USFA e-Letter Archives - Page 32 of 48

May 11, 2015January 7, 2021

Accountable Professional Expense Fund (APEF) Maximums

The 2014 – 2017 Collective Agreement includes increases to annual allocations to your professional expense account: $2,200 effective July 1, 2015.

Unused funds are carried forward for the following year; however, the new Collective Agreement now includes a maximum balance for these accounts of six times the annual allocation. Balances will not be reduced if they are over the maximum, but annual allocations will be reduced so that the balance does not exceed the maximum.

Take a look at the current balance of your APEF. If your balance is over $11,000 (5 x $2,200), consider spending down your account prior to June 30^th in order to receive the full allocation for 2015-16.

If you have any questions about the APEA, or other Collective Agreement provisions, simply let us know in a reply to this email and someone will contact you.

April 29, 2015January 7, 2021

Nova Scotia govt. proposes alarming new law

If you haven’t heard yet, the Nova Scotia government has tabled the Universities Accountability and Sustainability Act, AKA Bill 100 (http://nslegislature.ca/legc/bills/62nd_2nd/1st_read/b100.htm) and is trying to get it passed quickly. This legislation, touted by the NS Liberal government as the first of its kind in Canada, is at once a union-busting bill and a bill devoted to accelerating the university’s transformation into a business enterprise. It gives academic employers the capacity to neutralize the rights to strike and to grieve, and allows for students, staff, and faculty opposition to be swept aside in the wholesale restructuring of universities.

The proposed legislation would permit the provincial government, when requested by a university seeking a financial “revitalization plan,” to suspend the right of university workers to strike as well as suspending the right of unions representing these workers to enforce aspects of their Collective Agreements that may relate in any way to the revitalization plan.

Bill 100 also mandates the contents of revitalization plans. It requires that revitalization plans must satisfy the government that research will be turned into “business opportunities” and program and course offerings will be “relevant” to students, society and the economy. Plans must also include ideas for exchanging knowledge and innovation with the private sector, with an emphasis on university-industry collaboration.

The Association of Nova Scotia University Teachers (ANSUT) is looking for support for their efforts to prevent Bill 100 from becoming law. www.facebook.com/NSUniversityTeachers

An online petition can be found at http://nsuniversitiesuncut.ca/

April 21, 2015January 7, 2021

Dr. Nancy Olivieri and Peter Barnacle to speak at Academic Freedom Event 3:30 April 22, Arts 241

On April 22, USFA is hosting an academic freedom event in the Neatby-Timlin Theatre (Arts 241): Notwithstanding the Wall: The Peoples’ University Shall Survive & Thrive.

The University of Saskatchewan is still feeling aftershocks from the tumultuous events of the past year. Among other troubling developments, academic freedom on this campus was under threat and it took a great deal of effort from many quarters to make sure it wasn’t undermined. The USFA continues to cultivate an environment free from fear of reprisal for voicing divergent or dissenting views. Without academic freedom researchers and scholars would not have the autonomy to discover, to question, and to debate, and the important role of universities in our society would be compromised.

Opening remarks will be delivered at 3:30 p.m. by Dr. Nancy Olivieri, renowned clinical researcher and advocate of academic freedom, who fought corporate pressure against disclosing or publishing her research results. There will be a keynote address from Peter Barnacle, a Co-Counsel in the Supreme Court of Canada Saskatchewan Federation of Labour v. Saskatchewan case and recognized authority on international labour law and human justice, followed by a panel entitled “Academic Freedom and Collegial Governance in Higher Education in Canada.”

Please join us at this important event.

April 20, 2015March 13, 2024

Learn more about the Pay Inequity Balancing Fund at the USFA Spring General Meeting on Friday, April 24

Today is “Equal Pay Day” in Canada according to the latest Perry Work Report (Equal Pay Coalition). The date indicates how far into the new year a woman, on average, must work to earn the same amount made by a man the previous year.

At the U of S, the recognition of discrepancies in faculty salaries based on gender, and the commitment to address this problem, was formally established in the Collective Agreement in 2003. We were determined to address this issue once again in our most recent round of negotiations, and along with bargaining for a number of family-friendly provisions, we discussed a renewed commitment to address pay equity.

Although these negotiations were dominated by the urgent issue of the presidential veto, we were pleased to arrive at an agreement wherein the employer agreed to distribute 400 base budget Career Development Increases amongst female employees in recognition of past and present pay inequities. Distribution of these increments is being determined by a joint committee of the Employer and the USFA, and based on analysis of pay inequities at the U of S.

To learn more about this analysis and proposed distribution of CDI’s, please join us at the Spring General Meeting: Friday, April 24^th at 2:30 p.m. in Arts 241, Neatby-Timlin Theatre.

April 16, 2015January 7, 2021

Reminder: Election for USFA Executive Committee

Elections are currently underway for the USFA Executive Committee. Election material including the ballots have been sent to members. This is a reminder that completed ballots are to be returned to the USFA office no later than 4:00 pm on Thursday April 23.

Ballots returned after this date will not be counted.

April 15, 2015January 7, 2021

2015 USFA Award Recipients

With pleasure, we announce the 2015 recipients of the Peter C. Dooley Legacy Award, the USFA Academic Freedom Award and the Peter T. Millard Award. Thank you to the multiple nominators for making the selection committee’s task challenging.

The 2015 Peter C. Dooley Legacy Award goes to Joan Sawatzky, Professor Emeritus, College of Nursing, University of Saskatchewan.

Joan has contributed to collegial decision-making at the U of S through her advocacy of the importance of collegial decision-making and her participation in it on many collegial committees. Whether as a faculty member, a member of University Council or as Acting Dean of the College of Nursing, she respected the role of the collegium in decision-making, facilitated it and lived it.

The 2015 Academic Freedom Award goes to Nancy Olivieri, Senior Scientist and Professor of Pediatrics, Medicine and Public Health Sciences, Research Institute of the Toronto General Hospital and University of Toronto.

Nancy is a true champion of academic freedom. She has persisted in the face of great adversity, defending and advancing the concept of academic freedom. Her commitment to the principle of independent research free from the undermining of findings by external corporate pressure, along with her courage and integrity, has empowered many to take principled stands and to entertain broad and long term perspectives on the role of academics in society to contribute to the collective good.

The 2015 Peter Millard Award goes to Luis Buatois from the Department of Geological Sciences, College of Arts and Science.

Luis is a collegial activist. He has contributed much to the intellectual and collegial dynamic at the U of S through challenges of the lack of administrative transparency at the U of S and his outspokenness about the infiltration of the research environment by corporations.

These awards will be presented at a celebration dinner on Wednesday, April 22 at the University Club. Please join us in honoring this year’s recipients. Cocktails will be at 6:00 with dinner at 7:00.

In addition to the celebration dinner, the USFA is hosting an academic freedom event on the afternoon of April 22 at 3:30 in the Neatby-Timlin Theater (241 Arts). Event details can be found on the USFA website. Please plan to attend.

As there is limited seating for the dinner, to accommodate all those interested in attending, we would appreciate it if you would RSVP, including whether or not you will be bringing a guest, by reply email on or before April 17, 2014.

April 7, 2015May 3, 2021

When to go for tenure or promotion

You can elect to go for tenure or promotion in any year if you believe you have met the standards. The applicable standards may seem less than clear, however, and it may be difficult to gauge how strong your case is, especially when the process involves some subjective assessments of the value of your contributions.

First, be sure you know which standards apply to you.

For example, if you are in a department without standards, the college standards will apply. If your department has approved Standards for Tenure and Promotion, the Collective Agreement is clear that where they differ from college standards, the department standards take precedence. Likewise, college standards take precedence over university standards. Department standards must be at least as stringent as college standards, but the guiding principle is that the unit best understands the local academic culture.

New in the 2014-17 Collective Agreement for tenure cases, the standards in effect at the time of your appointment apply, unless you choose to have standards that came into effect after your appointment apply. For promotion, the most recent standards apply.

If you are planning to go forward for renewal, tenure or promotion this fall, consider joining USFA representatives at the University Club in the Club Room from11:30 to 1:30 April 14 or 15 to talk about the process. Lunch will be provided, so please reply to this email or contact Tammy Stieb at 306-966-5609 or tammy.stieb@usask.ca if you are interested in attending. You can also reply to this email with questions about tenure and promotion and someone will get in touch with you.

April 1, 2015January 7, 2021

Teaching in only two terms per year

By now many of you know your assignment of Duties for 2015-16. The Collective Agreement provides that departments will have this process wrapped up by yesterday with Deans in departmentalized colleges approving assignments by the end of April.

There are new provisions for the assignment of teaching duties in the

2014-17 Collective Agreement. All faculty members are entitled to an annual non-teaching term, including term faculty. A non-teaching term is not a term off as faculty are required to perform duties on a 12-month basis, unless specified otherwise in the letter of appointment.

The Agreement defines three terms: T1 (Fall), T2 (Winter), and T3 (spring/summer). You cannot be assigned to teach in all three terms except by mutual agreement, and you cannot be required to teach in T3 more than once in a period spanning three consecutive academic years.

The non-teaching term (typically T3) is intended to give faculty the opportunity to perform scholarly work. This includes research, or (for those with term appointments or heavy teaching assignments) preparation and updating of classes, and maintaining currency in their areas of expertise. This is also the term when vacation is normally taken.

You may agree to teach during your non-teaching term. In that case you will receive extra compensation of $5,500 for a 3 credit unit course (Article 18.5.1) or your teaching will be reduced at other times during the year.

You may also agree to distribute your normal teaching assignment over three terms but such a distribution cannot be required.

If you have questions about new assignment of duties provisions in the Collective Agreement or about the process generally, simply reply to this email and someone will contact you.

March 31, 2015May 3, 2021

It’s never too soon to think about tenure or promotion

Today is the best day to start thinking about your promotion/tenure case. You have a lot of resources to help you with your case.

If you are planning to go forward for renewal, tenure or promotion this fall, consider joining USFA representatives at the University Club in the Club Room from11:30 to 1:30 April 14 or 15 to talk about the process. Lunch will be provided, so please reply to this email if you are interested in attending or let us know by phone (306-966-5609).

By May 31, your Department Head or Dean should have met with you to discuss your progress with respect to the approved standards, with which you should be familiar.

You don’t give students much credit for answering a question other than the one you asked them to answer. Similarly, your colleagues will not give you much credit for activity other than that needed to meet your standards. Nor can they give you credit for your achievements if your file does not provide sufficient and appropriate data to thoroughly document your case.

Be sure you understand the meaning of all terms. If your standards are vague, you should ask how they have been interpreted in the past. Your Dean, Department Head, or faculty mentor should be able to provide you with further advice.

It is the responsibility of your Department Head or Dean to gather information and documentation for your case file. It is your responsibility to know what has been gathered and to add information to demonstrate you have met or exceeded the standards (see the university’s “Guidelines for preparation of case files for renewal of probation, tenure and promotion.” http://www.usask.ca/vpfaculty/processes/promotion.php)

For tenure, and promotion to full professor, your department or college committees will select several independent external reviewers. Your standards will describe the selection process, and you generally will have an opportunity for input.

Notify your Department Head or Dean as soon as possible that you intend to go forward for tenure or promotion, but no later than June 15.

By June 30, you should have been advised to provide anything you want included in your case file and it needs to be in by August 1.

If you have questions about the tenure or promotion procedure, feel free to include them in a reply to this email, and someone will get in touch with you.

March 18, 2015January 7, 2021

Assignment of Duties

This e-letter is a reminder that the process for Assignment of Duties should be wrapping up by the end of March. Our latest Collectively Speaking, by Eric Neufeld (Department Head, Computer Science), contains some ideas and advice for units to consider as they proceed.

It will be in your mailboxes soon, and in the meantime, here is a link to the pdf.