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Provincial election top of mind at May OCUFA Board Meeting

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On the weekend of May 14–15, the OCUFA Board met for its first hybrid meeting since the beginning of the pandemic and the final meeting of the 2021-22 academic year. Members attended in person and joined virtually from across Ontario to discuss the provincial election, political advocacy, on-campus action, and new postsecondary education developments in Ontario. In addition, new members of the Executive were elected for the 2022-23 academic year.

2022 Ontario provincial election

With the provincial election in full swing, members were presented with updates on where the major parties stood on OCUFA’s election priorities, what announcements they had made as part of their platforms, and the ridings that would be key to determining the next provincial government. In addition, the meeting provided an opportunity to highlight member events and actions in ridings across the province, including those associated with the Ontario Federation of Labour’s May 1 Day of Action, as faculty, academic librarians, and other academic professionals sought to pressure their local candidates into supporting Ontario’s public universities.

Now that a Progressive Conservative government has been re-elected, OCUFA’s advocacy work will refocus on pushing this government to consider a new approach to postsecondary education while working with faculty to build a university system that receives strong support from the provincial government.

Laurentian University

Laurentian University is now into its second year struggling to rebuild following the university administration’s unprecedented decision to use the Companies’ Creditors Arrangement Act (CCAA) to gut the university by closing dozens of programs and cutting hundreds of jobs. OCUFA has long called for the university’s senior administration to resign and for the provincial government to step in with immediate and long-term financial support.

In the wake of scathing reports from the Auditor General of Ontario and the French Language Services Commissioner of Ontario, the OCUFA Board passed a formal motion reaffirming OCUFA’s demand that Laurentian President Robert Haché, Provost Marie-Josée Berger, and Associate Vice-President Serge Demers resign from their positions immediately.

New Equity Toolkit

Meeting participants were presented with OCUFA’s new Employment Equity Toolkit, which is intended to provide a wide variety of examples of how to imagine and incorporate an equity lens into faculty and academic librarianship association work. The toolkit was developed by a special working group, which reviewed equity policies at universities across Ontario and developed a primer and comprehensive checklist to guide associations in their efforts to improve equity at their institutions and within their own structures.

Additional governance resources

Representatives for OCUFA’s University Governance Committee reviewed the most recent resources developed by the group, noting the important work involved in bolstering shared collegial governance at Ontario’s universities—especially in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic, which resulted in an erosion of collegial governance practices at many Ontario universities.

Bargaining

This has been a busy year for university bargaining, with many faculty associations currently at the table. Part of the Board meeting focused on OCUFA’s Countdown to Strong program, which is meant to support member associations in leveraging their power at the bargaining table. Bill 124 and the re-election of the Ford government mean strong campus unions have become even more important for ensuring that the interests of faculty, academic librarians, and other academic professionals are defended.

Presentation on the University Pension Plan

The Board meeting featured a special presentation from representatives of the University Pension Plan (UPP). Barbara Zvan (President and Chief Executive Officer), Gale Rubenstein (Chair of the Board of Trustees), Joanna Lohrenz (Chief Pension Services Officer), Faisal Siddiqi (Managing Director, Actuarial), and Cynthia Messenger (Employee Sponsor’s representative) provided a comprehensive overview of the UPP. They described its shared governance structure, provided updates on its development, showed how it compares to other pension plans, and gave some details on the process involved in moving to the UPP from another pension plan for those who may be interested.

This was part of an ongoing series of workshops and educationals designed to assist member associations in considering the best pension options for their members.

Health and safety

On Ontario’s university campuses, many masking and vaccination mandates are being rolled back as we head into the summer. OCUFA members discussed the safeguards in place on their campuses and the role OCUFA might play in ensuring proper provincial guidance is in place for the fall term.

Election of 2022-23 OCUFA Executive

Congratulations to the newly elected OCUFA Executive who will take office on July 1, 2022.

Chair of Board: Associate Professor Gyllian Phillips, Nipissing University Faculty Association

Members-at-large:

  • Associate Professor Daniel Paré, Association of Professors of the University of Ottawa
  • Contract Faculty Instructor Kimberly Ellis-Hale, Wilfrid Laurier University Faculty Association
  • Associate Professor Kate Lawson, Faculty Association of the University of Waterloo

They will join President Sue Wurtele (Trent University Faculty Association), Past-President Rahul Sapra (X/Ryerson Faculty Association), and Treasurer Mike Eklund (University of Ontario Institute of Technology Faculty Association) whose term was extended for another year by a vote of the Board.

In addition, it was announced that an election for Vice-President would be held at a special meeting on June 17, following the resignation of Vice-President Jennifer Sutton, effective June 30, 2022.

The next regularly scheduled OCUFA Board of Directors meeting will be held in October 2022.

Nipissing University Faculty Association agrees to extension of collective agreement for full-time members

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The Nipissing University Faculty Association Full-Time Academic Staff Bargaining Unit (NUFA, FASBU) has ratified a one-year rollover of their collective agreement, with a few improvements.

In addition to the existing course releases provided to the association, a three-credit course release, or equivalent, for the position of “Indigenous Faculty Representative to the Association Executive” will be provided during each academic year.

Salary scales will increase by one per cent. The Professional Expense Reimbursement (PER) amount will increase for members who are tenure-track, tenured, full-time instructors, permanent academic librarians and archivists, or on limited-term appointments of at least 12 months.

A Memorandum of Agreement has also established a Retirement Incentive Program that will commence on July 1, 2022 and be available to full-time active tenured faculty members who are 60 years or older and have a minimum of 20 years of service at Nipissing University as of December 31, 2022.

Announcing the 2022 recipients of the Mark Rosenfeld Fellowship in Higher Education

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OCUFA is pleased to announce that Tahmeed Shafiq and Jadine Ngan are the recipients of the 2022 Mark Rosenfeld Fellowship in Higher Education. Tahmeed and Jadine will be investigating the causes of student suicide and their impacts on campus and in the broader community. Their investigative research will take on a national scope. By consulting with experts, digging into the data, and interviewing the friends and families of students who have died, Tahmeed and Jadine aim to create a compelling story that brings increased transparency and focus to this mental and public health crisis.

Tahmeed Shafiq

Tahmeed Shafiq is an aspiring data journalist interested in stories that are both complicated and deeply human. Most recently, he was the managing editor of the University of Toronto’s student newspaper, The Varsity. Find him on Twitter @tryingtotype.

Jadine Ngan

Jadine Ngan (@jadinengan) is a National Magazine Award-nominated writer and photojournalist who examines how lived experiences intersect with broader systems. Her bylines include The Walrus, Toronto Life, and Maisonneuve. At the University of Toronto, where she is finishing her undergraduate degree, she serves as Editor-in-Chief of The Varsity.

OCUFA holds first University governance workshop

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On May 6, the OCUFA University Governance Committee held a virtual workshop, entitled “The Erosion of Collegial Governance: Reclaiming Lost Ground.” The workshop was a hands-on, training-focused event aimed at supporting OCUFA member associations and faculty and academic librarian representatives on governing bodies in their advocacy and activism around shared governance.

The workshop was introduced by OCUFA President Sue Wurtele, who reflected on current threats to collegial governance and the importance of advocacy during the provincial election. A stellar set of speakers and panelists contributed throughout the day, including a keynote speech by Dr. Glen Jones, an esteemed higher education scholar with extensive experience in collegial governance research and advocacy.

Watch Dr. Jones’ talk “Strengths, Challenges and Possibilities: Academic Self-Governance and Canadian Universities” here.

Speakers from across Canada presented on numerous aspects of collegial governance, including wins and failures; how crises and emergencies offer threats and opportunities for collegial governance; the things faculty and their associations need to know about university acts; and what member organizing on governance can look like. There were also opportunities for small group discussions where the attendees engaged with each other, discussed local issues, and reflected on what they learned throughout the day. The workshop was a valuable opportunity for conversation on university governance and the role faculty, academic librarians, and their associations must play in order to preserve collegial governance.

Video recognizes hard work of OCUFA’s members

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OCUFA has released a new video that celebrates the energy, commitment, and dedication of faculty, academic librarians, and other academic professionals across Ontario. The past year has been challenging, with the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic and the collapse of Laurentian University, but OCUFA’s members have persevered and shown that they are energized and ready to redouble their efforts to improve Ontario’s universities.

OCUFA releases evaluations of party platforms

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During the Ontario election campaign, OCUFA has been monitoring party platform announcements and asking parties pointed questions about where they stand on important policies that will shape the future of postsecondary education in the province.

OCUFA has now completed a comprehensive analysis of each party’s commitments for postsecondary education and evaluated how they measure up to OCUFA’s priorities.

Read OCUFA’s Party platform review and see which party comes out on top and which party fails to articulate a sustainable vision for Ontario’s universities.

Summary of political party voting records

In addition to the party platform review, OCUFA has conducted an analysis of the positions Ontario’s major political parties took on postsecondary issues during the last four years. The promises that political parties make during an election campaign are not always kept, so it is important to look at their past records to develop a better understanding of how they will engage with the sector in the future.

Review the postsecondary education voting records and positions of Ontario’s main political parties.

Open letter urges Elections Ontario to adopt on-campus polling stations

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The Ontario Universities and Colleges Coalition (OUCC), of which OCUFA is a member, has written an open letter to Elections Ontario highlighting the need for on-campus polling stations. There are major documented successes with on-campus polling stations in both the 2015 and 2019 federal elections cycles, with a 60 per cent increase in campus voter turnout attributed to the on-campus polling stations between the two elections. It is no secret that students and campus workers are active voters and access to on-campus voting provides for higher participation among these groups.

Although the election is fast approaching, any number of on-campus polling stations would be impactful and a commitment to hosting polling stations on campuses in future elections is a step that students and workers will support.

Read the full letter.

New YUFA agreement contains major gains on equity, benefits, and funding support

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After months of negotiations, substantial member engagement, and a strong strike mandate, the York University Faculty Association (YUFA) has ratified a three-year collective agreement that makes major gains for its members and bolsters education quality at York University.

With regard to equity, the new agreement increases hiring for Indigenous and Black faculty, librarians, and archivists while recognizing Indigenous knowledge in the hiring and tenure and promotion processes. In order to address equity concerns in retention, exit interviews will be held for Black and Indigenous members who are leaving the university, and there will be a review of tenure and promotion outcomes for individuals in these groups. A potentially landmark gain is the new $100,000 annual fund for course releases for Black, Indigenous, and racialized members who have high equity, diversity, and inclusion service loads. The university’s Affirmative Action Program has been expanded to increase the threshold for racialized hires and include members who identify as 2SLGBTQ+.

On workload and working conditions, a committee will examine categorization of and release time for administrative positions. As well, new procedures have been agreed upon for determining and avoiding conflicts of interest and bias on the part of academic administrators involved in handling harassment complaints.

Major gains were made on funds to support teaching, research, and professional development, many of which have seen substantial increases. The agreement also contains the results of a grievance settlement that has established two new annual $1,000,000 funds for individual faculty research support and for enhanced research support (infrastructure, research equipment, staff, postdocs, research accounting, etc.)

On governance and tenure and promotion processes, the agreement recognizes the right of YUFA to communicate confidentially with its membership on internal strategic matters, including bargaining and grievances.

Members saw significant improvements to numerous benefits, including an expansion in the list of eligible mental health practitioners, an increase to vision care, and increased annual contributions from the employer to the retiree benefits fund. Additionally, a one-time-only special benefits fund of $447,000 was created and will be administered by YUFA.

Salary and compensation gains include a one per cent per year across-the-board increase to salaries and a three per cent increase to progress through the ranks amounts at the end of year three. The parties also agreed to a Bill 124 Reopener.

Ontario political parties respond to OCUFA’s party platform survey

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In the lead-up to the Ontario election, OCUFA sent a survey to all major political parties in the province. The survey asked questions about party positions on OCUFA’s priority issues in this election.

To-date, all Ontario’s major political parties, except for the Progressive Conservative Party, have responded to the survey.

We hope these responses are helpful for assessing each party’s plans for postsecondary education and positions on issues of importance to the sector, including investment in accessible and high-quality postsecondary education, delivering fairness for contract faculty, supporting faculty renewal, and more.

Further analysis of the party platforms, including analyses of party responses to OCUFA’s survey, will be released in the coming weeks.

New articles from Academic Matters

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There is more to Academic Matters than just the print issue. New articles are being added to the Academic Matters website every week. Here are some recent articles you might find interesting:

Connecting people, ideas, and disciplines at Congress 2022
“In a few short weeks, scholars from nearly 40 different academic disciplines will gather virtually for the 91st annual Congress of the Humanities and Social Sciences, this year, centred on the theme of Transitions. For us at the Federation, Congress is the culmination of months…”

Academic freedom can’t be separated from responsibility
“Academic freedom has become a polarizing topic. Recent issues at the University of Ottawa expose ongoing challenges of balancing academic freedom with university community members’ rights to respectful and safe classroom and campus spaces. In October 2021, the university’s Committee on Academic Freedom issued…”

From Ryerson to Toronto Metropolitan University: What can we learn from the renaming?
“Ryerson University has a new name: Toronto Metropolitan University. University president Mohamed Lachemi recommended the name from a list developed by a committee of professors, administrators, students and alumni. The name change process was motivated by the Mash Koh Wee Kah Pooh Win (Standing Strong)…”

Four lessons from online learning that should stick after the pandemic
“One of the many changes COVID-19 brought those in education was an almost immediate switch to online learning. Overnight, institutions scrambled to keep education moving, while bridging the physical distance between teacher and learner. Traditionally trained teachers made valiant efforts to adjust to digital…”

Critical race theory and feminism are not taking over our universities
“Conservative observers everywhere are complaining about a supposed surge in feminist and critical race theories being taught in colleges and universities. In Hungary, the government went even further and banned gender studies master’s degrees country-wide. Their reasoning: to avoid the spread of ideas…”

High school grades matter for postsecondary study, but is pandemic assessment fair?
“As COVID-19 restrictions recede across much of the world, students have navigated changes in modes of learning (from virtual to in-person) and social protocols (for example, no masks). Even as societies gradually return to normal, we are constantly reminded that COVID-19 is…”

Who will call out the misogyny and abuse undermining women’s academic freedom in our universities?
“Threats, intimidation and misogyny have long been a reality for women in public life around the world, and the pandemic appears to have amplified this toxic reality. Aotearoa New Zealand is led by one of the world’s best-known female prime ministers, Jacinda Ardern….”

The 2022 Provocation Ideas Festival has arrived

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The Provocation Ideas Festival is a venue for the public to engage in spirited discussion, debate, and exploration on important contemporary issues. With support from OCUFA, the 2022 festival is bringing together disparate voices working for positive change through engaging dialogue and evocative art.

The festival will feature panel discussions with some of Canada’s most provocative thinkers, art exhibits that provoke new ways of seeing the world, and immersive events that help participants explore their shared connections.

All events are free of charge.

Discover the 2022 Provocation Ideas Festival.

NOSM University Academic and Professional Staff Union extends collective agreement

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The Northern Ontario School of Medicine University Academic and Professional Staff Union (Unit 1, OPSEU 677; NUFSA) has extended their collective agreement for one year. The extension agreement contains a one per cent ATB increase and a Bill 124 wage re-opener, as well as other provisions including additional Scholarship funding for 2022-23. The parties have also committed to discuss and attempt to agree on alternative work arrangements for Professional Staff, Interprofessional Education Lecturers, and Professional Librarians that would go into effect on July 1, 2022.

New resource recommends strategies for enhancing collegial governance

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The OCUFA University Governance Committee has published “Strategies for Enhancing Collegial Governance and Effectiveness in Governance Spaces.” The resource provides concrete and practical strategies and tactics for addressing barriers to collegial governance and faculty engagement in university governing bodies.

As traditional processes of shared collegial governance are becoming increasingly threatened or ignored, this document aims to provide faculty and academic librarians associations and their members with concrete steps to defend against threats to shared governance at Ontario’s universities.

Read Strategies for Enhancing Collegial Governance and Effectiveness in Governance Spaces.