TORONTO, March 27, 2024 – The Ontario Confederation of University Faculty Associations welcomed recent news that almost all international study permits will be allocated to Ontario’s publicly funded universities and colleges but warned that distributing study permits based solely on immediate labour market needs misses the big picture. “Ontario’s public universities prepare students for the […]
TORONTO, March 26, 2024 – The Ontario Confederation of University Faculty Associations said the 2024 Ontario Budget gets a failing grade for not supporting the province’s public universities. “This budget fails the test of investing in the long-term health of our world-class publicly funded universities,” said Nigmendra Narain, OCUFA President. “Universities are in a crisis […]
TORONTO, February 26, 2024 – The Ontario Confederation of University Faculty Associations says today’s government announcement of nearly $1.3 billion for universities and colleges over the next three years is an inadequate investment in Ontario’s postsecondary institutions. “The Minister of Colleges and Universities recognizes that we are facing a funding crisis, but the gap between […]
TORONTO, February 12, 2024 – The Ontario Confederation of University Faculty Associations said the Ontario Court of Appeal’s decision to dismiss the province’s appeal of the controversial and unconstitutional Protecting a Sustainable Public Sector for Future Generations Act—formerly Bill 124—is a win for workers. “This is a clear victory for Ontario’s public sector workers that […]
TORONTO/SUDBURY, January 30, 2024 –The Ontario Confederation of University Faculty Associations recommended four solutions for investing in Ontario’s publicly funded university system in its pre-budget submission, Empowering Tomorrow: The OCUFA Blueprint for Revitalizing Ontario’s Public Universities. In the submission, released today, OCUFA outlined the problems created by provincial underfunding and offered its solutions for a thriving postsecondary sector: RECOMMENDATION ONE: OCUFA calls for compounding annual […]
TORONTO, December 7, 2023 – At a conference held last week in Toronto, the Ontario Confederation of University Faculty Associations brought together a diverse group of more than 80 high-profile stakeholders in postsecondary education to find funding solutions for Ontario’s public universities. In his opening remarks for the Conference, titled “ Funding our Future: Keeping Universities Public ,” OCUFA President Nigmendra […]
TORONTO, September 13, 2023 – Faculty and academic librarians are calling for more clarity and bold solutions from the Minister of Colleges and Universities after a recent announcement that the Ministry will host consultations on the student housing crisis this fall. The Minister announced the start of roundtable meetings that include representatives from municipalities, private […]
OCUFA’s new President Nigmendra Narain, a Lecturer in Political Science at Western University, started his two-year term in July 2023. In recognition of Labour Day, he talks about the labour issues faculty and academic librarians face today, and how we can work collaboratively to improve working conditions for all workers across our campuses and […]
TORONTO, June 1, 2023 – The Ontario Confederation of University Faculty Associations (OCUFA), Canadian Union of Public Employees (CUPE), Ontario Public Service Employees Union (OPSEU/SEFPO), Ontario Secondary Schools Teachers Federation (OSSTF/FESSO), Canadian Federation of Students (CFS-Ontario), Public Service Alliance of Canada (PSAC) and the Ontario Federation of Labour (OFL) are deeply concerned about the composition, […]
TORONTO, March 23, 2023 – The Ford government continued its streak of neglecting Ontario’s public universities in the provincial budget, tabled today at Queen’s Park. The government failed to meaningfully invest in universities, which university faculty warn may lead to more privatization and instability for students, faculty, and staff on campuses. “Ontario sits last in […]
TORONTO, March 17, 2023 – Ontario university faculty and students know the math does not add up in the provincial government’s latest announcement on post-secondary education. University tuition fees are unaffordable for many in Ontario, and are among the highest in the country. Tuition fees remain the most significant barrier to accessing post-secondary education in […]
SUDBURY/TORONTO, December 6, 2022 – The Ontario Confederation of University Faculty Associations (OCUFA) supports a call from the Laurentian University Faculty Association (LUFA) for a public inquiry into the financial crisis at Laurentian University, which led to unprecedented program cuts and faculty and staff job losses. “A public inquiry is necessary to ensure that the disaster that took place […]
On Tuesday, November 15, faculty and academic librarians from across the province gathered at the Ontario Legislature to meet with Members of Provincial Parliament to advocate for robust funding of public post-secondary institutions, better working conditions and support for contract faculty, the need for faculty renewal at Ontario universities, and for changes to Bill 26 that […]
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 […]
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 […]
