The 2020 Worldviews Lecture brought together over 180 academics, students, higher education leaders, communications professionals, and journalists from around the globe for a virtual discussion on the lecture’s theme: The myth of meritocracy . Jo Littler from City, University of London, opened the event with a historical and contemporary analysis of the ways by which meritocracy permeates social institutions, including the academy. […]
TORONTO, Nov, 5, 2020—The future health of Ontario universities remains uncertain as the Ford government continues to erode university funding and refuses to change course on their reckless performance-based funding scheme. Instead, the 2020 Ontario Budget promises to squander $60 million dollars on ineffective micro-credentials, which are a solution in search of a problem. With […]
In a letter to Minister of Colleges and Universities Ross Romano, the Ontario Universities and Colleges Coalition, of which OCUFA is a member, has raised concerns about the privatization of postsecondary education in Ontario and the government’s efforts to grant university status to the controversial Canada Christian College. Hon. Ross Romano Minister of Colleges and […]
In a special new video, OCUFA celebrates this year’s Teaching and Academic Librarianship Award recipients . Watch the video below to learn more about the five individuals whose teaching exemplifies the passion, dedication, and spirit of innovation that defines Ontario’s professors and librarians.
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: “Mind the gap”: Critical insights on the urgent transition to online learning in a time of crisis By Dianne Conrad In this three-part series, Dianne Conrad draws on her many years of experience in online learning and on research in […]
Toronto, October 28, 2020—The Ontario Confederation of University Faculty Associations (OCUFA) is shocked that the Ford government has abused its power and circumvented democracy and public debate to ram through provisions of Bill 168, the Combating Antisemitism Act, through an Order-In-Council , which enshrines into law the flawed International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance (IHRA) working definition of antisemitism. This law will further […]
TORONTO, Oct, 22, 2020—Jenny Ahn will be the next Executive Director of the Ontario Confederation of University Faculty Associations. Ahn has worked with civil society organizations, non-governmental organizations, and the labour movement across Canada and internationally. She joins OCUFA after having spent over two decades in leadership roles with Unifor and its predecessor, the Canadian […]
Following the alarming news that the Ontario government is trying to discreetly pass legislation that will give the Canada Christian College and several other private institutions university status and the ability to award degrees, OCUFA sent the following letter to Minister of Colleges and Universities Ross Romano raising concerns about the legislation and urging the […]
In recent years there has been mounting evidence of the dubious validity and inherent bias in student questionnaires on courses and teaching (SQCTs), sometimes also known as student evaluations of teaching (SETs). In 2018, OCUFA supported a study of the implications of open-ended student comments in these questionnaires and how they might affect faculty mental […]
Today, the Ontario Universities and Colleges Coalition, of which OCUFA is a member, sent the following letter expressing our solidarity with the support staff at the University of Ottawa. These workers, who are members of the Ontario Secondary School Teachers’ Federation, went on strike today as they continue their efforts to resist cuts being demanded […]
Every October the Canadian Association of University Teachers organizes a week where faculty across Canada take action on campus and social media to recognize the important contributions contract faculty make to postsecondary education and raise awareness about the challenges they face. Contract faculty have been some of the hardest hit by the COVID-19 pandemic. Many […]
TORONTO, Oct, 5, 2020 – The Ontario Confederation of University Faculty Associations (OCUFA) is pleased to announce the recipients of its prestigious Teaching and Academic Librarianship Awards. Since 1973, these awards have recognized the exceptional contributions faculty have made to improving the quality of higher education at Ontario’s universities. “Faculty are at the heart of […]
TORONTO, Oct, 5, 2020 – William Cluett, a professor in the Department of Chemical Engineering and Applied Chemistry at the University of Toronto, has been named one of Ontario’s most outstanding university teachers by the Ontario Confederation of University Faculty Associations (OCUFA). He is receiving a 2019-2020 OCUFA Teaching Award for his outstanding contributions to […]
TORONTO, Oct, 5, 2020 – Joel Faflak, a professor in the Department of English and Writing Studies at Western University, has been named one of Ontario’s most outstanding university teachers by the Ontario Confederation of University Faculty Associations (OCUFA). He is receiving a 2019-2020 OCUFA Teaching Award for his outstanding contributions to improving the quality […]
TORONTO, Oct, 5, 2020 – Kim Hellemans, an instructor and Chair of the Department of Neuroscience at Carleton University, has been named one of Ontario’s most outstanding university teachers by the Ontario Confederation of University Faculty Associations (OCUFA). She is receiving a 2019-2020 OCUFA Teaching Award for her outstanding contributions to improving the quality of […]
