance student learning conditions.

Why is it important to connect the concerns of faculty to the larger movement for workers’ rights?

The concerns and the challenges we are facing as faculty are similar for workers across other fields. We have faced attacks on our collective agreements and collective bargaining Charter rights, as well as universities’ increased reliance on precarious contracts instead of permanent positions for faculty. Some faculty and academic librarians are paid well after working for many years to research, teach, and publish in their field of expertise. But many are not paid well and face a great deal of job insecurity. We are all part of the labour movement as faculty, academic librarians, and academic staff. We and our allies in the labour movement want to build a stronger and fairer Ontario. Public universities are undoubtedly centers of communities beyond teaching and learning—they have significant social and economic impacts as well. We saw this during the crisis at Laurentian University.

Faculty and academic librarians—as employees and as members of the Sudbury community—came together with labour allies in their city and beyond to get justice for the community. OCUFA understands this and knows well that by working together with allies in the labour movement, we know we can accomplish big and important changes and improvements, such as successfully challenging Bill 124 in court as an unconstitutional infringement on workers’ rights. We must continue to do this collaborative work for the future of the postsecondary sector and the future of Ontario’s workers.

 

What are you looking forward to working on as President of OCUFA?

OCUFA has grown and engaged in many areas over the last couple of years, so I hope to continue and build on our past efforts and address new challenges. We will be supporting our member associations as they mobilize on their campuses for fair and equitable collective bargaining agreements and the advancement of their labour rights. We’ll also be growing our alliances across the labour movement. It’s important for us to see ourselves as workers, and to engage visibly with the labour movement to be seen as part of the struggle for workers’ rights.

I like to point out in my own workplace that if we look at the old Roman structure of the aqueducts that have lasted nearly two millennia, those aqueducts are still standing and strong  because they’re built on bricks who don’t work on their own, but  rely on the strength and the power of leaning on every other brick. Those archways have worked together for hundreds of years to hold together, and to uphold bridges and buildings. We must see our alliances in this same way: we pull together, we lean on each other, and thus, we are strongest together. All of this is to help each other, and to improve workers’ lives, and continue to enhance the formidable and world-class public universities our faculty, academic librarians and academic staff work and fight to build every day.

In every part of our advocacy, OCUFA will be working with all sector stakeholders and allies to invest in Ontario’s postsecondary future. This means calling on the government to protect our public universities and invest in the faculty and academic librarians who make them run and generate impactful research and well-educated students.

Learning about Indigenization and Collective Bargaining with OCUFA

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In the Spring, OCUFA’s Collective Bargaining Committee hosted two sessions on the challenges and gains made in the hiring and support of Indigenous faculty. Participants heard from Jean Teillet, Senior Counsel with Pape Salter Teillet, and author of the influential 2022 report to the University of Saskatchewan on Indigenous identity fraud. Jean Teillet spoke about importance of establishing Indigenous identity verification policies and procedures to prevent the harm caused by identity fraud. Her presentation served as an important basis for the afternoon session on improvements made in support of Indigenous faculty.

Participants also learned about the importance of ensuring Indigenous faculty engagement on the bargaining team, as well as the barriers, given that some universities had either no Indigenous faculty members, or such small numbers, particularly with tenure status, and the additional service burden consistently placed on Indigenous faculty. Speaking on the 2021 collective bargaining round for the Acadia University Faculty Association (AUFA) were Chief Negotiator Anthony Pash, and Shelly Johnson—Salteaux name Mukwa Musayett—Canada Research Chair in Indigenizing Higher Education at Thompson Rivers University, who served as an adviser to AUFA. Larry Savage, Chief Negotiator for the Brock University Faculty Association (BUFA), and Spy Dénommé-Welch (Algonquin-Anishnaabe), Canada Research Chair in Indigenous Arts, Knowledge Systems, and Education at the University of Western Ontario, presented on BUFA’s 2020 round.

The panelists spoke about wins at the table made despite such challenges, including a joint committee at Acadia, which includes members of the Mi’kmaq community, AUFA, and the University Board. Some objectives of the committee are to identify priorities, and recommend changes on professional responsibilities, workload, as well as hiring and retention for Indigenous faculty. Another gain was a cluster hire of three Indigenous scholars. At Brock, BUFA was able to negotiate criteria for determining graduate or PhD equivalency for Indigenous knowledge, as well as the ability for Indigenous members to bring an elder or knowledge keeper for promotion and tenure appeals or grievance procedures, in addition to the union representative. As a result of these gains, AUFA and BUFA expressed a commitment to evaluating these achievements in terms of support for and retention of Indigenous faculty, to build on these improvements over time.

New ratified agreement: Brock University

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In early July, members of the Brock University Faculty Association (BUFA) ratified a three-year collective agreement ending June 30, 2025. With strong member engagement reflected in a historic strike mandate (97 percent in favour), members made gains on their priorities of fair and reasonable compensation, job security for limited-term faculty, equity, supports for research, scholarship, and creative activity, greater scheduling protections, and collegial governance.

On compensation, members received a 3.5 per cent increase in scale, as well as a one-time lumpsum payment of $2,000 added to their base salary in 2023, followed by three percent increases to base in each of 2024 and 2025. Each member also received 2.2 percent increases in Progress through the Ranks (PTR) payments for each year of the agreement. Stipends for Chairs/ Directors and Program Directors, as well as overload stipends, will also increase.

Retired and former limited-term members received an increase to their Health Care Spending Account of 3.5 per cent in each of the first two years, and three percent in the third year of the agreement. Members also saw an increase in their coverage for psychological services and vision care, as well as in their moving expenses allotment. The statutory domestic/sexual violence leave provision has been incorporated into the collective agreement with double the paid leave guaranteed by the Employment Standards Act. This amounts to 10 paid days, with additional paid leave possible at the discretion of Dean/University Librarian. The eligibility to take phased retirement has been expanded from members over 60 to those over 55 years.

To support research, scholarship, and creative activities, a new Internal Research Grant will allot a minimum of $160,000 in each of the 2023-24, 2024-25, and 2025-26 budget years to fund general-topic internal research grant competition(s) open to all members.

A new Teaching Intensive faculty appointment has been created, with a workload distribution of 60 per cent teaching, 20 per cent service, and 20 per cent research/scholarly/creative activities, and a normal teaching load of six half-credit courses per academic year> Ah a minimum of 18 current Limited Term Appointments (LTA) and Instructional Limited Term Appointments (ILTA) will be converted to Teaching-Intensive faculty positions, with no less than half of these conversions to take effect by July 1, 2024. The proportion of Teaching Intensive faculty appointments to full-time faculty appointments is capped, and there will also be so a concomitant year over year decrease in the proportion of LTA and ILTA faculty to tenure and tenure-track faculty. In another step toward greater job security, the maximum length of the ILTA contract has been extended from three to five years.

The agreement contains several equity gains. A framework has been created for the initiation of Targeted Hiring Programs. “Black” has been added as a distinct designated group for the purposes of Employment Equity. The University will provide the Union with the results of its EDI census planned in 2023-2024. And, in preparation for an equity audit, a joint equity audit committee will be struck.

Criteria have been established for tenure and promotion to Associate Professor for Teaching-Intensive faculty members. Letters from external referees for all faculty applying for promotion may now comment on teaching and service in addition to research and scholarly activity. Changes have also been made to permanence and promotion provisions for professional librarian members.

On workload and working conditions, a minimum of 35 half-course or equivalent teaching releases will be distributed each year to members who engage in greater than expected levels of research, unscheduled teaching, or service. The workload distribution for ILTAs has been clarified. The ability of Professional Librarian members to work off campus has been confirmed. The University has committed to a comprehensive review of current practices of course scheduling, with a view toward improvement.

In a gain for collegial governance, a new provision recognizes the importance of member consultation and participation in the selection processes to fill senior academic administrative positions. The University will engage and consult with the Union on any changes to the policy governing the appointment of the President and Vice-Presidents. On other information sharing, the Administration will now be required to provide BUFA with audited financial statements; comparison of budgeted financial results to actual; and trimester financial reports presented to the Board of Trustees.

New ratified agreement: Wilfrid Laurier University

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Members of the Wilfrid Laurier University Faculty Association (WLUFA) Full-Time faculty unit ratified a new three-year agreement that made significant gains on their priorities of workload, working conditions, and increasing compensation to make up for caps imposed by Bill 124 as well as inflation. The agreement was reached over three weeks of concentrated bargaining in May and June.

On compensation, members received a three per cent increase in salary scale, floors, and stipends for each year of the agreement, along with a 0.5 per cent Ontario System Adjustment increase in 2024 and 2025. In terms of benefits, members successfully resisted the imposition of co-payment requirements on several categories of benefits and gained eligibility for Sun Life’s extended gender affirmation coverage. Compassionate leave has been extended to death or illness of those who are “considered to be like family.” Leaves may be extended to accommodate creed-based practices and travel, with supporting documentation to be provided upon request.

To address workload, the Chair’s stipend was increased for the next three years. Course releases available for research excellence will be extended to cover instructional development and graduate supervision beyond the norm, and the pool of eligible courses expanded. The maximum limit on marking assistance has been raised from 125 to 195 hours.

Faculty complement will be increased over the life of the agreement, from the current 480 to 490. However, the suspension of the penalty on teaching by non-members during the 2020-23 agreement because of COVID-19 will be extended until June 30, 2025.

Members have retained their right over mode of course delivery. Members cannot be assigned Online or Special courses without their consent unless:

  1. There is no other work available for them in the subunit
  2. The mode of delivery for the course has been approved by the department/program-in-council, faculty-in-council, and Senate.

Full Time Members will be paid the same for teaching online courses and regular courses, on overload. Those who develop online courses will have the option to teach them the first three times the courses are offered, as part of their regular load.

Librarians have also made gains on working conditions, among them the entitlement to work partially from home on a regular basis.

A significant equity gain has been the creation of a new Equity, Diversity, Inclusion, and Indigenization (EDII) fund of $20,000, with $10,000 for EDI work and $10,000 for Indigenous Knowledge endeavours.

Changes were also made to hiring and tenure and promotion committee procedures, and to referral and evaluation criteria for promotion to Full Professor.

Among other changes: Merit categories have been made more flexible. “Teaching Evaluations” will be referred to as “Student Course Surveys” and no evaluation of teaching can rely exclusively or primarily on them. To address research misconduct, research data must be retained retention for seven years following the end of a project’s data collection and recording period, and the Tri-Council framework on what constitutes misconduct has been adopted. Conflict-of-interest provisions have been extended to “intimate partnerships,” not just “sexual relationships.”

Job Posting: Operations Director

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Permanent, Regular, Full-Time Position
Deadline: 5:00 p.m. on Friday, August 25, 2023

 The Ontario Confederation of University Faculty Associations (OCUFA) is located in the Dish with One Spoon Territory, which exists as the result of a treaty between the Anishinaabe, Mississaugas, and Haudenosaunee that bound them to protect and share the land. Subsequent Indigenous nations and peoples, Europeans, and all newcomers have been invited into this treaty in the spirit of peace, friendship, and respect.

Founded in 1964, OCUFA seeks to maintain and enhance the quality of higher education in Ontario, and to advance the professional and economic interests of teachers, researchers, and librarians in Ontario universities. A member driven organization, OCUFA works to ensure that the views of its 30 member associations—which represent more than 17,000 tenure-stream and contract faculty, academic librarians, and other academic professionals—are communicated to government policy makers, the public, and those concerned with the quality and accessibility of postsecondary education.

OCUFA is a progressive and dynamic organization whose work combines service and support for individual faculty associations with advocacy that brings faculty issues to government, the media, and the public. This work supports the vision that OCUFA and its members have for the social and economic roles played by universities and faculty in Ontario.

Driven by and responsive to members, OCUFA supports faculty associations with bargaining, grievance, equity, capacity building, communications, education, alliance building, leadership, and development. OCUFA is also an advocate for its membership to government, relevant stakeholders, and other decision makers in the postsecondary education sector through direct communications, lobbying, provincial campaigns.

For more information about OCUFA, please visit: https://ocufa.on.ca/

Position responsibilities

Working under the supervision of the Executive Director (ED), the Operations Director (OD) is responsible for assisting the Executive Director overseeing the administration operations of OCUFA. Key aspects of this diverse portfolio include supporting the ED with operational procedures and processes, staff leadership, financial sustainability, as well as the coordination of the day-to-day operations fostering a respectful, effective, and collegial work environment that is safe and healthy, and compliant with occupational health and safety standards. The OD ensures strong systems are in place to support OCUFA operations.

The Operations Director will be part of a dynamic team who will work collaboratively to deliver the services required to meet OCUFA’s mandate, provide support for OCUFA’s member organizations, and assist in related advocacy initiatives.

Key opportunities and challenges

  • Assist to develop and execute OCUFA’s vision for the future of Ontario universities and the advancement of faculty rights.
  • Work closely with the ED to ensure the smooth running of an organization grounded in justice, equity, diversity, and inclusion.
  • Coordinate a collaborative team of more than 12 unionized staff in a collaborative and self‐directed working environment and be committed to ensuring a focus on equity at every level of the organization.
  • Ensure that the ED is fully briefed on operational activities, organizational priorities, and any organization or sector problems that might arise.

Duties and Responsibilities

Operations Management

  • Oversees general office operations.
  • Responsible for office facilities, space planning, and procurement of furniture and equipment.
  • Responsible for the procurement and adherence to OCUFA’s business insurance policies.
  • Responsible for Occupational Health & Safety.

Administration Management

  • Advises on strategic initiatives for administration management and develops implementation plans.
  • General financial tracking, using Excel balance sheets and adhering to budgets.
  • Manages and has direct supervision over the Administrative Assistant and Policy Officer of Information Systems and Office Management (POISOM). Manages and administers relationships with vendors, contractors, and consultants working with the POISOM.

Information & Records Management Systems

  • Advises on strategic initiatives for Information & Records Management Systems.
  • Manages and administers relationship with the POISOM.
  • Oversees the development of the OCUFA’s operational processes and procedures and the supporting information systems.

Human Resources Management

  • Responsible for managing and identifying personnel systems.
  • Supervise and build a strong collaborative and self-directed team, facilitate open communication, ensure ongoing wellness, development, recognition, trust, and appreciation.
  • Champion equity issues, inclusion, and a people-focused approach to management; foster a supportive and respectful working environment that is committed to diversity.
  • Recommend staffing requirements for operations and program delivery; recruit, train, and mentor staff; working with the ED to ensure fair and equitable delegation of work.
  • Ensure HR policies, procedures, and job descriptions are developed, reviewed regularly, and meet legislative requirements (note: much of this work will be done in collaboration with the staff union).
  • Ensure that relations with the bargaining unit remain open, collegial, and responsive and that the Collective Agreement is followed and negotiated in a timely manner.
  • Responsible for recruitment process.
  • Assists the Executive Director with termination process.
  • Responsible for staff on-boarding and off-boarding processes.
  • Administers payroll and benefits processes.

Personnel Management

  • Responsible for the OCUFA’s commitment to the Health & Safety at the OCUFA Office, which includes conducting regular personnel check-ins and annual reviews with all bargaining unit staff.
  • Administers CUPE 1281 Collective Agreement, including authorizing leave entitlements/requests.
  • Serves as the OCUFA’s spokesperson for the CUPE 1281 relationship.
  • Responsible for leading the OCUFA’s preparation for collective bargaining with CUPE 1281 and serves on the bargaining committee for the OCUFA.
  • Responsible for performance management and discipline of bargaining unit staff.
  • In consultation with and final approval by the Executive Director, formulates and implements personnel management policies.

Governance/Board administration:

  • Support the ED with writing reports and with Board implementation of its strategic priorities to advance the interests of members.
  • Support the ED by attending Board meetings, assist with the development of the Board meeting package and relevant documentation in collaboration with the ED and staff responding to Board meeting requests as required.
  • Support the ED to brief member associations on all the activities of the organization and to communicate Board policy and decisions to members associations and other stakeholders, as appropriate and directed by the ED.
  • Ensure effective and timely communications to ensure the ED is fully briefed on committee activities, organizational priorities, and any organization or sector problems that might arise.
  • Oversee the delegated responsibility of the final minutes by bargaining unit staff and when required take minutes at meetings and workshops.
  • Assist in Executive/Board meeting/workshop coordination and planning.
  • Onboarding/off-boarding Board members.

Operational Leadership

  • Support the ED and work with the staff to identify operational priorities in relation to OCUFA’s strategic objectives and mission.
  • Support an organizational culture that is culturally safe, ethical, and appropriate, which attracts, retains, and motivates staff to contribute to the successful delivery of programs and services.
  • Support the ongoing implementation of effective financial and administrative systems.

Candidate Qualifications

The Operations Director will be an engaged and proactive leader, committed to building the operations at OCUFA that required to best support member associations and a high-quality postsecondary education system in Ontario. The successful candidate will have demonstrated communication abilities, with knowledge of administrative operations, member services, union bargaining, grievance processes, and the labour movement. The successful candidate will have an advanced degree, with over five years of progressive management and leadership skills, within the postsecondary (or related) environment. The role requires excellent interpersonal, labour relations, and project management skills. An equivalent combination of education and experience will be considered.

Requirements

  • Experience working with and/or reporting directly to an ED and Board of Directors with a demonstrated understanding of non-profit governance.
  • Experience managing a unionized team of staff of comparable size in a collaborative and self‐directed working environment.
  • Experience in the postsecondary and/or related environment.
  • Experience working and/or participating in a member-driven organization.
  • A commitment to, and demonstrated experience advancing social justice, equity, diversity, inclusion, and parity.
  • Experience developing, implementing, and monitoring strategic and operational plans, that build on an organization’s mission and values.
  • Experience implementing and monitoring operational budgets, including financial planning, and reporting.

Competencies

  • Knowledge of non-profit funding, operations, and governance best practices.
  • Knowledge of the postsecondary education sector and university structures and operations.
  • Knowledge of unionized workplace settings.
  • Superior listening, interpersonal, written and verbal communication skills, with a demonstrated capacity to build and maintain positive and collaborative relationships across diverse stakeholders.
  • Outcomes based, with demonstrated analytical, problem solving, and strategic thinking skills.
  • Strong project, time management and facilitation skills with the flexibility to effectively prioritize and adapt.
  • Strong organizational skills, including the ability to organize the work of
  • Strong understanding of financial management.
  • Well-developed personnel record-keeping
  • High degree of proficiency with MS Office suite of programs, One Drive, and Zoom
  • Familiarity with BoardEffect is an asset.
  • Conducts work with a high degree of discretion and
  • Highly organized with a strong attention to
  • Strong in identifying needs and opportunities and generating
  • Ability to work effectively and cooperatively with colleagues in a high-volume office environment where competing priorities regularly shift.
  • French bilingualism is an asset.

Knowledge

  • Administration – knowledge of office operations procedures and process, including information and record keeping.
  • Management – knowledge of effective supervisory and people management principles
  • Personnel and Human Resources – knowledge of procedures and processes for employee life cycle, compensation and benefits, labour relations, and personnel information systems, particularly in a unionized setting.
  • Governance – familiarity of governance best practices.
  • Privacy – knowledge of privacy best practices

Equity, Diversity & Inclusion

All qualified candidates are encouraged to apply. OCUFA welcomes and encourages applications from qualified individuals from equity-seeking groups, including women, members of racialized groups, Indigenous persons, persons with disabilities, persons of any sexual orientation, gender identity or gender expression, persons of any age, religion, or political belief and regardless of marital status or family status. We strive to ensure the recruitment process unfolds in a fair, transparent, timely and open manner to include individuals previously underrepresented or discouraged from participating.

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Should you be interested in learning more about this unique opportunity with OCUFA, please forward your resume to Jenny J. H. Ahn, Executive Director, with a letter of introduction, the names and contact information of three references, in confidence, to applications@ocufa.on.ca by 5:00 p.m. on Friday August 25, 2023.  All qualified candidates are encouraged to apply; however, Canadian citizens and permanent residents will be given priority.  While we appreciate all interest, only those candidates selected for an interview will be contacted. 

Job Posting: Executive and Special Projects Coordinator

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Permanent, Regular, Full-Time Position (Policy Level A)
Deadline: 5:00 p.m. on Friday, August 25, 2023

Working under the supervision of the Executive Director, the successful candidate for Executive and Special Projects Coordinator will assist with coordinating and organizing OCUFA’s meetings, events, and special projects on behalf of Ontario’s university faculty and academic librarians. The Executive and Special Projects Coordinator will be part of a dynamic team of policy staff who work collaboratively to deliver the services required to meet OCUFA’s mandate, provide support for OCUFA’s member organizations, and assist in related advocacy initiatives.

About OCUFA

Founded in 1964, OCUFA represents 17,000 university faculty, academic librarians, and other academic professionals in 30 member organizations across Ontario. It is committed to enhancing the quality of higher education in Ontario and recognizing the outstanding contributions of its members toward creating a world-class university system. For more information, please visit the OCUFA website at www.ocufa.on.ca.

Areas of Responsibility

  • Providing staff support to the OCUFA Board and Executive, assigned committees, workshops and conferences where required.
  • Staff support for OCUFA committee(s), as assigned:
    • Assisting in the development of the goals and strategic direction the committee including developing workshops and planning trainings; and
    • Communicating with committee members, sharing resources, and developing relationships with other committees; and
    • Support the committee chair on undertaking committee work.
  • Providing policy, research, communications, and administrative support to specific special projects undertaken by OCUFA, including, but not limited to:
    • Assisting in the development of the goals and strategic direction for projects and conferences;
    • Drafting and implementing work plans;
    • Developing and maintaining relationships with committees, associations, organizations, individuals, and staff relevant to projects;
    • Drafting project reports;
    • Liaising with the Executive Director to keep track of budgets and
    • expenditures, and identifying funding opportunities; and
    • Monitoring, reporting on, and providing analysis on legislation, regulations, programs, and policy directions that impact projects undertaken.
  • Coordinating work in the Executive Director’s office, including, but not limited to:
    • Administrative, communications, and research support;
    • Preparing materials for Executive, Board, staff, and other meetings and liaising and coordinating with other staff involved in the production and distribution of meeting materials;
    • Preparing speaking notes, correspondence, reports, and briefing notes for OCUFA’s President, Executive Director, Executive members, and relevant committees;
    • Coordinating committee chairs meetings and calls; and
    • Coordinating OCUFA’s Annual awards of distinction, working with staff assigned to selection committees, and planning the awards gala dinner.
  • Representing OCUFA at meetings where appropriate.
  • Supporting the Communications Lead with editing Academic Matters.
  • Other duties may be assigned from time to time as the changing needs of OCUFA.

Skills and Requirements

  • Demonstrated knowledge and experience in project management and office coordination, including the ability to multitask and prioritize work;
  • Critical thinking on complex problems with a solutions-oriented approach;
  • Excellent organizational, communication, and analytical skills and an understanding of advocacy, research, and critical policy analysis;
  • Ability to synthesize and filter a large amount of information in a succinct and accessible manner;
  • A proficient level of computer literacy;
  • An understanding of, and commitment to, social justice and equity related issues, particularly those that may impact the university sector;
  • Knowledge and experience with Ontario labour unions and the broader labour movement in Canada;
  • A minimum of a graduate degree, and 5 years experience within advocacy organizations, labour unions, research institutes, public sector agencies, or professional associations, or the equivalent combination of education and work experience; and
  • Ability to work on projects individually and in collaboration with other staff members independent of supervision.

This is a permanent, regular, full-time position, classified as Policy Level A, as defined in the terms and conditions of employment governed by the Collective Agreement between OCUFA and CUPE Local 1281. The salary range for this position is $99,624.90 to $118,785.94. Full benefits are offered in accordance with the Collective Agreement. All OCUFA staff act under the direction and authority of the Executive Director.

This position is based at the OCUFA office in Toronto, Ontario, with the option of a weekly hybrid work arrangement as detailed in the Collective Agreement. Occasional travel and weekend work will be required.

OCUFA is a unionized and equal-opportunity employer that is committed to the principle of employment equity and welcomes diversity in the workplace.

Please submit your cover letter, resume, and the names of three references, packaged in one PDF, to applications@ocufa.on.ca by 5:00 p.m. on Friday, August 25, 2023.

Job Posting: Senior Research Analyst

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Permanent, Regular, Full-Time Position (Policy Level B)
Deadline: 5:00 p.m. on Friday, August 25, 2023

Working under the supervision of the Executive Director, the successful candidate for Senior Research Analyst will develop, guide, and maintain OCUFA’s sectoral and institutional research and databases on behalf of Ontario’s university faculty and academic librarians. The Senior Research Analyst will be part of a dynamic team of policy staff who work collaboratively to deliver the services required to meet OCUFA’s mandate, provide support for OCUFA’s member organizations, and assist in related advocacy initiatives.

About OCUFA

Founded in 1964, OCUFA represents 17,000 university faculty, academic librarians, and other academic professionals in 30 member organizations across Ontario. It is committed to enhancing the quality of higher education in Ontario and recognizing the outstanding contributions of its members toward creating a world-class university system. For more information, please visit the OCUFA website at www.ocufa.on.ca.

Areas of Responsibility

  • Initiating, developing, and maintaining databases and designing projects related to the research interests of OCUFA, in areas such as faculty hiring, faculty demographics, salaries, benefits and terms and conditions of employment, university financing and provincial funding, student enrolments, and accessibility;
  • Provide research support for government relations work, including annual provincial budget priorities and ongoing trend analysis in Ontario and Canadian post-secondary education;
  • Critically analyzing data within an advocacy framework, collective bargaining context, and in response to provincial and member organization priorities;
  • Economic analysis based on priorities and needs of OCUFA;
  • Preparing analytical quantitative reports, briefs, submissions, and other publications;
  • Liaising with faculty associations, individuals, institutions, and other organizations relevant to the research and data requirements of OCUFA;
  • Initiating and maintaining contact with senior staff in the civil service, coalition partnerships, and other organizations;
  • Representing OCUFA at meetings where appropriate;
  • May be required to co-ordinate and oversee the work of other policy staff on special projects;
  • Staff support to OCUFA Executive, Board, assigned committees, workshops, and conferences; and
  • Other duties as assigned from time to time to meet the changing needs of OCUFA.

Skills and Requirements

  • Superb written and oral communication skills;
  • A high level of demonstrated quantitative and qualitative analytical skills;
  • Extensive background in collective bargaining, higher education, economics and/or public policy research;
  • An in-depth understanding of the postsecondary sector and education policy in Ontario and Canada;
  • An in-depth understanding of advocacy research and critical policy analysis;
  • Ability to synthesize and filter a large amount of information in a succinct manner and write accessible quantitative research reports for a wide range of audiences;
  • Knowledge and experience with Ontario labour unions and the broader labour movement in Canada;
  • Project management skills and the ability to guide the work of others;
  • Ability to work on projects individually and in collaboration with other staff members independent of supervision;
  • A proficient level of computer literacy; and
  • A minimum of a graduate degree and ten years of experience in quantitative and qualitative policy research (or the equivalent combination of education and work experience); and
  • Ability to provide team leadership and coordination.

This is a permanent, regular, full-time position, classified as Policy Level B, as defined in the terms and conditions of employment governed by the Collective Agreement between OCUFA and CUPE Local 1281. The salary range for this position is $119,153.87 to $138,314.91. Full benefits are offered in accordance with the Collective Agreement. All OCUFA staff act under the direction and authority of the Executive Director.

Based at the OCUFA office in Toronto, Ontario, with the option of a weekly hybrid work arrangement as detailed in the Collective Agreement. Occasional travel will be required.

OCUFA is a unionized and equal-opportunity employer that is committed to the principle of employment equity and welcomes diversity in the workplace.

Please submit your cover letter, resume, and the names of three references, packaged in one PDF, to applications@ocufa.on.ca by 5:00 p.m. on Friday, August 25, 2023.

OCUFA Awards of Distinction announced

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TORONTO, July 20, 2023 – The Ontario Confederation of University Faculty Associations (OCUFA) recognized ten members of the academic community for teaching, librarianship, journalism, scholarship, and service to their faculty associations.

“The 2022-2023 recipients of the OCUFA Awards of Distinction showcase the great innovation, advocacy, and dedication found on our public university campuses and in the higher education community,” said Nigmendra Narain, OCUFA President. “The selected recipients are actively pushing our sector forward in exciting and innovative ways in the classroom, at the bargaining table, in research, and in the media. OCUFA is pleased to celebrate their work and contributions to our universities and the postsecondary sector.”

The recipients of the OCUFA Teaching Awards are:

  • Stavroula (Roula) Andreopoulos, Teaching Stream Professor, Temerty Faculty of Medicine, University of Toronto
  • Ali Arya, Associate Professor, School of Information Technology, Carleton University
  • Véronic Bézaire, Instructor, Department of Chemistry, Carleton University

The recipients of the OCUFA Henry Mandelbaum Graduate Fellowships for Excellence in Social Sciences, Humanities, or Arts are:

  • Mohit Dudeja (Doctoral), Education, Lakehead University
  • Aqsa Zahid (Masters), Counselling and Clinical Psychology, University of Toronto

The recipient of the OCUFA Mark Rosenfeld Fellowship in Higher Education Journalism is:

  • David Venn, Assistant Editor, Literary Review of Canada

The recipient of the OCUFA Equity and Social Justice Committee Award is:

  • Sobia Iqbal, Diversity and Equity Committee Chair, Wilfrid Laurier University Faculty Association (WLUFA)

The recipient of the OCUFA Grievance/Arbitration Award is:

  • Natasha Udell, Legal Counsel, Association of Professors of the University of Ottawa (APUO)

The recipient of the OCUFA Lorimer Collective Bargaining Award is:

  • Susan Wurtele, Chief Negotiator, Trent University Faculty Association (TUFA)

The recipient of the OCUFA Service Award is:

  • Mike Eklund, President, University of Ontario Institute of Technology Faculty Association (UOITFA)

The awards will be presented at the OCUFA Awards of Distinction event at the Sheraton Centre Toronto Hotel on Saturday, October 28, 2023.

Founded in 1964, OCUFA represents 17,000 faculty, academic librarians, and other academic professionals in 30 member organizations across Ontario. It is committed to enhancing the quality of higher education in Ontario and recognizing the outstanding contributions of its members towards creating a world-class university system. For more information, please visit the OCUFA website at www.ocufa.on.ca.

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For more information, contact:
Manisha Aggarwal-Schifellite, Communications Lead at media@ocufa.on.ca

Nigmendra Narain, professor at Western, succeeds to OCUFA Presidency

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TORONTO, June 30, 2023 – Nigmendra Narain, faculty member at Western University, will be the 35th President of the Ontario Confederation of University Faculty Associations (OCUFA) starting July 1, 2023, for a two-year term.

“Ontario’s world-class, publicly funded universities offer unparalleled value to our communities, province and economy, and faculty and academic librarians are vital contributors to their success,” said Narain. “I’m very honoured to lead OCUFA and continue more than 50 years of advocacy for our public universities and the people who make them run.”

A lecturer and course coordinator in the Department of Political Science at Western, Narain has received multiple awards for teaching and service and is the former President and current Past President of the University of Western Ontario Faculty Association (UWOFA). He is also the former Vice-President of OCUFA. His research interests include International Relations, gender politics, and security studies.

“It’s essential,” said Narain, “that public universities receive stable and robust funding, that their governance be transparent and equitable, and that university jobs are stable and of high quality. OCUFA will keep pressing the provincial government to adequately invest in our public universities to ensure that they thrive now and in the future.”

Narain thanked outgoing President Sue Wurtele for steering OCUFA with strength, dedication, purpose, and experience during times of upheaval in the education sector and public service nationwide. Wurtele’s tenure overlapped with the crisis at Laurentian University and subsequent campaign to reform corporate restructuring and bankruptcy laws at the federal level, the striking down of Bill 124 by Ontario courts, and the creation of a provincial government Blue-Ribbon Panel focused on post-secondary education success.

“Sue has been a consistent, strong voice for faculty, academic librarians, students, and university workers in the face of great hostility from the Ford government, opaque legislation, and attacks on workers’ rights,” said Narain. “I am grateful for her expertise and leadership as President, and am thrilled Sue will be staying on the OCUFA Executive as Chair of the Board. I look forward to embarking on the next phase of OCUFA’s advocacy work collectively.”

The following members will join Narain on the OCUFA Executive:

  • Vice-President, Rob Kristofferson (Wilfrid Laurier University)
  • Treasurer, Tyler Chamberlin (University of Ottawa)
  • Officer at Large, Mike Eklund (Ontario Tech University)
  • Officer at Large, Kimberly Ellis-Hale (Wilfrid Laurier University)
  • Officer at Large, Daniel Paré (University of Ottawa)
  • Past President and Board Chair, Sue Wurtele (Trent University)

Founded in 1964, OCUFA represents 17,000 faculty, academic librarians, and other academic professionals in 30 member organizations across Ontario. It is committed to enhancing the quality of higher education in Ontario and recognizing the outstanding contributions of its members towards creating a world-class university system. For more information, please visit the OCUFA website at www.ocufa.on.ca.

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For more information, contact:
Manisha Aggarwal-Schifellite, Communications Lead at media@ocufa.on.ca

University faculty and academic librarians condemn attack at University of Waterloo

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TORONTO, June 29, 2023 — University faculty and academic librarians in Ontario were deeply disturbed to learn of the recent knife attack in a classroom at the University of Waterloo by a former student. The victims were attacked during a philosophy class focused on gender issues. A professor and two students were taken to hospital with serious injuries, and OCUFA extends sympathy and best wishes for a healing recovery for all injured parties.

“OCUFA and its members condemn all forms of campus violence. We are especially concerned that such an attack would take place during a class on issues of gender and that the attacker is believed to have been motivated by hate regarding gender expression and gender identity,” said OCUFA President Sue Wurtele.

Women, transgender, and nonbinary people experience significantly high rates of violence, threats, and hate. Faculty and academic librarians working and teaching in areas of social justice also face threats and harm for their work. The attacker’s hateful motivations, focused specifically on gender expression and gender identity, are deeply troubling.

“All faculty and academic librarians must be able to teach, research, and work without extremist threats to their safety and livelihoods,” said Wurtele. “OCUFA strongly supports this right.”

OCUFA and its members send solidarity and support to Waterloo’s students, faculty, and staff, in the aftermath of this traumatic incident. Faculty and academic librarians are committed to fostering inclusive, diverse, and safe campuses, and ensuring that those who work, live, and study at Ontario’s universities can do so without fear.

Founded in 1964, OCUFA represents 17,000 professors and academic librarians in 30 faculty associations across Ontario. It is committed to enhancing the quality of higher education in Ontario and recognizing the outstanding contributions of its members towards creating a world-class university system. For more information, please visit the OCUFA website at www.ocufa.on.ca.

For more information, contact:
Manisha Aggarwal-Schifellite, Communications Lead, at communications@ocufa.on.ca