VOX is a publication sponsored by the USFA and is published by an independent Editorial Board. It is a forum for the expression of opinions of USFA members. Materials published in VOX do not necessarily express USFA policy, the views of the USFA Executive or the Editorial Board. Submissions of general interest less than 300 […]
Read More »Association representatives have had the opportunity to meet with the Employer for discussions regarding research, particularly the research ethics approval process. At the most recent meeting, we learned about some of the things that are happening in response to the challenging experiences faculty members have brought to the attention of the Association, and that we […]
Read More »In our recent discussion with the ICT Director Michael Barr, we highlighted faculty concerns regarding the restrictive nature of the current ICT policy, particularly around administrator rights to individual computers. While ICT aims to protect the university from security risks, many faculty members argue that research demands—including the use of specialized software or experimental equipment—require […]
Read More »The new USFA Inclusion, Diversity, Equity and Accessibility (IDEA) Committee is comprised of USFA members from the four designated groups: racialized individuals, Indigenous Peoples, persons with disabilities, and women and gender equity-seeking groups. The purpose of this committee includes: identifying issues of concern for USask faculty regarding IDEA and working to address them through information, […]
Read More »On this day in 1989 fourteen women lost their lives at École Polytechique in Montreal because they were women. The anniversary of this tragic event has become our day to remember not only these 14 murdered women but everyone who is a victim of gender-based violence. The day serves as a solemn reminder of the […]
Read More »Western Regional Conference “Navigating the Future: Unlocking Opportunities Amid Financial and Political Challenges” October 17–19, 2024, Victoria, British Columbia The Western Regional Conference provides a yearly forum for Canadian faculty associations in the west to meet and exchange information about negotiations, grievance arbitration, and current trends impacting universities in our provinces, region, and across Canada. […]
Read More »As you are aware, the new collective agreement contains the following new article: 7.3 Consistent with the principles of employment equity, diversity and inclusion, the parties are committed to eliminating or modifying those employment policies, practices, and systems, whether formal or informal, shown to have an unfavorable effect on the hiring, retention, tenure and promotion […]
Read More »If, as a condition of employment, you are required to maintain a certification or license in order to perform your academic duties, you may be eligible for reimbursement of some or all of your licensing or certification fees (Article 22.12.2). Eligible fees are those paid between December 1, 2023 and November 30, 2024. The last […]
Read More »December 31 is the deadline for spending at least some of your Health and/or Personal Spending Accounts under the Flexible Spending Plan. Amounts remaining in the fund will carry over for only one year, and allocated funds left unspent after two years are returned to the Employer. Make sure you spend the credits that are […]
Read More »The Collective Agreement is crafted so that every tenurable member may proceed through the ranks with a complete understanding of specified criteria for standards of performance to move on to each stage, from renewal of probation through tenure and promotion to the rank of full professor. In this issue of Collectively Speaking, we discuss the […]
Read More »As part of the 2023-2027 Collective Agreement, effective July 1, 2024, all Assistant Professors who have disclosed they are not male and who were hired on or after July 1, 2017, will receive one Career Development Increase (CDI), which counts toward the CDI ceiling. For this round we looked at starting salaries from 2015–16 through […]
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