Faculty, academic librarians, and academic professionals from universities across Ontario attended OCUFA Advocacy Day on March 20 at the Ontario Legislature to advocate for more robust, sustainable government investment in Ontario’s public university system. OCUFA ambassadors representing more than 18,000 faculty, academic librarians, and academic professionals, conducted meetings with Members of Provincial Parliament and their […]
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Ontario professors say new postsecondary funding a drop in the bucket
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 […]
Ontario university professors call Appeal Court ruling on Bill 124 a win for public sector workers
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 […]
Ontario professors offer a blueprint for revitalizing public universities
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 […]
Ontario government response to international student cap misses the mark, professors say
TORONTO, January 26, 2024 – The Ontario Confederation of University Faculty Associations said the Minister of Colleges and Universities’ response to a two-year proposed cap on international student visas won’t solve the real problems plaguing the province’s universities. “The government’s proposals for oversight of our postsecondary institutions miss the mark and focus on a manufactured […]
STATEMENT: Professors say Ontario government must address funding gap from international student cap
TORONTO, January 23, 2024 – The Ontario Confederation of University Faculty Associations called on the provincial government to step up their investment in postsecondary education following a federal announcement capping the number of approved international student visas. Ontario universities and colleges rely heavily on tuition fees from international students—which are significantly higher than domestic tuition […]
Application Portal open for 2023-2024 OCUFA Awards of Distinction
OCUFA is now accepting nominations and applications for the 2023-2024 OCUFA Awards of Distinction.Nomination and application deadline: March 8, 2024 The following awards are open for nominations: Nominate someone for the Equity and Social Justice Award Nominate someone for the OCUFA Service Award Nominate someone for the Lorimer Collective Bargaining Award Nominate someone for a Teaching and Academic Librarianship Award The following fellowships are open for applications: Henry Mandelbaum Graduate Fellowships (Master’s and Doctoral) Mark Rosenfeld Fellowship in Higher Education Journalism At OCUFA, we believe it is important to recognize the exceptional people whose work improves the […]
Funding solutions for Ontario universities top priority at conference
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 […]
New agreements for two member organizations
Lakehead University At the end of October, members of the Lakehead University Faculty Association (LUFA) ratified their new three-year collective agreement following an extended period of negotiations. Regular member communications and the hard work of the negotiating team resulted in gains on members’ top priorities of compensation, pension reform, benefits, contract lecturer equity, and university […]
Ending gender-based violence on our campuses and in our communities
By: Nigmendra Narain, OCUFA President December 6 marks 34 years since the deadly misogynistic massacre of 14 women engineering students at L’Ecole Polytechnique in Montreal. December 6th is now known as National Day of Remembrance and Action on Violence Against Women, and every year we remember the 14 women killed in Montreal and recommit to ending […]
After years of work, Ontario faculty say major victory achieved on protecting public universities
TORONTO, November 21, 2023 –The Ontario Confederation of University Faculty Associations (OCUFA) welcomed news today from Finance Minister Chrystia Freeland in the Fall Economic Statement that the Federal government is reforming harmful corporate bankruptcy legislation—a crucial move that will protect public universities from corporate-style restructuring policies. The news comes almost three years after Laurentian University […]
Blue-Ribbon report recommendations not enough for Ontario universities to achieve excellence
OCUFA calls for more provincial postsecondary funding Toronto, ON, November 16, 2023 – The Ontario Confederation of University Faculty Associations (OCUFA) says the government’s Blue-Ribbon Panel’s recommendations fall far short of what is required to even adequately fund Ontario’s world-class public universities. “How can we continue to aim for world-class excellence when we are dead […]
Focusing on Equity and Social Justice at OCUFA
OCUFA’s Equity and Social Justice Committee (ESJC) began the 2023-2024 year with events signalling its commitment to a greater action orientation and engagement with current issues impacting members at the committee’s annual Equity Training Workshop and its first meeting of the year this fall. At a session called “Organizing for social justice and equity: Learning […]
STATEMENT: Ontario faculty say campus safety and academic freedom must be upheld during international conflicts
TORONTO, October 18, 2023 – University faculty and academic librarians stand against violence and hate, Islamophobia, antisemitism, and racism in all its forms on Ontario campuses. OCUFA and its member organizations also strongly support academic freedom, and the importance of universities as spaces of safety, scholarship, and civil rights. In the wake of the tragic […]
STATEMENT: Western University’s sudden merger announcement alarms Ontario faculty
TORONTO, October 3, 2023 – Ontario faculty are deeply concerned about recent and sudden news that Western University will close Brescia University College and merge the institution under Western’s umbrella. This decision was made without consultation with the Brescia Faculty Association (BFA) or the University of Western Ontario Faculty Association (UWOFA)—in violation of collegial governance […]