Faculty Association’s Response to the ‘Ahead of Tomorrow’ Implementation Plans
On Jan 12, 2024, at 3:00 PM, Provost's Office <[email protected]> wrote: Good Afternoon Dora, Thank you for the fulsome feedback on the implementation plans. We appreciate the FA’s engagement in this process. I’ve shared your feedback with the other VPs…
Donations to Food Banks
For the past number of years, in lieu of holiday gifts, the Faculty Association has donated to food banks in recognition of those in need at this time of year. The Calgary Food Bank and the University of Calgary Students'…
Faculty Association Dues are Tax Deductible
The CAUT Defence Fund is the national strike fund that the Faculty Association belongs to in addition to our local strike fund. The Defence Fund, which has a minimum target of $35 million, plays a major role in supporting Faculty…
Changes to Board of Directors
Two long-standing Board of Directors and past Executive Committee members left the Board this fall. Professor John Baker (Philosophy) retired from the University and Professor Mary-Ellen Tyler (School of Architecture, Planning and Landscape) resigned from the Board. According to the…
Faculty Association Office Closure
The Faculty Association office will be closing at noon on Thursday, December 21, 2023, and reopening on Monday, January 8, 2024 - resuming regular office hours from 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. We will check our emails daily on December…
New CAUT Member Travel Benefit Program
The Canadian Association of University Teachers (CAUT) has negotiated a new online Member Travel Benefit Program with Local Hospitality Inc. which offers significant savings for members of the Faculty Association on hotels, car rentals and select entertainment events. CAUT is…
Defence Fund Dues increase from $6.50 to $8.00 per month
The CAUT Defence Fund is the national strike fund that the Faculty Association belongs to in addition to our local strike fund. The Defence Fund, which has a minimum target of $35 million, plays a major role in supporting Faculty…
Recent pay increases for members
There are some recent changes to compensation that we would like to flag for members to be aware of. Pay increases associated with the 2021-2023 Assessment process have been finalized and we understand that payments for the Progress Through the…
Faculty Association accepting nominees for Board of Directors positions
The Faculty Association is currently accepting nominations for Board of Directors positions commencing July 1, 2024. Positions open for nominations: Nine (9) director positions are open for nomination including the designated sessional seat. Five of these positions will have three-year terms…
Department Reps for 2023-24
We want to update you on the current Department Reps for the 2023-24 Academic year. If your department or faculty is not listed below, it is because the Faculty Association has not received information about the election of a representative…
CAUT Parliament Hill Day
The Canadian Association of University Teachers (CAUT) held its annual Parliament Hill Day, a one-day lobbying event in Ottawa on Thursday, November 23. Professor Dora Tam, Vice President and Treasurer of the Faculty Association, and Don Kozak, Associate Executive Director…
At Impasse: The Graduate Labour Union and the University of Calgary Set to Enter Mediation
The Graduate Labour Union (GLU), which is the bargaining agent for Graduate Assistants at the University of Calgary has reached an impasse in negotiations with the Board of Governors of the University of Calgary. In solidarity, and in recognition of the…
Preparing for bargaining
The Faculty Association heads into negotiations for a new Collective Agreement in the New Year. The Bargaining Team includes Hamid Habibi as Principal Negotiator, Trevor Tombe, Sheila Miller, and Don Kozak (resource person). As negotiations approach, the Bargaining Team has been busy…
President’s Message
As we close out another term, I thought I would report to you on a few items of interest. The Association of Academic Staff at the University of Alberta (AASUA - our sister Association at the U of A) recently…
CAUT Guidance on Interacting with CSIS agents or other public safety officers
From CAUT Memorandum 23:29 The Canadian Association of University Teachers (CAUT) is aware of several incidences in recent months when CSIS agents or “public safety officers” have contacted and requested interviews with academic staff. The primary motivation for these contacts…
Applications for Sessional Travel Fund are Now Available
The Faculty Association is now accepting applications for the Sessional Travel Fund for the 2023-24 academic year. Sessionals can apply for funding to help with expenses, including travel expenses related to the applicant's academic work or attending conferences, whether or…
Sessionals and the Collective Agreement
All sessional instructors are members of the Faculty Association and sessional contracts are governed by the Collective Agreement. We believe that many of the gains that have been made for sessionals are due, in part, to the united front the Faculty…
Sessionals by the Numbers
According to a snapshot of academic staff from October 3, 2023, there are currently 695 sessional academic staff members representing about 27 per cent of all academic staff at the University of Calgary. The relative number of sessional staff varies…
Fair Employment Week 2023
Fair Employment Week (FEW), which is organized by the Canadian Association of University Teachers (CAUT), takes place this year from October 16 to 20, 2023. Each year the Faculty Association participates in this national event that raises awareness of the difficulties…
Board of Governors Member
Following the advice of the Faculty Association Board of Directors, the Minister of Advanced Education has appointed Melanee Thomas to the University Board of Governors. Thomas takes over from Hamid Habibi who had served on the Board of Governors as…
Faculty Association Officer Appointments for 2023-24
The Board of Directors has announced the Association's Officers for 2023-24 (effective July 1, 2023). The Officers of the Faculty Association for 2023-24 are as follows: President and Chair of the BoardJ. Kent Donlevy (Werklund School of Education)Vice-President and TreasurerDora…
Faculty Association Representation
The Faculty Association reminds members about the right to representation under the Collective Agreement. One of the key functions of the Faculty Association is to protect academic staff interests through its work to resolve conflicts between members and the Administration. From…
Member Emergency Funding
A personal financial crisis can strike quickly and with little warning. Fortunately, the Faculty Association provides emergency funding to help individual members in emergency circumstances due to a sudden loss or decline in remuneration from the University. In addition to…
Designation of Academic Staff
There is an odd quirk in Alberta law related to the designation of academic staff who are members of Faculty Associations. Unlike most provinces where academic staff formed unions under the provincial Labour Relations Code, the Alberta government prohibited academic…
President’s Message: Busy Year Ahead
Dear Colleagues, As the 2023-24 academic year gets underway, I wanted to extend well wishes to all academic staff at the University of Calgary especially to our new academic staff - many of whom I had the pleasure of speaking…
Faculty Association Board of Directors Election Results
The Election Committee has released the results of the election of Faculty Association Board of Directors members. Election ballots were issued to 2,541 electors (1837 ongoing members and 704 sessionals) using Simply Voting on February 15th, and voting closed on…
Canada Day 2023
As Canada Day falls on Saturday, July 1st, the Collective Agreement requires that the Governors recognize the holiday on another day. The Administration has informed us that the University will observe the holiday on Monday, July 3rd. Enjoy this time celebrating Canada…
Tenure and Promotion Workshop
The Faculty Association will be hosting two Tenure and Promotion workshops, via Zoom, on the following dates: Wednesday, April 26 - 1:00 p.m. to 3:00 p.m. Thursday, April 27 - 9:00 a.m. to 11:00 a.m. The content of the workshop…
2022-23 Sessional Travel Grant Recipients
Below is a list of members who have been approved to receive funds to support their academic work in the latest round of applications: Dinu Attalage - Schulich School of Engineering Merran Carr-Wiggin - Libraries & Cultural Resources Bronte Chiang…
Academic staff receiving raise on April 1st
As you may recall, the academic staff at the University of Calgary will receive a 1.25% across-the-board wage increase on April 1st as part of the Collective Agreement ratified by the Board of Governors and the Faculty Association last June. Note that…
A Message from the President-Elect
I am honoured and humbled to accept the position of President of The Faculty Association of the University of Calgary, effective July 1, 2023. I want to express my gratitude to the current President, Dr. David Stewart, the Executive, the…
President’s Message
Dear Colleagues, As March draws to a close, I want to congratulate all those who were elected in the recent Faculty Association election. I also want to thank all those who were willing to put their names on the ballot…
First impression of Alberta Budget 2023
Dear Colleagues, Like many of you I am deeply disappointed in the support for post secondary education outlined in the provincial budget this week. While there are no further cuts, with the impact of inflation, we are essentially asked once…
REMINDER: Fair Dealing Week – February 20-24, 2023
Fair dealing is a critical tool needed to balance the rights of users and owners under Canada’s Copyright Act. Protecting and enhancing fair dealing for users, learners, and researchers makes information and knowledge more accessible. Fair Dealing Week is an…
Nominations for the Faculty Association Board of Directors
Nominations are due February 8th for the Faculty Association Board of Directors positions whose terms end in 2023. Positions open for nominations: Five (5) director positions are open for nomination. The term is three years for each position. Nominees for…
Audited Financial Statements Available
The Faculty Association's audited financial statements for 2021-22 were approved by the Board of Directors on December 20, 2022. The audit was executed as required by the Association's bylaws. The auditors found that there was excellent cooperation between management and…
Don’t Forget – Faculty Association Dues are Tax Deductible
As you prepare your taxes, remember that your Faculty Association dues (which include your CAUT dues) are tax deductible. Find dues on your pay stub and in box 44 of your 2022 University of Calgary T4 form.
EDI Week Faculty Association Presentation – The Duty to Accommodate
As part of Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion (EDI) Week, the Faculty Association is sponsoring a presentation on the Duty to Accommodate. In this presentation, you will learn about the employer's duty to accommodate employees' individual needs on all grounds of…
Know Your Rights for Sick Time
The Faculty Association has become aware of instances where the Collective Agreement articles related to "Sick Time" may not have been applied appropriately. This is general information intended to provide an overview of these Articles; however, if academic staff have questions specific…
Applications for Sessional Travel Fund are Now Available
The Faculty Association is now accepting applications for the sessional travel fund for the 2022-23 academic year. Sessionals can apply for funding to help with expenses, including travel expenses related to the applicant's academic work or attending conferences, whether or…
Joint Committees on Merit, Workload, and Benefits
Included in the settlement for the Collective Agreement (2022-2024) were three Letters of Understanding (LOUs) establishing joint committees tasked with reviewing the merit process, workload, and benefits. In preparation for the committee meetings, Department Representatives provided feedback during the November meeting for…
It is Important to Participate in the University’s Strategic Planning
Dear Colleagues, As we near the end of the first month of 2023, we are engaged in the process of developing a new strategic plan for the University of Calgary. To that end, you have been invited to participate in…
New Board Director for 2022/23
Farnaz Sadeghpour, Associate Professor in the Department of Civil Engineering, has joined the Faculty Association Board of Directors for the remainder of the 2022-23 academic year. Her term will end on June 30, 2023. Welcome, Professor Sadeghpour.
Faculty Association Office Closure
The Faculty Association office will be closing at noon on Thursday, December 22, 2022, and reopening on Monday, January 9, 2023 - resuming regular office hours from 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. We will check our emails daily from January…
U of C Holiday Closure
The University will be closed on December 23, 2022, until January 2, 2023. In announcing these closures, the Administration extended thanks to those who are required to work on December 23rd. We want to clarify that academic staff members are not required…
Faculty Association Dues are Tax Deductible
As you prepare your taxes, remember that your Faculty Association dues (which include your CAUT dues) are tax deductible. Find dues on your pay stub and in box 44 of your 2022 University of Calgary T4 form.
Donations to Food Banks
For the past number of years, in lieu of holiday gifts, the Faculty Association has donated to food banks in recognition of those in need at this time of year. The Calgary Food Bank and the University of Calgary Students'…
Community Service Award Nominations Reminder
Nomination due date extended The due date for the Community Service Award Nominations is extended to Monday, January 9, 2023. Award background The Community Service Award recognizes a member (or group of members) of the Faculty Association of the University…
Department Reps for 2022-23
We want to update you on the current Department Reps for the 2022-23 Academic year. Art & Art HistoryDenis GadboisBiochemical & Molecular BiologyQuan LongChemical & Petroleum EngineeringSean McCoyChemistryGreg WelchCivil EngineeringFarnaz SadeghpourClassics & ReligionElizabeth RohlmanCommunication, Media & FilmRyan PiersonCommunity Health SciencesLindsay…
WARNING! If you are “disciplined” by your Dean or equivalent
It has come to our attention that when our members are formally "disciplined," some Deans are NOT advising our members that discipline is grievable under the Collective Agreement. We do not think it is good human resources practice not to…
Applications for Sessional Travel Fund Now Available
The Faculty Association is now accepting applications for the sessional travel fund for the 2022-23 academic year. The deadline for applications in the current round is February 13, 2023. Sessionals can apply for funding to help with expenses, including travel expenses…
Faculty Association Accepting Nominees for Board of Directors Positions
The Faculty Association is accepting nominations for Board of Directors positions whose terms end in 2023. Positions open for nominations: Five (5) director positions are open for nomination. The term is three years for each position. Nominees for director positions must…
Administration Refuses Proposal to Consistently Round Up RSL Qualifying Service Time
Research and Scholarship Leaves (RSL; "sabbaticals") are essential for the functioning of the University, giving academic staff members opportunities to do work they otherwise wouldn't be able to do given normal workloads. Under Article 16 of the Collective Agreement, continuing, contingent…
Happy Holidays!
It has been another busy and challenging semester serving as President of the Faculty Association, and I expect this will continue into the New Year. While our work is challenging, it is also a privilege to serve you and advocate…
Statement of solidarity with CUPE Ontario
The Faculty Association of the University of Calgary (TUCFA) deplores the actions of the Ontario government in using the Notwithstanding Clause to protect its assault on the rights of education workers in that province to exercise their right to free…
Protest Friday in Support of Education Workers
(Ottawa – November 3, 2022) The Canadian Association of University Teachers (CAUT) encourages members to support solidarity actions with CUPE’s 55,000 education workers who are being denied their legal right to strike by the Ontario government’s unconstitutional legislation. Members in Ontario…
CAUT condemns Ontario government’s back-to-work legislation of CUPE’s underpaid education workers
(Ottawa – October 31, 2022) The Canadian Association of University Teachers (CAUT) condemns the legislation introduced today by the Ontario government that will force a contract on CUPE’s 55,000 education workers and prevent a legal strike that was to start…
Member Emergency Funding
A personal financial crisis can strike quickly and with little warning. Fortunately, the Faculty Association provides emergency funding to help individual members in emergency circumstances due to a sudden loss or decline in remuneration from the University. In addition to…
CAUT Fair Employment Week Activities
Fair Employment Week (FEW) is taking place from October 17 to 21, 2022. Fair Employment Week is CAUT's annual campaign to raise awareness about precarious employment on campuses and support local organizing to improve the working conditions of contract academic…
What’s in the Collective Agreement for Sessionals
All sessional instructors are members of the Faculty Association. The Association has consistently used grievances and bargaining to negotiate representation rights and protections for sessionals. We believe one strong reason for gains we have made has been due to the…
What About Sessionals?
Fair Employment Week (FEW) takes place this year from October 17 to 21, 2022. Each year the Faculty Association participates in this national event that raises awareness of the difficulties inherent in being a member of the sessional academic staff.…
Board of Governors Member
Following the advice of the Faculty Association Board of Directors, the Minister of Advanced Education has appointed Hamid Habibi to the University Board of Governors. Habibi takes over from Tavis Campbell who had served on the Board of Governors as…
Faculty Association Representation
The Faculty Association reminds members about the right to representation under the Collective Agreement. One of the key functions of the Faculty Association is to protect academic staff interests through its work to resolve conflicts between members and the Administration. From…
Member Emergency Funding
A personal financial crisis can strike quickly and with little warning. Fortunately, the Faculty Association provides emergency funding to help individual members in emergency circumstances due to a sudden loss or decline in remuneration from the University. In addition to…
Faculty Association Dues
The Faculty Association has analyzed its expenditures in accordance with the Bill 32, the Restoring Balance in Alberta's Workplaces Act. We have concluded that all of our expenses from funds collected through dues fit under the definition of "core" activities per…
A Deeper Dive: What the New CA Means for Ongoing Academic Staff
(Note: this article focuses on notable changes in the new Collective Agreement for ongoing academic staff. We will post an article about how the new agreement affects sessional academic staff in the Fair Employment Week edition of Academic Views, which will focus…
President’s Report
Dear Colleagues, The 2022-23 academic year is now well underway, and I want to extend my wishes for a productive and safe year. This will be my final year as your President and I want to thank you for the…
Changes to CAUT Dues
A minor change in CAUT dues takes effect on July 1, 2022. These fees are calculated based on average academic staff salaries by rank, as reported annually by Statistics Canada, applied against an approved mil rate. The mil rate of…
Faculty Association Officer Appointments
The Board of Directors has announced the Association's Officers for 2022/23 (effective July 1, 2022). Mary-Ellen Tyler has been appointed as an Officer-at-Large, while Nigel Caulkett and Francine Smith are being reappointed as Officers-at-Large. They join President David Stewart, Vice-President…
Election Results Released for Board of Directors Members
The Election Committee has released the results for the election of Faculty Association Board of Directors members. Election ballots were issued to 2,493 electors (1,863 ongoing staff and 630 sessional staff) using Simply Voting on March 2 and voting closed…
Faculty Association Members Vote to Ratify New Collective Agreement
The Faculty Association announced that the Collective Agreement has been ratified. A total 975 (46%) of 2,119 electors (1,864 ongoing staff and 255 sessional staff) voted in this ballot. The results were as follows: 854 — Yes103 — No18 —…
Change in Ongoing Academic Staff
We thought it might be interesting to see where growth or decline in academic staff numbers has occurred over the last decade. This table shows the change in ongoing academic staff (i.e., not including sessional instructors) by Faculty at the…
Tenure, Promotion, Renewal, and Transfer
The Faculty Association normally offers workshops related to the tenure, renewal of tenure track, promotion, or transfer between the streams for academic staff members who are considering applying through these processes. As the COVID situation improves, we hope to return…
Results from Dean Surveys
The Faculty Association of the University of Calgary, in accordance with its policy concerning the Assessment of Deans and equivalents, has completed a survey of the academic staff members in Faculties where the Dean or Dean-equivalent is approaching the end…
Numerous Canadian Faculty Associations Walk Off the Job in 2022
Strikes at university faculty associations across Canada surged beginning late last year and continuing into 2022, although labour peace has been restored on all campuses. The wave of strike actions started last November when the University of Manitoba Faculty Association…
UAPP Pension Contributions Drop
When inflation is on the rise, it's a relief if some costs actually fall. Fortunately, this relief has arrived for Faculty Association members whose University Academic Pension Plan (UAPP) contributions have declined by nearly one percent effective July 1, 2022.…
President’s Report
Dear Colleagues, As we begin the 2022-23 academic year, I want to express my gratitude that you have endorsed the Collective Agreement with the Board of Governors and I appreciate the faith and confidence in our recommendation and bargaining team that this…
Bargaining Bulletin: March 4, 2022
Your bargaining team has been continuing to work over the past several months. And while we have not provided a detailed update to you about our progress at the table since early Summer of last year, discussions continued to move…
President’s Report
Dear Colleagues, The Fall 2021 term will be remembered for a long time. It has been a period fraught with uncertainty, beginning with what is now recognized as a premature provincial decision to declare the pandemic over, the resulting opportunity…
Pandemic Prompts Pause in Sessional Travel Grant Program
A Faculty Association program that offers travel grants for sessionals has been paused until early in the new year due to the pandemic. Each year, the Sessional Travel Fund Committee makes $30,000 available to reimburse certain travel expenses for up…
UMFA Strike Ends as Members Ratify Agreement
Academic staff at the University of Manitoba have dropped their placards and headed back to the classrooms. After five weeks on the picket lines, University of Manitoba Faculty Association (UMFA) members voted 91 percent in favour of ratifying a deal…
Long-Time Association Board Member Truly a Good Servant
The year was 2004 and Paul Martin was prime minister, The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King won the Oscar for Best Picture, and the Calgary Flames made their last Stanley Cup run. That year also marked…
Faculty Association Holiday Office Closure
The Faculty Association office will close for the holidays, with the last day of work being December 23 and the first day back January 10. However, we will monitor the Association's voicemail and email regularly on days that the university…
Faculty Association Dues are Tax Deductible
As you prepare your taxes, remember that your Faculty Association dues (which include your CAUT dues) are tax deductible. You can find these dues on your pay stub and in box 44 of your 2021 University of Calgary T4 form.…
Faculty Association Accepting Nominees for Board of Directors Positions
The Faculty Association is accepting nominations for Board of Directors as well as for President and Chair of the Board of the Board of Directors. The Association is accepting nominations for six (6) directors; five (5) with up to three-year…
Changes to the Board of Directors
The Faculty Association's Board of Directors is happy to welcome two new members. Marjan Eggermont (Mechanical and Manufacturing Engineering) and Dora Tam (Social Work) have joined the Board of Directors for the remainder of the 2021-2022 academic year. The Board…
Bargaining Status as of February 7, 2022:
The Faculty Association and university administration have been meeting remotely since late December, 2020 and engaging in collective bargaining discussions. Throughout these discussions, the parties have been actively working through the various non-monetary items and continue to make progress. Both…
Alberta Student Day of Action
The Faculty Association has been contacted regarding the “Alberta Student Day of Action” occurring this Friday, October 29th, at noon in the Quad (between Mac Hall and TFDL). We have been asked to invite all academic staff members to attend.…
Plan for additional safety measures
Message from David Stewart, Faculty Association President sent to members of the Faculty Association on August 17, 2021. Dear Colleagues, Early this morning we learned that the Universities of Calgary, Alberta and Lethbridge were planning to jointly release a plan…