News Archive
The Participatory Process of Assignment of Duties (Article 11)
March 27, 2012 | All News
It’s that time of year again. The process for the assignment of duties is underway. It is an open and transparent process that requires your participation and it is through your participation that transparency and fairness are ensured in the same manner as other collegial processes. Duties are assigned by your Department Head, or in …
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Help Save Library and Archives Canada
March 27, 2012 | All News
The Canadian Association of University Teachers (CAUT) currently has underway a campaign to protect Library and Archives Canada (LAC). The Campaign, launched in November 2011, is in response to funding cuts and internal managerial decisions that are threatening the quality and integrity of Canada’s only national public library and archives. The changes in the name …
May 10 to 12, 2012 – Ontario Federation of Labour out@work2012 Conference
March 27, 2012 | All News
The Ontario Federation of Labour will hold a Solidarity and Pride conference in Toronto May 10-12, 2012. The conference opening will be held at 519 Church Street Community Centre, which serves as the political and spiritual hub of the LGBTQ in Toronto. For the remaining two days, the conference will take place at U of …
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April 28 – Workers Day of Mourning
March 27, 2012 | USFA Events
Remembering workers injured or killed on the job Committing to keeping each other safe April 28th is the National Day of Mourning for Workers Killed and Injured on the Job. It is an important day to remember those who died because of their work and for many, it is a day of rededication to preventing …
April 20, 2012 – Spring General Meeting 2:00 p.m. 143 Arts
March 27, 2012 | All News
2:00 p.m. Room 143 Art Member social to follow at the Faculty Club.
April 9, 2012 – General Academic Assembly, Noon, Convocation Hall
March 27, 2012 | All News
The USFA Executive Committee is always advising and encouraging members to get involved, not just in the USFA but in the governance of the University. One of the easiest ways to be involved in University governance is to make a point of attending the annual meeting of the General Academic Assembly (GAA). This year, the …
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Bargaining Update March 2012 – The Next Round of Negotiations: Making the Case for Compensation, What do you deserve?
March 21, 2012 | All News
When faculty members at Universities are asked about their perspectives on the role of faculty unions at Universities their responses are wide and varied but a common theme that emerges is that the negotiation of salaries and benefits is held to be a critical role. (Read More)
March 31 – Renewal of Probation – Article 14.5.9(viii)
March 20, 2012 | Renewal of Probation
by March 31, Renewals and Tenure Appeal Committees shall have determined all cases before them and shall have made their recommendations to the President for transmission to the Board.
March 31 – Tenure Procedures – Article 15.12.10(viii)
March 20, 2012 | Tenure
by March 31, Renewals and Tenure Appeal Committees shall have determined all cases before them and shall have made their recommendations to the President for transmission to the Board.
March 21, 2012 – Member Social 4:00 p.m. Faculty Club
March 20, 2012 | All News
Hello, This is to let you know that our next member social is in the Windows Room on the main floor of the Faculty Club on Wednesday, March 21st at 4:00 pm. Jim Cheesman, Senior Professional Officer and Chief Negotiator for the USFA, will offer a few comments about the rights and responsibilities of members …
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Executive Committee Elections
March 19, 2012 | All News
The USFA Constitution mandates an annual election of one-half of the members of the Executive Committee. By now you should have received the 2012 election package. Any regular member of the Association is eligible to run for a position and the term of office is two years. While, it has long been recognized that serving …
Negotiations – Your voice counts!!
March 13, 2012 | Negotiations
Our current Collective Agreement expires on June 30, 2013 and preparation for the next round of bargaining by the USFA has already begun. Faculty Association Representatives (FARs) will play an integral part in the preparation process and we ask that members consult with their FARs regarding bargaining preparations. We have already met and provided FARs …
New USFA Committee on University Administrative Practice
March 9, 2012 | USFA e-Letter
One of the most thought-provoking presentations at the 2011 Western Regional Conference of Faculty Associations was with respect to administrative practices at universities. Faculty members are faced with an ever-growing burden of administrative requirements. An incremental change to university administrative practices that may appear logical from the viewpoint of administrative personnel may, in some instances, …
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Publishing PhD Research
March 9, 2012 | USFA e-Letter
It has come to our attention that junior faculty have been counseled by some senior administrators not to publish results from their PhD thesis, as the various standards require that tenure candidates provide “compelling evidence that a body of high quality scholarly work has been completed beyond that demonstrated at appointment” (our emphasis). Thus it …
What is a program of research?
February 16, 2012 | All News
The University Standards for Tenure and Promotion state that for tenure as an Assistant or Associate Professor or promotion to the rank of Associate Professor a candidate must demonstrate a “defined program of research or scholarship”. But what does this mean? Will a faculty member with a very narrow focus of research on a highly …
“Administrative” Innovation Initiatives
February 16, 2012 | All News
A few years ago, senior administration clawed back unit budgets to the tune of $10 million, claiming it was necessary to deal with the global financial crisis and, amongst other things, to shore up the pension plans. These budget reductions were difficult for units and resulted in cuts to academic programming. A change in legislation …
Heads up!
February 16, 2012 | All News
There is no question that your Head of department is a vital cog in the academic wheel. At U of S and just about every other institution in Canada, the head is ‘in scope,’ that is, a member of the faculty association and therefore protected by the collective agreement. The role of the Head should …
March 16 and 17, 2012 – We are Breaking the Silence
January 31, 2012 | All News
On Issues of Sexual Orientation and Gender Identity 15th annual conference sponsored by the College of Education, University of Saskatchewan Telling our stories – Making lives better Friday, March 16, 7:00 p.m. Special Guest: Ivan Coyote “As Good As We Can Make It: On bullying, collective responsibility, and actually making it better” Saturday, March 17, …
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Reduced Appointment Plan (Article 13.2.3)
January 25, 2012 | All News
One long-standing feature of the Collective Agreement has been the Reduced Appointment Plan (RAP), which allows faculty members over 55 with at least 10 years of service to gradually downsize their careers by reducing to part-time without a corresponding reduction in benefits. The Collective Agreement states “[e]mployees who wish to participate in the Reduced Appointment …
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From the Editors. . .
January 25, 2012 | All News
It is heartening to see the January 2012 issue of VOX emerge. We have articles about our past (Millard reprint), the realizations of a newcomer (Springer), thoughts on research agenda (Pratt) and a rumoured institute (Muri). VOX is your voice. What are your thoughts on issues such as: TABBS (Transparent, Activity-Based Budget System): www.usask.ca/tabbs/about? Policy …