Peter C. Dooley Legacy Award

On April 12, 2013 the first Peter C. Dooley Legacy Award was presented. The Dooley Award is intended to recognize and celebrate champions of collegial self-governance and to ensure that the role Peter Dooley played as such a champion in making the USFA what it is today is not forgotten.

The Man and the Legacy

Peter Dooley was Chair of the USFA when it became a certified trade union in the 1970’s and he was intimately involved in writing our first Collective Agreement. His simple, yet revolutionary, view that the collegium is the primary decision-maker at a university is a central premise of the document.

This vision was not Peter’s alone. It was also the vision of others that signed the first Collective Agreement. These individuals created something that has been passed to us. We are stewards of this vision and, whether we realize it or not, much of what we do at the university every day is a result of that vision. The way we participate in decisions about hiring, about tenure, about promotion; these are all parts of the vision to engage faculty in key decisions at this University.

The Collective Agreement is an agreement between members of the USFA and the Board of Governors. It’s a living document that is regularly reviewed and revised. Over the years there have been many people who have been signatories on our Collective Agreement, on behalf of the USFA and the Board. These people, by signing those agreements continue to endorse the vision of Peter Dooley and agree that collegial decision-making is central and appropriate for our workplace. These people recognize that the collegium has the collective knowledge to make the best decisions and should be the major decision maker at the university.

At many universities around the country, major decisions are not made by faculty but rather by a small group of Administrators. As soon as that happens, individual members of the faculty feel less vested in the consequences of decisions and they are less engaged in process. Without input into key decisions, there is a tendency towards apathy and that is not in anyone’s best interest. An apathetic and disengaged collegium is not in the best interest of members of the USFA nor is it in the best interests of the Board of Governors of this university. There are over 1100 members of the USFA. The collective knowledge of this group is unmatched in this province or elsewhere in the country. A truly insightful administration should engage those people in debate, active vigorous debate, to solve problems. A truly insightful administration should tap into the collective knowledge of over 1100 people to make key decisions to move this university forward.

Peter Dooley’s vision to include in our Collective Agreement and thereby make it a right to have members of the collegium engaged in key decision making was revolutionary in the 1970’s…..and it has served us well.

The Award

The USFA Member Development Committee is charged with oversight for the Peter C. Dooley Legacy Award. The Committee was directed by the USFA Executive to come up with Terms of Reference for the Award, to annually call for nominations and to decide on the recipient.

Peter left us with a great legacy and when we think of making this award we will, as was the case last year, consider what nominees have done to champion collegial decision-making and collegial self-governance and ask, “What is their legacy and is it deserving of the honor of this award?”

In 2013 there were two recipients of the Peter C. Dooley Award. One of the recipients made a cumulative contribution, and continues to contribute, to collegial decision-making. Don Hamilton has championed collegial governance for decades. He is an almost permanent fixture at University Council and stood with Peter to sign our first Collective Agreement.

But, as we recognize in the Dooley Award Terms of Reference, it doesn’t take a lifetime to become a champion or create a legacy. A legacy of collegial governance can be created by making a single major contribution that changes how people think. The other recipient of the Peter C. Dooley Legacy Award was a group of U of S faculty, Drs. Tom Wilson, Vern Bennett, Marcel D’eon and Claire Card. These four people engaged our community and put nearly 300 people in a room to discuss serious problems in the College of Medicine. An event that heralded the first time the General Academic Assembly has met quorum in decades, possibly the first time ever.

Terms of Reference for the Dooley Award can be on the USFA website.

Peter T. Millard Award

The Peter T. Millard Award was created on the 10th anniversary of the death of Peter Millard and to mark the 35th anniversary of the USFA Certification Order. It is presented to a USFA member, nominated by other USFA members, in recognition of activism and involvement in the USFA, with the administration of the Collective Agreement, and as a champion for and on behalf of faculty at the University of Saskatchewan.

Peter Millard was appointed in 1964 as a Special Lecturer at the University of Saskatchewan and retired in December of 1991 as a full Professor. He published numerous articles, reviews and stories. He was the author of two books and wrote an analysis of human rights and the Conservative provincial government entitled Devine Rule in Saskatchewan. Peter was head of the Department of English from 1985 until his retirement and served on the USFA Executive Committee for several terms beginning in 1984. He was USFA Chair for 1987-1988 during the only strike in USFA history.

Peter made significant contributions to the USFA and its membership through his work as a human rights activist and as a member of the USFA. When he retired he was the only openly gay professor on campus and, during his time at the U of S, he played a large part in raising awareness about homosexuality and homophobia.

As USFA Chair Peter led the USFA during a very traumatic year that brought about a sense of community such as never before and had faculty recognizing the value of their work to the institution, determined to be part of decision-making and regarded as more than an unfortunate necessity.

The USFA has existed for more than half a century and has had many faculty members over those years work on its behalf and on the behalf of USFA members. Peter Millard is one example of a USFA member who has stepped up. Some have done so inconspicuously, while others have been very noticeable. Regardless, the efforts of these people are equally important and worthy of recognition.

In November 2012 a call for nominations was made for the inaugural USFA Peter T. Millard Award. The award committee reviewed the nominations received and announced Richard Julien from the Department of Religion and Culture as the first recipient.

Richard has been a longtime supporter of faculty rights. This has been and continues to be demonstrated through his representation of faculty as a member of the USFA Executive and Grievance Committees, as an Association Grievance Officer and in his role as an advocate for faculty in tenure and promotion appeals. His remarkable level of advice and assistance, given over many hours, so that faculty could proceed with confidence demonstrates his commitment.

Terms of Reference for the Millard Award can be found on the USFA website.

 NOMINATIONS ARE NOW OPEN

In April of 2014 we will be presenting both the Peter C. Dooley Legacy Award and the Peter T. Millard Award and you are invited to submit nominations.

Think about collegial decision-making and collegial self-governance. The Dooley Award will be given to a person, persons or an organization who has, through a long-term, cumulative contribution or a single, particularly important event or action, championed collegial decision-making and collegial self-governance in Canada. Who do you know that has been that champion?

Do you know of an individual, or individuals, who have assisted and/or supported a USFA member or members, or faculty generally? Whether this assistance and support has been a sustained effort or particularly important event or action, consider submitting a nomination for the Millard Award. Take this opportunity to acknowledge fellow USFA members for their contributions to the USFA and its membership through their work as an academic, as an activist and as a member of the USFA.

Nominations for these Awards can be made by any current USFA member or by any USFA committee. The nomination will take the form of a letter from the nominator explaining how the nominee is deserving of the particular award. Nominators must also include a written agreement from the nominee that the nomination will be accepted.

Nominations for both the Dooley Award and the Millard Award should be submitted by mail to:

USFA Member Development Committee
Room 20 Education Building
28 Campus Drive
Saskatoon SK  S7N 0X1

OR by email to: usfa@usaskfaculty.ca

Nominations close February 7, 2014.