On April 21, 2015, OCUFA co-hosted the first annual Worldviews Lecture on Media and Higher Education at the Ontario Institute for Studies in Education (OISE) at the University of Toronto. The lecture was present by Simon Marginson, Professor of International Higher Education at the Institute of Education at University College London. Titled “Universities, the plutocracy, […]
TORONTO – The 2015 Ontario Budget repeatedly acknowledges that universities are vital to economic prosperity, yet does not make any new investments in public funding for higher education institutions. In fact, under the current plan, per-student university funding will reach its lowest level since the 1960s. This has professors and academic librarians questioning the government’s […]
Led by Shari Graydon, founder and catalyst of Informed Opinions, this highly interactive workshop builds women’s leadership capacity and enhances their credibility and influence by providing participants with the confidence and tools to contribute their expertise to the public discourse through compelling, short-form written commentary for newspaper op-ed pages and online sites.Of interest to academic […]
Finance Minister Charles Sousa will deliver the 2015 Ontario Budget on Thursday, April 23, 2015. What can professors and academic librarians expect to see in Ontario’s financial plan? A good first question is to ask what should be in the budget. As OCUFA pointed out in its pre-budget submission to government, public investment in our universities is […]
The University of Western Ontario Faculty Association (UWOFA) is fighting for changes to university governance processes, after it was revealed that President Amit Chakma received $967,000 in pay in 2013-14- twice his contractual pay. The double payment – disbursed when Chakma declined to take a year of paid leave – was revealed in the 2015 […]
OCUFA’s Status of Women Committee is pleased to host the “Writing Compelling Commentary” workshop, hosted by Shari Graydon. This highly interactive workshop seeks to build women’s leadership capacity and enhances their influence by providing participants with the confidence and tools to contribute their expertise to the public discourse through compelling, short form written commentary. Presented […]
In anticipation of a government-led review of Ontario’s university funding formula, OCUFA Report is hosting a special series of articles examining the issues around the funding formula. This is part six of six. You can also read parts one , two , three , four and five on OCUFA’s website. Last week, we looked at the strengths and weaknesses of Ontario’s university funding […]
Space is running out for the first annual Worldviews Lecture on Media and Higher Education . This free event will look at how universities fit into a world increasingly divided between the rich and everyone else. The first lecture will feature Simon Marginson, Professor of International Education at the Institute of Education, University of London. Professor Marginson will deliver a lecture titled, […]
This Op-Ed, by OCUFA President Kate Lawson, originally appeared in the Huffington Post . The ongoing strikes at York University and the University of Toronto have prompted a variety of thoughtful and insightful examinations of the state of university education in Ontario. In particular, the conversation around the changing nature of academic work and the plight of […]
On Wednesday, March 25th, the members of the Nipissing University Faculty Association (NUFA) voted overwhelmingly in favour of a strike mandate. Over 90 per cent of NUFA members cast their ballot, and 97 per cent voted to authorize NUFA to strike should one become necessary. NUFA held its strike vote less than a week after […]
In anticipation of a government-led review of Ontario’s university funding formula, OCUFA Report is hosting a special series of articles examining the issues around the funding formula. This is part five of six. You can also read parts one , two , three and four on OCUFA’s website. Now that we have a handle on the origins of the funding formula and how it actually works , it is clear […]
A coalition of university students, faculty, and staff are calling for a funding formula that ensures high quality and accessible learning while fostering good jobs in the university sector. At the same time, the formula must guarantee that our higher education institutions remain strongly public. The Ontario University and College Coalition (OUCC) released these principles […]
OCUFA has been working with the Ministry of Finance to ensure that the regulatory framework that will guide asset and liability transfers between single employer pension plans (SEPPs) and jointly sponsored pension plans (JSPPs) in Ontario’s broader public sector meets the needs of faculty associations across the province. On February 27, 2015, we submitted a written response to the government’s […]
On March 9 & 10, 2015, Wilfrid Laurier announced a series of layoffs to faculty and staff. Since the announcement, the Wilfrid Laurier University Faculty Association (WLUFA) has been working to clarify how many positions have been lost or affected. Based on the administration’s “loose forecast,” 30.5 fulltime faculty positions will be lost, alongside 27 affected staff positions. The faculty […]
On March 12, the government announced that it will be launching consultations to inform a review of the funding formula for universities , starting this spring. The process will be open, formal and transparent and will include students, administration, and faculty. The government has also indicated that employers, colleges, professional associations and the elementary and secondary education sector will be included […]
