Weekly Update – January 15
January 15, 2021
Weekly Update – January 15
Workload Accommodation Requests
This week, the provincial government declared a state of emergency and issued a stay-at-home order except for essential purposes. As we mentioned in our update last week, we anticipate these measures will mean that some CUASA members will be affected trying to balance their family and professional responsibilities.
Yesterday, CUASA President Angelo Mingarelli wrote to Deputy Provost Lorraine Dyke to express the Association’s concerns about the impact of this ongoing crisis and the new extraordinary measures on our members. We asked that the University administration outline clearly how CUASA members may seek accommodation, if necessary, during these challenging times. You can read that email here.
We also asked that application deadlines be extended for internally managed research awards, that internal research grants receive an automatic extension of one year, that the University advocates to the Tri-Council agencies to have externally funded research grants extended for one year.
We look forward to discussing these and other possible options to support CUASA members at the next JCAA meeting on January 26.
A message on the stay-at-home order was sent to the campus community this morning from COVID-19 Lead Suzanne Blanchard, including information on how employees can make requests for accommodations to their manager, supervisor, or dean.
As we said last week, any members who may require accommodation are strongly encouraged to contact your Dean immediately. If you need advice, please feel free to contact us at [email protected].
Support Available
It’s to be expected that some members or their family members may be struggling in light of the current situation. Remember that all CUASA members and their families have access to the Employee and Family Assistance Program. You can find details of the EFAP here.
Nominations for Steering Positions
We are still accepting nominations for the following Steering positions (click on the title to read the position description):
Information on the nominations process can be found on our How to Volunteer page. The work of the Association continues, despite the current environment we find ourselves in. Remember that our Association is only as strong as its membership, so we count on the time and commitment of our members to achieve our goals. Some of these positions come with a course release subject to the availability of funds (please ask if interested).
Academic Community Updates
Time to modernize the Employment Equity Act
On December 15, 2020, CAUT hosted a virtual discussion on the Employment Equity Act to explore the Act’s impact and what more needs to be done. Click here to read more.
CAUT signs the San Francisco Declaration on Research Assessment
CAUT has signed the San Francisco Declaration on Research Assessment (DORA), an international initiative to address the overreliance on journal-based metrics in hiring, promotion, and funding decisions and to promote and support equity in the academy. Click here to read more.
