The USFA’s September e-Letter advocating transparency in the presidential search resulted in a few expressions of disagreement by faculty members. In the spirit of reasoned debate, we offer a lengthier explanation of the principles on which the e-Letter was based, along with an opposing argument by Dwight Newman, College of Law. Collectively Speaking: Presidential Search […]
Read More »The 2010-13 Collective Agreement contained significant changes to the salary review procedures in Article 17 and our new 2014-17 Agreement includes a few further refinements. In this issue we will summarize the recent changes and provide some guidance for this important collegial process. Click here for a pdf of this issue of Collectively Speaking.
Read More »Throughout the upheaval of the past six months, the USFA Executive directed considerable efforts toward reaching a settlement at the negotiating table. We reached a tentative three-year agreement on July 30 and ratified it on September 2. We anticipate the Board of Governors will vote on the agreement at their meeting in early October. We […]
Read More »A pdf is available here. Dear Members: There is much discussion with respect to opinions being expressed about TransformUS and the action, or inaction, of the USFA. Based on the many emails I have been receiving from members, I think it is clear that there are a few misconceptions. First let me say that the […]
Read More »On December 9, the TransformUS Task Force reports were released, but the process is not yet complete. Between now and February there will be consultation and opportunities to provide feedback. From February to April the President’s Committee on Integrated Planning (PCIP) will review the feedback and develop an implementation plan, which will be shared in […]
Read More »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. […]
Read More »This issue of Collectively Speaking is a memo composed by Doug Chivers, USFA Chair and Rawson Professor of Biology, to a number of senior U of S administrators including the President, the Provost and Vice-President Academic, the Vice-President Research, the Vice-Provost, Faculty Relations, the Acting Vice-President Finance and Resources and the Associate Vice-President Human Resources. […]
Read More »Changes to Canadian copyright law are underway, with the Copyright Modernization Act (Bill C-32) presented to the House of Commons for a third reading last month, and expected to become law. This new legislation will create a new reality for faculty, especially as it is coupled with the decision last year by a majority of […]
Read More »Most of us who have joined the academy have a notion that we enjoy “academic freedom”, but most would be surprised to find out that, like other freedoms, it is not a well-defined concept and, like the concept of “tenure”, it is not governed by legislation. It is more typically described in mission statements or […]
Read More »Last week we sent out an e-Letter about tenure not being a term appearing in Saskatchewan legislation. While tenure and the ideals it holds have been a part of academia and the task of imparting knowledge to others for a very long time, it is not something that exists in the laws of our province. […]
Read More »