RAAS Report
Monday, April 29, 2024
Ann Dennis, Editor
PRESIDENT’S UPDATE
Thank you to everyone who participated in the RAAS Annual General Meeting on Wednesday April 24. We have a good budget to work with for the coming year, and coming out of the meeting two of you volunteered for RAAS committees.
I was also quite pleased to see a resolution come to the AGM from a RAAS member. While the Executive is charged with carrying out RAAS business, the direction we take things has got to come from the members. For the AGM, the Executive took the position that it is not our job to determine whether or not a resolution from a member or group of members should be discussed at the AGM (unless it clearly violates RAAS policy or purpose), but rather to add it to the agenda for the membership to decide. This approach does come with its own risks, but if we end up being inundated with member resolutions or confronted with a lot of controversial and divisive ones, we can figure out together how to deal with that.
It is my hope that RAAS can become a forum in which we can discuss controversial topics openly, disagree with each other, and come to a respectable compromise if not a consensus. We did not quite get to consensus on the Palestinian support resolution, though it passed with a strong majority vote. I think we have to recognize, nonetheless, that while the discussion was respectful and informative, there was less diversity in the views expressed and questions asked on this complex matter than exists among us. I do not point this out as a criticism of RAAS or anyone among us. Nor do I regret the resolution that came before us to grapple with. I just offer the observation – shared with me after the meeting by a supporter of the resolution – that as much as I would like for RAAS to be a safe and open forum for the sharing and debating of ideas, we are not there yet. I have no clear ideas for how we get there, but I think that fact at least needs to be recognized as we strive to evolve as an organization and a community.
Briefly, in other news, the Board of Governors reached out to RAAS last year to invite us to make a presentation to the BoG, an invitation that we accepted but deferred (with mutual agreement) until negotiations concluded. This was the first time the BoG (or any member of the BoG) had reached out to RAAS for information or comment on anything. My visit to the BoG finally happened at this month’s meeting on Wednesday evening. My presentation summarized our brief history, offered my reflections on why we formed a Faculty Association and then unionized, described how we are tied into and supported by other parties in our sector (e.g., FAUW, CAUT, OCUFA, etc.), and touched on areas of policy advocacy (e.g., university funding in Ontario) that might offer opportunities for collaborating concretely with RUC administration and BoG in common cause.
My general intent was to convey that while RAAS does and will fight for the resources we think our membership needs to do our work, we do so in the spirit of defending and strengthening quality public scholarship and post-secondary education, and bolstering the strength of Renison in that regard (i.e., not just ‘feathering our own nests’ or defending ‘faculty privilege’ or whatever other narratives may be out there about faculty unions). I am not sure how well I conveyed that, but I am grateful to the BoG for welcoming RAAS, hearing my remarks, and laughing along with (some of) my attempts at humour.
Speaking of Wednesday’s Board meeting, most of you will have heard by now that the BoG has directed Wendy to return them a draft budget that does not include a cash deficit. The implications of this direction are not clear yet, and the RAAS Executive will need your help in understanding them and finding our appropriate place in the related processes as things unfold over the next few months. If you have information, questions, concerns, etc., please be in touch.
As the last word from me for this month, I want to recognize a long-standing colleague and RAAS member whose retirement begins this week. Maggie Heeney was at Renison when I first started here, and she has been not only a model of teaching dedication and excellence, but a core participant in the evolution of English Language Studies at Renison through its various iterations, and an important contributor to the science of language acquisition and related pedagogy at Renison and beyond. Your absence will be felt, Maggie, but congratulations on your retirement!
Rob Case
RAAS President
BOARD UPDATE
The Board of Governors met on Wednesday, April 24, 2024. The meeting was held in-person, and highlights include:
Guest Presentation: Our RAAS President, Rob Case, joined us and shared with the Board the origins and evolution of RAAS, the importance and benefits of collegial governance, the structure of RAAS and its memberships with CAUT, OCUFA, FAUW, and the Waterloo District Labour Council, and current advocacy efforts (e.g., challenging Bill 166, or the "Strengthening Accountability and Student Supports Act”). Rob concluded by stressing RAAS’s commitment to fostering a stronger, healthier, more equitable, and engaged Renison community.
Finance Update and Budget. The President and Jill Pauls presented the following financial figures:
Fiscal Year 2024-2025 Budget Draft: Originally aimed to have no cash deficit but now projects a cash deficit of $293,000 due to salary increases for faculty and staff, and unexpected reductions in projected revenue:
Total projected deficit for the year is estimated at $1,984,677.
Decreases in revenue are primarily from dropping domestic enrolments and the reduction in provincial grant per student.
Challenges:
The proposed budget does not meet our debt service coverage ratio for this year. If our budget is offside, we need to ask our lender to issue a waiver, which gives us more time to improve our financial health.
Reduced revenue contribution from degree operations to the center, with 13% from degree operations and 24% from SACE, which is insufficient for achieving a balanced budget.
It was recommended to the Board to approve the FY 2024-2025 Budget and Capital Plan despite these challenges. The Board discussed the need to address the financial sustainability of the institution and asked the President to propose a new budget without a cash deficit at our June meeting.
NEXT MEETING: Our next meeting will take place in-person on Wednesday, May 29, 2024, at 6:00 pm in the DFL- Room 1400.
Respectfully submitted,
Edwin Ng and Jeff Wilson
Faculty Board Representatives
SERVICE TO RAAS
Congratulations to Rob Case and Trish Van Katwyk on their re-election as RAAS President, and Vice President, respectively! Their re-appointment is a testament to the trust and confidence that RAAS colleagues have in their leadership abilities and their commitment to advocating for the rights and well-being of our members is inspiring. Under their guidance, we achieved remarkable successes, from negotiating collective agreements and MoUs to fighting for issues that affect our members. It is without a doubt that they will continue to serve our union with the dedication, integrity and passion that has brought us to where we are today. Together with Colleen McMillan, Grievance Officer, Kristina Llewellyn, Past President, and Amir Al-Azraki, Secretary-Treasurer, our dynamic and strong leadership team will continue to achieve great things together.
We are seeking a replacement for Kristina Llewellyn who is the RAAS representative to the FAUW board and for Colleen McMillan who will be concluding her 2-year term as Grievance Officer at the end of June. Members are also asked to join the Grievance Committee and to re-build this critical piece for RAAS. We are growing stronger everyday because of the collective action from our members, so please reach out to Rob Case rob.case@uwaterloo.ca about your involvement with RAAS. Remember that service to RAAS counts as part of the 20% of our work that we are all required to dedicate to service.
SATIRE
Bald eagles seen living in Toronto with zero roommates!
April 3, 2024, Rob Ito, The Beaverton
Local naturalists received a miraculous surprise last week after a pair of bald eagles were seen building a nest in Toronto, with zero evidence of having an unrelated roommate to split the rent with.
NOT SATIRE
Universities fear Alberta gatekeeping bill will threaten academic freedom
April 18, 2024, Breanna Karstens-Smith, The Canadian Press
A national organization of post-secondary teachers is calling on Alberta to either change a proposed gatekeeping bill or scrap it altogether.
CAUT NEWS
Congratulations to Kristina Llewellyn who is the recipient of the CAUT Distinguished Service Award, in recognition of her leadership and endless contributions to establishing RAAS as our faculty union! Kristina has been tireless in her commitment to building RAAS into the strong and cohesive association that it is and her unwavering support for all faculty. Her focus on advocating for and engaging in collegial governance is seen and felt in everything does and she is always making sure that our voices are heard. Thank you, Kristina, and congratulations!
The CAUT Dedicated Service Award was established to recognize individuals for exceptional service to their faculty associations. Recipients can be nominated by a local, provincial, or federated association and the award is presented at a membership meeting.
Recipients of the award will:
a) Receive a certificate of recognition from CAUT, which will be provided to the association for presentation to the recipient; and
b) Have their name listed in the CAUT Bulletin, put on the CAUT website and announced at the next CAUT Council meeting.
Nominations can be made at any time using this form. There is no deadline. Awards can be prepared throughout the year.
If you have any questions or concerns about the nomination process, please email CAUTawards-prixACPPU@caut.ca.
You can find a copy of the latest CAUT Bulletin here.
OCUFA NEWS
RAAS is a member of the Ontario Confederation of University CAUT Associations (OCUFA), a province-wide association of our peers.
Private Northern Ontario college accused of taking tuition, but not offering courses
April 18, 2024, Eric Taschner, CTV Norther Ontario
Students from a northern Ontario college in North Bay say their school has taken money from them but they aren’t sure if they can start or finish their courses.
Profs call Ford government bill ‘political interference’ on campus
April 18, 2024, Mike Crawley, CBC News
A new bill from Premier Doug Ford's government would require all Ontario universities and colleges to have mental health and anti-racism policies, and would give the province broad powers to dictate what those policies contain. A group of academics says the bill amounts to 'political interference' in universities.
Graduate student scholarships to increase for the first time in two decades in research heavy federal budget – University Affairs
April 17, 2024, Hannah Liddle, University Affairs
Canadian universities and researchers welcome news following the tabling of the latest federal budget: the government will invest $3.5 billion in research and innovation.
Mark Your Calendars!!
| Item | Key Date |
|---|---|
| Tenure and promotion application | Member to notify VPAD in writing of their intention to apply for tenure or promotion on or before June 1. |
| Appointment of new RAAS representative to the FAUW board. | ASAP |
| Appointment of new Grievance Officer | **Term begins July 1** Please submit your name asap or nominate a fellow member for this critical role at any time. |
| CAUT Dedicated Service Award Nominations | Nominations are ongoing throughout the year using this form. |
CA HIGHLIGHTS
Formatting and proofreading of the new Collective Agreement has been completed. Many thanks to Ally and Kristiina for the hours spent on that work. Watch for a copy of the new CA on our website in the coming weeks, and for more CA highlights in coming (and past) issues of RAAS Report.
DID YOU KNOW?
Our beautiful campus will have a new outdoor space created with Indigenous significance this fall. It will be used for First Nations, Métis, and Inuit events, classes and celebrations and it will be ready for students, staff, and faculty this fall. The circular layout represents a forest, with a roof design that allows wind to move freely throughout the structure. The space will undoubtedly have an impact on the community and acknowledge the Indigenous presence on U of W campus and its historical significance. Read more about it here.