Afternoon Update – April 1

April 1, 2020

Afternoon Update – April 1

We have heard concerns from members following yesterday’s announcement of the first COVID-19 case in the Carleton community. We reached out to the University administration today for clarification, and Deputy Provost Lorraine Dyke assured us that anyone who could have come into close contact with this employee has already been contacted. As an additional precautionary measure, the person’s workspace has been thoroughly cleaned.

The University has said it has protocols in place to ensure the safety of the Carleton community, including processes for additional cleaning as needed. We will be asking for additional details on these protocols at our scheduled JCAA meeting with the University tomorrow.

CUASA continues to recommend to our members that you follow public health guidelines for physical (social) distancing, including working from home and limiting non-essential trips out of the home.

We continue to hear from members expressing concerns about cancelled teaching evaluations for the Winter term, and in particular the impact on tenure/confirmation and promotion applications. As we’ve said previously, we are in discussions on extending tenure/confirmation and promotion clocks. With respect to evaluations, remember that student evaluations are just one aspect of measuring teaching effectiveness, and members have the right under the collective agreement to use peer evaluations as well.

Some members have asked if they can distribute their own evaluations. There are no provisions in the collective agreement that allow for CUASA employees to administer their own evaluations. CUASA advises against such measures.

If you receive any unsolicited feedback from students, you are certainly welcome to include those in your tenure/confirmation and promotion dossier—this is a common practice. Just make sure that you either get permission from the students to use their names or redact them accordingly.