The Laurentian University Faculty Association (LUFA) and supporters of the arts in the Greater Sudbury Area have launched a campaign to save English-Language Theatre and Motion Picture Arts at Laurentian. You can sign the letter of support here. The announced closure of the two programs will leave currently enroled students stranded, strip Northern Ontario’s vibrant arts community of an important resource, cut distinctive […]
The COVID-19 pandemic has posed significant and unprecedented challenges for faculty, academic librarians, staff, and students at Ontario’s universities. We carry on as best we can, while keenly feeling the loss of community and face-to-face interaction. This pandemic has made clear the importance of in-person learning and exposed and exacerbated many of the inequities that […]
The Occupational Health Clinics for Ontario Workers, along with researchers and trade unions including the Canadian Association of University Teachers, has developed a pan-Canadian survey on COVID-19 workplace experiences. It is important that the views of university faculty and other academic staff are reflected in this survey. The data collected will be used to develop […]
OCUFA is concerned about the erosion of democratic, transparent, and accountable collegial governance practices at Ontario’s universities as they respond to the COVID-19 pandemic. With it becoming abundantly clear that universities will not be able to return to their usual operations in the foreseeable future, some administrations are foregoing their responsibility to respect the shared […]
Now is not the time for the Ontario government to move forward with its reckless plans for destabilizing performance-based funding, especially given the COVID-19 pandemic and the ongoing uncertainty facing Ontario’s postsecondary institutions, workers, and students. That was the message OCUFA President Rahul Sapra delivered to the Ontario government last week. In a letter to […]
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: Coronavirus pushes universities to switch to online classes — but are they ready? By Shandell Houlden, Royal Roads University and George Veletsianos, Royal Roads University “In light of rising concerns about the spread of COVID-19 and […]
In response to questions and concerns about the impact of COVID-19 emergency measures on academic staff and their work, the Canadian Association of University Teachers has developed a Frequently Asked Questions web page . The page is constantly being updated.
OCUFA’s 17,000 faculty, academic librarians, and other academic professionals are deeply concerned about the equity implications of the COVID-19 crisis on Ontario’s health care system and economy, and the adverse impacts both will have on the most marginalized in our society. While it may be difficult to remember life before COVID-19, it is important to […]
TORONTO, March 26, 2020 – OCUFA is pleased to see that the Ford government’s spring economic statement includes much needed investment in the province’s health care system and OSAP loan interest relief for students, but is disappointed there are only marginal increases to postsecondary education funding. Faculty, academic librarians, and other academic professionals represented by […]
On Saturday, February 8 and Sunday, February 9, OCUFA held its second Board of Directors meeting of the 2019-20 academic year. Over the weekend, board members discussed the organization’s current priorities – good jobs, university funding, and capacity building – with a focus on challenges to the postsecondary sector and to public education as a […]
OCUFA has set out its priorities for the 2020 Ontario Budget in a written submission to the Standing Committee on Finance and Economic Affairs. OCUFA’s 2020 budget recommendations aim to preserve the accessibility and quality of postsecondary education in Ontario through stable, consistent, and adequate funding, as well as improved working conditions for university faculty. […]
The latest issue of Academic Matters considers the economic and equity impacts of how university funding is allocated. How does this affect students, faculty, and staff at Ontario’s postsecondary institutions? Read the issue for free online. Editorial Matters: Economics and inequality By Ben Lewis, Editor-in-Chief “It is commonly understood that postsecondary education ought to focus on fostering curiosity, creativity, critical thinking, and vigorous debate, with the […]
On Saturday, October 19 and Sunday, October 20, OCUFA held its first Board of Directors meeting of the 2019-20 academic year. The weekend oriented new board members to OCUFA and allowed members to discuss the implications of the Ford government’s attacks on public postsecondary education in Ontario. During the meeting, there were special presentations on […]
The Nipissing University Faculty Association (NUFA) needs your support to avert a strike. NUFA has been bargaining in good faith with their administration, presenting a modest and responsible package that fights for pension improvements and protects research supports. Unfortunately, the Nipissing administration is proposing claw backs that will not only jeopardize faculty research and teaching, […]
OCUFA is concerned that the Conservative Party and Andrew Scheer are trying to score cheap political points by taking a page from Doug Ford’s playbook and attempting to manufacture a campus free speech crisis. The Conservative Party’s materials, distributed on a number of campuses over the past week, misrepresent the nature of speech at Canadian […]
