CUASA Update – June 10, 2022
June 10, 2022
CUASA Update – June 10, 2022
Carleton Pausing Mask Requirements
The University announced this morning that it will be pausing its mandatory mask requirements as of June 25. Carleton says this decision was made in light of the recent announcement from Ontario’s Chief Medical Officer of Health and the evolving recommendations from Ottawa Public Health.
CUASA joins the University in continuing to strongly recommend masking when indoors, particularly if physical distancing cannot be maintained. We encourage our members to please take care of yourselves and be supportive of others, while respecting individuals’ personal choices regarding masking after June 25.
The University has also stated it may need to quickly reinstate the mask requirement and the vaccination policy should pandemic conditions change. The University will continue to carefully monitor the situation and to align with evolving public health advice and government requirements.
Member Conduct Policy Training
As you may be aware, CUASA Council adopted the new Member Conduct Policy at its meeting on March 24, 2022. In accordance with this policy, CUASA will form a roster of Association members who could possibly be called on to serve on the Investigatory Council and Appeals Council.
In order to help members decide if they wish to volunteer for this important new role, we will be hosting two half-day introductory sessions, which will be lead by Goldblatt Partners LLP. All Association members are welcome to attend either session. The dates and times of the two sessions are as follows:
Advance registration is required; please click on the one you wish to attend.
This will be an introduction to what the role would involve and is the first step in the training process. Attendance at one of these sessions does not mean you are automatically considered as having volunteered for the roster; these sessions are being offered to help members decide if they wish to volunteer. Further training will be provided at a later date for those who do wish to be a part of the roster. Should you have any questions, please contact CUASA’s Director/Senior Grievance and Arbitration Officer, Christal Côté, at [email protected].
Pride Caucus
We apologize for having to cancel the last meeting of the Pride Caucus for our LGBTQIA2S+ members. Unfortunately, our organizers were without power for several days and were unable to host the meeting at the time. We have rescheduled the meeting for Thursday, June 16, at 1pm and look forward to meeting everyone then! If you’re interested in attending, please contact Max López at [email protected].
ARTE Reminder
In a joint collaboration between CUASA and the university, the Joint Subcommittee on Teaching Evaluations (JSTE) has released the Annual Report on Teaching Effectiveness (ARTE). The ARTE is an optional tool designed to allow faculty members and instructors an opportunity to reflect on and present their teaching approaches in any given year. You have the choice to not submit the ARTE at all. If you do submit it, you may either use it for career-related decisions (such as tenure, confirmation, and promotion), or you may submit it and indicate that it not be used for career-related decisions.
You should have received the ARTE in your inbox. This is a reminder that should you choose to complete the ARTE and submit it to your chair or director, the deadline is June 30.
Academic Community Updates
Video recognizes hard work of OCUFA’s members
OCUFA has released a new video that celebrates the energy, commitment, and dedication of faculty, academic librarians, and other academic professionals across Ontario. The past year has been challenging, with the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic and the collapse of Laurentian University, but OCUFA’s members have persevered and shown that they are energized and ready to redouble their efforts to improve Ontario’s universities.
OCUFA holds first University governance workshop
On May 6, the OCUFA University Governance Committee held a virtual workshop, entitled “The Erosion of Collegial Governance: Reclaiming Lost Ground.” The workshop was a hands-on, training-focused event aimed at supporting OCUFA member associations and faculty and academic librarian representatives on governing bodies in their advocacy and activism around shared governance.
Learn more and watch the keynote speech from the workshop.
May NewsWire: CAUT ramps up Laurentian U pressure – Acadia U no confidence vote – UPEI leadership concerns- CAUT academic publishing panel discussion
Every month CAUT sends a newsletter with the latest CAUT and post-secondary education sector news. In the May issue:
- CAUT ramps up the pressure on Laurentian University
- Acadia academic staff vote “no confidence” in university leadership
- UPEI Faculty Association demanding ‘secure leadership’ at UPEI
- Academic publishing, data surveillance and human rights
- May-June issue of the Bulletin
- Browse the 92nd CAUT Council highlights
