The Communiqué – Volume 48, No. 1. October 16, 2025
In This Issue:
- CUASA General Membership Meeting – Save the Date
- CUASA Virtual Townhall on Collegial Governance
- CUASA-CU Special Fund for EDI Research and Pedagogical Innovation
- Know Your Responsibilities: Conflict of Interest and Conflict of Commitment
- NEW! CUASA Member Drop In Times
- Sign in Support – University of Lethbridge Faculty Association
- National Day for Truth and Reconciliation
- CUASA Equity Committee, Caucuses and Working Group
- CUASA Investigatory and Appeals Committees
- OPSEU College Workers – Tentative Agreement!
- Member Engagement and Member Action: lessons from the Canadian Labour Congress Summer School
- Precarity, Solidarity and Survival: Supporting Contract Academic Staff in 2025
- CAUT News
CUASA General Membership Meeting – Save the Date
Please save the date for our upcoming Fall General Membership Meeting (GMM), to be held on Thursday, November 6, from 1:30-3:30pm. The GMM will be held on Zoom.
A registration link, agenda and meeting materials will be emailed to Association members in the week prior the GMM.
Note: Only Association members, meaning those who have returned a completed membership form, may participate in the internal administration of CUASA. Staff will be checking GMM registrations against the membership list and will contact any registrants who have not completed a membership form to ask them to do so before their registration will be approved. If you have any questions or wish to verify your membership status, please contact [email protected].
CUASA Virtual Townhall on Collegial Governance
Recent budget reductions and deep technological changes call for the protection and reinforcement of collegial governance.
Would you like to better understand the role Professors and Librarians play in the governance of the Carleton University? To learn how and where we can best exercise this responsibility?
Join us at CUASA’s virtual Townhall on collegial governance Thursday 30 October, from 1:30 to 3:30 pm. All CUASA members are welcome!
CUASA is committed to cooperate with Carleton University “in the promotion and enhancement of the University and to encourage a climate of freedom, responsibility and mutual respect in the pursuit of these goals.” (CUASA/Carleton Collective Agreement)
It is in this spirit that the townhall will address:
- effective participation in faculty boards and departmental meetings
- the extent and limits of the role of Senate and of the Board of Governors
- processes for the appointment of high administrators
There will be presentations by Canadian, Ontario, and Carleton specialists and practitioners, including Marc Shroeder – Governance Committee Chair, Canadian Association of University Teachers (CAUT) and members of Senate and Faculty Boards at Carleton University.
There will be time for discussion and questions.
Please register for the Townhall here.
“Collegial governance starts from the premise that the scholarly community’s work is the source of an academic institution’s value to society. As central members of any institution’s scholarly community, academic staff should play a role in the governing of the university or college where they work.” CAUT resources on Collegial Governance.
CUASA-CU Special Fund for EDI Research and Pedagogical Innovation
Applications are open for the CU-CUASA Special Fund for EDI Research and Pedagogical Innovation. The fund aims to support and enhance research excellence and pedagogical innovation by members of equity-deserving groups, or on topics that emphasize equity, diversity and inclusion. The funds range from $5,000 to $15,000 and are tenable for up to two years. Applications are due Oct. 31. For full fund and submission details, visit the Special Fund webpage.
For information on other awards established in the CUASA Collective Agreement click on links below.
Research Achievement Awards (Article 40.2) Deadline October 31.
Research Award – Seed Funding (Article 40.3) Deadline October 31
Teaching Awards (Article 40.4) Deadline October 31
Know Your Responsibilities: Conflict of Interest and Conflict of Commitment
CUASA would like to draw your attention to Carleton University’s Policy and Procedures Regarding Conflict of Interest and Conflict of Commitment. All members should review the policy, and complete and submit a Declaration of Conflict of Interest and Conflict of Commitment Form if they believe they may have a conflict of interest and/or a conflict of commitment as defined by the policy.
Members should note that under the policy, “The primary obligation to report their real, perceived or potential conflicts of interest and conflicts of commitment rests with individual employees.” All members are encouraged to carefully review the policy to ensure they understand their obligations, the potential consequences of any breaches, and the proper steps for reporting concerns or incidents.
If you have any questions about the policy or form, please contact CUASA’s Member Services Officers at [email protected] for guidance.
*** Please note that links to the Policy and Procedures and Conflict and Interst Form will be updated as soon as they become availabe
NEW! CUASA Member Drop In Times
Drop by the CUASA boardroom for coffee and conversation with CUASA’s President Dominique Marshall, members of CUASA staff and your fellow CUASA members. Learn about what your union is working on and share your work experiences on Carleton Campus.
November 13 – Noon to 1pm. CUASA Boardroom – 2003 Dunton Tower (20th Floor)
December 11 – Noon to 1pm. CUASA Boardroom – 2003 Dunton Tower (20th Floor)
Sign in Support – University of Lethbridge Faculty Association
Our colleagues at the University of Lethbridge need your support. Join their letter writing campaign for a fair deal. ULFA members are paid an average of 15-20% less than academic staff at comparable institutions and have some of the worst health benefits in the education sector.
National Day for Truth and Reconciliation
CUASA joined the Remember our Children rally on Parliament Hill on September 30th. If you are interested in taking up the work of reconciliation please be in touch with CUASA at [email protected].
Photo taken by Mayurika Chakravorty – CUASA External Affairs Officer
CUASA Equity Committee, Caucuses and Working Group
CUASA is recruiting for members interested in equity, diversity, decolonization and inclusion to join CUASA’s Equity Committee. The commitment is minimal and normally requires attending 1 meeting a month. Members of the Equity Committee support and propose equity driven programming at CUASA, prepare recommendations that can be brought the employer during Joint Committee for the Administration of the Agreement (JCAA) meetings, and generate opportunities for networking.
CUASA is also looking for members interested in participating in
- Anti-Racism Working Group– advancing anti-racist practices, policy recommendations, and education.
- Disability Caucus – sharing knowledge, community, and support to advance accessibility and navigate systemic barriers.
- Pride Caucus– creating space, advocacy, and support for LGBTQIA2S+ members.
If you are interested in serving on the Equity Committee or if you’d like to start or join a group, we want to hear from you! Equity work is never static — it grows and adapts with new challenges, perspectives, and with the expertise and experiences of our members. Our caucuses and working groups are member-driven spaces: grassroots in spirit, supported by CUASA staff, and shaped by the people most impacted.
Get involved: email [email protected] to connect with other members and help shape CUASA’s equity efforts.
*All meetings are held over zoom or in a hybrid zoom/in person format at the CUASA Boardroom in Dunton Tower.
CUASA Investigatory and Appeals Committees
CUASA is seeking 7- 8 member volunteers to serve on the Investigatory and Appeals Committees. These committees address allegations of harassment between CUASA members that arise while they are engaged in Association activities. The Investigations Committee is comprised of 3 members of the standing committee and the Appeals Committee is comprised of 3 different members for each case.
The policy of governing these councils is described under the CUASA Member Conduct Policy. New members will be trained on how to receive complaints, process complaints, investigate complaints, maintain confidentiality, and ensure procedural fairness. In addition, they will be trained on both the Investigatory Council and Appeals Council processes.
These committees are crucial for CUASA to continue to foster a safe, respectful and productive work environment. Please contact CUASA’s Nominations and Elections Chair, Xiao Huang at [email protected] if you are interested in volunteering or if you have any questions.
OPSEU College Workers – Tentative Agreement!
Congratulations to the members of OPSEU who reached a tentative agreement in the early hours of October 15th!
On October 2nd CUASA joined members of OPSEU (Ontario Public Service Employees Union) and the labour community in a Day of Action happening across the province on the line at Algonquin College!
Pictured in photo:
Max López – Equity and Member Services Officer
Mayurika Chakravorty – CUASA External Affairs Officer
Member Engagement and Member Action: lessons from the Canadian Labour Congress Summer School
by Maya Papineau, CUASA’s Chair of Internal Affairs.
Union organizing is essential for ensuring fair salaries, maintaining worker well-being, and fostering a strong, effective voice in workplace decision-making. By exhibiting solidarity within and across unions on campus, Carleton’s workers can amplify their bargaining power, making it harder for employers to ignore or undercut their concerns, even in the complex budgetary environment we face today. These factors led me to join CUASA’s steering committee as Chair of Internal Affairs, a position that I started on July 1, 2025.
Shortly after the beginning of my tenure in this role, I had the opportunity to attend a week-long Canadian Labour Congress Summer School, in a course titled “Member Engagement – Member Action!”. It was an enriching and rewarding week that covered both the theoretical foundations of union organizing and the practical skills needed to mobilize workers effectively.
The course examined the historical forces shaping labor movements today, and the role of cross-union solidarity in advancing workers’ rights and influencing policy beyond individual workplaces: when unions in different sectors support each other—through shared campaigns, coordinated strikes, or public advocacy—they strengthen the entire labor movement and can influence policy beyond any single workplace. This lesson resonated with me given the province-wide challenges facing the University sector.
We also learned strategies to engage members more effectively by fostering open, two-way communication and creating bridges between individual members’ values and union concerns. Approaches to promoting engagement include organizing in-person gatherings, listening sessions, informal meetups, and digital forums help surface real concerns and build trust. These activities can also be linked with workplace mapping, an approach to identify who is already engaging with our union and who we can do a better job of engaging with. Mapping can also identify “relationship builders” that can increase the number of active and engaged members.
The last important take-away was the importance of highlighting shared principles such as fairness, dignity, and mutual respect for all workers. By aligning union campaigns with the values members already hold dear, organizers can transform passive support into active solidarity.
Precarity, Solidarity and Survival: Supporting Contract Academic Staff in 2025.
Online Panel Discussion hosted by Association of Nova Scotia University Teachers (ANSUT)
This panel brings together researchers, labour leaders, and those with lived experience to examine the growing precarity faced by contract academic staff, explore trends and tactics shaping their work, highlight the power of solidarity across the labour movement, and ground these issues in real-world impacts and solutions. Although the focus is on contract academic staff in Nova Scotia, we invite all faculty association members, supporters from other unions, and colleagues, friends and family to attend.
Monday, October 20, 6:30 – 8:00 PM (AST) Register here to attend.
CAUT News
“Coalition for Coalition for Canadian Research calls on federal government to fulfil the Budget 2024 research commitments.” September 25, 2025 (Continue Reading)
CAUT Unlock Education Campaign
On November 4, Prime Minister Mark Carney will introduce a federal budget. It has been widely telegraphed that the budget will enact 15% cuts across all federal departments over three years. If research agencies like SSHRC, NSERC and CIHR are affected, millions in research grants and graduate training could disappear.
In Budget 2024, we celebrated hard-fought gains, including a 5-year commitment of $1.8 billion for core research funding and $825 million for graduate student scholarships and post-doctoral fellowships.
With Budget 2025, these essential supports for Canadian research might be in jeopardy. We must act now. Send a letter to the Prime Minister, Finance Minister, Industry Minister, and your local MP urging them to protect and strengthen research funding.
Fair Employment Week (FEW) 2025 is taking place from October 20 to 24
As part of FEW, Dr. Kendra Strauss will provide a virtual keynote address titled, “A Discussion on Academic Freedom and Precarity.” This event will take place on Wednesday, October 22 at 12pm EST. You can register to attend here.
