Candidate Statements – Steering 2026
President
Candidate: Dominique Marshall
To serve and represent CUASA for the last 3 years as President has been a privilege. As I seek a second mandate, I can assure fellow librarians and professors that I will work in solidarity with them towards the ideals of greater “freedom, responsibility and mutual respect” which moved the founders of the union 50 years ago. The working conditions required to meaningfully advance, preserve and share knowledge is what university employers owe to their academic staff in order to provide students and citizens with the higher education they are all entitled to receive.
The responsibility of the President is to coordinate the efforts of CUASA’s team of volunteers and staff, and to renew the trust and stake members have in the association. In the best of circumstances, it means organising, in the words of the Collective Agreement, to “foster and continue the existing harmonious relations within the University community,” or “to provide an amicable means for settling differences which may arise from time to time between the Employer and the employees in the bargaining unit.” But when the indignities of workplace discrimination, censorship, diminishing participation, subjection to private interests, exhaustion, penny pinching, haste and red tape become apparent, it means working with urgency to safeguard the entitlements of union members.
I believe that my knowledge of this campus, my experience in associational life, and my sense of the history of the rights to fair working conditions and to public higher education in Canada prepare me well for the position.
Chair, Equity Committee
Candidate: Jie Liu
Jie Liu is a full professor at the Department of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering. He joined Carleton University in 2010 after completing his postdoctoral work at UC Berkeley. He is leading research efforts in Prognostics and Health Management (PHM) with applications to engineering systems including gas turbine engines for power generation, lithium ion batteries for energy storage, and mechanical power transmissions. He was identified as one of the world’s top 2% most-cited scientists. He was the recipient of Carleton University Research Achievement Award, IEEE Ottawa-Section Outstanding Service Award, and France-Canada Research Award. He served as the Senator of Carleton University, the IEEE Reliability Society Administrative Committee Member, Interim Vice President of IEEE Reliability Society, the Associate Editor of IEEE Transactions on Reliability, and General Chairs for five international PHM conferences. He is a Fellow of IET, a Senior Member of IEEE, and a Professional Engineer of Ontario. Jie is currently a member of nominations and elections committee (NEC) at CUASA. He has a particular interest in developing initiatives, workshops and policies to support equity, diversity, and inclusion, including anti-racism, accessibility, and LGBTQIA2S+, and advancing the interests of equity-seeking groups within the union and the university.
Treasurer
Candidate: Devin Fraser
I am seeking re-election as Treasurer of CUASA for a two-year term beginning July 1, 2026. It has been a privilege to serve in this role since July 1, 2024. Over the past two years, we strengthened CUASA’s financial position by clearing the audit backlog, reorganizing the chart of accounts, improving internal controls, and completing the June 30, 2025 audit on time with no issues. CUASA is no longer operating in an annual deficit. I also served on the 2024 to 2027 Negotiation Team, where we protected key provisions in the collective agreement while securing modest gains, including improvements related to mental health. With membership expected to decline following the VRIP and Carleton’s current financial position, careful financial stewardship is more important than ever. We must balance reasonable dues with the resources needed to effectively support our members. I would be honoured to continue serving for another two-year term.
Teaching Stream Representative
Candidate: Lynn Marshall
I initially joined the CUASA Steering Committee as the Instructor / Teaching Stream Representative in July, 2024. Since then, I have played an active role on the committee. I’ve been working with my teaching stream colleagues to bring forward any issues, as well as being the CUASA representative on OCUFA’s Contract Faculty Committee (CFC) which meets monthly, something that is now considered to be under the responsibility of the Teaching Stream Representative. I’ve also participated as the CUASA representative on the University Selection Committee for both the first and second cycles of the EDI Research and Pedagogical Fund (2025 and 2026), and was one of two CUASA representatives on the 2026 Adjudication Committee for the Professional Achievement Award for Teaching Stream. I’m currently one of four CUASA members of the Joint Workload Committee between CUASA and the University involving two to three meetings each month, and I am focusing on bringing issues related to the large classes taught by teaching stream to the forefront.
A key focus this year is on ensuring that Teaching Stream members are able to provide input to the new Unit Standards for Promotion and Tenure, as there has been a significant change to the process for Teaching Stream members in the new Collective Agreement.
With my background in teaching at Carleton: 20 years as a contract instructor and 5 as full-time, I believe that I bring a wealth of experience and knowledge to this position, and I hope that the CUASA Council will support my application to continue in this role, starting in July 2026.
Chair, Grievance Policy and Administration
Candidate: Chinnaiah Jangam
I have served as Chair of Grievance and Administration since the eve of the Covid-19 pandemic, a time that tested individuals and organizations. As a CUASA Steering representative, I led the Grievance Committee to address union member challenges, facilitate settlements, and foster collaboration between faculty and union for the benefit of our university community. My dedication to union activism has connected me across academic and non-academic groups to advocate for the public good. I reaffirm my commitment to implementing the Collective Agreement, protecting the rights and security of librarians and professors. Amid threats to academic freedom and job security, I will work with you to ensure the CA safeguards our professional and personal well-being and supports CUASA’s crucial role in the university’s reputation.
As Chair, I oversee grievance files and regularly consult with CAUT and OCUFA for legal advice and guidance in resolving issues. I also help other unions collaborate, strengthening our collective position. As a JCAA member, I prioritize Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion in our union organizing and foster respectful engagement with university administration to implement the agreement and ensure members thrive without discrimination.
My experience as Chair will further strengthen my resolve to advance the interests of membership. As a historian focused on caste-oppressed communities in South Asia, I value collective action and am active in Indian diasporic advocacy for justice and equity in Canada. I request your support for my nomination as Chair of CUASA’s Grievance and Administration.
External Relations Officer
Candidate: Mayurika Chakravorty
It is my honour to put my name forward for a second term as CUASA’s External Relations Officer. Serving in this role has been one of the most meaningful service contributions of my academic career, and I am very eager to continue the work we have built together.
In my role, I have focused on building solidarity with other faculty associations in Ontario and across Canada. I have been deeply engaged in solidarity campaigns and have participated in flying picketing and rallying alongside colleagues in other faculty associations across Canada on their picket lines. I have also represented CUASA in standing with workers beyond the post-secondary education sector, from teacher and student unions to the postal workers and flight attendants. These actions have reinforced our union’s presence and built solidarity as part of the broader labour movement. Last year, I co-led a cohort of our members, along with members of another faculty association, in a global training program, Organizing for Power, to increase the capacity of our association to organize and mobilize for our rights and fair and equitable working conditions and also to get colleagues involved in union work and organizing.
I have tirelessly worked to ensure that our association is present and active at the meetings of affiliate and congregate bodies like OCUFA (Ontario Confederation of University Faculty Associations), CAUT (Canadian Association of University Teachers), and CAUT-Defence Fund, so that our voices are heard in the spaces where decisions are made. I have represented CUASA and deepened our ties with the broader labour movement through active engagement with ODLC (Ottawa and District Labour Council), OFL (Ontario Federation of Labour), CLC (Canadian Labour Congress), and NUCAUT (National Union of Canadian Association of University Teachers). With OCUFA and CAUT/NUCAUT, I have carried out advocacy work at provincial and federal levels by meeting with MPPs at Queen’s Park and MPs and Senators on Parliament Hill to advance the interests of the post-secondary education sector.
Last year, I was elected as the Co-chair of the CAUT Equity Committee and member of the CAUT Executive Committee for a two-year term. In these national-level leadership roles, I get the opportunity to contribute to the crafting of policy and priorities for our sector, including in matters of academic freedom, governance, bargaining, work-place rights etc., and lead studies and equity initiatives that strengthen and shape the working conditions of academic staff in Canada. These experiences have afforded me invaluable knowledge and broad perspective on the post-secondary education sector in Canada and the role of the faculty associations, besides ensuring greater access to resources and stronger ties for CUASA within the wider network of faculty associations.
If I get the opportunity to be CUASA’s External Relations Officer for one more term, I will build on this foundation by strengthening our alliances, advocating for our rights, and ensuring that CUASA remains a connected and meaningful voice within the academic sector and the broader labour movement in Canada. Thank you for your support.
