Rising to the challenge: Reflections on a round of pandemic bargaining By Larry Savage, Brock University “When the Brock University Faculty Association entered its most recent round of bargaining in April 2020, the Ontario government had already declared a state of emergency in response to the spread of COVID-19 and Brock University had suspended face-to-face classes…” Building an anti-racist campus means fundamentally rethinking institutional structures and practices By Siobhan Stevenson, University of Toronto “Two weeks after police […]
Parents and educators are organizing a provincial day of action tomorrow (Wednesday, July 29) at 12pm to call for a safe and well-funded reopening of schools in September. OCUFA will join educators, parents, and students across the province to urge the government to prioritize the safety of students and workers at all Ontario’s educational institutions. As workers, parents, and educators, […]
OCUFA has joined with other members of the Ontario Universities and Colleges Coalition (OUCC) to write to Minister of Colleges and Universities Ross Romano and raise concerns about the new and invasive proctoring technologies being employed by postsecondary institutions across Ontario. The use of these technologies has substantially increased during the COVID-19 pandemic, particularly as […]
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: The academy’s neoliberal response to COVID-19: Why faculty should be wary and how we can push back By Honor Brabazon, St. Jerome’s University in the University of Waterloo “The emergency shift to remote teaching that universities have made in response […]
TORONTO – Today, Minister of Colleges and Universities Ross Romano announced a new program that provides a framework for Ontario’s postsecondary institutions to allow some students to return to campus on July 2. University faculty are committed to doing everything they can to maintain educational quality and continuity in these challenging times, but health and […]
The Ontario Confederation of University Faculty Associations stands in solidarity with the families, friends, communities, and activists in Canada and the United States who are demonstrating against the deaths of Regis Korchinski-Paquet, George Floyd, Breonna Taylor, Tony McDade, Ahmaud Arbery, and all the other Black lives that have been lost because of anti-Black racism and […]
In response to the Ministry of Colleges and Universities seeking input on the impacts the COVID-19 pandemic has had on different sectors of Ontario society, OCUFA has submitted a detailed overview of the pandemic’s implications for faculty, academic librarians, and other academic professionals at the province’s universities. The policy brief is designed to provide context […]
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 […]
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 […]
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 […]
At universities and colleges across Ontario, democratically elected students’ unions are a vital part of the campus community. They provide numerous services to their members, including access to vibrant student clubs, inclusive spaces, event programming, and important resources that support marginalized students on campus. Students’ unions also engage in advocacy work that gives their members […]
Toronto, Nov. 22, 2019 – Ontario faculty are pleased to see that the Ontario Divisional Court has struck down the Ford government’s controversial “Student Choice Initiative” (SCI), finding the directive both unlawful and a violation of university autonomy. The Court found that Ford’s Cabinet and the then Minister of Training, Colleges and Universities overstepped their […]
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 […]
