As students return to campuses and classes get underway, OCUFA will be working on a variety of initiatives important to professors and academic librarians. Here’s what to look out for in 2016-17: The Government of Ontario’s reform of the university funding model. For the past year and a half, the government has been examining ways […]
faculty
A new report is sounding the alarm about attacks made against students, professors, and higher education communities around the world. Published by Scholars at Risk , an organization dedicated to protecting academic freedom and the rights of higher education communities, the report documents 333 attacks against universities, students, and professors . The attacks range from travel restrictions to imprisonment to outright killings. Flashpoints include the attacks made by […]
The summer months are usually a quiet time for faculty collective bargaining in Ontario. Nevertheless, bargaining continues at many campuses as professors and academic librarians work to secure fair deals. Faculty at Huron University College ratified their new agreement in May. The contract runs from 2015 until 2018, and features salary increases of 2.25 per […]
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 […]
TORONTO – Professors and academic librarians from across the province will be at Queen’s Park today, talking with MPPs about important issues facing Ontario’s universities. The meetings are part of the Ontario Confederation of University Faculty Association’s annual Advocacy Day. “The work of professors and academic librarians is at the heart of higher education in […]
OCUFA is pleased to announce an upcoming workshop designed to help faculty members develop high-quality online courses while protecting academic freedom and intellectual property. The Faculty Leadership in E-Learning Workshop will be held on March 20, 2015 at the Westin Harbour Castle in Toronto. Join us for a day of discussion, skill-building, and action for […]
“If you understand what is happening in society, you understand what is happening in our universities”. Wayne Lewchuk opened the forum about the changing nature of academic labour with a powerful statement that in every part of our economy, including our universities, there is a growing number of precarious jobs. A recent study, which he […]
Last night, TVO’s The Agenda featured Kane Faucher, a contract faculty member at Western and Laurier, discussing the experience and challenges of precarious work . The segment was part of a program examining the rise of casual and part-time work in the Canadian economy. Precarious work is no longer just found in so-called low-skilled jobs- it now cuts across white collar and professional […]
Professors and academic librarians are welcoming a new study that highlights their impressive teaching and research accomplishments, as well as their many contributions to the social and economic vitality of Ontario. The report, Faculty at Work , was released today by the Council of Ontario Universities (COU). “This report is the first serious attempt to examine the work […]
OCUFA has responded to the unfortunate new report on faculty productivity published by the Higher Education Quality Council of Ontario. The response can be read on the Globe and Mail , or below. Do universities have a productivity problem, or do they have a quality problem? If you believe a new report by the government-funded Higher Education Quality […]
Contract Academic Staff at Wilfrid Laurier University reached a tentative deal last Tuesday after a mediation session with William Kaplan. The ratification vote is scheduled for Monday, December 2, 2013 and will run until December 6th. OCUFA Report will have more details after the vote is complete. As part of the bargaining strategy, the faculty association […]
OCUFA is pleased to announce our 2014 Conference, “Future U: Creating the Universities We Want”. The event will be held from February 27-28, 2014 in Toronto. The Future U conference will look at current trends and the possibility of alternatives for the future of higher education. Our goal is to allow professors, librarians, administrators, students and […]
The St. Jerome’s University Academic Staff Association (SJUASA) reached a tentative settlement on October 21st. The agreement was ratified by the Association, with 96 per cent voting in favour, on October 24, 2013. The five-year deal includes annual ATB increases of 3% in the first two years, and for the following years, the higher of: University […]
You may have seen some commentary recently suggesting that Canadian professors make more than their American counterparts. But according to new data, American faculty members make considerably more than their colleagues north of the border. International comparisons always face the problem ensuring apples-to-apples comparisons. Without taking account of differences in the way in which the […]
Like many Ontario pension plans, some Ontario university pension plans currently have a funding shortfall, brought on in part by the financial crisis and almost 5 years of historically low interest rates. Problems with faculty pension plans existed before the financial crisis, but the fallout has worsened the situation. Unions and employers in the Ontario university […]