Category: USFA e-Letter

Despite statements made by senior academic administrators that transparency will be a hallmark of U of S Administration’s approach to address the projected $44.5 million deficit and their invitations to be involved, some USFA members are reporting attempts to stifle discussion through backlash directed at those who pose questions or offer their perspectives on the… Continue reading You Have Academic Freedom

Academic decisions at the U of S employ an informed decision-making process. It is explicit in our Collective Agreement and implicit in academic culture. In order to be meaningfully engaged in the academy and set the academic agenda we must insist on the right to full information and full participation. The U of S is… Continue reading Informed decision-making

In November a call for nominations was made for the inaugural USFA Peter T. Millard Award. The Millard Award was created on the 10th anniversary of the death of Peter Millard and to mark the 35th anniversary of the USFA Certification Order. It is presented to a USFA member, nominated by other USFA members, in… Continue reading And the 2013 Peter T. Millard Award goes to….

The University Secretary recently circulated information about annual elections to University Council. There are 16 three-year vacancies and 1 one-year vacancy. Nominations close on February 1. Crucial academic decisions will be made by University Council during the upcoming year as the TransformUS process unfolds. You have two days left to submit your nomination. Information and… Continue reading Two days to submit nominations for Council elections

University Council has the statutory authority for academic programs and will be asked to approve recommendations affecting academic programs that come out of the TransformUS prioritization process. The decisions being made will presumably change the landscape of post-secondary education at the U of S and across Saskatchewan. Oversight for Council comes from the General Academic… Continue reading University Council, the GAA and Faculty at the U of S

Some members of the USFA Executive Committee recently attended a conference sponsored by the Ontario Confederation of University Faculty Associations entitled “Academia in the Age of Austerity”.  The conference provided an overview of the consequences of various exercises in austerity that have been implemented in the United States, the United Kingdom and elsewhere in Canada.… Continue reading The Perils of Austerity

University Council is being asked to approve in principle the undertaking of a process for program prioritization at its January 24th meeting, but what exactly is Council being asked to approve? We know that the prioritization process will be an exercise about choosing what programs and services get funded based on “contributions to our overall… Continue reading TransformUS cannot be a top-down plan

The comments contained in the January 16 StarPhoenix editorial regarding the troubled state of the U of S (U of S strategy sows confusion) are timely and appropriate. Universities across the country are characterized by bloated, inefficient administrations that suck resources away from the academic agenda, and the U of S is no exception. When… Continue reading Letter to the editor

The Executive and Staff of the University of Saskatchewan Faculty Association wish you a happy holiday and prosperous New Year. Our office will be closed on Monday, December 24th reopening on Wednesday, January 2nd, 2013.  In the event of an urgent matter, please feel free to contact either of the following by email: Sarah Hoffman … Continue reading Happy Holidays from USFA