Latest Posts

OCUFA calls for resignation of Ross Romano amid devastating cuts to jobs and programs at Laurentian University

| By |

TORONTO, April 12, 2021 — Following news that approximately 60 programs have been cut at Laurentian University and that over 80 faculty members have lost their jobs, the Ontario Confederation of University Faculty Associations is calling for the resignation of Minister of Colleges and Universities Ross Romano. These devastating cuts are the direct result of negligence on the part of the Minister, who was well aware of the financial challenges Laurentian was facing at least six months before they became public. Romano has not done the work needed to support Laurentian University and its students, faculty, or community. Ontario’s university faculty and academic librarians have lost confidence and trust in the Minister’s commitment to the university sector.

“If Ross Romano had done his job, none of these cuts would have occurred,” said Rahul Sapra, President of the Ontario Confederation of University Faculty Associations. “Romano and the Ford government knew about the depths of Laurentian’s financial difficulties for months, if not years. They had numerous opportunities to take action to avert this crisis. Instead, they chose to do nothing and betrayed the trust of Ontarians.”

The financial crisis facing Laurentian was created by the provincial government, which has chronically underfunded Ontario’s universities, cut and froze tuition fees without providing equivalent public funding, and abandoned an important Northern university in its greatest moment of need.

As Minister, Romano has demonstrated the same resistance to consultation, transparency, and accountability as the Laurentian administration. Romano has made announcement after announcement for the postsecondary education sector without consulting faculty, academic librarians, staff, or students. He has also repeatedly refused invitations to meet with representatives of OCUFA to discuss the situation at Laurentian and other challenges facing Ontario universities.

A recent poll conducted by EKOS Research Associates for OCUFA shows that Ontarians strongly disagree with Romano’s negligent approach. According to 66 per cent of Ontarians, the provincial government should provide Laurentian with the funding it needs to protect its bilingual and Indigenous programs. A further 63 per cent of Ontarians want the government to provide additional funding to protect programs and jobs at other universities that face financial difficulties.

The Ontario government needs to immediately invest in Laurentian University to avoid job losses, reverse these harmful cuts, support students and the Greater Sudbury community, and reassure public universities across Ontario that the government is committed to their success.

“This news is devastating for the faculty and staff who have dedicated their lives to Laurentian University,” said Sapra. “The impacts of these cuts will be felt well beyond the halls of Laurentian. They will reverberate throughout the Greater Sudbury area, hurting students, hard-working families, and the local economy.”

Although the full scope of the cuts is not yet clear, OCUFA expresses its unreserved support for members of the Laurentian University Faculty Association, staff, and students at the university.

The cuts announced at Laurentian follow months of costly and secretive legal proceedings under the Companies’ Creditors Arrangement Act (CCAA) that have been forced on faculty and staff by the Laurentian University administration with implicit approval from Minister Romano. From the start, OCUFA has argued that the CCAA is being inappropriately used, as it is legislation created for private-sector corporations, not public universities.

Laurentian University is a public institution, which means that Romano and the provincial government have a responsibility to provide it with the operating funding it needs to operate effectively. Instead, Laurentian is the first public university nationwide to experience a financial crisis and receive no financial assistance from the provincial government.

“If Minister Romano believes in Ontario’s public university system, he needs to step in now and fund Laurentian,” said Sapra. “If not, he should resign from his position as Minister to make way for someone who understands the importance of Ontario’s world-class public university system, is willing to secure its future for current and future generations, and will provide immediate funding to save Laurentian University.”

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.

–30–

For more information or to arrange an interview, contact:
Ben Lewis, OCUFA Communications Lead at 416-306-6033 or communications@ocufa.on.ca

OCUFA board meeting discusses unprecedented proceedings at Laurentian University

| By | Be the first to leave a comment

On February 20, OCUFA held its second Board of Directors Meeting of the 2020-21 academic year. The virtual meeting focused on the challenges facing the Laurentian University Faculty Association (LUFA) following Laurentian University’s surprise filing of court protection under the Companies’ Creditors Arrangement Act (CCAA), due to financial challenges it is facing as a result of reckless administrative decisions and the erosion of public university funding.

The meeting included a legal presentation on the CCAA proceedings by law firm Koskie Minsky and a discussion about the different ways OCUFA and its member associations have been supporting LUFA, including an advocacy week of meetings with MPPs, regional organizing work, a letter-writing campaign, among other actions.

In addition to the alarming events at Laurentian, throughout the meeting, board members also discussed OCUFA’s priorities for the 2020-21 academic year and the challenges presented by the Ford government. The 2020-21 priorities, as identified by the OCUFA Board, are good jobs, university funding and capacity building.

Taking action and showing solidarity

Inspired by the incredible work of the Black Lives Matter movement and #scholarstrikecanada, the OCUFA Board of Directors adopted a policy on campus policing, following the Board’s decision to strike a working group to examine policing on Ontario campuses at its previous October meeting. The policy supports moving to anti-carceral safety measures on and off campus; supporting community movements and organizations working to change policing systems and increase racial justice and equity; increasing mental health supports and funding on campus (both individual counselling services and increased training for all areas of campus including residences, faculty, support staff etc.); moving away from private security firms hired to monitor spaces; and supporting Black, Indigenou and racialized faculty and student initiatives for safe spaces on and off campus, and in exploring alternatives to policing including restorative justice models and Indigenous models of truth telling and harm reparations.

The Board of Directors passed a motion endorsing the principles of the Decent Work and Health Network for paid sick days, which are:

  • Universal: Available to all workers regardless of workplace size, type of work, or immigration status. Legislated, with no exemptions.
  • Paid: Fully paid to ensure workers are not financially penalized for following public health advice.
  • Adequate: At least seven (7) paid sick days provided on a permanent basis, with an additional 14 paid sick days during public health emergencies.
  • Permanent: Available during the COVID-19 pandemic and beyond.
  • Accessible No barriers to access. Prohibit employers from requiring sick notes; ensure no disruption of income or unnecessary applications; and provide sufficiently flexible leave that reflects the reality of workers’ lives, healthcare needs, and caregiving responsibilities.

The motion also opposed further public subsidies for corporations like Amazon, Walmart, and Loblaws that are profiting from the pandemic, and that should be implementing employer-paid sick days and higher wages.

The Board of Directors also passed a motion supporting colleagues at LUFA-APPUL and collectively offering their support and solidarity during this difficult period.

Celebrating excellence in teaching

During lunch, meeting participants were treated to a special video celebrating the recipients of this year’s Lorimer Award and Equity and Social Justice Committee Award of Distinction.

Queen’s University Professor Elizabeth Hanson was the recipient of the 2020 Lorimer Award, which recognizes individuals who have worked to protect and promote the interests of Ontario’s academic staff through collective bargaining.

Min Sook Lee, an Assistant Professor at the Ontario College of Art & Design University, and Dr. Ciann Wilson, an Assistant Professor at Wilfrid Laurier University, won the 2020 Equity and Social Justice Committee Award of Distinction. The award recognizes faculty whose work has improved the lives and working conditions of academics who are Indigenous, women, racialized, LGBTQ2S+, living with disabilities and/or belong to other historically marginalized groups.

Weekly update on campaign to save Laurentian University

| By | Be the first to leave a comment

Political action

The Save Our Sudbury community group of faculty, students, labour unions, and community members held a hugely successful car rally. Over 100 participants came together in spite of rain and snow to demand the province provide funding. You can watch pre-recorded speeches from students, faculty, politicians, and union leaders speaking about why Laurentian is important to the Sudbury community and to them personally on the SOS Facebook page. Media coverage of the event was extensive: CTV news, Sudbury Star, ICI radio-canada, and Sudbury.com.

The Nipissing University Faculty Association (NUFA) called for the province to end the CCAA process at Laurentian University and provide adequate and sustained funding to ensure the continued viability of the institution. The North Bay Nugget covered the NUFA statement. NUFA stepped up its support for LUFA to another level by organizing a solidarity phone zap. Faculty from Nipissing, Lakehead, and Toronto made calls to four Progressive Conservative cabinet Ministers.

On April 1, the Ottawa region/East Ontario faculty associations held a phone zap targeting two Ontario Ministers (Ross Romano and Caroline Mulroney) and two federal Members of Parliament. Some participants managed to get Romano’s staff on the phone to press directly for immediate funding.

Faculty association presidents from the Golden Horseshoe area released an open letter directed at Minister Romano, with five demands: substitute meaningful consultation with stakeholders for the flawed Senate process, share all key documents with the parties, provide increased funding to LU, support the education completion of the students at the federated colleges, and make a clear legal commitment to LU’s tri-cultural mandate.

You can read this letter, other statements of support, and find phone zap templates at www.northernsolidarity.ca.

Federated universities agreement cancellation – media, legal and direct action

In response to the announcement that Laurentian University was attempting to unilaterally cancel the federated university agreements, Save Our Sudbury held an emergency town hall on Good Friday, bringing together over 100 faculty, staff, and students. The anger and distress in the meeting was palpable, and the participants overwhelmingly voted to demand the resignation of President Robert Haché and the Board of Governors. The Sudbury Star covered SOS’s media release here and Sudbury.com covered the town hall.

With the assistance of OCUFA, the Laurentian University Faculty Association issued an immediate release condemning the unilateral action; President Fabrice Colin was interviewed by CTV news.

Thorneloe University responded by announcing they will be seeking a remedy in court to block the action; you can read Thoneloe’s release here.

Related issues in the news

Francophone groups at both Laurentian University and its affiliate the University of Sudbury are concerned about the impact that the restructuring process will have on Francophone programs, faculty, and students. Several different initiatives are underway on these campuses to secure Francophone postsecondary education in Sudbury. At Laurentian, a group of faculty are demanding that Francophone programs be granted autonomy (read the radio-canada coverage here). The U of Sudbury board has voted to become a secular Francophone university.

Please regularly check our website and http://www.northernsolidarity.ca as we are adding new resources to our toolkit on a regular basis.

CCAA process continues to fail public institutions as Laurentian Senate is forced to vote on restructuring package

| By |

TORONTO, April 6, 2021—Today, the Laurentian University Senate was asked to vote on a restructuring package that included program terminations and also faculty and departmental reorganizations.

The Senators received the notice for the meeting on Thursday, April 1, right before the Easter long weekend, and did not receive the package of materials until the meeting was convened today. The meeting was held entirely in-camera, and the Senate Secretary maintained that the package was covered by the mediation confidentiality protocol. This precludes the academic community from participating in the meeting or knowing what their representatives voted on.

“It’s unacceptable that the university’s senators were asked to make significant decisions about the future of programs at their institution under duress with no time to properly consider the matter or consult their constituents,” said Rahul Sapra, President of the Ontario Confederation of University Faculty Associations. “Academic programming decisions are complex matters that require deliberation and consultation. Asking the Senate to consider and vote on an omnibus programming package, without input on the academic criteria and in the span of a single day during an in-camera session is a clear violation of collegial governance, Senate’s mandate and the responsibility of a public institution to the community it serves.”

In a motion passed at their March meeting, the Senate reaffirmed its responsibility and mandate to pronounce on the academic integrity of the proposals that come before it and to respect its own processes which ensure such integrity on an on-going basis. Virtually all of the departments in the university passed support motions urging their senator to vote in favour of the affirmation. Today’s vote, however, violated the principles highlighted in the motion and enshrined in the Laurentian University Act.

Laurentian University is the first and only public institution to go through the CCAA process due to financial challenges without any help from the government. “The financial crisis at Laurentian is, in large part, a direct result of failed public policy and eroding levels of public funding for the postsecondary education sector,” said Sapra. “Yet, the Ministry of Colleges and Universities has decided to not step in but allow a public university to go through a restructuring process designed for the private sector, cutting jobs, programs and services that are essential to the university community in Sudbury and the broader Northern Ontario region.”

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.

 

–30–

 

For more information or to arrange an interview, contact:
Jenny Ahn, OCUFA Executive Director at 416-306-6030 or jahn@ocufa.on.ca

OCUFA/EKOS poll: Provincial government should provide additional funding to Laurentian

| By |

TORONTO, Mar 31, 2021—A new poll conducted by EKOS Research Associates for the Ontario Confederation of University Faculty Associations shows that a clear majority of Ontarians believe that Minister of Colleges and Universities Ross Romano and the Ford government should provide additional funding to Laurentian University and any other universities that face financial difficulties.

According to the poll, 66 per cent of Ontarians believe the Ford government should provide Laurentian University with additional funding to protect its bilingual and Indigenous programs. After learning that provincial operating grants for Ontario universities have declined 9.2 per cent over the last ten years, when accounting for inflation, 63 per cent of poll respondents support the government providing additional funding to protect programs and jobs at other universities that face financial difficulties.

“These poll results clearly show that Ontarians believe this government should be supporting Ontario universities when they face financial challenges,” said Rahul Sapra, President of OCUFA. “Even amongst Ford’s own supporters, more think the government should provide additional funding to Laurentian than oppose the idea. They understand that Laurentian is a public university, that it provides good jobs and produces important research for the region, and that it’s Minister Romano’s job to ensure it’s properly funded.”

The poll of 1,063 Ontario residents was conducted between March 5 and 8. The results found broad support for Ontario’s universities, with 73 per cent of Ontarians agreeing that a university education is valuable for today’s young people and 70 per cent saying that postsecondary education should be a high priority for the provincial government over the next five years. This support was shared by Progressive Conservative supporters, 63 per cent of whom agree about the value of a university education and a majority of whom think postsecondary education should be a high priority in the years to come.

Amongst those living in Northern Ontario, 82 per cent of respondents think that Laurentian University is important for the region. This belief is shared by PC supporters as well, with 62 per cent identifying the institution as important.

“Following years of declining university funding, Ontarians realize that the fiscal foundations of our universities have been eroded and that Laurentian is a canary in the coalmine,” said Sapra. “As we look to the future and identify ways to rebuild following this pandemic, it is important to recognize that investing in Ontario’s universities is an investment in our children, in our communities, and in the future.”

The longer Minister Romano and Premier Ford neglect the funding crisis at Laurentian, the more likely student programs are cancelled, jobs are cut, research projects are shut down, and the future of the university is called into question. Students, faculty, and staff should not have to pay the price for the poor governance practices of an underfunded public institution. This government should have known about Laurentian’s financial difficulties as early as fall 2018, when the Ontario Treasury Board conducted a review of university reserves—more than enough time to avoid this crisis. Minister Romano needs to step in now to provide the funding needed to secure the future of Laurentian University.

The poll results can be downloaded here.

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.

–30–

For more information or to arrange an interview, contact:
Ben Lewis, OCUFA Communications Lead at 416-306-6033 or communications@ocufa.on.ca

Ontario faculty hold advocacy week virtually in support of the Laurentian University Faculty Association

| By | Be the first to leave a comment

In late February, faculty from across Ontario held virtual meetings with elected Members of Provincial Parliament (MPPs) to urge the Ontario government to step-up and provide Laurentian University with the strong, stable, and long-term funding it needs.

Faculty across Ontario are deeply concerned about the precedent and far-reaching implications Laurentian’s funding crisis could have for our sector. Faculty hold the view that the erosion of public investment in universities and the decline in the accountability and transparency of university governance have brought us to this point.

Ontario faculty communicated to MPPs that Laurentian’s decision to pursue CCAA protection is entirely inappropriate, as the CCAA is designed for private sector companies, not public institutions like Laurentian University. As an institution funded largely by the provincial government, the university should be engaging with the Ministry of Colleges and Universities to secure more funding to address its financial challenges. Faculty noted that Laurentian is the first Ontario university to experience financial distress and then be abandoned by the provincial government.

The week of advocacy facilitated many important conversations with MPPs about the importance of public funding of postsecondary education and the alarming implications the situation a Laurentian poses for the sector as a whole.

OCUFA representatives also had a strong social media presence throughout the week, reporting on their meetings with MPPs and called on Minister of Colleges and Universities Ross Romano to provide Laurentian with the funding it needs.

Weekly update on campaign to save Laurentian University

| By | Be the first to leave a comment

Political action

OCUFA has been busy coordinating political action in support of the Laurentian University Faculty Association (LUFA) and increased funding for the university sector as a whole.  OCUFA members from across Northern Ontario have been attending Save Our Sudbury (SOS) meetings to plan upcoming actions to amplify the SOS Car Rally this Sunday.

Our allies have also been actively putting pressure on Romano and the Ford government to provide immediate funding for Laurentian University to end the insolvency proceeding. Last week, the North Bay and District Labour Council issued a statement calling for immediate and long-term funding for Laurentian. The North Bay Nugget has the story here: Labour council pushes for Laurentian University funding. The City of Greater Sudbury has also passed a motion demanding that the Ontario government make funding available to stabilize Laurentian.

Templates and sample motions are available in the Take Action section of the Northern Solidarity website. We encourage you to download them and organize motions at your Labour Council and city council.

Save Our Sudbury coalition actions

Members of the SOS coalition will be hosting a car rally in Sudbury on Sunday, March 28 at 12 noon. If you are in Sudbury, or have contacts in Sudbury, the Eventbrite link to RSVP for the event is here: SOS Car Rally

Campus organizing

The Laurentian Senate had a significant win at its meeting last Tuesday, passing a motion affirming that it will only engage in restructuring for academic reasons, not financial exigency, and reaffirming the bicameral nature of the university. 88% of departments passed their own motions endorsing the Senate motion.

The Sudbury Star covered the Senate meeting extensively in this article: Laurentian struggling to stay alive. OCUFA President Rahul Sapra is quoted on the government’s failure to step in and end the crisis with funding. OCUFA Past President Gyllian Phillips is quoted in relation to the aid the Liberal government provided to Nipissing University following its education cuts.

Social Media and Websites

It is essential that we take every opportunity to pressure Ross Romano and Doug Ford to act now. The April 30th deadline for the completion of the LU restructuring is only six weeks away. Please follow OCUFA and Save Our Sudbury on Twitter (@OCUFA and @OurSudbury) and on Facebook (OCUFA and SaveOurSudbury) and push messages out with these hashtags:

#FundLU, #WheresRoss, #HumansofLU, #SaveOurSudbury, #NorthernSolidarity

This weekend, join OCUFA and the OFL for the first ever Education Assembly

| By | Be the first to leave a comment

This Saturday, March 27 the OFL will be hosting the first ever Education Assembly to unite workers, students, and parents from child care through postsecondary education.

COVID-19 has made navigating education systems more difficult than ever. This Saturday’s discussion will focus on developing education systems that keep everyone healthy and safe.

OFL Education Assembly
Saturday, March 27
10am-1pm
Register here.

2021 budget a missed opportunity to invest in Ontario’s future

| By |

TORONTO, March, 24, 2021—Ontario’s university faculty and academic librarians are disappointed that the 2021 Ontario Budget fails to adequately invest in Ontario’s universities to put them on secure financial footing. University faculty and academic librarians have played an essential role developing the science and research that continues to inform Ontario’s response to the COVID-19 pandemic. Their research and expertise have helped keep Ontarians safe during the pandemic and will be vital for supporting the province’s economic recovery.

The budget doesn’t increase operating grants for universities, which continues the chronic underfunding of Ontario’s public university system. Under the Ford government, per-student funding for universities will drop even further, as institutions will be expected to increase enrolment over the next three years without any additional money. Meanwhile, the government’s reckless performance-based funding framework threatens additional cuts, further destabilizing a sector already reeling from the COVID-19 pandemic and jeopardizing our economic recovery.

“Ontario’s university faculty and academic librarians were looking for a budget that recognizes the challenges Ontario’s universities have faced over the last year and the important role they will play in helping the province—and its economy—rebuild from this pandemic. This budget fails to adequately invest in the future of Ontario’s universities,” said Rahul Sapra, President of OCUFA. “Instead, the Ford government continues to ignore the consistent and damaging erosion of university funding that has led to the funding crisis at Laurentian University.”

The 2021 budget misses the opportunity to support Laurentian University, which has been struggling in the absence of adequate public funding, the additional costs triggered by the pandemic, and poor administrative decision-making. Minister of Colleges and Universities Ross Romano and Premier Doug Ford are failing in their responsibilities to protect the integrity of an important public university. Cuts to this unique northern institution will have devastating consequences for a northern economy that has “not yet fully recovered from the previous recession” as is stated in the budget document itself.

The Budget includes $21.4 million in new funding to enhance virtual learning in postsecondary education. While this money may help provide additional supports to those teaching and learning online, there are serious concerns regarding instruction, governance, and quality assessment of courses offered though the Virtual Learning Strategy initiative. It is also important to emphasize that neither faculty nor students believe that virtual learning should be the “new normal.”

The Budget also expands OSAP eligibility for those studying at Indigenous institutes or pursuing micro-credentials, but it does not match this expansion with additional OSAP funding. OCUFA wholeheartedly supports expanding OSAP eligibility to Indigenous institutes and reiterates our position that the Ontario government should increase the already underfunded student assistance budget.

“No one knows how to advance Ontario’s exceptional postsecondary education system better than the faculty and academic librarians working on its front lines,” said Sapra. “Yet, this government has failed to publicly consult with faculty, academic librarians, and many other stakeholders ahead of this budget. This government’s pattern of making major policy announcements without consultation is concerning and reveals itself in the poor decisions being made by Ford and Romano.”

Universities will play a central role in Ontario’s recovery from the COVID-19 pandemic. Faculty and academic librarians understand the economic and social challenges of this recovery and are ready to put solutions forward. The question is, will the government listen and provide the funding to ensure a vibrant future for Ontario?

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.

–30–

For more information or to arrange an interview, contact:
Ben Lewis, Communications Lead at 416-306-6033 or communications@ocufa.on.ca

Faculty appalled there’s no money for Laurentian in new government funding for postsecondary education

| By |

TORONTO, Mar 19, 2021 — Ontario’s faculty and academic librarians are appalled and dismayed that none of the $106.4 million in new postsecondary funding announced by the Ontario government has been allocated to Laurentian University. This funding is purportedly designed to go to institutions most severely impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic, but it excludes the only postsecondary institution currently facing insolvency. This announcement demonstrates this government’s callous disregard for the people of Sudbury and the students, faculty, and staff who work at Laurentian.

“The crisis at Laurentian University would have been avoided if this government did its job and properly funded Ontario’s universities,” said Rahul Sapra, President of the Ontario Confederation of University Faculty Associations. “Not only did the policies of this government push Laurentian over the edge, but Minister Romano knew about Laurentian’s precarious financial position at least six months beforehand, which gave him more than enough time to provide the university with the financial support it needed to avoid insolvency.”

Laurentian University is the first and only public university to experience financial distress and not receive financial assistance from the Ontario government. The financial crisis that Laurentian is facing could have been avoided if the government took action. After all, Laurentian’s financial difficulties should have become obvious to the government in fall 2018, when the Ontario Treasury Board conducted a review of university reserves. Minister of Colleges and Universities Ross Romano has publicly admitted that he knew about the university’s precarious financial position at least six months before the university filed for insolvency. This government knew that Laurentian was in trouble and chose to do nothing. Romano needs to step in now to secure the future of the university before it’s too late.

“It is beyond comprehension that this government would allocate $106.4 million to public postsecondary institutions in Ontario and not spend a single penny to support the only public postsecondary institution in Ontario currently facing insolvency,” said Sapra. “If it wasn’t clear before today, the Ford government is completely out of touch with the needs of Ontario’s public postsecondary education system.”

From day one, the Ford government has been ignoring the voices of faculty, staff, and students as it carelessly mismanages Ontario’s public postsecondary education system. It started by enforcing a needless campus free speech policy. It cut tuition fees by 10 per cent without making up for the shortfall with additional funding, putting the squeeze on university revenues. It cut almost $700 million dollars from student financial assistance, making it harder for students to get a postsecondary education. It attacked students with its unlawful Student Choice Initiative. And its performance-based funding framework will further destabilize Ontario’s universities by putting billions of dollars of funding in jeopardy.

Furthermore, today’s funding announcement will only provide a partial relief to universities experiencing financial hardship as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic and previous policies introduced by this government. The $44 million allocated to universities falls well short of the $500 million in funding Ontario universities have said they need.

As the organization representing Ontario’s faculty and academic librarians, OCUFA has consistently offered to meet with the Minister of Colleges and Universities to offer solutions to the challenges facing Ontario’s universities. The Minister has repeatedly ignored or refused OCUFA’s invitations. Minister Romano’s commitment to the financial health of Ontario’s universities cannot be taken seriously until he starts listening to faculty and provides funding to secure the future of Laurentian and its vital role in Northern Ontario.

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.

–30–

For more information or to arrange an interview, contact:
Ben Lewis, OCUFA Communications Lead at 416-306-6033 or communications@ocufa.on.ca

Update on support for the Laurentian University Faculty Association

| By | Be the first to leave a comment

As the Laurentian University administration continues its attempts to drastically restructure the university through the Companies’ Creditors Arrangement Act, OCUFA has increased our efforts to pressure Minister of Colleges and Universities Ross Romano and the Ford government to step in and provide Laurentian with the funding it needs to secure its future.

Since Laurentian is a public university, OCUFA believes that the provincial government has a responsibility to continue to support Laurentian financially in this difficult time to ensure that there are no cuts to programs, research, or jobs. That is why we are opposed to the CCAA process and have been actively pushing back on both the legal and advocacy fronts since Laurentian announced its insolvency.

Appeal to unseal communications between Laurentian and provincial government

Similarly, we believe that, as a public institution, any communication between the university administration and the Ford government about Laurentian’s financial challenges should be made public. There are currently two pieces of correspondence that have been sealed by the judge overseeing the CCAA proceedings that we believe should be made public.

On March 5, OCUFA filed a motion to appeal the judge’s decision. This action was coordinated with the Laurentian University Faculty Association and Canadian Union of Public Employees (CUPE). The Canadian Association of University Teachers submitted a letter in support of the motion. At this time, we are awaiting a response from the court. You can read coverage here: Profs appeal order sealing correspondence between Laurentian, province

Rally in front of Minister Romano’s office

On March 11th, OCUFA and our allies rallied outside of Minister Romano’s constituency office in Sault Ste. Marie. The Algoma University Faculty Association (OPSEU Algoma University Local 685), along with the Sault Ste. Marie Labour Council and its affiliates showed up to demand funding to address the crisis at Laurentian and to secure the futures of all northern universities. Tony Fabiano, Vice President of AUFA, was quoted in a number of articles about the rally.

Media coverage

The has been extensive media coverage of Laurentian in recent weeks. The Toronto Star ran both an editorial, and a column by Martin Regg Cohn calling out the government for failing to adequately fund Laurentian:

OCUFA sets Laurentian president straight

Following a statement by Laurentian President Robert Haché, which sought to re-frame the damaging CCAA process as being constructive, OCUFA put out a press release to set the record straight about the faculty, course and program cuts the administration was planning: Laurentian University President is wrong: There’s no respect for stakeholders in CCAA process.

Broader coalition work

OCUFA has been working to build a broad coalition to push back against the threats to Laurentian and advocate for funding from the Ford government. This has included working with the Canadian Association of University Teachers, Canadian Labour Congress, Ontario Federation of Labour, and other unions such as CUPE, the Ontario Public Sector Employees Union, and the United Steelworkers.

On March 10th, OCUFA joined union leaders at a special meeting of the Ontario Federation of Labour to plan steps to build an even stronger campaign to pressure the Ford government to fund Laurentian. Many unions have pledged to support faculty, staff and students at Laurentian, and to ensure that the CCAA does not get used against any other public sector institutions in the future.

OCUFA has also launched a new campaign website, northernsolidarity.ca, to amplify our efforts to advocate for more funding for Laurentian and to recognize the important role played by universities in Northern Ontario. The website currently includes recent news about developments at Laurentian, a summary of the issues, helpful resources, and suggested actions for supporters.

No need for new stand-alone college nursing degrees

| By |

TORONTO, Mar 17, 2021 — OCUFA believes that Humber College’s new stand-alone nursing degree program is unnecessary and short-sighted. Current university programs and joint university-college programs already provide a quality, well-rounded nursing education that is based on science and encompasses hands-on training and research. Like many of the Ford government’s postsecondary education initiatives, this is a solution in search of a problem developed without appropriate consultation.

The College of Nurses Ontario’s mandate is to protect the public. However, new stand-alone college nursing degree programs are not in the public interest. They will put the public at risk by de-skilling Ontario’s nurses and making them more vulnerable in the medium and long terms.

As has been the case for many years now, nursing degrees awarded by Ontario universities, as research institutions, ensure that graduating students have a well-rounded, research-based education that gives graduating nurses the research, scientific and technical skills they need to serve their patients and keep up with the ever-changing landscape of medicine. There is ample evidence suggesting that the proportion of nurses holding a university bachelor’s degree positively impacts quality of care for patients and results in reduced mortality rates.

This was the rationale of the previous Ontario Progressive Conservative government when, in 2000, it approved the College of Nurses of Ontario’s recommendation that the entry-level requirement for new Registered Nurses become a university baccalaureate degree in nursing and enacted a regulatory amendment to reflect this change.

Instead of moving ahead with this ill-conceived initiative, the Ontario government should improve the accessibility of nursing education for students by addressing longstanding challenges, such as the lack of clinical placement opportunities that students require for graduation.

With no added funding or plan to expand clinical placements, creating new stand-alone nursing programs at colleges would be irresponsible and would intensify existing challenges. It certainly would not serve nursing students, faculty, or the public.

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.

–30–

For more information or to arrange an interview, contact:
Ben Lewis, OCUFA Communications Lead at 416-306-6033 or communications@ocufa.on.ca

REMINDER: Call for submissions for OCUFA Teaching and Academic Librarianship Awards

| By | Be the first to leave a comment

Each year, OCUFA is proud to celebrate outstanding achievement in teaching and academic librarianship at Ontario universities. Through the Teaching and Academic Librarianship Awards, we recognize those individuals whose pedagogical leadership and support have made a positive and enduring difference to their students and colleagues.

Anyone within the university community can nominate a faculty member or academic librarian for an award, so long as the nominee is a member of an OCUFA affiliated faculty or academic librarian association. This year’s award guidelines include special nomination criteria for contract faculty to facilitate the nomination of historically marginalized members of the academy. Award recipients are selected by an independent OCUFA committee made up of faculty, librarians, and student representatives.

This year, the deadline for nominations is May 28, 2021. Guidelines for the award can be found here:

Nomination packages should be saved as a single pdf file and submitted online at: https://ocufa.on.ca/ocufa-awards/teaching-and-academic-librarianship-awards/

REMINDER: $10,000 Fellowship for Higher Education Journalism accepting applications

| By | Be the first to leave a comment

The Ontario Confederation of University Faculty Associations is excited to announce the third annual $10,000 OCUFA Fellowship in Higher Education Journalism.

The Fellowship is intended to address the shortage of informed investigative reporting on Canadian higher education issues and support those wishing to pursue in-depth journalism on higher education.

The Fellowship is open to full-time, part-time, and freelance journalists (including students) who wish to pursue an investigative research project in the area of Canadian higher education. Applications focusing on any topic within this area are welcomed, including public policy, labour relations, the academic labour market, governance, financing, teaching, research, librarianship and information management, demographics, education quality, free speech and academic freedom, equity and diversity, Indigeneity, and reconciliation.

The deadline for applications is March 21, 2021. The Fellowship is valued at $10,000 and administered by OCUFA, with the first half payable at the start of the project and the second half upon completion. The winner will have to complete and publish and/or broadcast the project within a year of being granted the Fellowship. OCUFA will not exercise any editorial control or judgment over the work produced.

To learn more about the fellowship and to apply, please visit: https://ocufa.on.ca/awards/journalismfellowship

Laurentian University President is wrong: There’s no respect for stakeholders in CCAA process

| By |

Laurentian University President Robert Haché’s recent claim that the Companies Creditors’ Arrangement Act (CCAA) process provides a constructive format to engage with stakeholders is not reflected in reality. Instead, the costly CCAA process reduces students, faculty, and staff to the status of creditors, from which the university seeks to protect itself. The CCAA is designed for private-sector businesses not public institutions and both the Laurentian administration and provincial government are hoping that, by exploiting the CCAA process, they can restructure the university by cutting programs, jobs, and research projects.

“If Laurentian wanted to engage in a restructuring process that treated members of the university community as respected stakeholders, they could have done so,” said Fabrice Colin, President of the Laurentian University Faculty Association (LUFA). “That would have meant being transparent about the financial challenges Laurentian has been facing and using existing language in our collective agreement that helps address scenarios in which the university faces significant financial challenges. That would have meant working with other campus stakeholders to call on the provincial government for financial support, as other universities have done when faced with similar challenges.”

Instead, the university administration made the unprecedented, inappropriate, and costly decision to seek CCAA protection. In this process, faculty, staff, and students are placed in an untenable position where the university is trying to force them to take cuts to programs, jobs, and research. Students, faculty, and staff should not have to pay the price for the poor governance practices of an underfunded public institution.

Haché references the community that has come together to support Laurentian University, but he completely ignores the fact that this community has condemned his administration and condemned the CCAA process.

Haché argues the university needs to be “restructured” but what he really means is that there are going to be cuts: cuts to valuable programs, cuts to important research initiatives, and cuts to good jobs that contribute to the Sudbury economy. Since 2017, 30 faculty positions have been cut. How many more good jobs will now be lost?

Haché says this will make the university more “sustainable,” however there is nothing unsustainable about Laurentian’s operations. For years, the Laurentian University Faculty Association has repeatedly raised concerns about the secretive and non-consultative approach the university administration has taken to making important financial decisions. These ill-considered decisions compounded by the underfunding of postsecondary education in Ontario are what have brought Laurentian University to this moment of crisis. That is why the provincial government should be stepping in to provide the funding necessary to secure the Laurentian’s future.

“This government’s inaction poses a direct threat to jobs and the ability for students to graduate from programs of their choice,” said Rahul Sapra, President of the Ontario Confederation of University Faculty Associations. “It is a shame that, as Minister of Colleges and Universities and as an MPP from Northern Ontario, Ross Romano is standing on the sidelines and watching a public university being dismantled. Minister Romano has the responsibility and the resources to make things right. If he won’t take action, we need a Minister of Colleges and Universities who will.”

Together, academic staff, students, and concerned community members from Greater Sudbury and across Northern Ontario will continue fighting to secure the future of Laurentian University. They intend to bring that campaign right to Romano’s front door.

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.

–30–

For more information or to arrange an interview, contact:
Ben Lewis, OCUFA Communications Lead at 416-306-6033 or communications@ocufa.on.ca