The Ontario Confederation of University Faculty Associations is excited to announce the third annual $10,000 OCUFA Fellowship in Higher Education Journalism. The Fellowship is intended to address the shortage of informed investigative reporting on Canadian higher education issues and support those wishing to pursue in-depth journalism on higher education. The Fellowship is open to full-time, […]
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Ontario university and college faculty, staff, and students give Ford government failing grade on plans for postsecondary education
The Ford government recently announced its plans to steamroll ahead with a reckless “performance” based funding plan. Postsecondary faculty, academic librarians, staff, and students are opposed to this flawed funding experiment and give the government a failing grade for its approach. The government, which already provides the lowest postsecondary per-student funding in Canada, has now […]
OCUFA condemns the Ford government for granting McVety’s Canada Christian College university-status
Toronto, ON, December 7, 2020 – The Ontario Confederation of University Faculty Associations (OCUFA), which represents 17,000 faculty and academic librarians across the province, is alarmed at the Ford government’s passing of Bill 213 which includes schedule 2 that gives the Canada Christian College, a private institution, university status and degree-granting privileges for Bachelor of […]
OCUFA board meeting focuses on priorities for 2020-21
On October 31, OCUFA held its first Board of Directors Meeting of the 2020-21 academic year. The virtual meeting focused on the numerous challenges faculty, academic librarians, and other academic professionals are facing as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic. Identifying priorities for 2020-21 With most academic staff and students still working and learning from […]
Pandemic has caused decline in education quality according to new poll of university students and faculty
TORONTO, Nov 24, 2020 — University students, faculty, and academic librarians are struggling with social isolation, stress, and a lack of institutional support according to the results of a new poll which finds that those working and studying at Ontario’s universities believe the shift to online education has negatively impacted quality. Without immediate action from universities and the Ontario government to […]
Collective strength in precarious times – New issue of Academic Matters
The latest issue of Academic Matters explores how collective negotiation has helped to ensure that the principles of the university are upheld and that academic staff are treated and compensated fairly. In the shadow of COVID-19, it is through this process that faculty associations are working to protect their members so that they can effectively […]
Call for nominations for the Equity and Social Justice Committee Award of Distinction
Nominations for the OCUFA Equity and Social Justice Committee Award of Distinction are open. The deadline is fast approaching (November 27th, 2020) and we encourage you to nominate someone whose work has contributed meaningfully to the advancement of professors, academic librarians, and/or academic staff who are Indigenous, women, racialized, LGBTQ2S+, living with disabilities, and/or belong […]
Future health of Ontario universities uncertain as government refuses to change course on funding
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 […]
New video celebrates teaching award recipients
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.
OCUFA opposes Ontario government circumventing democracy and public debate on Bill 168
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 […]
Jenny Ahn hired as next OCUFA Executive Director
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 […]
Letter to Minister of Colleges and Universities raising concerns about the Canada Christian College
Dear Minister Romano, I am contacting you on behalf of the Ontario Confederation of University Faculty Associations (OCUFA), which represents 17,000 faculty and academic librarians across the province. We are alarmed that your government is intending to discreetly pass legislation that would allow the Canada Christian College to call itself a “university” and award degrees. […]
Government must change course on decision to give university status to Canada Christian College
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 […]
University of Toronto’s William Cluett receives prestigious OCUFA teaching award
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 […]
Western University’s Joel Faflak receives prestigious OCUFA teaching award
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 […]