When Laurentian University filed for protection under the Companies’ Creditors Arrangement Act (CCAA), it became the first public university in Canada to do so. Let’s make sure it is also the last. Send a letter to your federal candidates today and ask them to commit to updating the CCAA and Bankruptcy Insolvency Act to exempt public institutions and protect Canada’s vital public services.
The Ontario Universities and Colleges Coalition (OUCC), of which OCUFA is a member, has put out a statement strongly opposing the new provincial election spending rules outlined and enforced by Bill 307, Protecting Elections and Defending Democracy Act. With the use of the Notwithstanding Clause, the government has imposed Bill 307 despite a court decision […]
Now is the time to remind MPs we need to take action to prevent more crises like the collapse of Laurentian University. We have just a few days before MPs break for the summer and head into a potential fall election. Send a letter to your MP. Ask them to amend the Companies’ Creditors Arrangement Act to exclude publicly funded institutions […]
Over the past few years, the debate about freedom of speech on university campuses has intensified. Often sparked by high profile and provocative speakers from outside the academy, this debate has focused on expression rights, whether some groups have more privileged rights than others, how exercising these rights can harm certain individuals or groups, and […]
On Saturday, October 20 and Sunday, October 21, OCUFA held its first Board of Directors Meeting of the 2018-19 academic year. The weekend oriented new board members to OCUFA and allowed members to discuss the results of the 2018 provincial election and what it could mean for Ontario’s universities. With that context, members reviewed OCUFA’s […]
Ontario’s public postsecondary education system has been evolving for over a century. Core to its development has been a foundation of robust public funding delivered primarily through the provincial government. The government’s approach to university funding has profound implications for the student experience and research contributions. A government that makes university funding a priority and […]
On June 7, the Ontario voters elected a Progressive Conservative majority government led by Doug Ford. This election outcome has a number of important implications for professors and academic librarians in the province and will pose several challenges and opportunities for the university sector over the next four years. During the election, OCUFA analyzed the […]
On Saturday, May 12 and Sunday, May 13, OCUFA held its final Board of Directors meeting of the 2017-18 academic year. During the weekend, board members discussed the organization’s current priorities – good jobs and vibrant universities, university funding, and capacity building – with a focus on the postsecondary issues that were likely to receive […]
On May 31, the Trent University Faculty Association (TUFA), CUPE 3908 (representing contract faculty and student academic workers at Trent University), and the Peterborough and District Labour Council hosted an All-Candidates Meeting. The event was moderated by Marcus Harvey, Executive Director of TUFA, and Hanah Howlett McFarlane, a Vice-President of CUPE 3908. Questions focused on […]
A lot is at stake for postsecondary education in this election. There are some important differences in how the major parties plan to address issues that matter for Ontario university faculty. Evaluating statements made in party platforms and OCUFA’s questionnaire on postsecondary issues, we have produced a report card that grades each parties commitments to […]
TORONTO – According to a new poll commissioned by the Ontario Confederation of University Faculty Associations (OCUFA), 68 per cent of Ontarians oppose universities hiring more contract faculty on short-term contracts instead of full-time professors with better pay and access to benefits. Potential voters for all political parties disagree with the current hiring approach, including […]
On May 26, the Ontario Liberals released their platform online. This was followed by the Progressive Conservative platform release on May 30. OCUFA has taken a look at both documents and provided analysis on how they address issues that are important to faculty, including re-investing in universities, supporting faculty renewal, and delivering fairness for contract […]
On May 16, faculty worked with campus partners to host an all-candidates debate in Waterloo. Attended by over 150 members of the community, the debate focused exclusively on postsecondary education issues. Local candidates from all major parties participated in the debate, including incumbent Catherine Fife (NDP), Dorothy McCabe (Liberal), Dan Weber (PC), and Zdravko Gunjevic […]
Faculty associations across the province have been busy hosting election-related events that are putting postsecondary education on the agenda in their local ridings. A lot is at stake for higher education when voters go to the polls on June 7. Commitments to strong public funding, faculty renewal, and fairness for contract faculty are needed to […]
To find out where each of the major parties stands on issues that matter to faculty across Ontario, OCUFA prepared a questionnaire that was sent to the leaders of each party. You can read the Green Party’s response here . Responses were previously received from the NDP and Liberals . We hope you will review these responses to see where the parties stand on […]
