RAAS Report
Friday, October 29, 2021
Ann Dennis, Editor
PRESIDENT’S UPDATE
This is our first newsletter with Ann Dennis as our new editor. Thank you, Ann, for joining the RAAS team. We are grateful for your work.
I sincerely hope the term is going well for everyone. Thank you to those who were able to attend our membership meeting in September. For those who were unable to attend, we took a bit of time to celebrate great achievements. RAAS has been resolving various informal grievances with the administration to the satisfaction of those members who have come to us for support. Renison faculty, with the support of RAAS, is on the brink of achieving formal structures of collegial governance with Academic Council by-law changes soon to be decided by the Board of Governors.
We also recognized that there is much work before us. The membership decided to reallocate resources from an anti-racism facilitator to a reconstituted Equity and Inclusion Committee. Equity is a priority for RAAS. We are thankful to Trish van Katwyk for taking on leadership in that work. Another priority we discussed is succession plans for the next RAAS Executive. RAAS relies on the engagement of its members to strengthen our union and protect our working conditions during these precarious times. According to our Collective Agreement, service to RAAS is service to Renison. Please consider ways that you may direct the 20% of your service workload to RAAS. We will be holding Executive elections in the new year (i.e., President, Vice-President, and Secretary/Treasurer). We are also always looking for members who are interested in serving on the Grievance Committee, Negotiating Team, and Equity and Inclusion Committee or as RAAS representatives for FAUW, OCUFA, and CAUT committees. Please contact me if you would like to discuss opportunities for service.
Another priority for RAAS is advocating for a stronger post-secondary education sector. We continue with that work in conjunction with FAUW, OCUFA, and CAUT. FAUW is working hard on Policy 76/77 to improve the working conditions of lecturers. RAAS has offered its support to lecturers as the negotiations of Policy 76/77 will set a precedent on campus for our next round of negotiations.
Last Saturday, I attended the day long OCUFA Board meeting. OCUFA was setting priorities as the next provincial election approaches. Their priorities include fighting for good jobs for all (e.g., equity, health and safety) and public universities for all (e.g., public funding and metrics of performance funding). OCUFA has asked for expressions of solidarity with The University of Ontario Institute of Technology Faculty Association (UOITFA) who voted 90% in favour of striking if the university fails to address serious issues such as workload, education quality, and equity. Please take 2 minutes to sign/send a standardized letter found at https://www.uoitfa.ca/take-action/.
CAUT has reported that the University of Manitoba Faculty Association (UMFA) approved a strike action by a vote of 85% if they cannot reach a deal with the university administration on fair compensation. This past week CAUT organized the Fair Employment Week 2021, including social media events that addressed the need for job security and fair compensation for contract faculty. I will be attending the two-day online CAUT Council later in November. In addition to my seat, RAAS is permitted to have an observer present. If you would like to attend CAUT Council, please reach out to me as soon as possible. For more information about CAUT Council, and the upcoming agenda, please visit https://council.caut.ca/
On a concluding note, the RAAS Executive is carefully following the financial challenges of Renison. We will be working with our partner organizations to analyze the public budgets. We encourage all RAAS members to engage in financial discussions – ask questions – at the meeting of our collegial governance bodies during this critical moment for Renison.
Kristina Llewellyn
RAAS President
NEGOTIATIONS UPDATE
Our collective agreement expires April 30, 2023, and while that may seem like a long time away, we will want to convene a team by late winter 2022 at the latest. Knowing now who might be interested in joining the negotiating team, moreover, would help your executive to direct orientation and training opportunities (e.g., through OCUFA and CAUT) your way. If you might be interested and want to know more about it, please contact Rob or any of the members of the RAAS Executive.
Rob Case
RAAS Lead Negotiator
BOARD UPDATE
Greetings all,
We have several updates from our last board meeting and our recent annual general meeting (AGM).
Board update from Wednesday, September 29, 2021
The school has managed to stay above the red line of $3.5 million dollars. We have not dipped into our reserves or had to borrow additional money.
Our current operating deficit is $2.8 million dollars. Our revenues for the year are down approximately $5 million.
Controlling expenses remains a big priority for the new academic year.
AGM update from Wednesday, October 27, 2021
Based on the recommendation of the President’s Search Committee, Dr. Wendy Fletcher has agreed to extend her contract for an additional two years. This motion was approved unanimously by the Board of Governors.
The two vacant board positions were filled. The Governance Committee recommended and appointed Thomas Littlewood and Shumiao Wang to a term of three-years each on the Board of Governors. Their appointments begin on January 1, 2022.
A motion for passed for Karen Spencer to serve as the Chair of the Board of the Governors for a two-year term, starting on January 1, 2022.
By-law update
In keeping with Section 18.1 of the By-Laws, notice has been given to the Board of Governors that proposed amendments to Section 14 of the By-Laws (Councils) will be brought before the Board of Governors at the November meeting on Wednesday, November 24, 2021, at 6:00 – 8:00 PM.
Speaker-Series
Lastly, we are working on a new initiative. We are planning to organize a speaker-series as a way for faculty members to briefly share their research and teaching efforts with the board. We’d like to highlight the interesting and important work of faculty members while engaging and building new connections. If you’re interested in sharing your work, please let us know at edwin.ng@uwaterloo.ca or jc.blokhuis@uwaterloo.ca
Edwin Ng and Jason Blokhuis
Faculty Board Representatives
EQUITY AND INCLUSION COMMITTEE UPDATE
As a result of membership-wide support, we have rerouted the RAAS funding that had been set aside for an anti-racism consultant to the Equity Committee, so that it will be available to support the anti-racism and equity work of this committee. This committee is still being strengthened after some departures and interruptions, and we anticipate that the fund will activate some of the committee's important goals.
Trish Van Katwyk
RAAS Representative
FAUW COUNCIL UPDATE
There was a FAUW Council of Representatives Meeting on October 18. A few highlights:
i. Public health restrictions and plans for re-opening were a key focus of questions and conversation. FAUW will talk with individuals who have a concern about their working conditions and offer guidance based on the most current policies.
ii. There was a presentation from Zara Rafferty, representative on the University Accessibility Committee about the AODA (https://www.aoda.ca/) and instructors' responsibilities in making courses accessible to all under the new Education Standards (https://www.ontario.ca/page/development-proposed-postsecondary-education-standards-2021-initial-recommendations-report). This is an ongoing conversation and particularly important as we teach in hybrid and shifting modalities.
iii. FAUW also asks people to fill out the Equity Survey, and thanks those who have done so. This will provide crucial data for further advocacy work!
iv. TAs, RAs, and sessional instructors are doing a unionizing drive. For answers to common faculty questions, see https://fauw.blog/2021/09/23/a-qa-with-organizeuw/.
v. The negotiations around Policies 76 and 77 are still under negotiations. The main concerns relate to working conditions for teaching-intensive faculty. Here is a link to a lot more information: https://uwaterloo.ca/faculty-association/policy-development/policy-development-faculty-appointments-76-and-tenure-and#what
Meg Gibson
RAAS Representative
FAUW LECTURERS COMMITTEE UPDATE
FAUW Lecturers Committee (LC)
October 2021
1. Consultations on Policies 76-77 revision process - ways forward
After the impasse in the negotiations about Policy 76-77 (Faculty Appointments, and Tenure and Promotion of Faculty Members respectively) between the FAUW and UW administration representatives on the Policy Development Committee, FAUW LC prepared a list of possible methods to resolve the impasse. These solutions were shared with the FAUW Executive. The FAUW Board seems supportive of the lecturers’ cause and recommended working on the first resolution method: mitigation to facilitate the revision process and fact-finding.
As a step towards the first solution, the FAUW Board suggested preparing a value/mission statement for UW lecturers. Both the FAUW Executive and FAUW LC were involved in writing such a statement. The next steps are being discussed now.
If you have any questions related to FAUW LC, contact me at awolczuk@uwaterloo.ca.
Aga Wolczuk
RAAS Representative
RAAS LECTURERS COMMITTEE UPDATE
RAAS Lecturers Committee (LC)
October 2021
1. Inaugural meeting
The lecturers from all the RUC departments were invited to attend this meeting, and the turnout was good. During the meeting, the lecturers had an opportunity to introduce themselves to the colleagues from the other units as well as to express their hopes for this new committee. Some other ideas discussed during the meeting included:
updates on the recent developments re. lecturers on campus;
current concerns related to the return to RUC in winter 2022;
lecturers’ career progression path outlined in RAAS CA;
lecturers’ workload and need for reduction from 8 to 7 teaching tasks to include lecturers holding administrative appointment such as unit coordinators;
importance of participation in the selection of the new RUC VPAD; and
need for lecturers’ involvement in negotiations of the next CA.
If you have any questions related to RAAS LC, contact me at awolczuk@uwaterloo.ca.
Aga Wolczuk
RAAS Lecturer's Committee Chair
SATIRE
Restaurant industry failing to attract workers who love low pay, terrible conditions, and inconsistent hours
Callum Wratten, The Beaverton, (October 20, 2021)
The extended period of uncertainty during the pandemic has pushed servers, cooks, and hosts out of the food industry, causing many restauranteurs to scramble to find dependable staff in the wake of a low pay, unstable, and toxic work environment
NOT SATIRE
Coping with faculty burnout in the pandemic
Mitchell M. Hendelsman Ph.D. , Psychology Today, (October 21, 2021)
A recent survey found that faculty mental health is the third "most pressing issue facing college presidents," after student mental health and long-term financial viability.
CAUT NEWS
RAAS is a member of the Canadian Association of University Teachers (CAUT), a nation-wide association of our peers.
CAUT report cites concerns over academic freedom and governance at the University of British Columbia
https://www.caut.ca/node/10707
(Ottawa – October 14, 2021) The Canadian Association of University Teachers (CAUT) today released an investigative report which found that a “history of failed governance” at the Peter Wall Institute for Advanced Studies (PWIAS) contributed to challenges around academic freedom raised by the former director of PWIAS, Philippe Tortell.
The report strongly recommends governance reform at PWIAS in order to “protect and support academic freedom” and ensure that PWIAS “endures and prospers as a space of free and unfettered inquiry”. The report notes that progress has been made in the right direction since 2018, but “more remains to be done”.
OCUFA NEWS
RAAS is a member of the Ontario Confederation of University Faculty Associations (OCUFA), a province-wide association of our peers.
The struggle for gender equity in university leadership
University Affairs, October 27, 2021
An expert on leadership in higher education explores the reasons women are less likely to be appointed president, and why so many have unfinished mandates.
UOITFA 2021 Strike Mandate Vote Result
Faculty Association Updates, October 25, 2021
Members of the University of Ontario Institute of Technology Faculty Association (UOITFA) which represents full-time faculty at Ontario Tech University, have voted 90% in favour of striking if the university administration refuses to agree to a fair deal.
University of Manitoba faculty union sets Nov. 2 strike deadline
CBC Manitoba, October 25, 2021
The union that represents professors, instructors, archivists, and librarians at Manitoba's largest university says members are one step closer to walking off the job.
Ontario university vaccine mandates mean some students being barred from campus
CTV News, October 22, 2021
Several universities in Ontario are moving to bar unvaccinated students from campus as their mandatory vaccination policies take full effect.
Failed RFP process sees Laurentian select firm to review university operations, governance
October 21, 2021
Laurentian University says its efforts to seek bidders to conduct a governance and operational review of the school as part of insolvency proceedings failed because the three firms that bid either weren't qualified or had possible conflict or independence issues.
Aligning immigration, diversity and employment policies to benefit international co-op students
University Affairs, October 12, 2021
Universities must strongly object to the misalignment of federal policy in these areas as it relates to international students.
FAUW NEWS
RAAS has a service agreement with the Faculty Association of the University of Waterloo (FAUW), a campus-wide association of our peers
FAUW News (October 21, 2021)
Update on Policy 76/77 Revisions
https://uwaterloo.ca/faculty-association/news/update-policy-7677-revisions
The Board has directed the Faculty Relations Committee representatives to request mediation as a way to move this policy revision process forward.
On This Day In History: October 29th
October 29th is a momentous day in the history of telecommunications and technology as it marks the sending of the first electronic message which was transferred from one computer to another in 1969.