UWFA

UWFA Screening of "College Inc."

UWFA — Tue, 07 Feb 2012 19:49:55 +0000

The University of Winnipeg Faculty Association invites Members, UW students and staff, and the public to a screening PBS documentary College Inc. this Friday, February 10.

From PBS.org:

College, Inc….investigates the promise and explosive growth of the for-profit higher education industry. Through interviews with school executives, government officials, admissions counselors, former students and industry observers, the film explores the tension between the industry — which says it’s helping an underserved student population obtain a quality education and marketable job skills — and critics who charge the for-profits with churning out worthless degrees that leave students with a mountain of debt.

Read more here.

The screening will be held at 2.30 p.m. in Eckhardt-Gramatte Hall (3rd floor Centennial Hall) at the University of Winnipeg. Informal discussion about academic freedom and the changing role of post-secondary education will follow the screening. Admission is free.

All are welcome to attend—please join us!

CETA Action Alert

UWFA — Fri, 16 Dec 2011 21:05:47 +0000

The Manitoba Federation of Labour, CUPE and the Council of Canadians have signed a joint letter to Premier Selinger urging him to resist the federal government’s push for a Comprehensive Economic and Trade Agreement (CETA) with the European Union. A copy of that letter is attached. We are concerned that CETA could:

threaten local job creation and “buy-local” policies

As part of the campaign against CETA we are urging Manitobans to send postcards to the Premier expressing their support for this campaign. Copies of the postcard can be obtained from the MFL office. Please consider encouraging your members to send in signed postcards.

The Winnipeg Chapter of the Council of Canadians is willing to send a speaker to any local union meetings where there would be interest in learning more about CETA and why it’s a threat to Manitoba. Please contact Mary McCandless of the Winnipeg Chapter at canadianswinnipeg@gmail.com if you are interested.

If you want more information about CETA, you can visit the following links:

CCPA: “What is CETA and why should we be worried about it?”:

http://v4.policyalternatives.ca/sites/default/files/uploads/publications/Manitoba%20Office/2011/06/what%20is%20a%20CETA%20June%202011.pdf

CETA Video, featuring Paul Moist and Maude Barlow:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iiKGaQhv3uA

Top 5 Reasons why CETA is a bad deal for Canada:

http://www.canadians.org/trade/issues/EU/CETA.html

December 2011 UWFA News

UWFA — Tue, 13 Dec 2011 20:13:06 +0000

The latest edition of the UWFA News is now available. This edition includes:

Message from UWFA President

A Heartfelt Thank-you from BUFA

The Aggrieved Librarian: CAUT Librarian’s Conference

Learning Circles Meet Linear Thinking: CAUT Forum for Aboriginal Academic Staff

UWFA Party for New and Returning Faculty

Changes to Canada Pension Plan

UWFA Invites Book Reviews

UWFA Supports the Occupy Movement

Report from NUCAUT President George Davison

UWFA — Mon, 05 Dec 2011 20:57:54 +0000

Hello all,

Please find below my report that expands a bit on what I provided to the informal meeting last Friday, and what Penni Stewart and I reported on at CAUT Council.

In solidarity,

George

Message from UWFA President

UWFA — Tue, 08 Nov 2011 21:31:00 +0000

I wanted to send a brief message of thanks and encouragement. First of all, thank-you to the UWFA faculty that have marched in solidarity with the Brandon University Faculty Association (BUFA) over the past few weeks. James Hanley organized members of the History Department to join BUFA on their picket line in front of the Rice Building yesterday. Bravo! I have received many messages of thanks from BUFA members. Your visits really buoyed their spirits, especially on the first snowy day of the fall. Second, I would like to encourage you to organize members of your department to join the Brandon Faculty in front of Rice for 15 minutes on Wednesday, November 9 at either 11:30 or 12:30. I hope to see you there!

Thanks,

Pauline Pearson, UWFA President

Brandon University Faculty Association Strike

UWFA — Thu, 13 Oct 2011 15:07:27 +0000

As many UWFA Members have likely heard, negotiations between the Brandon University Faculty Association (BUFA) and their Employer broke down early yesterday morning, and faculty members at Brandon University are now on strike. They are in conciliation as a result of their Employer filing for it, but BUFA does not want to be there. UWFA Members can find updates, information, and archival material on the BUFA website, http://www.bufa.org/.

This strike hits close to home in a couple of ways. There is likely a sense of déjà vu with Brandon’s strike, given memories of our own near strike last spring. But it’s also close to home quite literally: Members may see picketing BUFA members in front of the Rice Building, for instance, where a small number of Brandon University psychiatric nursing staff work. We have contacted BUFA on this matter, and they have given permission for UWFA Members to cross the line in order to conduct business in the Rice Building. We ask, however, that UWFA Members not cross the picket unless absolutely necessary and to be courteous when doing so. UWFA Members should know that they cannot be disciplined for refusing to cross a picket line, but by the same token, they also don’t have to be paid for work that they haven’t performed as a consequence. If you have a question about whether a specific action of yours might constitute crossing the BUFA picket line, please contact Lisa McGifford, UWFA’s Executive Director.

UWFA encourages Members to show our Brandon colleagues that we stand with them. Let’s also send a renewed message to our university administration and the present Harper government that we remain strongly committed to fair labour practices. In that spirit, we urge UWFA Members to join striking BUFA members in front of the Rice Building from 11:30-1:00 this Friday, October 14.

Let’s stand in solidarity.

Letter to UWFA Members: Student Evaluations of Teaching

UWFA — Wed, 21 Sep 2011 20:05:58 +0000

All-Parties Electoral Forum

UWFA — Fri, 09 Sep 2011 14:37:59 +0000

UWFA President's Letter to Lloyd Axworthy, July 20, 2011

UWFA — Fri, 22 Jul 2011 15:50:44 +0000

Response to July 16th Free Press Piece

Dear Dr Axworthy,

Since beginning my term as President of UWFA, I have appreciated how in our communications you have expressed an earnest interest in improving faculty-administration relations and developing a greater understanding of faculty concerns. I, together with the UWFA Council, have been working towards this end since we last met in May. Given your expressed concern for better direct communication with UWFA and its Members, you may imagine my shock and dismay when I read the following in the Winnipeg Free Press last weekend:

“This year, we’re planning on a $4-million vacancy management reduction by exercising better timing of all new and replacement hiring. Naturally, this puts extra pressure on faculty and staff who have to pick up part of that workload until we sort things through and we are mindful of the potential problems this can create in terms of additional stress and sick leave or other productivity issues.”

Vice-President Finance and Administration Bill Balan’s presentation of the 2011-2012 budget during Senate in May (of which I have still been unable to obtain a copy despite repeated promises from Valerie Gilroy and Bill Balan) certainly suggested the possibility of upcoming financial difficulties. However, I trust you will agree that the media is not the place where our faculty should learn of a $4 million “vacancy management reduction” plan for the upcoming year.

At the very least, your choice to publicize this plan to the Free Press prior to explaining the details to faculty contradicts the spirit if not the letter of your final statement in the above quotation. It will be difficult to mitigate concerns from department Chairs and other faculty members, and indeed from all University employees, that once again your decisions have not been communicated to us, and that once again we will be expected to enforce measures without reasonable prior notice and explanation. An explanation to those who are most directly affected and opportunity for discussion may have reduced the additional stress of faculty and staff.

Your decision to discuss with the press, rather than with UWFA, a “vacancy management reduction” will work against my focused efforts to improve faculty opinion of the administration. This public announcement is yet another example of media releases that have led over your term as President to faculty anger and dissatisfaction with the administration.

Imagine our level of frustration when you stated in the article that the university “spent a great deal of time talking to people in the neighbourhood” about its plans. Faculty and staff may feel that you don’t consider your own university community worthy of the same effort. I trust that in future you, I, and all UWFA members will enjoy more open and direct communication.

Sincerely,

Pauline Pearson, UWFA President

cc. UWFA Council and UWFA Webpage.

UWFA News 30th Anniversary Edition - April 2011

UWFA — Thu, 14 Apr 2011 19:34:02 +0000

For a PDF copy of the print version of the UWFA News, click here.

The Communications Committee is proud to present the 30th Anniversary Edition of the UWFA News. In this issue, we take a look back at our history and explore, from perspectives across the University, what one might like the University to be. Articles included in this issue of the UWFA News are:

For the online copy of The UWFA News, click here.

The UWFA News accepts submissions from UW Faculty Association members on issues of interest. Unless otherwise stated, the opinions expressed are those of the author(s) and not necessarily of the Association or its Council.