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Register now for the first annual Worldviews Lecture on Media and Higher Education

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Registration is now open for the first annual Worldviews Lecture on Media and Higher Education. The lecture, a spinoff of the popular Worldviews conference, will feature Simon Marginson, Professor of International Education at the Institute of Education, University of London. Prof. Marginson will deliver a lecture titled, “Universities, the plutocracy and the 99%: Is high participation in higher education the problem or the solution, in societies that are becoming more unequal?”

The lecture will be presented from 1:30 to 3:30 p.m. on Tuesday, April 21, 2015 in the Ground Floor of the OISE Library, University of Toronto.

There is no cost to attend, but registration is very limited. The lecture will also be webcast. For details on how to access the online lecture, please visit the OISE website.

Register today!

Laurier faculty fight back in media against program prioritization

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The Wilfrid Laurier Faculty Association (WLUFA) has taken its fight against program prioritization public in the Waterloo Record. A January 2, 2015 article outlines growing faculty resistance to the Laurier admin’s prioritization process, called the “Internal Program and Resource Management” process, or IPRM.

The majority of faculty councils have voted against the IPRM report, which calls for cuts or closings for 19 programs. The liberal arts council and human and social sciences council at Laurier Brantford voted unanimously to oppose the report.

WLUFA has been steady in its opposition to what it views as a flawed process. It voted to oppose the process last year, and a survey of its members following the release of the IPRM report indicated 85 per cent of its members had a negative view of the document.

Quoted in the Record article, WLUFA President Rob Kristofferson, said:

“We advised [the Laurier Board of Governors] that the faculty councils representing a majority of faculty members at the university had passed motions against the IPRM. And that we had done a survey with a very, very healthy response rate that had clearly showed that the faculty councils representing a majority of faculty were against the process. And we urged them to return the academic decision making to the University senate, which is its rightful place.”

Kristofferson added:

“The whole process has I think been very destructive to morale. In fact, in my 20 years of teaching at a university, I have never seen a process so thoroughly upset people and so thoroughly affect morale.” 

St Michael’s Faculty Support Strike Action

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On Tuesday, December 9, 2014 the unionized faculty and librarians of the University of St. Michael’s College (represented by the University of Toronto Faculty Association) voted 100% in favour of authorizing a strike, if necessary. Representatives of UTFA and USMC have been in bargaining since June 2014 and entered provincial conciliation in October. The outstanding issues are job security for faculty, workplace safety, and a fair and equitable monetary settlement. Their next conciliation meeting is scheduled for January 7, 2015.

OCUFA announces online learning workshop

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OCUFA is pleased to announce an upcoming workshop designed to help faculty members develop high-quality online courses while protecting academic freedom and intellectual property. The Faculty Leadership in E-Learning Workshop will be held on March 20, 2015 at the Westin Harbour Castle in Toronto.

Join us for a day of discussion, skill-building, and action for faculty members interested in e-learning. This OCUFA workshop will focus on the opportunities for pedagogical improvement created by online learning and the challenges associated with deploying new learning technologies to improve educational outcomes, not institutional bottom lines. The workshop will be action oriented, gathering information from participants and working towards the development of an action plan for professors, academic librarians, and faculty associations across the province.

Of interest to faculty who are engaged in issues relating to online pedagogy as well as chief negotiators and bargaining team members, this workshop is your chance to reflect, engage, and work for positive change. Register today!

Layoffs continue at Nipissing

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On December 8, 2014, Nipissing University completed “Phase 1” of its planned layoffs. Local media reported that 16 positions were lost, including 14 in senior management. The university administration is indicating that two more rounds of layoffs are imminent: one affecting unionized support staff, and a final one affecting faculty on teaching contracts.

Layoffs of support staff and contract faculty will have a negative effect on the quality of learning at Nipissing. OCUFA is urging the administration to abandon this harmful course of action, and preserve existing positions. We are also working closely with our colleagues at the Nipissing University Faculty Association (NUFA) to monitor, and respond to, the proposed layoffs.

Nipissing’s administration claims that the layoffs are needed to cope with a budget deficit created by, among other things, the Government of Ontario’s cuts to teacher training programs. While this policy was ill-advised and has removed significant public funding from the institution, it remains an administrative choice to pursue layoffs. OCUFA continues to call for the restoration of education funding at the provincial level.

Ontario ties student loans to inflation

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On December 8, 2014, the Government of Ontario announced that it would index maximum student levels to inflation. The government also announced a new program – the Ontario Student Loan Rehabilitation Program – that will allow borrowers in default to bring their loans back into good standing.

Under the student aid changes, the maximum loan package available to students will increase according to the prevailing rate of inflation. The “debt cap” – or the yearly ceiling beyond which debt forgiveness kicks in – will also be indexed.

While these changes will help students to afford higher education in the short term, it does not address Ontario’s high tuition fees. OCUFA has long argued that students are paying too much for their education, both in absolute numbers and as a proportion of university operating budgets. As Ontario prepares to examine the university funding formula in 2015, it is important that it also look at how to make higher education more accessible and affordable for students from all backgrounds.

Program prioritization reports released at York, Laurier

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Program prioritization reports have now been released at York University (Nov. 13) and Wilfrid Laurier University (Nov. 28). Faculty at both institutions are preparing to push back against recommendations that violate the principles of good academic governance and the quality of education.

At York, faculty in the the Faculty of Environmental Studies and the Faculty of Liberal Arts and Professional Studies both passed motions to cancel the Academic and Administrative Program Review (AAPR) as the basis for any future academic planning. These motions are the first of many to come. Faculty at Laurier are analyzing the results of the Integrated Planning and Resource Management (IPRM) process before charting their next steps.

Program prioritization can take many forms, but typically involves ranking all academic and non-academic programs at a university against one another. It is often used as a pretext for program cuts or closures. Many universities in Ontario – including York and Laurier – have received funding from the provincial government to undertake prioritization as part of their broader differentiation agenda. Unwilling to increase stagnant public funding of universities, the government is encouraging institutions to “specialize” and “focus on their strengths.” Program prioritization is the campus-side part of this process, guided by Strategic Mandate Agreements signed with the province.

Since prioritization processes began to appear at Ontario universities, OCUFA has criticized these initiatives as divisive, based on a flawed methodology, and as a means to subvert normal academic governance. We are not along, either. Students and some administrators have also been critical. Leo Groarke, President of Trent University, wrote an article for OCUFA’s Academic Matters magazine questioning the logic and utility of program prioritization.

OCUFA is busy providing support to member faculty associations grappling with program prioritization. We host a regular information-sharing conference call, and provide targeted research and communications advice. We will continue to work with our members to preserve academic integrity and quality at every Ontario university.

Guelph students hold mock funeral to protest program cuts

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On November 27th, students at the University of Guelph held a mock funeral to protest program cuts resulting from the university’s program prioritization process. Programs affected include women’s studies, environmental studies, Italian, and math.

According to Sonali Menenzes, external affairs commission at Guelph’s Central Student Association, quoted in the Guelph Mercury:

“The program prioritization process is flawed. It does not represent what students and workers want to see happen on our campus. Students are being stranded in the middle of their degrees as programs dissolve while tuition fees rise,” said Sonali Menezes, external affairs commissioner at the CSA. “I am proud of the University of Guelph, but I am not proud of the cuts that are coming.”

Guelph’s program prioritization process was carried out using the method designed by American consultant Robert Dickeson. Widely criticized as a flawed process that leads to conflict and division, the process was nonetheless carried out over the objections of students and faculty. Guelph was one of the first institutions to enter a prioritization process, but has since been joined by many Ontario universities.

OCUFA looking out for faculty rights in Bill 8 and Bill 10

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For several months, OCUFA has been working to protect faculty rights in regards to two new pieces of legislation – Bill 8, The Public Sector and MPP Accountability and Transparency Act, 2014 and Bill 10, Amendments to the Ministry of Training, Colleges and Universities Act. Bill 8 extends grants the Ontario Ombudsman authority to examine the university sector, while Bill 10 increases the ability of the Ministry of Training, Colleges, and Universities (MTCU) to collect data from the sector. Through a campaign of face-to-face advocacy and letter writing, we believe the government now understands faculty rights in respect to these Bills, and is working to address our concerns.

Bill 8
OCUFA was concerned that Bill 8 did not recognize, in sufficient detail, the bedrock principle on which universities are founded – that of academic freedom, the freedom to teach, learn, study and publish without threat of reprisal and discrimination. We have discussed our concerns with senior officials at the Ministry of Training, Colleges and Universities and are pleased that the Bill now contains express reference to academic freedom and its importance in guiding any Ombudsman investigation at a university.

We were also concerned regarding how collective agreements and other similar agreements and policies at universities, and their diverse rights of grievance, arbitration, appeal and review over matters important to our members, would work together with the Ombudsman processes.  We were pleased to learn in our discussions with Ministry officials that the provisions of the Ombudsman Act, which require rights of appeal to be exhausted before the Ombudsman undertakes an investigation, include the various rights of grievance, arbitration, appeal and review typically found at universities.

We look forward to assisting the provincial Ombudsman and his or her staff in any way possible to ensure that the extension of the Ombudsman’s authority is well-supported and well-informed about the, often unique, aspects and realities regarding the administration and operations of Ontario universities.

Bill 10
In terms of Bill 10, we were concerned that the proposed amendments to Schedule 5 of the existing MTCU Act would allow for a sweeping collection of personal information about professors and academic librarians that could then be shared with the Ministry of Education and the federal government. While the apparent purpose was to allow collection of student information to track enrolment and transfer activities, the wording was so broad that academic and other university staff would also be subject to personal information collection.

We know that universities already provide a wealth of aggregated data to government about both academic staff and students and it was not clear why the government was seeking additional authority. We were prepared to offer amendments to ensure that intrusion into the personal privacy of our members was limited to information that was clearly justified and necessary for the ministry and government to properly administer university funding, undertake planning, etc.

After a number of meetings and an exchange of information with senior ministry officials, we have been assured that no new personal information on faculty members will be collected by the ministry. The need for the proposed amendments to Schedule 5 primarily rests on the fact that the TCU Act does not confer the necessary authority to collect data needed for a variety of student-focused initiatives. We were told that aggregate data on academic staff is sufficient for ministry officials to fulfill their duties.

We were also assured that the process for any plans for expanded data collection would engage government legal staff, the Ministry of Government Services, and the Office of the Information and Privacy Commissioner in active discussions regarding the need for any additional personal data. Also, we were assured that any personal data shared with the government of Canada would be limited to joint funding arrangements, such as training agreements.

Bill 8 and Bill 10 are now in committee, and will likely be passed in the coming weeks. We will continue to monitor the implementation of these Bills, and their ongoing administration, to ensure that faculty rights continue to be protected.

Western ratifies new contract

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Faculty at Western University have ratified their new contract with the administration, with 93 per cent voting in favour of the deal. The four year deal will run into 2018.

A top priority this bargaining round for the University of Western Ontario Faculty Association (UWOFA) was contract faculty job security. The new deal includes many improvements for limited term (LT), including a “no end date” LT appointment for members with 14 or more years of continuous LT appointments. According to UWOFA President Alison Hearn, “We feel we have laid the groundwork for future rounds to achieve even better security for these members.”

The deal also includes yearly salary increases and lump sum payments totaling 2.16 per cent, 1.83 per cent, 1.83 per cent, and 1.65 per cent over the course of the deal. Part-time base salary increases by five per cent in the first year, and two per cent in each of the remaining three years of the deal.

The new contract also contains intellectual property and workload protections for members teaching online courses.

OCUFA releases policy statement on differentiation, analysis of SMAs

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OCUFA is pleased to release its Policy Statement of University Differentiation in Ontario and its  Strategic Mandate Agreements 2014-17: Summary of Observations document. These reports were designed to assist our members in understanding and responding to the Government of Ontario’s “Differentiation Framework” and Strategic Mandate Agreements (SMAs) with university administrations. The reports have been available to our members for some time, but this is the first time they have been accessible to the general public.

Our analysis of the SMAs suggests that the government will not be taking a hand in dictating the form and content of differentiation in Ontario. The real challenge for faculty associations comes from how individual administrations choose to interpret these rather general agreements. As the report states,

“Whether a university administration claims this or that initiative falls under the rubric of differentiation and mandated by its SMA, it will still be necessary for each faculty association to be vigilant about maintaining the integrity of academic governance, faculty and academic librarian rights under collective agreements and memoranda of agreement, and the quality of academic life.”

The Policy Statement on differentiation provides a rubric for evaluating all policies emanating from the government’s Differentiation Framework. To be effective and beneficial, such policies must:

  • Preserve the academic mission of universities
  • Maintain program integrity through established processes for quality assurance
  • Recognize the relationship between teaching and research
  • Provide adequate levels of funding through a model that is stable, predictable, equitable, accountable, transparent, and easy administer

OCUFA has been assisting its member associations as the respond to the push for greater differentiation through a variety of resources of this type. We welcome the opportunity to share this material with the wider higher education community.

Data check: Conference board report highlights postsecondary institutions’ contribution to economy

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A recent report from the Conference Board of Canada argues that postsecondary education in Canada is a “growth industry”. It indicates that every dollar spent on postsecondary education delivers $1.36 for the Canadian economy. As a result, colleges and universities generate over $55 billion in economic activity once their $40 billion in direct spending and its multiplier effect is considered.

According to the report, universities and colleges in Canada have created 700,000 jobs when direct and indirect job creation is accounted for. Despite all the chatter about a so-called “skills gap” in the Canadian economy, the report also acknowledges that: “Canada’s PSE institutions have done a good job of expanding in response to demand for greater skills.”

The report suggests that the economic contribution of postsecondary institutions, together with their role in developing human and intellectual capital, supports the case for strong continued financial support from governments. In a context of continued underfunding (Ontario universities receive the lowest funding per student in Canada), it is important for the Ontario government to recognize the crucial role of postsecondary education in supporting a democratic society and a thriving economy by choosing to make adequate public funding a key priority.

The report was released on November 6 at the 2nd Skills and Post-Secondary Education Summit 2014: Developing the Skills and PSE Strategy for Canada, at the Metro Toronto Convention Centre.

Source:
Conference Board of Canada, The Economic Impact of Post-Secondary Education in Canada, November 6, 2014.

OCUFA granted intervener status in post-65 benefits Charter challenge

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OCUFA has been granted intervener status to participate in an Ontario Human Rights Tribunal case pertaining to a secondary school teacher who has been denied benefits by his employer because he is over the age of 65.

Following the elimination of mandatory retirement in Ontario in 2006, the protection of benefits for employees who are 65 or older has become an important issue for OCUFA. Currently, the Ontario Human Rights Code permits discrimination in employee benefits for those aged 65 and beyond, which OCUFA believes breaches s 15 (1) of the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms. Those who are 65 and older, and may be adversely affected, now represent 9% of all faculty in Ontario, up from 1.7% in 2006. Should this Charter challenge be successful, there could be important implications for the employment benefit provisions of post-65 professors and academic librarians.    

Western reaches tentative agreement

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The University of Western Ontario Faculty Association’s negotiating team has reached a tentative new faculty collective agreement with the university administration. The tentative deal was reached on Wednesday, November 12 after five days of conciliation. The ratification vote will take place this week. Details of the deal will be published here and at the UWOFA website when available.

Data check: Same old story on R&D

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The latest release of research and development (R&D) statistics from Statistics Canada is further confirmation that business and federal government spending continues to decline. The data should raise some alarm bells in light of Rivka Carmi’s and Martha Crago’s timely op-ed about the importance of university-based basic research to the innovation agenda proposed by business and government.

The data show that, before inflation, this year’s business and federal expenditures are expected to fall, by one and seven per cent respectively. After forecast inflation is included, the decline will be more like three and nine per cent. Measured as a share of forecast gross domestic product, the decline looks even worse – five and eleven per cent. The picture is not quite so dire for the funding they provide to other research agencies such as universities, but even these increases in R&D expenditures are still less than anticipated inflation or economic growth.

Universities have been more consistent performers. The modest upward trend in inflation-adjusted university contributions to R&D may, however, be in the midst of a reversal. Universities inevitably are affected by declines in real funding from major sponsors like the federal government and business. About 45 per cent of university research is funded internally (estimated by Statistics Canada using a formula based on expenditures on faculty salaries). This leaves 55 per cent of research funding dependent on external sources. If intentions and forecasts are borne out, this means university research expenditures will decline in real terms for the second consecutive year.

Sources:

Finance Department, Canada, Department of Finance Survey of Private Sector Economic Forecasters, June 2014

Statistics Canada, Spending on research and development, 2014 (intentions); CANSIM Table 380-0064 Gross domestic product, expenditure-based, quarterly; CANSIM Table 380-0102 Gross domestic product indexes, annual (2007=100)