News Archive
Deadline to submit 2019 Sun Life Claims April 30, 2020
April 27, 2020 | USFA e-Letter
The message you recently received from Sun Life about the March 30 deadline to submit 2019 health, dental and flexible spending claims was incorrect. The university has extended the deadline to submit your 2019 health, dental and flexible spending claims for reimbursement to April 30, 2020. Sun Life must receive your unsubmitted claims for the 2019 calendar yearon …
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The Appointments Forum
April 22, 2020 | USFA e-Letter
It is seldom in the search process that there is a meeting of the Appointments Forum. It has met perhaps a dozen times in the last decade. However, in the last two weeks there have been three Appointments Forum meetings and all were examples of this step in the search process set out in the …
COVID-19 Negotiations update
April 14, 2020 | COVID-19
Dear USFA members: Two of the more pressing issues included in our proposals to the employer are copyright and sabbaticals. Copyright We are proposing that employees retain copyright to all course materials they develop and deliver online, as per Article 26 of the Collective Agreement, including recorded lectures, unless they have expressly signed over these …
COVID-19 Update April 13
April 13, 2020 | COVID-19
Dear USFA members: We are working very hard to make sure that agreements are in place to protect faculty members in this time of crisis. We proposed a Memorandum of Agreement (MoA) to the employer on March 27. We are open to an agreement in whole or in a sequence of parts. Assignment of duties As …
Supporting others during the pandemic
April 7, 2020 | COVID-19
Since the state of emergency was declared, USFA has received several appeals from organizations and messages from our members suggesting that that USFA support students and others during the pandemic. At its last meeting, the USFA executive approved two motions to donate to the Saskatoon Community Response to COVID-19 and the Nassar Emergency Student Trust. …
COVID-19 Benefits Update
April 3, 2020 | Benefits
The following information has been provided to us by the employer. Extended Health Care – normal coverage will be provided for any instance of coronavirus/COVID-19. The deadline for submitting claims for expenses incurred in 2019 has been extended to April 30, 2020. Out of Country Coverage (OOC) – Coronavirus/COVID-19 will be treated as any other medical emergency with …
USFA SCHOLARSHIP APPLICATION NOW AVAILABLE ONLINE DEADLINE June 1, 2020
March 31, 2020 | USFA e-Letter
Online applications for the USFA Scholarship will be accepted until 11:59 p.m. Saturday, June 1, 2020. The USFA Scholarship Program is open to students who are immediate family members of USFA members. Immediate family includes spouse/partner, sons, daughters or children whom USFA members have served as legal guardians. The application form for the 2019-2020 USFA Scholarship Fund Program is now available …
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Extended Deadline for Assignment of Duties Process
March 28, 2020 | Assignment of Duties
Some members may have missed this information in our e-letter of March 24: please note that the new deadline for completion of assignment of duties by Department Heads is April 30, and by Deans is May 31.
Response of Affiliated Unions to COVID-19
March 27, 2020 | COVID-19
COVID-19 is creating enormous hardship for many workers through job loss or reduced income. The Saskatchewan Federation of Labour, to which USFA belongs, has issued a news release calling upon the provincial government for a sweeping response to compensate workers who are losing wages and benefits as a result of COVID-19.
March 30, 2020 Deadline to Submit Expense Claims to Sun Life for Health, Dental and Flexible Spending Benefit Plans
March 19, 2020 | USFA e-Letter
Claims for reimbursement for any expenses from any of the benefit plans must be submitted to and received by Sun Life within 90 days of the end of the calendar year in which the expense is incurred. This means that the deadline for submitting claims incurred between January 1 and December 31, 2019 is March 30, 2020. Claims must be received by …
COVID-19: Responses to some questions
March 17, 2020 | COVID-19
Dear USFA members, USFA is committed to working with senior administration as it endeavours to ensure the safety and security of everyone at the university. We will continue to work to ensure that consequences of any approach to dealing with this crisis in terms of your current and future work and well-being are carefully examined by …
Important Notice: USFA Office Closed
March 17, 2020 | COVID-19
As a result of health concerns related to COVID-19, we made the decision to close our office until further notice. Association staff will be working remotely and may be contacted phone or email. Phone calls to the USFA office will be forwarded and our staff will continue to answer emails as usual.
COVID-19 Response
March 16, 2020 | COVID-19
Dear USFA members, By now you have likely seen the university’s messages concerning Coronavirus (COVID-19) and the suspension of all classes on the Saskatoon campus and regional colleges today, tomorrow, and Wednesday. Remote delivery of classes begins on Thursday March 19, and continues for the remainder of the winter term. The university is also closing its recreation facilities. …
COVID-19: What if you think you’ve been exposed?
March 12, 2020 | COVID-19
The work of USFA members is international in scope and it is entirely possible that some of you will be exposed to COVID-19. If you have, or believe you possibly have, been exposed, follow advice available on the Government of Saskatchewan website, which includes monitoring for symptoms, self-isolation and contacting Healthline811. In addition, advise your Dean …
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Graduate Student Tuition Increases
March 12, 2020 | USFA e-Letter
The USFA’s External Relations Committee met recently with the Graduate Students Association, which is opposing a series of tuition hikes over the next several years, along with PSAC 40004, the bargaining agent for graduate students working as teaching assistants. “We are considering increasing graduate tuition by approximately 10 per cent per year for five years,” provost …
Invitation to apply: USFA Conference Fund (Winter 2020)
March 2, 2020 | USFA e-Letter
Did you know the USFA has a Conference Fund to which members may apply for financial support to attend conferences related to the USFA? This would include conferences, workshops or meetings related labour relations, academic freedom, employment equity and workplace health and safety. Criteria for approval of requests includes: Relevance to the mandate and activities …
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Expectations for Teaching, Research, and Service Part 2
February 26, 2020 | USFA e-Letter
A recent e-letter referenced a view once widely-held here that that faculty devote 40% of their time to research, 40% to teaching, and 20% to service. The intent behind the 40/40/20 model was to ensure that faculty had time to remain sufficiently current in their area of expertise so as to make scholarly contributions, that …
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Reduced Appointment Retirement Plan (RARP)
February 25, 2020 | USFA e-Letter
USFA members over the age of 55, should they wish, have the right to participate in a Reduced Appointment Retirement Plan (RARP), which is a way to work less than full time (between 80% and 50%) before retiring. A RARP must have a duration of 12 months and can be as long as 36 months. …
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CAUT in solidarity with Ontario teachers and education workers
February 20, 2020 | USFA e-Letter
Many of you might be aware that tomorrow, February 21st, will see all four public school teacher unions in Ontario mount a coordinated strike for the first time in decades. Many Ontario faculty associations in Ontario are staging coordinated solidarity actions on the same day. “Ontario’s teachers are fighting for an education system that ensures …
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Copyright Discussions at JCMA
February 14, 2020 | USFA e-Letter
There is a conflict between the Collective Agreement and information available on the website for the Vice-President Research regarding copyright ownership of works created by faculty. The Intellectual Property Policies (Section 2.2 Copyright Policy – Works Created at the University of Saskatchewan) suggests faculty members do not retain copyright in any work they create through the course of …