Hello everyone. Our next member social, on November 13, is fast approaching. Plan to attend and join us from 4:00 to 6:00 in the Windows Room at the University Club. It’s a wonderful opportunity to clink a glass, bend an ear, share a story, and get to know colleagues from across campus. It’s also an […]

The title of this is e-Letter is a question that is being echoed from different parts of campus and is being focused on the new Health Sciences Building. As we meet with members as part of our bargaining preparations, we are hearing concerns about impacts on research and teaching programs in relation to relocating to […]

University Council is the body responsible for overseeing and directing academic affairs at the U of S. It meets monthly from September to June and its next meeting is this Thursday (October 18th) at 2:30 in Arts 241 – Neatby-Timlin Theatre. Thursday’s Council meeting package, at page 28, includes a report in response to a […]

We tend to complain – a lot – about increasing administrative overburden at the university. Dr Claire Polster has an interesting take on this – that this kind of complaining may actually entrench and enhance the harmful effects of these practices. It’s an intriguing thought that led the USFA Committee on University Administrative Practices and […]

Recent events in the College of Medicine prove that the principle of collegial governance is in good health at the University of Saskatchewan. At its September 20th meeting, University Council was required by an action of the General Academic Assembly (a voting body including all faculty members) to reconsider its May 17th motion to impose […]

The newly constituted USFA Committee on University Administrative Practice provides a forum for USFA members to monitor, discuss, and provide commentary on administrative practice at the University of Saskatchewan. By ‘administrative practice’ we mean those practices undertaken by senior administration, support staff, and faculty under the heading of ‘administrative duties’, all intended to manage and […]

At last week’s special meeting of the General Academic Assembly (GAA), the motion pursuant to Article 67(2)(a) of the University of Saskatchewan Act, to direct University Council to reconsider its May decision to create three new divisions in the College of Medicine was passed with a solid majority (200 in favour, 93 opposed). A strong […]

The U of S Act provides that the General Academic Assembly (GAA) may direct University Council to reconsider a decision authorizing the Board of Governors to establish or disestablish Colleges, Departments or Institutes. To do that, 50 or more members of the GAA must request that a special meeting of the GAA be called for […]

The USFA Executive Committee wants to express its deepest condolences to the family and friends of our colleague, Peter Dooley. The University of Saskatchewan Faculty Association would not be what it is today if not for his work. Peter was Chair of the Faculty Association when it became a certified trade union in the 1970’s […]

On April 16th the Association of Universities and Colleges of Canada (AUCC) announced that it had reached an agreement with Access Copyright about a model licence agreement to cover reproduction and digital content on university campuses. On April 17th CAUT released a statement in response urging institutions to refuse to enter into the agreement and, […]